Eph. 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
“With all prayer…” Paul was reminding us that the unity of the Body of Christ is primarily realized in prayer! He pleaded with the believers in Ephesus to pray ferverntly and unceaseingly for ALL the saints, not just for those in their immediate circle….
Unity in prayer is where our strength is found and released. Eugene Peterson says it like this:
“In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (The Message)
“Prayer is eseential….” It is imperitive that the Body of Christ join together to pray. In this moment when we are called into this time of “social distancing” we must realize that because of the gifts of technology we can draw closer to the Lord and to each other in prayer than perhaps the Church has sought to do in years if not centuries.
Social distancing does not mean Spiritaul Distance. In fact what the enemy would use to separate us we can use to unite ourselves in prayer.
Beleivers have often been preoccupied with themselves and with what they thought God should do for them personally. This is a moment when we must hear the call to give ourselves to Him in prayer; unceasing prayer.
We must answer the call to pray for all of God’s people, and THE CHURCH around the world. We must pray for every human being who has been created in the image and likeness of God.
I realized many years ago that prayer is an instinct of a heaven-born child of God. From the very beginning of the Church one of the characteristics of the believers was that “they prayed ALWAYS with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for ALL saints.”
The new commandment that the Lord gave to His followers “love one another” demands our prayer for one another, and for the world.
How one can claim to be a believer, how can we claim to love our neighbor if we never interceds with God for him?
How can we see their sorrows and not pray?
How can we see their poverty, their tribulaiton and not pray?
I just spoke with a friend of mine who is a doctor. She is in Italy right now working with the Samaritans Purse. These were her words to me, “I would rather die trying to help another human being than to live knowing I could’ve helped and didn’t” She goes on duty at 7 o’clock tonight and works till seven in the morning. It is such an honor to know her and call her friend.
You and I can Pray… We can pray pray without ceasing. We can pray for ALL PEOPLE.
“In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (The Message)
Prayer is essential right now!
Pray hard and long.
Pray for all people.
Keep our eyes open.
Keep each other’s spirit up…
So that now one falls behind or drops out.
