Lesson 32: The Power of Prayer, part 2

Ephesians 6:18 - praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Without reliable and accurate communications, the battle is lost. The believer must keep in constant contact and communication with his Heavenly Commander in every season of conflict, because it is the only way he is enabled to follow the leading of his Master closely. Prayer is a war-time walkie-talkie, not a domestic intercom. It is for a mission in battle. It is for use on the front lines of war to call in for headquarters to help. One of the reasons for our prayer’s malfunction is that we try to treat it like a domestic intercom to call in a butler for another pillow when it is supposed to be a wartime walkie-talkie for calling down the power of the Holy Spirit in the battle for souls.

A lack of prayer for the Christian is like fighting a one-man battle when the whole time we have all of Heaven at our disposal. It is not only ridiculous, it is suicidal. Why would you torture yourself like that? Just pray and ask the Spirit to guide you and give you the strength to stand. Put your armor on!


How often should we pray? What does verse 18 say?
*praying at all times in the Spirit
*with all prayer and supplication
*keep alert with all perseverance
*making supplication for all the saints

Prayer is not our last resort, it should be our first resort. It is not a spare tire in the trunk to be used only in emergencies but our daily lifeline, our air supply, our oxygen support from God in a spiritually deflated atmosphere. It is the spiritual air that we Christian soldiers are to breathe.

No period of life should be without prayer. It is talking to God in the constant strategy in which warfare is fought. Our Ephesians passage began, in verse 10, with lifting us up to the heavenlies, and it ends by pulling us down to our knees. The only way we can continually be on “high alert” is to continually be in communication with the Spirit of God for God alone makes us adequate in spiritual matters.

We need to realize that a Holy War cannot be carried out in our own unholy strength but only by God's Holy Spirit! DO not fall into the trap of thinking you can stand against supernatural powers in your own natural strength! You are already defeated (or soon will feel that way) if that is the way you are thinking. You will never be able to stand against your unseen foe!

Praying is simply showing our dependency upon God. We demonstrate that we need Him and His strength by praying always, in every way. A lack of prayer is thus showing our independence from God. It is saying that we do not need Him or His strength in the spiritual battle we face. Yet, we wonder why we are getting beaten up! (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17).