Prayer

Prayer

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:18, NIV

This verse is so full of help for us on the habit of prayer that it’s exciting to unpack all the instructions!

1. “Pray in the Spirit.” At the outset of our prayers, we are wise to ask for the Spirit’s help because, as Romans 8:26-27 explains, the Spirit helps us when we don’t know how to pray and even when we think we do.
2. “Pray . . . on all occasions.” When I was compiling The Christian Mom’s Idea Book, one mom told me, “I pray at the sink, in the car, in the doctor’s waiting room, with joy, with tears, through hardships, for the future, in all aspects and places of life.”^a
3. “Pray . . . with all kinds of prayers.” One minute we might be thanking God, and five minutes later we may need to confess something to him. Sometimes we offer praise, and sometimes it’s great to pray Scripture back to God.
4. “Keep on praying.” Be persistent. My pastor, Kent Hughes, relates how he prayed for thirty years that his brother would come to Christ. One day when he was visiting, his brother said to Kent, “Let’s talk about my soul.” They ended up praying together, and his brother came to Christ!
5. “Praying for all the saints.” Our prayers for fellow believers help them overcome the enemy and increase God’s kingdom.

Prayer costs us no money, and the lines of communication are never overcrowded. What an incredible privilege it is to pray!

Father,

Thank you that when you teach us that we should pray, you also teach us how to do it effectively. May we do it. Amen.