God wants us to constantly talk to him, in prayer. We are to reach out to him, in all kinds of prayers. We should remember that we are living not only in the visible, physical world, but there is also an invisible world, and our enemy is comprised of demons and spiritual forces, and we are in a spiritual battle. We can fight effectively through the use of prayer, as we connect with God and tap into the great powers of God to fight those spiritual forces. Let us always talk to God, our Father. Let us also help and minister to our brothers and loved ones through intercessory prayers.
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Text: Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV - New International Version
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 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 Lord’s people.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT:
[From Our Daily Bread] During a writing conference where I served as a faculty member, Tamy handed me a postcard with a handwritten prayer on the back. She explained that she read the faculty biographies, wrote specific prayers on each card, and prayed as she delivered them to us. In awe over the details in her personal message to me, I thanked God for encouraging me through Tamy’s gesture. Then I prayed for her in return. When I struggled with pain and fatigue during the conference, I pulled out the postcard. God refreshed my spirit as I reread Tamy’s note.
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The apostle Paul recognized the life-affirming impact of prayer for others. He urged believers to prepare for battle “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). He encouraged ongoing and specific prayers, while emphasizing the need to intervene for one another in what we call intercessory prayer. Paul also requested bold prayers on his behalf. “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains” (vv. 19–20).
As we pray for one another, the Holy Spirit comforts us and strengthens our resolve. He affirms that we need Him and one another, assuring us that He hears every prayer—silent, spoken, or scribbled on a prayer card—and He answers according to His perfect will. By Xochitl Dixon
[From Commentary] In daily living, it’s easy to get swept up in the things we can see and touch and to forget that there’s an unseen realm. The apostle Paul gives this warning in Ephesians 6:12: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Prayer is such a key element of our spiritual armor because we’re not dealing with “flesh and blood” but with “spiritual forces.” Through prayer, we connect with the invisible God who is Lord over both the seen and unseen. Learn more about how to pray effectively.
Bill Crowder
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[From me] God wants us to constantly talk to him, in prayer. We are to reach out to him, in all kinds of prayers. We should remember that we are living not only in the visible, physical world, but there is also an invisible world, and our enemy is comprised of demons and spiritual forces, and we are in a spiritual battle. We can fight effectively through the use of prayer, as we connect with God and tap into the great powers of God to fight those spiritual forces. Let us always talk to God, our Father. Let us pray for others too, in intercessory prayers. We can help and minister to our brothers and loved ones through intercessory prayers.
March 21, 2023
