“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints,” Ephesians 6:18.
All nature teaches us the character of true prayer. As trees flourish by the continual drawing of nourishment up through its roots and as flowers constantly seek the sun and are enriched by its energy so the believer is renewed and fed by his waiting upon God. Paul concludes his exhortation to put on the armour of God by a call to prayer. It is not a sign of the lesser priority of prayer that it is mentioned last but rather it is evidence of the overall requirement of prayer.
When we have put on the armour then let us pray for the armour will for we will not benefit from our armour unless we pray.
I. PRAYER IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN OUR CHRISTIAN WARFARE
1. We dress ourselves in the armour by prayer.
Each grace represented by the armour is claimed and donned through prayer., Ephes 3:14-21. The history of grace in us is a history of prayer. God imparts His grace to us by quickening us to pray. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you, Luke 11:9.
The Lord knows our needs but requires us to seek Him for them, Matt 6:8. We are thus preserved from a sinful sense of self-sufficiency, But by the grace of God I am what I am, I Corinthians 15:10.
2. It is through prayer that we put these graces to work.
Psalm 144:1, 10-15. It is as we seek God for His help that our ways are directed by Him, In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies, Psalm 18:3.
3. It is by prayer that we obtain God’s blessing upon our efforts.
Exodus 17:8-13. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it, Psalms 90:17.Thus it is by prayer that we begin, continue and conclude our duties in God’s work.