Ephesians 6:18 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.
A few of us have been through basic training in the military. Part of that training involves receiving equipment that enables us to survive on the battlefield. We get everything from half a tent, a canteen and boots, to wet weather gear and a gas mask.
We sign paperwork when we receive this equipment that assigns responsibility for the safe return of the equipment to the individual soldier. Periodically, each soldier must display all their equipment and have it inventoried by their supervisor. If something is missing, then the soldier must replace it or have their paycheck reduced by the amount of replacement.
We dreaded inventory days. It was such a pain to lay all the equipment out and have it inspected. You would be amazed how many people lost equipment even while it was stored safely in their duffle bags. The worst part was having to pay full price for used equipment when it was lost.
We have basic equipment as followers of Jesus Christ. This is what the apostle Paul has been sharing in this letter to the Ephesian church community. He uses the picture of a Roman soldier with all their equipment to give us a picture of what an individual would look like when they are fully “in Christ.”
When we are fully “in Christ”, then we have all the equipment needed for our life as sold-out children of God. This equipment is not ours; it always belongs to Jesus. And when we live “in Him” then we have all this equipment, because He brings this equipment with Him.
The piece of equipment that Jesus brings to our fight is highlighted in our verse today. That equipment is prayer. It would be equivalent to the secure communication equipment that the military uses today. It enables rapid communication with higher headquarters. It keeps all the parts connected and unified in their approach to the battle.
When the text says “pray in the Spirit”, I like to think about that secure communication equipment. You must be on the correct frequency with the proper credentials to encode and decode the information sent and received. When we pray, we must pray in line with what the Spirit is desiring. We must line up our prayers with His prayers.
Prayers not prayed in the Spirit are like a stranded sailor who grabs the radio and just starts to cry “Mayday, mayday, mayday” without knowing if they are on the correct frequency or even if anyone can hear the message of desperation. Without the correct frequency and someone to hear the message at the other end, they might as well must shout into the wind.
Without the Spirit guiding and directing, we have no assurance that our prayers will be heard and answered. Just like the millions today who cry out to a deity of stone or wood, there is no hope of being heard. Unlike the risen Jesus, they have no concrete witness that their prayers will be heard.
Paul says prayer should be directed toward two areas: the church, and for Paul and his ministry. Paul recognized that without Jesus, he has nothing of value. But “in Christ” he has all he needs. Prayer in this context, prayer in the Spirit, is about aligning our will with His will. It is about getting our radio on the correct frequency and having the credentials that enable sending and receiving messages. It is about hearing and obeying what Jesus is communicating.
The Arnold Journey 