Word of Encouragement (5/19/2021)

Let’s continue our reflection on Paul’s exhortation and request for prayer in Eph. 6:18-20: “...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, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Paul exhorts us to “keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints....” The exhortation to keep alert reminds us again of the spiritual battle we are engaged in. Even those of us, who have never been in the military or in combat, can see how fatal it would be for a soldier not to be alert: it could be the difference between life and death. Of course, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). Our spiritual battle is not something we can see with our eyes. And the spiritual injuries we sustain are not obvious to us until they manifest themselves in public and gross sins. But we have to keep in mind that most of these “public and gross” sins are not something that just happens; they are the result of small sins that accumulate and grow over time. As they say, “He that steals an egg will steal an ox.” So, we need to keep alert, guarding our hearts even against the smallest sins.

Here, Paul calls on us to keep alert especially in our prayer life—“making supplication for all the saints.” Prayer is not something we promise to others when we don’t want to “do” what they need from us because it costs us too much of our time or money or effort. Paul saw prayer as a crucial, indispensable aspect of our spiritual battle: we fight our spiritual battle by praying and we need our fellow saints to fight with us by praying for us. Prayer is not something we use to pretend that we care. Prayer is a formidable weapon for our spiritual battle. God promised, “...call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Ps. 50:15).

So, Paul calls every believer to pray “for all the saints.” This means we should pray not just for our loved and favorite ones but also for the ones who are making our lives difficult; not just for those that are doing well spiritually but also for those that are struggling in their Christian walk, even for those that may be rebelling against God.

Paul exhorts us to pray not only with alertness but also “with all perseverance.” He did so because it is not easy to be alert at all times. But we need to be because our spiritual battle never ends: it will not end until we enter heaven. We need perseverance, especially in our prayer life. There are times when God answers our prayers immediately (like Elisha’s prayer for his servant’s eyes to be opened). But most of our prayers require us to wait for God’s timing. In some cases, we have to wait for a long, long time, even beyond our lifetime. It would be nice if things gradually change during our time of waiting so we can see that God is working. But, as many of us have experienced, we often don’t see any change at all (and, quite often, we see things getting worse!) until God's appointed time. Hannah prayed for a child for a long time but nothing happened all that time until Eli saw her praying. If we are certain that what we are praying for is according to God’s will, then we should keep it up “with all perseverance” until it is God’s time (or, God in some way says, no).

Brothers and sisters, let us keep alert with all perseverance, praying for all the saints, in the likeness of our great High Priest, who intercedes for all of us with all perseverance at the right hand of God, never ceasing, never tiring.