Pray on all Occasions

Ephesians 6:18–23 (NIV)

Main Idea: Believers are called to… above all, pray in the Spirit as an expression of their dependence on the Lord to receive God’s enabling power. Paul’s pastoral concern for the readers is expressed through sending a trusted ministry associate to serve and encourage them and by praying that they will experience a greater measure of peace, love, faith, grace, and the immortal life in Christ. Clinton Arnold

Ephesians 6:18–24 (NIV) 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. 21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

So, having begun the letter with an extended prayer, and then an extensive report of his own prayers for the young Christians in the area, he now finishes it with the urgent request that they join him in this ministry. Verse 18 is sometimes taken as a continuation of the ‘complete armour’ of the previous passage, as though ‘all prayer’ is itself part of the armour. There is truth in this, though Paul does not mention here a specific weapon or article of clothing. The point of prayer is, rather, that it accomplishes things we couldn’t do by our own effort, organization or skill. Prayer remains mysterious at one level. Nobody quite knows ‘how it works’, and this not knowing seems to be part of the point. But it remains a deeply practical thing to do. – N.T. Wright