August 28, 2025 -- Ephesians 6:18 -- Vital Prayer

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that tend keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18 ESV
 
It is always a privilege for me to lead Bible Studies “on the inside” in various prisons in my region. I am working through Ephesians using Sinclair Ferguson’s Let’s Study Ephesians. This book is a wonderful resource. In his commentary on this verse, he notes:
We are to pray at all times. Prayer is not merely the action of a moment. It is a lifestyle, the focussing of a person-to-person relationship with God. It is the expression of a life lived out in the presence of God, before the face of God, in which our constant communion with God comes to conscious expression.
Prayer then, is set within a life marked by (i) companionship and (ii) dialogue with the Lord. It is the overflow of how we live as Calvin says coram deo (in the presence of God). The wise Christian therefore adopts what we might call ‘the sanctuary principle’: keeping within the heart a place of devotion to the Lord—from which all else is excluded.
Sinclair Ferguson, Let’s Study Ephesians. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, reprint
2015, page 185
 
I like that picture of prayer as companionship. Every step in the day, each moment, cultivating the awareness God is nearby. His Spirit lives in you. When you think of a friend, pray for him. When you encounter a hard circumstance, remember you are walking with God, no matter where you are, in the moment ask for help knowing He is right there with you.
 
Dialogue in prayer. The Bible is God’s letter to you. Creation declares the splendor of God. The Spirit nudges you, convicts you, directs you from evil. God is speaking. Are you listening? When you realize how you have been spared, or helped, or nudged, give thanks. Prayer is the hour-by-hour interaction with the Living God. Pray is not just for set times in as part of your devotional life, it is for every part of the day and night.
 
Father in heaven, blessed be Your Name. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who lives in us, nudging us towards You, teaching us, making the Word vital and alive to us. Holy Spirit, through the course of the day, remind me that You are here living in me, and the day is wide open, pregnant with many opportunities for conversation with the Most High God of the Universe. Teach me, Spirit of God, to see and give thanks for the life that is mine in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/o1FY7I5667Q?si=gnGq_INyevKqFYMI Sweet Hour of Prayer
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.