Thursday: Practicing Battlefield Prayer
In concluding his battle exhortation, Paul urges believers as soldiers to participate in crucial, continuing prayer “for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV) and for himself as imprisoned ambassador (Ephesians 6:19-20). This call to prayer can be seen as an extension of the military imagery, since calling out to God (or to the gods) in prayer was a common practice on the ancient battlefield. To cite a biblical example: following the battle exhortation of Jahaziel, Jehoshaphat leads “all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem” in falling down “before the LORD, worshiping the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:18, ESV). While prayer is not a seventh piece of armor, it is an integral part of Paul’s battle exhortation and military metaphor.
Image © Kevin Carden at Goodsalt.com
In the first of two prayer requests, Paul asks the addressees to participate in fervent, urgent, and perseverant prayer “for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV). If the church is to be successful in its battle against the powers of evil, it will need to practice dependence on God through Spirit-inspired prayer.
Paul’s second prayer request is for himself: “and also for me” (Ephesians 6:19, ESV). He asks for prayer that God might grant him the right message (“that words may be given to me”), at the right time (“in opening my mouth”), delivered in the right way (“boldly to proclaim”), and addressing a most important theme, “the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19, ESV). This last phrase refers to what we might call the “open secret” of God’s intervention in Christ to redeem Gentiles along with Jews (see Ephesians 3:1-13), creating “one new humanity” (Ephesians 2:15, NIV; see also Ephesians 2:11-22) as a signal of the overarching plan “to unite all things” in Christ (Ephesians 1:10, ESV).
Review the following “calls to prayer” in the New Testament. Which one inspires you most? Why? Luke 18:1-8, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Why are believers so often urged to participate in earnest, persevering prayer? Paul’s military metaphor suggests two answers: (1) the threat of spiritual battle against an array of supernatural enemies is dire and real; (2) God’s promises of spiritual strength and victory are illustrated through Paul’s military imagery (Ephesians 6:10-17). Earnest, persevering prayer provides opportunity for us to listen carefully to these promises, to celebrate them, and to thank God for the resources of His grace.
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The battlefield prayers you often read about are the ones where soldiers are fearful for their lives and praying that if God gets them out alive they will do anything for him. Paul's prayer is different.
Prayer is coupled with watching and is directed to others - all the saints.
I sometimes go spotlighting at night to photograph night birds. While I am not afraid of the dark, and I know the tracks like the back of my hand, I always take someone with me. I don't want Carmel to see the news headlines the next morning, "Old Man Walking Alone in the Dark Falls in the Creek and Drowns!" It makes sense to take someone with you to watch your back and help you if the need arises.
In the Battlefield, Soldiers look after their mates. They watch one another's backs. They listen to one another. Survival is a team effort. In this context, it is worth mentioning that we should listen to one another's prayers. I don't mean the formal prayers we hear in church or prayer meetings. I mean those little indicators that things are not going well or that someone needs a good listener. The Christian battle is a shared experience where we not only pray; we watch.
And I would like to add that the big enemy in this battle is evil, not one another. In the 1800s there was a big battle between the Maoris and the Pakehas (Europeans) in what was to become my hometown of Tauranga. During the day they blasted one another with muskets and cannon balls, but that night, the fight ceased (they did not have night vision equipment in the 1800s). The Pakehas crept out to retrieve their wounded but they found the Maori were already there, and they were helping the wounded on both sides of the battle without favour, binding up wounds and bringing fresh water. It is fitting that today there is a Christian Church standing on the site of the battle commemorating the compassion shown by the "enemy".
We need to pray for insight to see who the true enemy is in the battle that we are involved in rather than just someone who is easy to pick on.
The imagery of Armory described by Paul is a serious part Christians of today must uphold on them. The enemy appears in different forms and comes to us as lovers, willing to hear us and even help us. In all these , the enemy is only seeking a loop hole to attack because they only come to us strategically to steal, destroy and kill.
We need the amour(PRAYER) to fight fervently.
We need each other, we might not be fully covered except each of us pray without ceasing, we should pray day and night.
As Apostle Paul said in Ephesians we wrestle not against flesh and blood only but against principalities and witches.
Prayer should be part of our daily meal that we must feed our souls with.
We should be extra careful in our daily dealings as the enemy never sleeps.
**** I remember how a newly couple decided to love each other to balance sheet but suddenly after the ceremony the enemy got hold of the marriage and created a great mess just after 1month of marriage, and the wife was all over disgracing the husband to friends and families and abusing the man emotionally and also opting for divorce on raw basis that she feels she cannot humble to the husband so the man should agree for them to divorce peacefully that she would not take anything in cash or property from the man.
####when we allow the enemy to gain grounds, it try to crash all aspects of our lives.
so, we need to watch each others back and create a balance of protection.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!
Your said:
“We need each other, we might not be fully covered except each of us pray without ceasing, we should pray day and night.”
That comment spoke very strongly to me. It’s not just the specific requests that need prayer. It is lifting up of others even without a specific problem or request that is what we all need AND what we need to do.
Thank you for the reminder
Notice that the combat is so close up that it is called a wrestle. A personal hand to hand, mind to mind, limb to limb contact. In a wrestling match the opponent has to be pinned down and kept down for some seconds before conceding defeat. The victor is then left standing. So GOD intends us to completely vanquish sin in our lives that ‘having done all’ we are left standing complete in HIS righteousness. Oh sweet victory already obtained for us on the cross and given to us by the Victor JESUS CHRIST the righteous.
That's exactly what I needed to see today: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
(Philippians 4:6).
Then, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
There is nothing more extraordinary in someone's life than prayer! Prayer restores us to the condition that we should've never lost. I finish with this known saying: "Prayer is the soul's breathing!"
It seems to me that even Jesus showed how it was "Faith," that was the most important "Element" and next to it was "Perseverence," of prayer. I see nothing in any of these to symbolize them as any "Battling Soldier Gear" at all. But just simply elements of "Holiness," for "Sanctifying ourselves" in Godly Fear.
Hello Pete, prayer may not have been listed as part of the soldier’s gear but can you imagine the soldier on the battlefield without it?. It takes prayer to put the armor on, it takes prayer for courage to move forward, it takes prayer to sustain the soldier, it takes prayer to understand truth, it takes prayer to wield/understand the sword the word of God, it takes prayer to encourage and help your fellow soldiers. Prayer facilitates putting on the arm our and keeping it on. So given that it is so necessary to the whole process I would say in the grand scheme of things you cannot go to war without it.
The apostle Paul prayed continuously and encouraged others to do so so I dare say it was an integral part of a soldiers life. It also shows our dependence on the One who is fighting the battle for us. Just some thoughts on your statement
The great controversy is real. There is a great spiritual war taking place for our souls. It can be overwhelming for the faint of heart. Without lessening Paul’s call to arms I appreciate the hopefulness of the following inspired statement from the pen of sister White in the book Steps to Christ : “A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might....
We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you. [Steps to Christ, 70-72.]. NL 40.3-NL 40.4
Persevering prayer – that which does not leave our heart and mind until it is resolved by the Will of God. Personally, I am in constant contact with Jesus about anything on my heart and mind. When under pressure, all I do is call His Name, believing that the Spirit will know what I am concerned about – Rom.8:26.
Matt.10:20 provides another example of the Spirit’s involvement when expressing the heart’s and mind’s thoughts. Our heavenly Father’s spiritual truth is revealed to us directly through the Holy Spirit; our mind, eyes and ears, have been opened by Him.
Therefore, my favorite verses would be Phil. 4:6 and 1 Thess.5:16-18. They express perfectly the change our old nature’s disposition experiences when we place our trust and faith into our Father’s hands. We are born again when accepting to live by faith in Jesus Christ. Prayer is our new nature’s never ceasing way to tune into our Savior's heart beat, to hear Him as if we lived in Him.