God’s Word for us today is Ephesians 6:18.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this is mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. -Ephesians 6:18-19
What does it mean to “pray in the Spirit?” For that matter, what is prayer exactly, and what does God expect of us? How does prayer ‘complete’ the full armor of God?
The Full Armor of God – Prayer Holds It All Together (Ephesians 6:18-20)
1.If you checked out your Sword of the Spirit, in what condition did you find it? Share any action you may have decided to take once you determined its condition.
2.“Prayer holds it all together.” We often think of prayer as concentrated time on our knees, and if we don’t do that, anything else doesn’t count. Look at:
Ephesians 6:18
1 Thessalonians 5:17
1 Timothy 2:8
Philippians 4:6-7
What do these verses say about the time to pray and the place to pray?
3.Prayer can be a complex topic – sometimes when we pray, an answer comes quickly; sometimes not until later; sometimes – it looks like not at all. For as elated as we can become for those wonderful times when a clear answer has come on time, there are also times of deep discouragement when we wonder if God even hears us. I’ve heard it said that God has one of three answers to our prayers: Yes, no, and wait. We wonder if there’s a formula, a “right” way to pray, and if a particular method of praying particularly moves God’s heart. Discuss struggles you’ve had in your prayer life.
4.David has some incredibly honest conversations with God in the Psalms. They run from high to low, from rock-solid certainty about God’s nature to utter desperation that God cannot hear him. In many instances he pulls himself together by calling to mind the attributes He knows about God. (Psalm 13, Psalm 31:9-22). How is this practice of David’s a good model for us in our desperate times? What does praising God as part of our prayer do for our state of mind?
5.Psalm 139 is eloquent in David’s understanding of God’s unceasing care over him, as well as an understanding of the word of God. Deborah said today that prayer, combined with knowledge of scripture, gives God a way to speak to us in language we can understand. In putting on the whole armor of God, contemplating the significance of each piece and how to use it in battle, then adding talking to God and letting His word speak to us – what does this do for our confidence in calling upon Him throughout our day in all circumstances?
6.Nothing is too big or too small to talk over with God. Having those conversations with Him is something Jesus not only encouraged, but modeled. “The Lord’s Prayer” runs the gamut of all things, great and small, that can be brought before God. Go over this prayer and list them out.
7.Review the whole armor of God, each piece, what it does, and as you put it on, what your part is in using it. Have you been putting your armor on?