Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
being
watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication
for
all the saints—Ephesians 6:18
A
couple of weeks ago my nephew took my son in law and grandson out to the
desert for a day of shooting—target practice.
They brought many types of targets as well as many types of guns
and ammunition accordingly. A
day of fun for civilians, a daily practice for a soldier.
Upon arrival home, my grandson was elated with how he had had these
wonderful opportunities to shoot this type of gun or that type of gun or
an antique Russian riffle used in World War I.
Hours of chatter about the excitement, thrill, and victories as
displayed on souvenir targets transported back to home with pride and
glee, warmed the room and our hearts.
“Nice
family anecdote, Bridget. Now,
what’s your point?” you may ask.
But the question is this: Is
this target practice just child’s play or is there a deeper meaning?
Most parables, allegories, and such tales have two levels of
meaning: one earthly,
plot-bound, and simplistic; the other, for a lesson, moral, or spiritual
insight. How easy it is for us to watch network television, seeing
warfare on wide screens, hearing of wars and rumors of wars, and forget
that we, like the soldiers of the past, present, and future, are in a war
with far greater consequence than this world could ever hold.
So then, what is our target and how do we practice?
Examining
closely the theme verse the first word is praying.
This is the cornerstone of this verse.
Prayer and the word (the sword) are our only offensive weapons.
There are no AKA47s here, no catapults, no helicopters, no hummers,
just God’s Word and Prayer. Notice that the first word is pray-ING. This is a constant state as told to us in 1 Thessalonians
5:18: Pray without ceasing.
Luke 18:1 says to pray and never give up.
You need to be in the state of mind—you are in a war—you are
praying.
The
target practice is “with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” The Spirit helps us to communicate effectively the will of
the Father. We need to use
whatever prayers we can pull out of the munitions closet.
To supplicate is to make a humble entreaty according to Merriam-Webster.
My favorite analogy of the work of the saints in prayer is that we
are laying tracks for the train. God
is fully capable of doing anything without us; however, for whatever
reason in His sovereignty, He has decided to use us.
When we pray, we lay down the track, allowing God’s will and
plans to be set forward.
Wow!
What a thing to behold! What
a wonder to contemplate! We
have the privilege of participating in the practical working out of the
Kingdom of God—His eternal purpose.
Specificity is the key to this work.
As we hone our skills in target practice, we are able to aim closer
to the will of the Lord. When we specifically pray, we can specifically praise the
Lord for the answers. Answers
to prayers that are specific trigger our memories and cause us to give the
credit to the Lord, encouraging us to pray even more.
What purpose would it serve to go to a shooting range with a
handful of assorted guns and rifles loaded down with ammunition if there
is no direction to my shooting? How
dangerous would that be to me and the others around me?
After
spending a long day in the desert, would you come home with a target not
used—with no bullet holes of any kind?
Puzzled, your friends and family would ask you why you failed to
shoot at the target? What
would be your reply? “Ya,
I could have shot at the target, but I didn’t want to be committed to
that target. I wanted
to choose my own way.” Or
would your reply be something like this? “I didn’t feel like shooting that day.
I was too tired. I went horseback riding instead.” Lame. Pointless.
Who having driven that far, paid the fee, carried the guns and the
ammunition, would not at least try to shoot at the targets provided? To
fail to aim is to miss the mark.
Not
only do we need to have the ammunition and weapons (the Word of the Lord
and the application thereof, namely prayer), we need to be disciplined in
it. We need to be watchful—sober—vigilant. We have an enemy. He
seeks to devour us (1
Peter 5:8). Folks, HE IS
NOT TOOTHLESS. Yes, outside
of time, he is a defeated foe. Within
the confines of time, our enemy is very capable of doing damage to you,
your household, your family, your friends, your brothers and sisters, the
church. Although he cannot
rob you of your salvation, he can cause injury and wounds and make you an
ineffective soldier. His
purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10)—he wants to
neutralize you. Hasn’t he done enough already?
He can only be defeated in this present day through prayer.
Be
aware. A soldier doesn’t
walk into a battlefield blind. No. A good soldier is well prepared—well aware of his
surroundings. He is well
aware of the tactics of his enemy. He
is prepared physically, emotionally, and mentally.
We no longer walk in the darkness for the Light has come.
Let’s put on our night vision in this dark world and use the gift
of discernment the Lord has given to us.
I am convinced that the Lord gives us most visions, words of
knowledge, and discernment to direct our prayers and to make them more
accurate and thus, more effective.
Having
all of this training we still need to persevere.
We need to tough it out, buck up bronco, pull our proverbial selves
up by our bootstraps. We have
to hang in there, stay involved, and still care.
Yes, we may see discouragement, disillusionment, and heartbreak.
Yes, we may have to pray for our father for 23 years before he
accepts the Lord. Never give
up. Pray for all of the
saints. Pray for your
husband, mother, wife, brother. Pray
for your children, nephew, and niece.
Pray for your aunt, uncle, and cousin down the street.
Ask the Lord to help you pray accurately.
Ask Him to show you what His will is for their lives.
Pray, pray, and pray some more.
Prayer is the WMD that no one is even looking for.
We can provide mass destruction to the kingdom of darkness by
opening our mouth and speaking forth the will of the Lord.
This
is my testimony. The more I
ask of the Lord, the more He shows me, the more I want to pray, the more I
notice the results. It takes
time. But not all wars are won in an hour, day, week, or even a
decade. Is the cost worth it
to you? Is someone’s life
worth your time? Be accurate.
Aim with perfection. Pray
with perseverance. The move
of the Lord will blow your mind. Believe
it—it’s a promise.
