Sword of the Spirit

The sword of the spirit is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

One Goal for 2011: Understanding Prayer

I will be reflecting upon prayer in addition to my other study for the next 21 days.

Even though I spent from October 24 through November 21, 2009 studying about prayer in depth, and I made it a 2010-2011 goal to pray at least twice daily, I don’t pray that much.

My sense is that on some level I don’t believe that it makes a difference, or that my motivation is selfish, or that there’s some other block which makes me behave as though I believe that my prayers useless.

One powerful challenge is when people who are nonbelievers get through difficult times and say, “I did it, and I didn’t pray!”  This is a valid criticism.

Coupled with the times that people do sincerely pray and don’t get the answer they are seeking, it makes prayer seem to me more like wishful thinking than anything more.

As I was putting my kids down to bed tonight, and I began to pray silently for each of them, Paul’s words in Ephesians 6 came to mind:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (v. 12, NIV).

I believe that many most people feel a sense of struggle and concern for themselves and their loved ones.  This can be true of spiritual believers and nonbelievers alike.

Maybe the thing holding me back from praying more often is my focus on specific issues and not the bigger picture of evil (or lack of wisdom) in our world.

If I really believed in the existence of ”the rulers,” ”the authorities,” ”the powers of this dark world”, and ”the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” that Paul writes about, then I think I would “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NASB, cf. Ephesians 6:18).

So ultimately, do I really believe in this stuff Paul is writing about, or do I believe that the world no longer has room for such superstitions?

I want to say that I really believe Paul, but my prayer life as I observe it today indicates otherwise.

The End

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love (Ephesians 6:24).

Be Wise

Ephesians 5:15. Yep.

Live Right

In the last part of Ephesians 4, Paul reminds us to live life well, with an aim to work both to provide for ourselves and to share with others.

Mystery

One main idea from the next chapter, in Ephesians 3:6, is “that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2 Recap

Paul reminds us of the human condition and connects this to what Jesus did for us.

Then he emphasizes that all humans, Jew and non-Jew, are now part of one human family.

Fan Club

In 1:15-16, it sounds like Paul is a member of each Christian’s fan club. Cool!

Review of Ephesians

Funny, I started my study of this book so long ago that a revision of the NIV has been released meanwhile:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (2:8-10).

Now we’re “God’s handiwork,” not “God’s workmanship”!

Balance

Paul ends his letter, in verses 19-24, with requests for prayer and words of encouragement.

There’s a clear give and take, a balance between asking and giving. Keep this balance.