Empowered Through Prayer: Boldness in Spiritual Battle

 

Summary

In the final exhortation of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, we are reminded of the profound importance of prayer in the Christian life. This epistle, rich in doctrine and theological principles, culminates in a call to prayer, emphasizing that the ultimate test of our faith is not merely in knowledge but in our communion with God through prayer. Prayer is not just a duty; it is a delight and the ultimate expression of our dependence on God. Without it, all our knowledge and efforts are in vain.

Paul instructs us to pray always, with all kinds of prayers and requests, in the Spirit. This means being conscious of God's presence and our dependence on His power. We are urged to maintain our lines of communication with God, ensuring that we are constantly renewed in strength and equipped for the spiritual battle we face daily. This involves not only praying for ourselves but also engaging in intercessory prayer for others, recognizing that we are all part of the same spiritual battle.

The Apostle highlights the importance of praying for all saints, as we share a common salvation and face a common enemy. Our struggles are not unique, and realizing that others face similar challenges can be a source of encouragement. Moreover, our battle is ultimately God's battle, and we are privileged to be part of His cosmic struggle against evil. Therefore, we must pray for one another, understanding that failure at any point affects the entire body of Christ.

Paul also requests prayer for himself, not for personal relief, but for boldness in preaching the gospel. He seeks the power of speech and freedom of utterance to proclaim the mystery of the gospel without fear or compromise. This call to boldness is a reminder that the truth of the gospel must be proclaimed with clarity and conviction, free from the fear of human opinion or the desire for personal gain.

Key Takeaways:

- Prayer is the ultimate expression of our Christian life, transcending mere duty to become a delight and a demonstration of our dependence on God. It is through prayer that we truly commune with God and experience His power in our lives. [03:10]

- Intercessory prayer is vital as it connects us with the broader body of Christ. We are not alone in our struggles; we share a common salvation and face a common enemy. Praying for others strengthens the entire body and reminds us of our shared mission. [10:27]

- Our spiritual battle is ultimately God's battle. Recognizing this shifts our focus from personal struggles to the larger cosmic conflict between God and evil. This perspective empowers us to fight with renewed strength and purpose. [14:54]

- Praying for others, especially those in positions of great difficulty, is crucial. It not only supports them but also helps us overcome our own introspection and self-concern. By focusing on others, we find relief from our own anxieties. [26:03]

- Boldness in preaching the gospel is essential. We must pray for preachers to proclaim the truth without fear or compromise, focusing solely on the glory of God and the salvation of souls. This boldness is necessary to counter the pressures of societal conformity. [37:12]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:13] - Introduction to Ephesians 6:18-20
- [00:57] - Final Exhortation in Ephesians
- [02:17] - The Importance of Prayer
- [03:10] - Prayer as Delight and Duty
- [04:33] - How to Pray: In the Spirit
- [05:39] - What to Pray For: Ourselves
- [06:46] - Thanksgiving and Praise
- [09:20] - Intercessory Prayer for All Saints
- [13:10] - Common Salvation and Common Foe
- [14:54] - God's Battle, Not Ours
- [18:22] - The Impact of Failure in the Body
- [21:19] - Praying for Those in Difficulty
- [26:03] - Remedy for Introspection
- [29:22] - Paul's Request for Prayer
- [37:12] - Boldness in Preaching the Gospel
- [43:03] - Conclusion and Benediction

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Ephesians 6:18-20

#### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul emphasize about the nature of prayer in Ephesians 6:18-20? How does he describe the frequency and manner of prayer? [00:13]
2. According to the sermon, why does Paul request prayer for himself, and what specific aspect of his ministry does he focus on? [29:22]
3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between personal struggles and the larger spiritual battle? [14:54]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul consider prayer to be more than just a duty, and how does this perspective affect a believer's relationship with God? [03:10]
2. How does the concept of intercessory prayer for "all saints" reflect the communal nature of the Christian faith, according to the sermon? [10:27]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that recognizing our spiritual battle as part of God's larger cosmic struggle can change our approach to personal challenges? [14:54]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current prayer life. Do you view prayer as a duty or a delight? What steps can you take to deepen your communion with God through prayer? [03:10]
2. Think of someone in your life who is facing a difficult situation. How can you incorporate intercessory prayer for them into your daily routine? [10:27]
3. Consider a personal struggle you are facing. How might viewing it as part of a larger spiritual battle change your perspective and response? [14:54]
4. Paul requests prayer for boldness in preaching the gospel. How can you support your church leaders and preachers in this area through prayer? [29:22]
5. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to rely more on God's strength rather than your own. What practical steps can you take to maintain your "lines of communication" with God? [06:13]
6. How can you shift your focus from personal concerns to the needs of others in your prayer life, and what impact might this have on your own spiritual well-being? [26:03]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt isolated in your struggles. How can the understanding that others face similar challenges provide encouragement and strength? [11:47]

Devotional

Day 1: Prayer as the Ultimate Expression of Faith
Prayer is the ultimate expression of our Christian life, transcending mere duty to become a delight and a demonstration of our dependence on God. It is through prayer that we truly commune with God and experience His power in our lives. [03:10]

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison." (Colossians 4:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you transform your prayer life from a routine duty to a joyful expression of faith today? What specific steps can you take to deepen your communion with God through prayer?


Day 2: The Power of Intercessory Prayer
Intercessory prayer is vital as it connects us with the broader body of Christ. We are not alone in our struggles; we share a common salvation and face a common enemy. Praying for others strengthens the entire body and reminds us of our shared mission. [10:27]

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: Identify someone in your life who is struggling. How can you commit to praying for them consistently this week, and what impact do you hope this will have on both of you?


Day 3: Recognizing Our Role in God's Battle
Our spiritual battle is ultimately God's battle. Recognizing this shifts our focus from personal struggles to the larger cosmic conflict between God and evil. This perspective empowers us to fight with renewed strength and purpose. [14:54]

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you shift your focus from personal struggles to God's larger battle against evil? How does this perspective change your approach to daily challenges?


Day 4: The Importance of Praying for Others
Praying for others, especially those in positions of great difficulty, is crucial. It not only supports them but also helps us overcome our own introspection and self-concern. By focusing on others, we find relief from our own anxieties. [26:03]

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community is facing significant challenges? How can you make a conscious effort to pray for them and support them in practical ways this week?


Day 5: Boldness in Proclaiming the Gospel
Boldness in preaching the gospel is essential. We must pray for preachers to proclaim the truth without fear or compromise, focusing solely on the glory of God and the salvation of souls. This boldness is necessary to counter the pressures of societal conformity. [37:12]

"And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." (Ephesians 6:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: How can you support those who preach the gospel in your community? What specific prayers can you offer for their boldness and clarity in sharing God's truth?

Quotes

"Prayer is a duty, but it's something much more than that. It should be a delight; it should be the ultimate expression of the Christian life. In other words, the end to which all knowledge and teaching and everything else is meant to bring us is just to this place in this position in which we know God, in which we are fellowship with God, in which we realize our utter dependence upon Him and, as the Apostle puts it here, the power of His might." [00:03:28]

"Praying always, he says, with all prayer, you remember, every type and kind, always on all occasions, and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints. Now we've considered how to pray, and the thing we saw that mattered above everything else was that we should be praying in the spirit." [00:04:47]

"The Apostle urges upon us to be constantly in prayer. Men should always pray and not faint. It's the alternative to fainting. So we go regularly into the presence of God and thank Him that we are His people. It's a great thing to do with it before you come to your petitioners: Thanksgiving, praise, worship, adoration." [00:06:36]

"The Apostle says watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints. For all things. Now let's look at this for a moment. This is a most important point. Why do you think at the end of this mighty letter he urges these Ephesians not only to pray for themselves but to pray for one another?" [00:09:50]

"We are all engaged in the same fight. We are participants, as Jude puts it in his epistle, of the common salvation. Salvation isn't something private and personal. It's a common salvation. It is something that we share with others. It is something that is shared by all Christian people, the common salvation." [00:10:27]

"This battle in which you and I are engaged is ultimately not our battle at all. It's God's battle. Now that's why it's important to be praying in the right way. You remember that great statement in the life of Jehoshaphat in the Old Testament. There was the enemy confronting him, and Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel were in terrible trouble." [00:13:26]

"The Apostle tells us that praying to make supplication for all the saints because they're in it like that exactly as we are ourselves. And then another point obviously emerges from that, because all this is true, it follows, doesn't it, that failure at any one part is something that is going to affect the entire army." [00:17:14]

"If any one Christian fails or falls, every one of us suffers inevitably because we are all members of the one body. We are all in this one army. We are all parts of this one life. Failure at any fight on the whole line is involved. Readjustments have to take place, and don't we know that in practice?" [00:19:19]

"How often do we think of them? How often do we think at the present time of Christian people in many another land? So you shall, but I'm having a terribly hard time. I'm having this problem of this difficulty, and the Devil's attacking me. Alright, my friend, I quite agree, but try for a moment to transport yourself into the position of some of these other people." [00:21:47]

"This is the sovereign remedy for introspection. This is the sovereign remedy for morbidity and a morbid self-concern. Self is the last enemy. It is self that causes most of our troubles, thinking of ourselves, what's going to happen to be, what's going to be the effect. So we turn in upon ourselves and pity ourselves and feel sorry for ourselves." [00:26:06]

"Pray for me, says the Apostle, that I may have power of speech and freedom of utterance when I open my mouth, when I have an opportunity of speaking. Now this is the most interesting point. The fact is, and we tend to forget it, don't we, that the Apostle Paul was not a good natural speaker." [00:30:39]

"Pray that I may be delivered from the fear of men. Fear of men, how? Well, afraid of the learning of men. The Apostle reminds us that he had become a fool for Christ's sake. The philosophers in Corinth were laughing at him and jeering at him. Look at that man, they said, always saying the same thing." [00:37:19]

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Transcript
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