PRAYER - THE SEVENTH WEAPON
Bible Verse for Meditation: Ephesians 6: 18, 19, 20
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
From Pastors to Sunday School teachers, "The Armor of God" given in Ephesians 6:11- 18, is a favorite theme. The practical message and the completeness of the passage adds to its familiarity. But most of the time we hear about the first six armors or weapons explained in detail. In any drawing of the "armor of God" we can see the first six armors beautifully portrayed. But there is a seventh weapon mentioned in the passage that is also very important i.e. the weapon of prayer.
Christians As Soldiers:
In the passage about the armor of God, Apostle Paul compares Christians to soldiers. Our enemy is not in flesh and blood, but he is an invisible enemy, the devil. Therefore, Apostle Paul encourages us to always be ready wearing the full armor of God. The armor of God mentioned in Ephesians 6 and commonly discussed are the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit i.e the word of God. These are the weapons a soldier would be carrying or wearing physically. But wearing and carrying all these armor will be of no use, if the soldier does not have the mental strength, courage or the boldness to face the enemy or war. A soldier needs tenacity, perseverance and boldness and that could be obtained only through prayer.
Prayer - The Weapon of Boldness (Explanation):
When we read the Bible verses in two languages - sometimes they give the exact same meaning, sometimes they compliment each other but other times they lead me to more deeper study to understand the verse better. Ephesians 6: 18 was one such verse. In my native language Tamil, the verse goes on like this "எந்தச் சமயத்திலும் சகலவிதமான வேண்டுதலோடும் விண்ணப்பத்தோடும் ஆவியினாலே ஜெபம்பண்ணி, அதன்பொருட்டு மிகுந்த மனஉறுதியோடும் சகல பரிசுத்தவான்களுக்காகவும் பண்ணும் வேண்டுதலோடும் விழித்துக்கொண்டிருங்கள் (எபேசியர் 6: 18)". Just like English language, the Holy Bible in Tamil language was also translated from Greek language. So Tamil translations are also not to be taken lightly.
Ephesians 6:18 in Tamil language can be divided into three phrases
First - எந்தச் சமயத்திலும் சகலவிதமான வேண்டுதலோடும் விண்ணப்பத்தோடும் ஆவியினாலே ஜெபம்பண்ணி
Second - அதன்பொருட்டு மிகுந்த மனஉறுதியோடும்
Third - சகல பரிசுத்தவான்களுக்காகவும் பண்ணும் வேண்டுதலோடும் விழித்துக்கொண்டிருங்கள்
Ephesians 6:18
The first phrase, "எந்தச் சமயத்திலும் சகலவிதமான வேண்டுதலோடும் விண்ணப்பத்தோடும் ஆவியினாலே ஜெபம்பண்ணி" is the same as in English language - Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit
However the second phrase, " அதன்பொருட்டு மிகுந்த மனஉறுதியோடும்" is translated as "thereunto with all perseverance" in English language.
There is a difference in meaning in these translations. In Tamil translation the meaning of Ephesians 6:18 is conveyed as "Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and with the mental strength (it could be tenacity, the ability to endure, boldness or courage also) you have obtained through that, keep a watch with supplication for all saints. This translation seems more plausible also because of the following verses (verses 19 & 20) where Apostle Paul requests for prayer, so that he could be emboldened while he was in chains for the sake of the Gospel. It is not only about persevering in prayer, but about "receiving the ability to persevere" through prayer.
When you pray always with all kinds of prayer, you receive the tenacity, the boldness and the courage to face the attack of the enemy. Not only that, through the courage received, you can present your supplications for other saints also to have boldness and courage when they are engaged in warfare against the enemy. This can be easily understood from the 19th and the 20th verses where Apostle Paul requests the Ephesians to pray for him for boldness to carry out the work effectively.
The Full Armor of God:
Apostle Paul exhorts us to put on the whole armor of God. Prayer makes the armor complete. Prayer which helps us to persevere and be courageous while enduring various hardships is very important. The exhortation of Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10 saying "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" before he starts on with the armor of God gets completed with the prayer for boldness in verses 18, 19 and 20.
Praying With All Prayer:
The Bible encourages us to pray with all types of prayer to receive the boldness. There are many types of prayer given in the Bible. Some of them are
1) Numbers 12: 13 - Pleading in Prayer (in Tamil கெஞ்சினான்)
2) Numbers 27:5 - Bringing people's case before the Lord)
3) Numbers 9: 25; Joshua 7:6 - Prostrating before the Lord
4) Numbers 10: 12 - Speaking to the Lord
5) Judges 20: 27; I Samuel 23:2 - Inquiring of the Lord
6) I Samuel 1: 15; Psalm 62:8 - Pouring out our soul before the Lord
7) Psalm 27:4 - Desiring of the Lord
8) Psalm 32:5 - Confession
9) Psalm 33:20; 40:1 - Waiting for the Lord in our soul
10) Psalm 42:1 - Panting for the Lord
11) Psalm 42:2 - Thirsting for God
12) Nehemiah 1:11 - Mourning, fasting and praying
13) Psalm 34 - This Psalm was sung during one of David's desperate moments, this psalm is filled with so many types of prayer, David was using to fight his battle. Blessing the Lord and praising (Verse 1), boasting in the Lord (verse 2), magnifying the Lord and exalting His name (verse 3), seeking the Lord (verse 4), looking to His face (verse 5), crying out (verse 6).
14) Colossians 4:2 - Being vigilant in prayer with thanksgiving
15) Colossians 4:12 - Laboring fervently in prayer
The list seems unending, so let me stop here. We can learn from these men and women of God on how to call upon our God during adversity and overcome it.
Being Emboldened in Our Soul:
Undoubtedly, these are days of crisis and turmoil. Everywhere we turn, we can see pain, loss, burden and desperation. But the Bible warns us "If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. (Proverbs 24:10). We need perseverance and tenacity to endure these hardships, not only for our sake but also for the sake of those whom we minister to. As King David says in Psalm 138: 3, "In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul". The weapon of prayer is available for us to receive this strength and boldness during these days.
