Set Free: Devoted to Prayer

      When the first Christians were delivered from the Law of Moses and from sin, they devoted themselves to prayer. If we want to be free from sin and Satan, we must be devoted to prayer. Why? How?

      Ephesians 6:10-13 explains why:

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

      If the enemy was our neighbor, it wouldn’t be an issue. We could get on a diet, exercise and weight training regime to deal with our neighbor. But our enemy is Satan. Look again at vs. 12. What luck do you think you can have against that?

      Paul’s initial advice is emphasized. “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Why be devoted to prayer? Because only God can defeat our enemy. If we want to win, we have to be strong in God’s power and might; we are too weak in our own.

      In II Corinthians 12:7-10, when Paul asked three times for His thorn in the flesh to be removed, God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Then Paul said, “I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” A little later he wrote, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Only when we realize how weak we are and throw ourselves on God will we ever be strong.

      When Jesus provided a model for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, He taught His disciples to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” What a prayer! We need to rely on God to deliver us from evil and temptation. This hearkens back to Psalm 141:3-5. David was basically praying, “God, whatever it takes, keep me from sinning.” We cannot possibly win the battle against Satan without calling out to the Lord for help.

      How do we devote ourselves to prayer? I Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks.” This is devotion to prayer. We should rejoice, praising God in every aspect of our lives. Prayer must be a constant and never-ending habit and response in every circumstance. We must acknowledge God in all our ways, thanking Him for His grace and mercy in every aspect of our lives.

      Without prayer, we cannot maintain our freedom from sin and Satan. We are simply not strong enough. But God is. Be devoted to prayer.

      The final article in this series is next.

Edwin L. Crozier