strategic and personal, tied to the specific needs arising at that
specific occasion. That’s the kind of prayer that energizes the
armor of God for maximum effectiveness, prayed “with all
perseverance and petition for all the saints” (v. 18). Pray for
you. Pray for me. Pray for all of us, he says, that we’ll live with
the curtain pulled back, able to spot the real enemy when we
see him. And through the bold, mighty name of Jesus, pray
that we’ll live with our armor on and not let Satan’s
otherworldly forces wreak their havoc in this house, in this
heart, on this day.
That’s called being focused and strategic in prayer.And it works, I’m telling you. Physical weapons may work
in physical battles. Stuff like... trying harder, getting up earlier,
moving across town to a new neighborhood, making him sleep
on the sofa, giving her a piece of your mind. But this ain’t no
physical battle we’re dealing with, no matter how much you
may wish it to be, no matter how much better you’d feel if life
was all five-senses and manageable. We are at spiritual war.
So we need spiritual weapons.
And in prayer—in Jesus, with these weapons—guess what:
you win! In fact, you’ve already won! Victory is already yours.