Pray on ALL Occasions // Ephesians 6:18

Today we conclude this past week’s series on spiritual warfare and the Armor of God. The final instruction the Apostle Paul gave was to pray on all occasions so we can be alert of God’s powerful presence and aware of the needs of others. I am someone who has struggled at times with prayer. I wondered when I was younger why I needed to pray when God already knew everything. It was in going through some awful times when I realized prayer wasn’t my gift to God, but God’s gift to me. I have the opportunity to communicate with the Creator of the Universe…the same One who looked at the world and thought it needed a Mark Jordan. Yes, there are times when I must remember to make prayer my first step as opposed to the last resort, but the gift is always there for me! I need prayer. I need it in my good days and my bad days and every day in between. We all do.

I want to close today’s writing and this week’s series with another writing from the Apostle Paul. Check out these words from Philippians 4:4-7, “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (MSG).