Prayer: Part II

Do you pray "globally" or specifically?

While it is interesting enough--in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way--to think about God having a "30,000-foot view," it is we who need to maintain the direct line of communication. That is our job. Let's build the foundation for effective prayer.

In the gospel of John; John 15:5 to be exact, the apostle records the following,

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Nothing is a strong word. Nada, Zilch, Zip, Zippo, Fugghetabouitit! I am admittedly no preacher from Brooklyn, NY, but I can read and comprehend clearly. Nothing means; well, nothing. It scares me enough to desire not only to "remain in Him," but to foster that relationship, grow and strengthen my relationship with God and learn how to tap into the resources of the entire Trinity. I want to experience the full abundance of God's blessings.

As a leader in my home and in yours, we are called to be the foundation, the rock, the face of stability and the warrior of faith. Your family needs to trust you implicitly in all you do, so that you can "drive the family bus." Rain, no problem? We will wade through it. Snow, no problem? Our tires have chains for safety. Extreme heat? God provides us with air conditioning and water. And last and not least, remember the windshield and the windows. Think of your car as a hedge of protection. If you have already put on "The Armor of God," you are protected from the inside; your body is safe. You have a windshield you can see through and can even see the sky to pray as you travel. You have the steel barrier around you--albeit, aluminum mostly these days--that protects you from other cars that don't have "Jesus at the wheel." And you have windows. God will always provide a way out when trouble comes your way.

To recap:  You have the "Armor of God" on you. The windshield for seeing the heavens above. The exoskeleton of the car (think of this as the bubble or hedge of protection around you, better known as as the Holy Spirit.) And finally, windows for which to escape.

Despite what the insurance companies say, your car might be the safest place on earth you could be; theoretically. Perhaps I should have been a bus driver instead of a writer. Time will tell, I suppose.

Where can you find the passage that defines "Putting on the 'Armor of God' ?" None other than in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Paul writes,

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all of God's people."

Tomorrow we will dive in a bit more into the "Armor of God" passage from Paul to the Ephesian church. It bears noting that there are specific words and actions that Paul uses. Think of the imagery and the symbolism of each part of the Armor and what it represents. This also will require quite a bit of reflection on my part, so I am going to take time to do my own reflection. I will prepare for the ways that these symbols, pictures and principles can be learned; and therefore the resources we can tap into from this short, but extremely powerful, nine verse stanza.

We will reconvene with an analysis--the best I have, that is--and take a closer and more pin-pointed and precise look before continuing on the principles of, and for, effective prayer.

Are you prepared to dissect Paul's writing with me?