Ephesians 6:18 (NASB)
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Paul gave the Ephesian church an image of battle to describe the struggle that the church and saints would have against the forces of evil. In preparation for that battle, he called the believers to put on the armor of God.

Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the word of God are all parts of the armor. All parts of the armor are needed. We can’t take up just the sword, without all of the other pieces in place. We are told to put on the FULL armor of God.

And then, he tells us to pray for all believers. If we are to pray for God’s church and its people, we have to be prepared. We have to be ready for battle. We need the support of the armor. Suit up, for it is time to pray for our fellow believers.

Father, as I come into the throne room in prayer, I come ready for battle. I pray for all believers. I pray against the forces of evil. I pray that Your truth, Your perfect righteousness, the good news of Your gospel, the faith that You have given, Your free gift of salvation, and the Holy Scriptures would be ever before me. I pray that my petitions would bring You glory. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Psalm 31:9,14-16 (NASB)
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness.

We all go through times of grief. We often ask why; we often ask why me. But we have a Father that is willing to let us crawl up in His lap as He folds His arms around us to comfort us. He will never turn away if we call out to Him as our Lord and Savior.

David went through many sorrows. He was not a perfect man. Yet he always cried out to a perfect God, One whom he knew would comfort him.

Father, there have been times of trouble in my life and times of trouble to come. Yet You are my rock and my salvation. When I am in distress, may my first thoughts be of You and how you are my comfort. I pray that I will always depend on You for all  things. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NASB)
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

“Pray is something deeper than words. It is present in the soul before it has been formulated in words. And it abides in the soul after the last words of prayer have passed over our lips.”
From the book by O. Hallesby, “Prayer”, pg 18.

Prayer is more than just words. It is nourishment for the soul. It grows our love for God like no other. It strengthens our body. Our morning prayers uphold us throughout the day and our evening prayers quiet us for a time of rest.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m pretty sure that I cannot even comprehend all of the amazing properties that prayer has on us. And when we pray, it glorifies God. I can’t think of anything more important than to spend time in prayer with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What do you think?

Father, giving You thanks cannot express the true wonder and blessing that Your gift of prayer provides. If I were to praise you for all time and beyond, it wouldn’t give You the glory that You deserve. Yet, here I am, thanking You for prayer. I humbly praise You for it. I am without words to properly express my gratitude. Thank You also that Jesus is interceding on my behalf. It is in His name I pray. Amen.

Psalm 105:15
“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”

Matthew 14:35-36
And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.

In the Old Testament, references to touching were primarily commands to not touch someone or something. There are many references to not touching unclean things. But in the gospels, an unnamed woman who had been sick for 12 years was convinced that if she only touched the garment that Jesus wore, she would be healed. And she was. Word spread and many people wanted to touch Jesus to be healed of their afflictions.

Just how close is my relationship with Jesus? Am I someone that is in the crowd, but not near enough to reach out and touch Him? Am I someone who would rather stand back and know of Him, but not really know Him? Does the feeling of proximity to Him change from day to day? How about you?

Heavenly Father, I pray that my relationship with You would become closer each day. Jesus, I want the touch of your cloak to give me the strength to turn away from the sin in my life. I pray that You would always feel close by. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,