Review:
Ephesians 6:13-17
Therefore, take up the whole armor of _____, that you may be able to withstand in the _____ day, and having done _____, to stand. 14 _________ therefore, having girded your waist with _______, having put on the breastplate of _________, 15 and having shod your feet with the ___________ of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of ________ with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the _______ one. And take the helmet of ________ and the sword of the Spirit, which is the _______ of _______
Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
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Independence soars in your life, and you're getting things figured out. You're making your own meals, setting your own schedule, maybe managing a budget and paying rent for your own apartment. You're aware of your need for safety; you make new friends, building your own close-knit community. Perhaps you can vote and contribute your voice to the country.
Through all of this, the importance of wearing your armor has been established. You protect your core with truth; you protect your heart with the truth of who you are -- your identity in Christ; your steps are prepared to share God's love; your faith protects you from falsehood and lies; your mind is protected with the knowledge of salvation; and you're soaking in every word of your Bible.
With the increased independence, you may feel a bit more invincible and in need of nothing that your own strength can't handle. Your armor is complete, except there's one thing missing -- prayer.
As independence grows, you may see an equal increase in pride. When pride grows, we've got life figured out and we forget to pray, or we don't see it as effective. We may soar through on our own strengths and keep God on the sideline, or maybe on our checklist. When pride grows, prayer withers. Where there's no prayer, armor is useless.
This hits home particularly with college years. Look around you -- prayer is needed all over your life. Your future, your family, your friends, your car, your job, your boss, a significant other, your choices, your church involvement, your money, tomorrow's test. . . . There's so much to pray for at your walk right now, and all kinds of prayers are encouraged in this verse -- pleas, thanksgiving, praises, prayers for others, prayers on your knees, prayers with groups, prayers of anguish -- while wearing the armor, the most powerful part of your gear is prayer.
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Dear Heavenly Father,
Convict us to place You first in our lives, to seek You
in all we do, and to begin each day with pray and pray constantly throughout the day. In Jesus' name, Amen.