I was ready to wrap up the Armor of God today and move on.  But Holy Spirit called a halt.  “There is one more critical piece,” He said.  “Prayer.”

Well, that should be quick and easy, I thought.  While I know prayer is important, I don’t ever remember hearing or seeing it taught with the Ephesians 6 armor.  It may have been mentioned, but not highlighted.

Here is the call for prayer, in context: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— Ephesians 6:17-18

The words Praying and Prayer in Greek means to pray.  I wanted more understanding as to what God was saying.  I went to the Blue Letter Bible app online and typed in the word ‘praying.’  It brought up a series of scriptures along with Ephesians 6:18.  So, I knew the meaning of ‘praying’ in these OT scriptures would be the same as the one I was considering.

The first mention of the word praying in the OT is in 1 Samuel 1:12.  It speaks of Hannah praying in the Temple about the fact that she was barren and wanted a child.

And it happened, as she (Hannah) continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.  

Praying and Prayer are both Strong’s #6419 – palal  and it looks like this:

#6419 is a primitive root; to judge (officially or mentally); by extension, to intercede, pray:—intreat, judge(-ment), (make) pray(-er, -ing), make supplication.

Now let’s look at the letters reading right to left:

Pey 80 = New Governmental Order.  Means: Mouth, to Speak, Open or Beginning.

Lamed  30 =  Blood of Messiah, Dedication to a task.  Means: Staff, Goad or Stick, to Teach or Instruct, Authority, to Control, Urge Forward, a Tongue

Lamed  30 =  Blood of Messiah, Dedication to a task.  Means: Staff, Goad or Stick, to Teach or Instruct, Authority, to Control, Urge Forward, a Tongue

Praying or Prayer means to verbally Speak, asking God to establish His Governmental Order, Authority, Instruction, and Control over a circumstance.

It also says that it is a prayer offered in a time of distress.

King Solomon offered an amazing prayer in 1 Kings 8:22-53 concerning the Temple he had just completed building for the Lord to inhabit.  At the end of the prayer, this verse is written with the same phrase we see in Ephesians 6:18: 

And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 1 Kings 8:54 

Then, in the next chapter, And it came to pass when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he wanted to do, ² that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. ³ And the Lord said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 1 Kings 9:1-3

Prayer and supplication are paired in all of these.  So, let’s see what Supplication means.

Supplication  Strong’s #2603 – chanan and it looks like this:

#2603 is a primitive root; properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; to implore (i.e. move to favor by petition):—beseech, (be, find, shew) favour(-able), be (deal, give, grant (gracious(-ly), intreat, (be) merciful, have (shew) mercy (on, upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication.

But again, let’s see the letters:

Chet  8 = New Beginnings. Means: Fence, Gate, Tent wall to Separate, Protect, Cut off. Torah (God’s Word)

 Nun  50 = Restoration, Holy Spirit, Jubilee. Means: Life or Action

 Final Nun  700

To offer prayers of Supplication is to ask God to Protect and Restore Life.  Give us a New Beginning, Fence us in with Your Torah–Your Word.

Here is another place in Paul’s writings where these words are used:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Philippians 4:6

Okay, let’s wrap this us with the word Perseverance.  The word Perseverance is only used once in the Bible.  It is Strong’s #4343 in the Greek.  When I looked up the definition, I chuckled.  Perseverance–means–(wait for it) perseverance. But,  the root, #4342,  means to continue steadfast.  This definition helped, but I wanted more.  So, I looked it up in my Thesaurus and got a better handle on it:

Perseverance: determination, endurance, steadfastness, continuance, tenacity, backbone, stick-to-itiveness, courageous, not to faint.

So we can say that to pray with Perseverance is to pray and keep praying until we see what we are praying about manifest.

Of course, it must be based on what God has prompted us to pray, and in line with His written Word.

Above I placed the picture of an American soldier in full gear praying.  Here is a picture of an Israeli soldier praying.  Note the strap and small box around his head and the leather strap wrapped around his arm.  They look strange to us and we wonder what this is all about.  They are called, tefillin.

Well, here is the scripture where the command is found:

 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

(The scripture you see here is one of the scriptures written on a piece of paper and placed in the little box on the forehead.)

In essence, what you are seeing is a soldier who is dedicating his mind to the Word of God and also dedicating his hands to do God’s will as led by the Word of God.  And he is praying out of his prayer book which is made up of the Psalms and other scripture prayers.

As we put on the Armor of God, may we do the same.  God’s Word must set the path for all we do and say.  If we put on the armor and still walk in our own thinking and doing, we will not succeed in the call and purpose God created.

And lastly, to Pray in the Spirit is to pray in line with the Word of God, both written and spoken.  The Holy Spirit will lead us in what and how to pray.  It may be in tongues or with words understood, but He will lead.  As we follow, we are praying in the Spirit.

So, in response:

Father, today as I stand before You, I will put on the Armor of God and verbally speak, asking You to establish Your Governmental Order, Authority, Instruction, and Control over every circumstance. I will pray with prayers and Supplication, asking You to Protect and Restore Your Life in this situation.  I ask You to Fence me in with Your Word and Protect me.  I will pray with Perseverance and keep praying until I see what I am praying about manifest as I am led by the Holy Spirit.

See you tomorrow with closing remarks.

Shalom ♥