Pray in every moment

I love the verses in Ephesians about putting on the Armor of God, but recently, I was reminded of the following verse where after we put on the Armor of God, we are called to pray. “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 the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6: 18, NIV). We are called to not only adorn ourselves with the Armor of God, to use our faith as a shield against evil, but to also be prayerful for our brothers and sisters. What a powerful message. I recently heard of a an individual that does this with intent. He collects unwanted furniture and then takes it to neighborhoods where it can be used. They lay all the furniture out in the parking lot and when people select a piece of furniture, they carry it to the homes regardless of the number of stairs! Once the furniture is placed, he then asks the new owner if he can pray for them. Who is going to say no after receiving such a wonderful gift? Each engagement ends with prayer. It’s not about the furniture, it’s about sharing the gift of prayer.

I had a co-worker and dear friend that sensed that I was not having the best day. I simply asked her to pray. Before the end of the day, she not only told me she was praying, she shared the many verses she was praying and gave me a note with a favorite verse that I could pray as well. That is intentional prayer. I learned from that. I no longer say I am praying for you, or I will pray for you, I ask if I can pray for them now. When someone is hurting, or ill and they don’t have the strength to pray, I do. I share the protection of God with them when they may not be able to put on the Armor of God themselves.

I know in this last season when I was walking through the darkest valleys, knowing that other were praying for me gave me strength to face the next day. These prayers were never coincidental and I would often receive a text or call at the precise moment when I needed it most. That’s listening to God’s call to pray for His people. He knows when we need it and He guides us to pray for each other.

Today, I pray that when someone reaches out and needs you, that you pray. Pray in every moment. Pray in joy, pray in hardships, but always pray knowing that God’s protection is shared through prayer. Listen to those nudges when someone is weighing on your heart and mind-stop in that moment and pray, trust me, they will feel it.