Eph 6:18    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 saints.

 

Prayer is always a difficult subject. How do I know what is the right thing to pray? That is the question so many of us have. Paul gives us some help. When he says ‘pray in the spirit' he means pray as you are led by the Spirit. Ask the Spirit to lead you, and if your heart is wholly for God, trust that as you pray, He is leading you.

 

On all occasions? That's a challenge! It suggests that we don't pray only when we have a ‘quiet time' or ‘in church' but wherever we are and recognise either the goodness of God for which we wish to give thanks, or that there is a need and you need to ask your heavenly Father about it. We need to learn to have a prayerful attitude, so that whenever any problem or need crops up, the natural thing to do is pray, to utter up a request for help to the Lord. Are we known for those who turn to the Lord at all times? May it be so!

 

Be alert! It is so easy to become complacent or casual and slip into the way of thinking that, “Well, I don't really need God's help today. I can get by.” No we can't and our brothers and sisters in Christ can't either. As Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5). It is the genuine recognition of this that drives us to prayer and makes us known as prayerful people, it is that recognition that we do genuinely need help.