BSF Study Questions Acts Lesson 25, Day 4: Ephesians 6:17-18

Summary of passage:  Paul advises us to take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (word of God) and pray in all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Questions:

8a)  It tells us to take the sword of the Spirit, meaning to have it to use as a weapon, and to pray in the Spirit on all occasions, meaning to pray all the time for everything (every battle, trouble, or temptation you are faced with).

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Memorizing key verses to use when I am assaulted. Ones that prop me up (different for everyone), and are specific to what I am facing. Studying and reading God’s word daily will change me, make me more Christ-like, and more able to withstand assaults.  Praying more.  Praying all the time for every thing that may seem insignificant to others but is a challenge in my life.  Pray for others.  Spread the Good News.

9)  According to Webster’s dictionary, alert means, “watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency; quick to perceive and act.”

For me, be alert means not to become complacent in life or the devil will hit me when I least expect it and I will be unprepared.  I must be active in warfare, not passive.  I must always be prepared.

I liked the dictionary definition words “prompt” and “act”.  We must not let things linger and fester, things that could turn into sin.  We must be prompt to banish these from our lives.  I believe we all know what these things are when they arise for the Spirit inside of us lets us know.

Conclusions:  I’m not for sure prayer is a “secret resource”.  Prayer has been around for millenia in most religions.  If you hold any kind of belief, most people want to communicate with their higher being so people pray.  It may even be instinctual.

As a weapon, prayer may be a secret resource since some may not think to pray.  But again for millenia people have prayed before big battles or over dying loved ones or evil spirits or deeds.  I think prayer has been a weapon for a long time and not so much a secret.

The power of prayer is discussed a lot in the Bible.  Not for sure about other religions. But it’s a resource nevertheless.  You can judge if it’s a secret or not.

How Does it Feel to Pray to Jesus?

This was a google that landed on my site.  And after a moment, I thought it was a REALLY good question.

How does it feel to pray to Jesus?  I’ll give you my response and then I’d love to hear everyone else’s.

It feels:  comforting, good, safe, happy, loving, relaxing, relieving, beautiful, joyful, heavy-hearted at times, and wonderful.

When I sit down to pray, when I lay it all on the line and say, “Ok, God, here it is” something is lifted off of my shoulders, I can breathe afterwards, and I can continue on with my day a bit lighter.  Sometimes I still try to carry my burdens by myself but throughout the day He constantly reminds me I am not alone.  I always end the day lighter than I began it.

Safe is my favorite descriptive word.  I can tell God anything, things I would never tell others and I’m never judged in return.  In fact, I feel He embraces me in my darkest hours–when no one else could or when I don’t allow anyone else to.  He’s there.  Always.  And we can talk about anything.

Sometimes I am mad at God.  I do question His ways because I don’t understand them.  I question my earthly existence and things that happen.  But I never question Him.

Praying is one of the best gifts God has given us.  It’s a way to Him, through Jesus, that sometimes is the only thing we have to hang on to.  Prayer is the only thing we have when we receive the phone call in the middle of the night and the rest of our body is numb and our brain has shut down.  God gets us through and praying is how we can connect with Him.

The more you pray, the more you feel God, know God, and love God.  The more you pray, the easier life is.

Prayer is a critical component to knowing God.  And it’s one of the easiest.  You can do it anytime, anywhere.

All it takes is “God…”  The rest is taken care of.