Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints[.] Ephesians 6:18
Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your name. We are here in Your presence waiting to be blessed by You. Please help us not to give up. Teach us how to persevere in prayer until we see You face to face. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
I wonder if we really appreciate the power of prayer. I believe if we did we would not have to be reminded to persevere in it. It would become the air we breathe; the water we drink; the food with which we nourish our bodies.
But note that we are encouraged to pray with all perseverance and for all saints! Therefore, prayer is not only powerful. it is also unifying. Prayer is what took the disciples to one place; brought them into one accord, and caused the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit upon the early church.
For a few days we will be analyzing the fact that it takes more than being ahead in a marathon; it also means that you are to keep going even when the going gets hard. It means not giving up even when your heart tells you that it can take no more!
That is where prayer comes in. It is in prayer that we find the strength not to give up, but to persevere. It is prayer that increases our faith, reminds us to wear the helmet of salvation, and encourages us to cover our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace! And as we pray for ourselves and others we are strengthened to continue in the race.