Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Greetings...

Together as we have traveled through the book of Ephesians we have journeyed with God in examining the “Glorious Church Of Christ.”

We have seen that the “glorious church of Christ” was in the eternal plans of the Father.

We have studied of the great dangers of being outside of His church and dire need of being in it and apart of it.

We have come to know the importance of not only the eternally planned blood bought church but the Law that was created to govern it and the beautiful unity it created.

We have witnessed in our studies how proper leadership will guide those that are “new in Christ” to walk “not in futility of mind” but “according to truth and love, sacrifice and submission.”

Paul then, in his letter, begins to explain how one stays strong and firm in such endeavors.

How husbands, wives, children, masters, slaves, and everyone else can walk according to truth and love, sacrifice and submission.

It’s with the special armor God made just for us.

Over the last several weeks we have looked at all six special pieces of armor, the Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes Prepared for the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit.

Today we will be looking at what “binds all this armor” tightly on our spiritual selves.

Praying At All Times

Praying without ceasing.

Eph 6:17-18

In verse 18 the first word for “praying” that is connected with the “in the Spirit” is, grammatically speaking, a present participle verb.

To the

Why does that matter, because the present participle denotes action that takes place during the timing of the leading verb.

The leading verb, in this case, is the word “take” from verse 17.

In other words, Paul is saying that when you take the helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit you do so while praying at all times in the Spirit.

If we are to “pray at all times” while taking the helmet and sword it only logically follows that the helmet and sword is to be with us “at all times.”

This makes sense in light of such passages of .

This doesn’t mean we are to be “on bended knee” 24/7 but that we live a life of prayer or life in communion with God.

Praying in the Spirit.

There is no denying that prayer is to be done with the Holy Spirit’s help.

How does the Holy Spirit help us in our prayers.

First, the Spirit understands our weakness in our prayer life.

Man’s prayers his weakness and this is where the Holy Spirit helps out.

Second, the Spirit helps us when don’t know what to pray for and and steps in.

Third, God searches our hearts through our relationship we have with the Spirit according to the will of God.

He helps us when don’t know what to pray for.

He intercedes for us before God.

He does this

We are helped by Him in our weakness and

Prayers and supplications.

The word for prayer here is the generic term for prayer and the most common.

It is found some 36 times in the New Testament.

The word for supplications here is often translated prayer but it holds the idea of an “urgent request to meet a need.”

It is found 18 times in the New Testament.

Notice Paul wants requests to God to be made for peaceful living

1 Tim 2:

Summery

When we put on the Armor of God we are holding it together “every day” with our constant praying and urgent requests to God.

If there is no “constant and consistent” prayer in our lives there is no properly fitting Armor of God on us.

Praying With Perseverance

This perseverance requires being alert.

It takes

This takes being alert.

You cannot persevere in prayer if you are not awake and this is why God spends so much time talking about being awake and alert.

In fact the word for “keep alert” means to lie awake and suffer from insomnia.

It is also a present participle connecting back to “take” as well from verse 17.

Prayer that perseveres is one that is vigilantly keeping a watch over one’s salvation and the Word of God.

Truth be told all of this...

Not only are we to be praying at all times when taking the helmet and sword but we are to be alert while doing so as well.

This takes effort.

Praying “at all times in the Spirit” while keeping alert at all times takes a lot of effort.

Prayer isn’t for the faint of heart or the weak in spirit it’s for those that are dedicated to having a close relationship with their God and Creator.

Daniel is a great example of the type of constant effort that is needed.

Summery

When we put on God’s special Armor it is our prayer life that will keep each piece tight and in position, because we have put forth the effort to make sure it is so.

Conclusion

Invitation