Reflections on Ephesians 6

Prayer of a Warrior, Vanessa Patterson, mixed media, 2015

This is a paraphrase of and prayer in response to Ephesians 6 and other passages I was reminded of.


Prayer of a Warrior
Father, I want Your union with me to empower me. Let my strength be in Your mighty power alone. I want to draw my strength from You- that strength that Your boundless might supplies. Please supply me with Your full armour- the armour of a heavily armed soldier that comes from You alone. Only then will I be able to successfully stand up against all the devil's schemes, strategies and deceits. Without You I am powerless, weak and vulnerable.

Give me Your eyes and Your perspective to see the battle as You do. Not as a nice little metaphor to make us feel heroic in the mundanity of our ordinary lives, but a vivid, living, moving reality as real as my flesh and blood. Help me to see that I'm not actually battling the people around me, their minds, wills and emotions, or the places and situations I find myself in. While all that stuff has its place, most of the battle is happening in the spiritual realms and I'm totally unaware of it.

Father, You are the ultimate Warrior. I don't want to be fighting in my own strength anymore, doing things my way and getting nowhere. I confess my complete lack and ask that You- the Heavenly Father who gives good and perfect gifts to Your children- would arm me with Your complete armour, the armour of a heavily armed soldier. So then in 'the day of evil and danger' (which I guess is everyday) I can resist the enemy's attacks the be found standing firm in the position You have given me at the end of the battle (or day).

To hold my ground I need the belt of Your Truth tightened around my waist- the truth of who You are and who I am in You- to keep my pants up when the enemy tries to shame me with his lies. I need right standing with You to be my breastplate- protecting my vital organs from harm, to stand with integrity and keep toxins out of my system, and most of all to protect my heart against the adultery of other loves. Reserve my heart for Yourself alone. I need fresh revelation of Your Gospel everyday- to know that what I believe really truly is GOOD news, in the fullest and best sense of the word. Make my feet quick to move in obedience with You commands and walk in Your peace that transcends all understanding, the peace that comes from knowing You're completely trustworthy, so I can stand with firm footed stability.

Over all this I need Your shield of saving faith because only faith pleases You and faith comes from hearing Your still small voice in my heart. I need Your faith to know that I'm not going insane and to fight off the nagging doubts that cloud my mind. You really are with me, You really do speak to me, and You really have saved me. Put over my head/mind/brain the helmet of Your salvation- the sure knowledge that You have paid the full price for my salvation already and You continue to redeem the dead parts of my mind and bring all things to completion, the sure knowledge that salvation is Your's and Your's alone. I can't do anything to save myself. And also to know what You have saved me to- eternal life is this, that they would know You.

Fine tune my ears to hear Your voice, Your Word, which is my sword. I want to be like Mary, sitting at Your feet and listening. I want to be the sheep that knows the voice of the Good Shepherd. I want to be the branch that fully abides of the True Vine. Mary got a truth that Martha didn't. There's no end of things vying for my attention. But only one thing is really needed. Only one thing is life, and it's You- eternal life is this, that I would know the Father and the Son, and share in their union, their conversation. I want to choose the best thing- intimacy with You.

I want to converse with You all the time- without ceasing, in every season, about anything and everything. You are interested in the details of life. Show me how to pray in the Spirit at all times and what that actually looks like in the chaos of everyday life. Keep me alert with a strong sense of purpose and perseverance for myself and 'all the saints'. Show me what true intercession looks like in a world that continually shows me that selfishness is the best way.

There are so many mysteries in You, Father, so many things I just can't get my head around- and my heart is even further behind. Reveal to me the depths of this 'Mystery of the Gospel' that Paul talks about and make it really real to me. Then please open my mouth and give me freedom of utterance to make it known fearlessly and courageously, and with Your armour to boldly stand my ground against the counter attack that's sure to come my way at every stage of my journey with You.