Ephesians 6:13-20, KJV: “¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; ¹⁹ And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Today, we look at the very important ending to this chapter, verses 18-20. Let’s start with a few definitions:

• Praying: Often we think of praying as asking. It is so much more than that. It includes worship, talking to God, and asking.
• always: There are three entries for “always” in Strong’s on this verse according to Blue Letter Bible: 1, 2, and 3. I find that interesting as that means it is fixed in place, during a season, and the last means daily or all, to summarize each very briefly.
• prayer: As noted above, this is about worship to God.
• supplication: Supplication is asking or asking with an earnestness.

We are to both pray and ask in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us pray. (Romans 8:26). We are also to watch with perseverance and supplication for all saints. We must pray for each other and watch out for each other, asking God for help.

Prayer is crucial. Note: Sometimes as isolated and chronically ill or disabled, we may say, “I wish I could do more, but I can pray about it.” (Yes, I have said this myself.) Wait, what? We are able to take the request directly to God, the Creator of the Universe, the Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent One, and the One who loves us enough to die in our place. Prayer is not a “secondary” or “lesser” way to serve. It is powerful. Perhaps God has us where we are because of the battle needed in prayer.

Paul goes on to ask for prayer for Himself. His request is interesting as we know he was in prison, uncomfortable and likely had an abundance of needs. His request? That God would give him utterance, that he would be able to open his mouth boldly, and that he would be able to make known the mystery of the gospel. He says that he is an ambassador in bonds and wants to speak boldly.

Let that sink in. He was in a very bad spot with many needs. What did he ask for? To be able to be bold in sharing the gospel. Wow. He sees that he is an ambassador in bonds. God is using him as a messenger while in bonds. He is an emissary carrying the gospel to the prison.

Verse 20 especially challenged my heart. Do I see my health challenges as the bonds that allow me to be an ambassador for Him in places I would not be able to otherwise? It is definitely something to consider. Selah. Amen.