battle dress

Thoughts of intercessory prayer... as battling... came back to mind this morning...

The classic passage of Scripture... calling us to put on the full armor of God... a passage I'm familiar with... ends with... And pray...

Immediately following... the instruction for battle dress... Paul... he tells us... pray...

This morning... for the first time... thinking the praying just added on as an aside... I came to realize... this armor... just might be... the preparation to pray...!

Paul... he is telling the church... how to live... Be imitators of God... Be very careful, then, how you live --- not as unwise but as wise... then he says...

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your gound, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Ephesians 6:10-13

(my emphasis)

Twice... he tells us... put on the full armor of God... we are to dress like Him... it is the wise way to face life... so here is where the battle dress begins... the wardrobe...

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:14-18

(emphasis added)

Get dressed in God's full armor... AND... pray... intercede... for all the saints...

Today I hear... Put on God's full armor... and then pray... you are stepping into the areas of heaviest fighting... when you dare to intercede...

Oswald Chambers... he says...

Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work. ...
Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. ...

So for me... (maybe not for you...) this is a new and clearer understanding...  and I will be more intentional... about getting fully dressed... before... I pray...

What about you... do you dress for the battle of prayer? Are you even aware there is a battle?