Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
— Ephesians 6:18

When the perceptive child of God stops to weigh the meaning of these words, then notes the connection in which they are found, he or she is driven to say,

“I must pray, pray, pray. I must put all my energy and heart into prayer. Whatever else I do, I must pray.”

Notice the alls: “all prayer and supplication…all perseverance…for all the saints.” Note the piling up of strong words: “prayer,” “supplication,” “perseverance.”

Also notice the strong expression, “being watchful,” more literally, “in this be not lazy.” Paul realized the natural apathy of man, especially his natural neglect of prayer. How seldom we pray things through! How often the church and the individual get right up to the verge of a great blessing in prayer and then let go, become lazy, and quit.

I wish that these words, “in this be not lazy,” might burn into our hearts. I wish that the whole verse would burn into our hearts.

— From the book, R.A. Torrey on the Christian Life, pages 261-262.

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R.A. Torrey (1856-1928) was an American evangelist, a co-worker of D.L. Moody, and an early superintendent of what is today the Moody Bible Institute.

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— 10 August 2021 —