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 KJV)
This verse is the capstone to the paragraph on spiritual armour. (Ephesians 6:10-17) Praying ties all the pieces together. It could be argued that, without prayer, the pieces of armour are of little use.
Praying Always
We are to always pray. There is never a time or circumstance that we should not be praying. (Praying is not always out loud! C.H. Spurgeon said: “…the use of the voice is not an essential element in prayer…it is clear that audible language is not essential to prayer.” It is impossible for us to continue praying unceasingly in an audible way). To always pray is a command. It is not optional.
All Prayer
We are to pray with all prayer. Some commentary writers and other Bible versions say, all kinds of prayer. All kinds, that is, “in public, in the family, in the closet, in business, on the way, in the heart without a voice, and with the voice from the heart”1, and using all the parts of prayer, “confession of sin, petition for mercy, and thanksgiving for favours received.”
In The Spirit
We are to pray in the Spirit, that is, “with the heart, soul and spirit engaged in it…without hypocrisy, in a spiritual way, and with fervency, and under the influence, and by the assistance of the Spirit of God.”
For All Saints
One specific object of our prayers should be for all the saints. Not just some of the saints. Not just for the lost. Not just for our own problems, our own families, our own churches, etc., but for all saints, “of every nation, age, sex, and condition, in all places, and of every denomination.” (CHERYL COPE)