Ephesians 6:18

18. always--Greek, "in every season"; implying opportunity and exigency (Col 4:2). Paul uses the very words of Jesus in Lu 21:36 (a Gospel which he quotes elsewhere, in undesigned consonance with the fact of Luke being his associate in travel, 1Co 11:23, &c.; 1Ti 5:18). Compare Lu 18:1; Ro 12:12; 1Th 5:17. with all--that is, every kind of. prayer--a sacred term for prayer in general. supplication--a common term for a special kind of prayer [Harless], an imploring request. "Prayer" for obtaining blessings, "supplication" for averting evils which we fear [Grotius]. in the Spirit--to be joined with "praying." It is he in us, as the Spirit of adoption, who prays, and enables us to pray (Ro 8:15, 26; Ga 4:6; Jude 20). watching--not sleeping (Ep 5:14; Psa 88:13; Mt 26:41). So in the temple a perpetual watch was maintained (compare Anna, Lu 2:37). thereunto--"watching unto" (with a view to) prayer and supplication. with--Greek, "in." Persevering constancy ("perseverance") and (that is, exhibited in) supplication are to be the element in which our watchfulness is to be exercised. for all saints--as none is so perfect as not to need the intercessions of his fellow Christians.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Verse 18. Praying always. It would be well for the soldier who goes forth to battle to pray--to pray for victory; or to pray that he may be prepared for death, should he fall. But soldiers do not often feel the necessity of this. To the Christian soldier, however, it is indispensable. Prayer crowns all lawful efforts with success, and gives a victory when nothing else would. No matter how complete the armour; no matter how skilled we maybe in the science of war; no matter how courageous we may be, we may be certain that without prayer we shall be defeated. God alone can give the victory; and when the Christian soldier goes forth armed completely for the spiritual conflict, if he looks to God by prayer, he may be sure of a triumph. This prayer is not to be intermitted. It is to be always. In every temptation and spiritual conflict we are to pray. Lk 18:1.

With all prayer and supplication. With all kinds of prayer; prayer in the closet, the family, the social meeting, the great assembly; prayer at the usual hours, prayer when we are specially tempted, and when we feel just like praying, Mt 6:6; prayer in the form of supplication for ourselves, and in the form of intercession for others. This is, after all, the great weapon of our spiritual armour, and by this we may hope to prevail.

"Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The meanest saint upon his knees."

In the Spirit. By the aid of the Holy Spirit; or perhaps it may mean that it is not to be prayer of form merely, but when the spirit and the heart accompany it. The former idea seems, however, to be the correct one.

And watching thereunto. Watching for opportunities to pray; watching for the spirit of prayer; watching against all those things which would hinder prayer. Mt 26:38, Mt 26:41. Comp. 1Pet 4:7.

With all perseverance. Never becoming discouraged and disheartened. Comp. Lk 18:1.

And supplication for all saints, for all Christians. We should do this

(1.) because they are our brethren--though they may have a different skin, language, or name.

(2.) Because, like us, they have hearts prone to evil, and need, with us, the grace of God.

(3.) Because nothing tends so much to make us love others, and to forget their faults, as to pray for them.

(4.) Because the condition of the church is always such that it greatly needs the grace of God. Many Christians have backslidden; many are cold or lukewarm; many are in error; many are conformed to the world; and we should pray that they may become more holy, and may devote themselves more to God.

(5.) Because each day many a Christian is subjected to some peculiar temptation or trial, and though he may be unknown to us, yet our prayers may benefit him.

(6.) Because each day and each night many Christians die. We may reflect each night as we lie down to rest, that while we sleep some Christians are kept awake by the prospect of death, and are now passing through the dark valley; and each morning we may reflect that today some Christian will die, and we should remember them before God.

(7.) Because we shall soon die, and it will be a comfort to us if we can remember then that we have often prayed for dying saints, and if we may feel that they are praying for us.

(a) "with all prayer" Lk 18:1 (b) "thereunto" Mt 26:41

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Verse 18 Praying always - The apostle does not put praying among the armor; had he done so he would have referred it, as he has done all the rest, to some of the Grecian armor; but as he does not do this, therefore we conclude that his account of the armor is ended, and that now, having equipped his spiritual soldier, he shows him the necessity of praying, that he may successfully resist those principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and the spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places, with whom he has to contend. The panoply, or whole armor of God, consists in, 1. the girdle; 2. the breast-plate; 3. the greaves; 4. the shield; 5. the helmet; and 6. the sword. He who had these was completely armed. And as it was the custom of the Grecian armies, before they engaged, to offer prayers to the gods for their success, the apostle shows that these spiritual warriors must depend on the Captain of their salvation, and pray with all prayer, i.e. incessantly, being always in the spirit of prayer, so that they should be ever ready for public, private, mental, or ejaculatory prayer, always depending on Him who can alone save, and who alone can destroy. When the apostle exhorts Christians to pray with all prayer, we may at once see that he neither means spiritual nor formal prayer, in exclusion of the other. Praying, προσευχομενοι, refers to the state of the spirit as well as to the act. With all prayer - Refers to the different kinds of prayer that is performed 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. All those are necessary to the genuine Christian; and he whose heart is right with God will be frequent in the whole. "Some there are," says a very pious and learned writer, who use only mental prayer or ejaculations, and think they are in a state of grace, and use a way of worship far superior to any other; but such only fancy themselves to be above what is really above them; it requiring far more grace to be enabled to pour out a fervent and continued prayer, than to offer up mental aspirations." Rev. J. Wesley. And supplication - There is a difference between προσευχη, prayer, and δεησις, supplication. Some think the former means prayer for the attainment of good; the latter, prayer for averting evil. Supplication however seems to mean prayer continued in, strong and incessant pleadings, till the evil is averted, or the good communicated. There are two things that must be attended to in prayer. 1. That it be εν παντι καιρῳ, in every time, season, or opportunity; 2. That it should be εν Πνευματι, in or through the Spirit - that the heart should be engaged in it, and that its infirmities should be helped by the Holy Ghost, Watching thereunto - Being always on your guard lest your enemies should surprise you. Watch, not only against evil, but also for opportunities to do good, and for opportunities to receive good. Without watchfulness, prayer and all the spiritual armor will be ineffectual. With all perseverance - Being always intent on your object, and never losing sight of your danger, or of your interest. The word implies stretching out the neck, and looking about, in order to discern an enemy at a distance. For all saints - For all Christians; for this was the character by which they were generally distinguished.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain