June 26th Daily Devotion
A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS
WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PRAYERS YOU CAN PRAY?
Ephesians 6:19-20 “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
What is one of the most important prayers you can pray? You may think it is a prayer for someone facing a medical crisis. Or, you may believe that it is a prayer for your son or daughter that God will bless their wedding and marriage. The list is almost endless. The answers vary greatly.
Today’s devotional verse finds a request by St. Paul issued to the members of the Church at Ephesus. He had an illness for which he could have wanted them to pray God to cure. His life was under constant threat by his enemies. He could have asked them to pray God to surround him with guardian angels to protect him. What he requested was they would pray that God would grant him words and courage to speak the mystery of the Gospel.
You speak many prayers for a variety of people as well as for yourself. Their needs and yours are very important. Yet, there is one prayer you can pray that is more important than any other. It is the same prayer Paul requests in today’s devotional verse, praying for the ability to speak the words of the gospel and the courage to speak them.
Why this prayer? The answer is found in the Scriptures. The gospel is God’s power for salvation. (Romans 1:16) It is through the words of the gospel that the Holy Spirit works faith in the hearts of those who hear this saving message from God. By the power that these words have, the Holy Spirit drives unbelief out of the heart of the hearer of the gospel message. It is by the power of the gospel that the Holy Spirit connects them to Jesus to receive forgiveness of their sins, eternal life, and salvation.
You can pray for someone’s cancer to be cured, a marriage to be blessed or a healthy baby to be born. All are valid and good prayers to pray. Yet, without the gospel and the Holy Spirit’s work through it, those who are cured of their cancer, have a successful marriage, or give birth to a healthy baby will still be afflicted with unbelief and face eternal death.
Your prayers that the gospel be preached with boldness and confidence is one that is of eternal importance. Pray God to bless your pastor’s sermons that they are gospel filled and the hearer’s gospel blessed. Pray God to give your pastor courage to speak the gospel word that saves especially in times when its message is unpopular or not wanted. Pray the Holy Spirit to give you gospel words to speak with boldness to bring people to a saving faith in Jesus.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, bless the gospel’s message wherever it is proclaimed, read, and studied that those who receive it believe it for the eternal blessing of life in heaven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Spread the reign of God the Lord, Spoken, written mighty Word;
Ev’rywhere His creatures call To His heav’nly banquet hall.
Tell how God the Father’s will Made the world upholds it still,
How His own dear son He gave Us from sin and death to save.
Tell of our Redeemer’s grace, Who, to save our human race
And to pay rebellion’s price, Gave Himself as sacrifice.
Tell of God the Spirit giv’n Now to guide us on to heav’n,
Strong and holy, just and true, Working both to will and do.
Enter, mighty Word, the field; Ripe the promise of its yield.
But the reapers, oh, how few For the work there is to do!
Lord of harvest, great and kind, Rouse to action heart and mind;
Let the gath’ring nations all See Your light and heed Your call. (LSB 830)