Praying in the Spirit 

Praying in the Spirit 

— By M.T. Clark — P-1986, 06/10/2026 — Today’s Audio Podcast

Today’s Message on YouTube:

Today’s photo of Claude Monet’s 1877 oil on canvas “Bridge at Dolceacqua” — a graceful stone arch bridge spanning a river in a small Italian village, a church tower rising on the left, green hillside stretching behind — comes to us from yours truly, as I captured this work of art at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA, on July 9th, 2023.

Well, it’s Wednesday, and I share this painting of a bridge as a reminder that we have arrived at the midweek crossing — and more importantly, as a reminder of the greatest bridge ever built. Jesus Christ is our bridge to God — the One who crossed the distance between heaven and earth, between holiness and our brokenness, between death and life — so that we could cross over into a new life with Him. Whatever you are crossing this week, you are not crossing it alone. He is the bridge, and He holds us up and will bring us to the other side. 

Tonight, I am looking forward to another meeting of the Celebrate Freedom Support Group at Starpoint Church. If you are in the Capital Region and need a place to work through what you are carrying, come find us. There is a way across, and we will walk it with you until you get there. 

Our series, “The Armor of God,” continues with a truth that undergirds every other piece of the armor Paul has described.”

Praying in the Spirit

Paul does not end the armor passage with a piece of equipment. He ends it with Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV), which says that we should be: 

“…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…” 

After the belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, and the sword are in place, Paul tells us to pray. It’s not a seventh piece of armor. Prayer is the atmosphere in which the armor is worn. Prayer is the environment that makes the whole thing function.

You can put on armor without praying. Soldiers did it every day in Rome. But the believer who puts on the armor of God without praying in the Spirit is a soldier dressed for a battle he is trying to fight alone. 

The armor without prayer is equipment without communication. It is the right gear worn without contacting the God who calls us to put it on in the first place. 

Prayer is the breath of the Spirit-led life. It is the ongoing connection between the believer and the Lord that keeps everything else alive and operative. 

The belt of truth stays functional when we are in communication with the One who is Truth. 

The breastplate of righteousness holds when we are in communion with the One whose righteousness we wear. 

The sword cuts when the Spirit activates it — and the Spirit activates it in the context of a life that is in ongoing conversation with God.

Paul’s language here is comprehensive.   He tells us to pray always— not occasionally, not only when we are in crisis moments. 

And He goes further to tell us to pray, all prayer — every kind: praise, confession, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving, in the Spirit.  

Praying in the Spirit is not just a mental exercise or recited words, but is prayer that is animated and guided by the Holy Spirit Himself. 

Paul also tells us not to quit praying. With all perseverance means not giving up when the answer does not come quickly. 

He also encourages us to pray for one another.  For all the saints means that we don’t just pray for ourselves.  We are to pray for the people the Lord has placed in our lives and in our sphere of influence.

This is the full picture of what prayer looks like in the armor of God context. It is not a ritual. It is not a performance. It is a continuous, living, Spirit-led conversation with the Lord that undergirds every other piece of the armor from morning until night.

Here is the practical reality: the believer who prays consistently is a different kind of soldier than the one who does not. It’s not prayer that earns anything or unlocks anything through human effort; prayer keeps the believer in the presence of the One who is the source of all the armor’s power. 

You cannot be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10) while being disconnected from God.  

Prayer is the connection. It is the wire that carries the current of God’s power.  

Put on the armor. Then pray. Keep praying. Pray for the brothers and sisters in your life. Pray for the people the Lord brings to mind. 

Let the armor be worn in the atmosphere of prayer — and watch what the Lord does with your life when you are both equipped and connected to Him.

Keep on walking and talking with God.

— M.T.

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“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”

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