Sr Eleanor Slamat – March 2022

He uses the metaphor of warfare to describe the struggle that Christians have against the schemes of the devil. As the Christian soldier prepares for spiritual warfare there are certain things that he/she needs to put on, i.e., the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the sandals of the gospel of peace. There are also things that the Christian soldier should take up and carry namely the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. Each of these elements are a metaphor for an aspect of Christian life and defence against the forces of evil. The enemy are spiritual forces behind world systems that are in opposition to God.

The full armour of the Christian soldier is completed by the important weapon of prayer, more specifically praying in the Spirit.

Like in the case of the Ephesians, spiritual warfare is a reality of our times too. As believers we are prone to vicious attacks from evil forces in our lost and broken world. Systemic poverty, greed, inequality, unemployment, violence (including the scourge of Gender-based violence, child and elderly abuse), racism and discrimination are waging war on God’s people. The attacks are sustained and vicious, with millions suffering worldwide, their lives often reduced to hopelessness.

During our times, especially during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are experiencing a great return to prayer. In their suffering and pain, living in the shadow of death, God’s people called on His Name, also using telephone calls, WhatsApp prayer groups, Zoom, etc. to cope in a new situation where physical distancing became a way of living. We all became aware anew of the necessity for us as Christian soldiers to put on the full armour of God during our times, especially the weapon of prayer in the Spirit.

Even In the midst of adversity, we should not forget to praise and bring glory to God through our prayers, because we were created to worship Him. We should also not pray only for ourselves, but also for other believers, in fact, all God’s people too, because we are all in this battle together. Intercession in prayer for our fellow human beings facing the systemic onslaught of worldly forces is of vital importance. It strengthens the individuals and groups who find themselves in need of prayer and it fosters fellowship. Systems of prayer requests and prayer groups in congregations are great sources of strength where they exist. We should also be alert and wide awake in our prayers, not using routine mumblings, formulations and repetitions at all times. To be “spiritually fit and disciplined” regular prayer is needed, just like normal soldiers use drills and exercises.

Praying in the Spirit is to pray in the presence of the Holy Spirit, because our wisdom and strength come from the Holy Spirit. We need constant and close communion with the Holy Spirit. Regular prayer in the Spirit is an important and vital strategy to achieve victory over the forces of evil.

Sisters and brothers let us heed the call to regular and constant prayer in the Spirit and rediscover the power of prayer. It is especially important for us who stand in the great tradition of the Moravian Prayer Watch. The Moravian community of Herrnhut in Germany started a round-the clock “prayer watch” in 1727 that continued nonstop for over a hundred years. Even today, Moravians around the world are taking turns to be in prayer and intercession on every day of the year. Each Province of the worldwide Moravian Church is allocated a number of days to continue the Prayer Watch. Prayer has always been one of the most powerful weapons and source of strength of the Moravian Church right through its history. Let us also continue to pray for ourselves, our families, our congregations, the Moravian Church, the broader church of Christ and our whole world in the expectation of victory over the forces of evil. As the old Christian hymn says, “Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the Cross of Jesus, going on before”. Amen.

Sr Eleanor Slamat