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Reflections
Note: We do not have Chase Perry’s devotional questions at the time of this upload. The questions below have been prepared to follow the pattern of the series based on the sermon content.
Sermon: Alert (Prayer) — Prayers Rising!
Text: Ephesians 6:18–20
“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak.”
— Ephesians 6:18–20
Day 1 — Praying at All Times in the Spirit
Read: Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2
1. The sermon opened by asking, “How’s your prayer life going?” Why is the honest answer always “there’s room for improvement” for every believer, not just the “super-Christian”?
2. Paul commands us to pray “at all times.” How does this differ from treating prayer as a morning or bedtime routine? What would it look like to pray about everything throughout an ordinary day?
3. The sermon listed parallel commands: “Pray without ceasing,” “be constant in prayer,” “continue steadfastly in prayer.” Which of these descriptions most challenges or encourages you right now?
4. Why is consistent prayer described as “basic equipment for every soldier” rather than an optional discipline for the mature? How does neglecting it leave us vulnerable?
5. What one practical change can you make this week to move from praying occasionally to praying “at all times” in the ordinary rhythms of your day?
Prayer: Father, thank You that You welcome my prayers at every moment. Forgive me for treating prayer as optional or occasional.
Teach me to pray without ceasing — about everything, for everything — as basic equipment for standing firm in You.
Day 2 — Praying in the Spirit: Help in Our Weakness
Read: Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:26–27; Jude 20
1. What does it mean to pray “in the Spirit”? How is this different from praying in our own strength or merely saying religious words?
2. Romans 8:26 says the Spirit helps us in our weakness because “we do not know what to pray for as we ought.” When have you experienced this — running out of words or not knowing how to pray?
3. The sermon emphasized: this is never an excuse not to pray. Instead, when we do pray, we pray in harmony with God’s will. How does reading Scripture help us pray “in the Spirit”?
4. Prayer was called “a beautiful act of worship.” How does viewing prayer primarily as worship (rather than just asking for things) change the way you approach it?
5. The sermon said the Spirit “prays the deep prayers you have in your heart.” How does this truth encourage you when your prayers feel weak, scattered, or inadequate?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You that You intercede for me with groanings too deep for words. Help me to pray in step with You, guided by Your Word, so that my prayers increasingly align with the Father’s will and become true worship.
Day 3 — With All Prayer and Supplication: Words That Assault the Enemy
Read: Ephesians 6:18; Psalm 37:4; Hebrews 4:12
1. The sermon distinguished “prayer” (speaking to God) and “supplication” (earnest pleading/request). How does a healthy prayer life include both broad worshipful conversation and specific, urgent cries?
2. The “pen is mightier than the sword” analogy was used: the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God; prayer is our words to God. When our words align with His will, we assault the enemy. How have you seen this in your own life?
3. Psalm 37:4 says if we delight in the Lord, He gives us the desires of our heart. How does delighting in God shape our prayers so they become according to His will?
4. The sermon said prayer is how we approach the throne of God through our great High Priest, Jesus. How does remembering Jesus as our access change the boldness and frequency of your prayers?
5. Who in your life needs you to bring specific supplication before God this week? How can you intentionally “unsheathe” prayer as an offensive weapon for them?
Prayer: Lord, teach me to pray with all prayer and supplication. Make my words to You — offered in worship and aligned with Your will — a weapon that pushes back darkness. Give me faith to bring specific needs before Your throne through Jesus.
Day 4 — Keep Alert with All Perseverance
Read: Ephesians 6:18; 1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 26:41
1. The sermon used a military picture: a soldier sleeping at his post allows the enemy to overrun the line. How does spiritual alertness (or the lack of it) affect your daily walk with Christ?
2. “Keep alert with all perseverance” — why must we remain watchful even when life feels calm and the “knockdown, drag-out fights” seem few? What makes easy seasons spiritually dangerous?
3. The sermon warned that when the “communication pipeline” between us and God grows thin, we become easy prey for the roaring lion. Where have you seen this pattern in your own life or observed it in others?
4. Even when the enemy is pressing hard, we are told to “keep going… not in your own strength, but in God’s eternal strength.” How does relying on God’s strength (rather than your own persistence) change how you pray when you feel worn out?
5. What specific area of your life right now requires greater spiritual alertness and persevering prayer? What would it look like to “keep your foot on the gas” this week?
C3 Michigan • Ephesians Sermon Series • Alert (Prayer) Devotional Questions • Page 1Prayer: Lord, wake me up. Keep me alert and watchful. When I am tempted to grow lax in easy seasons or weary in hard ones, remind me that Your strength is everlasting and the Holy Spirit intercedes alongside me. Help me persevere in prayer.
Day 5 — Making Supplication for All the Saints & The Persistent Widow
Read: Ephesians 6:18; Luke 18:1–8; 1 Timothy 2:1
1. The command is not only to pray for ourselves but to make supplication “for all the saints.” Why is interceding for the whole body of Christ essential to spiritual warfare?
2. Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow to teach that His disciples “ought always to pray and not lose heart.” How does the widow’s shameless persistence challenge your own prayer life?
3. The sermon asked: if an unrighteous judge eventually gives in to constant pleading, how much more will our righteous Father hear His elect who cry to Him day and night? How does this truth encourage you to keep praying when answers seem delayed?
4. We are told that if we are in Christ, we too are saints for whom others are called to pray. How does knowing the church is praying for you (and that you are prayed for) affect your sense of belonging and perseverance?
5. Who in your church, family, or wider Christian family needs your persevering supplication this week? How can you move from general prayers to specific, ongoing intercession for them?
Prayer: Father, give me a heart that prays for all the saints — not just my own needs. Make me persistent like the widow, trusting that You hear and will answer Your elect in Your perfect time. Use my prayers to strengthen Your church.
Day 6 — Boldly Proclaim the Gospel: Paul’s Request from Chains
Read: Ephesians 6:19–20; Colossians 4:2–4; 2 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 2:9
1. Paul, in prison, did not ask the Ephesians to pray for his release but that he would be given words to proclaim the gospel boldly. Why is this request so striking and instructive for us?
2. The sermon highlighted the paradox of “an ambassador in chains.” How does Paul’s identity as Christ’s representative shape his priorities even in suffering? How should it shape ours?
3. Paul also wrote in Colossians 4:3, “pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word.” Not a door for himself to escape, but for the word to go forth. How does this reorient what we pray for when we or others face opposition?
4. We are all ambassadors (1 Peter 2:9 — “a chosen race, a royal priesthood… that you may proclaim the excellencies”). When are you most tempted to speak timidly or remain silent about the gospel? What would boldness look like in those situations?
5. If you find it intimidating to share the gospel or don’t know what to say, the sermon said: stop and pray — ask God for the words and the boldness. Who in your life needs you to do this this week?
Prayer: Lord, make me a bold ambassador of Your gospel. When I am tempted to stay silent or rely on my own cleverness, remind me that You give the words and the Spirit empowers the witness. Open doors for Your Word through my prayers and my lips.
Day 7 — Jesus, the True Pray-er & Standing in His Victory
Read: Ephesians 6:18–20; Luke 22:39–46; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 5:14–15
1. Jesus in Gethsemane prayed, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” while sweating drops of blood. How does His example of dependent, persevering prayer in agony encourage you in your own struggles?
2. The sermon paralleled the sword charge: “Your hope is not that you always hold the sword firmly. Your hope is that Christ never dropped it.” How does this truth bring comfort when your prayer life feels weak or inconsistent?
3. Why is the solution to spiritual failure never simply “try harder” but instead to look again to Christ? How does remembering that regeneration precedes faith and the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” protect us from self-reliance?
4. Because of Jesus our great High Priest, we have confident access to the throne. How should this reality affect both the frequency and the confidence of your prayers this week?
5. What does it practically look like this week to “stand not in your own strength but in His victory” as you pray at all times, keep alert, and boldly proclaim the gospel?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that You are the true Pray-er who never failed and never dropped the sword. My confidence is not in the strength of my grip but in Yours. Help me to look to You, rest in Your finished victory, and pray and proclaim in the power of Your Spirit. In all circumstances — helmets on, swords drawn, prayers rising!
Family or Group Discussion
1. Which aspect of “Alert (Prayer)” do you most need to grow in right now: praying at all times, praying in the Spirit (in harmony with God’s will), persevering with alertness (especially in easy seasons), interceding for all the saints, or boldly proclaiming the gospel?
2. The sermon repeatedly connected prayer to the armor and the sword of the Spirit. How does ongoing prayer in the Spirit keep the rest of the armor effective and the sword sharp in our hands?
3. How can our family or small group help one another “keep alert” and persevere in prayer when someone is facing temptation, discouragement, or spiritual attack? What practical rhythms could we build together?
4. Who in your life needs encouragement this week to take up prayer as a weapon and to proclaim the gospel boldly? How can you pray for them and gently spur them on?
Weekly Practice
Pray at all times in the Spirit.
Keep alert with all perseverance.
Make supplication for all the saints.
Boldly proclaim the gospel.
Know it deeply. Submit to it gladly. Trust its sufficiency completely.
In all circumstances — helmets on, swords drawn, prayers rising!
C3 Michigan • Ephesians Sermon Series • Alert (Prayer) Devotional Questions • Page 2