HEART THOUGHTS..... from Helen

“Pray at all times…in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

My heart was alerted when my then seven year old granddaughter, Becca, called me from camp one night last summer, crying. “Nana, would you pray for me? I’m scared.” She sniffed.

“Of course, Becca, but what are you afraid of?”
“There’s a tornado warning and I’m scared.”

That's a good enough reason to be afraid. We prayed on the phone and she calmed down a bit. I turned on the TV to see about warnings and such and continued to pray for safety for all concerned.

After instructing the Ephesian Christians on their warfare wardrobe, the Apostle Paul adds to the attire a mantle of prayer to cover their clothes. He knew that each day would bring its own special attacks of the enemy. It seemed necessary to him to warn them (and us) that every day we must be dressed appropriately for spiritual warfare. The enemy is ever present.

A coat covers us and protects us from the elements. In summer, an umbrella might serve a similar purpose. Prayer does that, doesn’t it? It covers us and protects us. It is like an extra…over our clothes for added assurance.

It’s especially nice for granddaughters to ask their Nana’s to cover them with the mantle of prayer. And by the way, there was a tornado in the area that night Becca called her Nana. But it didn’t come near the camp, thanks to His covering of prayer and her willingness to ask for protection.

Cover me, Lord, with Your Presence
Cover those that we love, Lord, with Your Spirit.
Cover those that seem unlovely with your loveliness
Cover those who are fearful with your confidence.
Cover those who doubt with Your assurance.
Cover us all, Father, with Your Righteousness.