By Martin Morrison
Exercise Tiger or Operation Tiger was one of a series of large scale rehearsals for the D-Day invasion of Normandy, which took place in April 1944 on Slapton Sands in Devon, during World War II. The training was on a large scale with thousands of troops on landing ships. However, tragically due to communication problems, friendly fire from their own troops, killed 749 American servicemen. Total disaster.
In any warfare, accurate communication is critical. Without communication, the whole exercise is futile.
“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”, Ephesians 6: 18 – 19.
Aware of the need of good communications on the battlefield, Paul might have equipped his soldier with two iPhones, if he was writing today! We will not get far in spiritual warfare if we neglect prayer. Indeed, Satan’s strategy is to get us to forget God and to make decisions in the way of the world. Remember that we are to be strengthened continually by the power that comes from God. We need to be asking for it.
Prayer is a supernatural, spiritual activity. A prayerless person is ignorant of the spiritual conflict that is going on all around us. I share with Dr Chris Warton, my dear friend, the fact that though we have both been Christians for countless years, we still find ourselves at times praying as a last resort, rather than as a first resort. Sometimes, the bigger the crisis, the longer I take to actually talk to God about it! That’s extraordinary, I teach this stuff! The reason is that sometimes both Chris and I have hearts of concrete! Lord have mercy.
Remember how Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane asked the disciples to watch and pray. “And he said to Peter, Simon are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation”, Mark 14:37 – 38. The words of Jesus to Simon Peter sometimes haunt me. For I also, too often fall asleep when I should be praying. I too, sometimes fail to pray intentionally and urgently for God’s will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
There are four universal statements in this passage, “Pray at all times… with all prayer… with all perseverance… for all the saints”, Ephesians 6:18. If we fail to pray regularly, consistently, intentionally, we obviously don’t get Paul’s point. We obviously don’t recognize the critical importance of prayer in spiritual warfare. Most of us know how to say our prayers, but this is something quite different. No wonder, we’re too often defeated in the battle before we’ve even started!
Over the last few months, since we studied the Lord’s Prayer at church@home, I have decided when I am in the car, not to turn the radio on. What a blessing! What an incredible blessing! Instead, I have used the time to pray. I normally start by saying the Lord’s prayer a few times, slowly, meditating on each word. Almost immediately, my prayers take a difference focus. Instead of focussing on the unholy trinity of me, my and mine, I start focussing on the real Trinity, your name be hallowed, your will be done, your kingdom come. How refreshing to get out of the car, having prayed for God and his glory, God and his will, God and his kingdom.
Remember that lovely poem:
Said the robin to the sparrow,
I should really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.Said the sparrow to the robin
Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no heavenly father
Such as cares for you and me.
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication