The Most Under-used, Underappreciated Tool in the Toolbox

Since I’m not a handyman in even the most generous sense of the word, I feel perfectly objective in asking this question: What’s the most important tool in the toolbox? Is it the hammer? The screwdriver? The wrench? The crowbar? The saw? Reminds me of the story about the blind man who picked up the hammer and saw.

My reason for asking isn’t to solicit advice on a do-it-yourself project. I learned the futility of trying to do those kinds of things long ago. No, I’m thinking about an entirely different realm – the spiritual. Because God has entrusted us with a variety of “tools,” but I think there’s one that’s conspicuously under-used, underappreciated and undervalued. 

 

First, let’s look at some of the tools the Lord has put at our disposal. We find a handy list in Ephesians 6:13-20, which describes “the full armor of God.” This includes “the belt of truth buckled around your waist,” the breastplate of righteousness,” “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace,” the “shield of faith,” the “helmet of salvation,” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” 

 

We could examine each one of these in detail, but then one more “tool” is cited that’s sometimes overlooked in this whole “armor of God” discussion. The apostle Paul gives it the greatest attention in this passage:

“And pray 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. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

 

All the other parts of the “full armor of God” seem suited for a proper uniform of one going into battle – a belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet and sword. Most are used for defensive purposes, and the sword for taking the offensive. But prayer, somehow it doesn’t seem to fit on this list. But it should.

 

Some of us might regard prayer as a kind of last resort. When all else fails, pray. But we never see it viewed in that way in the Scriptures. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we’re to “pray without ceasing.” I’m no expert on the original Greek, but I think that means “all the time.” Or as I like to consider it, we’re to maintain a continual attitude of prayer. 

 

Basically, it’s similar to calling someone but never hanging up. We go about our daily activities, and whenever we feel the inclination, pick up the phone, talk a little bit, resume what we were doing, stop and talk some more, and so on. So we can start the day, our first waking moments, with prayer. We can pray while brushing our teeth, shaving, showering, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and driving to work (just don’t lower your head and close your eyes). 

 

We can even pray while we’re in the midst of the most riveting – or boring – meeting we’ve ever been a part of. Who’s to say we can’t? Again, bowing our heads and closing our eyes isn’t necessary. Do you typically bow your head and close your eyes when you talk with your spouse, child, or friend? In God’s point of view, it’s not the posture but the attitude of the heart that matters.

 

And when we pray, it isn’t only asking for stuff, like reading off a grocery list. Actually, that’s only a small part of it. I’ve always like the acronym for prayer: ACTS. It stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Lots of times we’re in a hurry to get to whatever we need or want, but following this simple model helps us to keep a proper perspective.

 

When we pause to pray, we need to remind ourselves of whom we’re addressing – the God of all eternity, the Creator of the universe. Sounds kind of important, doesn’t it? So adoration – or praise – is a good place to start. I suspect this isn’t original with me, but the one who prays to God also gives praise to God.

 

Confession is a way of making sure our prayer connection is clear, that there’s no static on the line. We don’t want any kind of interference when our desire is to communicate with the Lord.

 

Thanksgiving essentially is remembering who He is, as well as all that He’s already done for us, before we dive into our “shopping list.” There’s lots to thank him for, starting with a night’s rest, the fact we woke up to a new day with unlimited opportunities and potential, answers to prayers uttered in the past. The list could go on.

 

Then, finally, we can move on to supplications – our requests – whether they’re for ourselves or others. Philippians 4:6-7 wraps this up into a handy little bundle: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Which leads to one additional benefit: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

The tools God has provided for us – truth, righteousness, the gospel of Christ, faith, salvation, and His Word – are all wonderful. But let’s not neglect the tool of prayer. It just might be the cog that enables us to implement the other tools most effectively.