The history of the Reformation in Scotland can never be complete without a mention of John Knox. He was a man of great theological depth. He was bold and confident, and that could easily make him appear as an extremist. He was once quoted as saying, ‘’The sword of justice is God’s, and if princes and rulers fail to use it, others may.’’ It was not his oratory or courage, however, that troubled the ruling powers. Mary, the Queen of Scots reportedly said, ‘I fear the prayer of John Knox more than the assembled armies of Europe.’

What then is it about prayer?…the channel established by God for spiritual battles…We gain purity and power for exploits through prayer…True prayer helps us reflect more of Christ’s image and gives us power with God.

What then is it about prayer? It is the channel established by God for spiritual battles. Our weapons of war are not physical; but they are mighty when we channel them through prayer to God. In addition, it is through quality time in prayer that we can develop a noble, godly character. Remember that in our previous meditation, we learned that purity precedes power. We gain purity and power for exploits through prayer. We must never make the mistake of reducing prayer to a means to our material needs. The request to “give us our daily bread” is a very small part in the entire syllabus that Jesus gave us on prayer. True prayer helps us reflect more of Christ’s image and gives us power with God.