Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
(Eph 6:18-20 KJV)
As St. Paul closed his letter to the Ephesians he asked them to pray always for all saints as well as for himself. He asked that they pray that God would help him to continue to speak boldly what the Lord would have him speak.
This would have been a very difficult time for most people to continue to share the Gospel as Paul wrote this letter from prison in Rome. Yet, he was well aware that was exactly where he was supposed to be. As a prisoner he would be able to share the news about Jesus not only with the faithful through letters but also to people who would not normally hear it.
Most of the country, indeed the world, has been placed in positions of semi-lockdowns due to Covid-19. We do not have the opportunities to see or fellowship with others as much as we were able to a year ago. But, we do have opportunity to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ. God provides those opportunities, even if it is no more than social media which could be considered akin to writing a letter. Thanks be to God we do still get to see people although not quite as many nor as often as we use to. We can still be ambassadors of Christ to others even within our bonds.
May God open our mouths so that we might proclaim the Gospel and to proclaim it boldly whenever and wherever we might be.
God's Peace - Pr. J.
