Study in Prayer

We have been studying about worshipping God in our daily prayer time by singing Him songs from our heart. These are referenced in the Bible as “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” 

We have given several scriptures already that have covered this, but I want to look now at Acts 13:2 which says,

“As they (certain prophets and teachers that are referenced earlier in these verses), ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said…”

Notice something here. It says AS THEY MINISTERED to the Lord, that is when the Holy Spirit SPOKE TO THEM.  Now, let’s go back to our base scripture in Ephesians 5:19 and see what that says again.

Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

You are not making melody to yourself. You are not making melody to one another. You are making melody to the LORD.  Making melody to the Lord is MINISTERING to the Lord.  Look again at what Acts 13:2 says, “As they ministered to the Lord…the Holy Ghost said…”

As these prophets and teachers ministered to the Lord, they received Divine direction and illumination from the Holy Spirit. Divine confirmation came to them as they ministered to the Lord.

Again, in Ephesians 5:19, Paul clearly says, “Speaking to YOURSELVES in psalms, in hymns and in spiritual songs…”  These are part of our personal prayer time and prayer life before the Lord. It is up to US to do this. Not the worship team.

One thing that I just do not enjoy is these praise and worship teams that think singing the same chorus or bridge or whatever they call it, over and over and over and over and over and over and over again is worship. IT’s NOT!

Name ONE GOOD OLD HYMN that tells you to repeat the same refrain 15 times!  NONE. Not one!  This is something MAN invented to pretend to be worshipping God!

Think of it like this…

If your child comes in and says “Momma” or “Daddy” – “I love you!” Doesn’t that make your heart glad. And you respond with “I love you too.”

But, if you are trying to respond, and they keep repeating, “Momma, daddy, I love you. Momma, daddy, I love you. Momma, daddy, I love. Momma, daddy, I love you. Momma, daddy, I love you” over and over and it sounds like a stuck record… and you can never get your response in edge wise – does that sound like love to you?

I’m telling you folks, I can see two or three times – but this nonsense of 10 times or whatever is just silly. Especially in public worship. Anyway…

Thank God for the blessing of being able to Praise God and worship in the Spirit through speaking in tongues and in singing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Amen!

Aren’t you glad you don’t have to struggle in prayer as you may have been doing just a few days ago? Praise God!

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

The past couple of days, we have been discussing the importance of singing praises to God in your personal prayer time and how the Bible tells us to do so using Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs. That is from Ephesians 5:18-19 says, 

 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD.”

 This is also referenced in Colossians 3:16 which reads, 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; TEACHING and ADMONISHING ONE ANOTHER in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Psalms are basically spiritual poems. But, unlike poems that you probably are familiar with, they do not necessarily have to rhyme in the natural because they are given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They are given to believers to be encouraged with. Amen.

Hymns and spiritual songs are songs given to us by the Holy Spirit and not necessarily sung out of a song book, as we covered yesterday, where we discovered that a lot of the music being presented in so called worship services are really full of words of unbelief. I’m not going to back over that again today, but you can go back and watch or listen to the program from yesterday for an example.

Both Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 are talking about the Spirit filled believer praying and worshipping God in the spirit, both in their private time and in public worship with other believers. The believer needs to continually sing and make melody in their heart as we worship God. One reason why so many Christians seem to spiritually dead is probably because they have not been singing to God and worshipping God in their hearts through music.

A lot of Christians only go to God when they need something. Like God is a big ATM GOD up in the sky. “Hey God, my name is Jimmy – gimme – gimme – gimme.”

Now, I did not say that to be funny, I said it to make a point. 

How many times in the past month have you just went to God in your private prayer time and sang Him a song? I know I don’t do it as often as I should – which is one of the reasons, as I’ve been studying this out to share with you today – that I’m bringing it up.

That’s how it works. God gets on me – and I get on you! Amen!

But, just like our friend Jimmy I just referenced, that is about all the time most people spend in prayer when they actually take the time TO PRAY. Amen!

But, I want to share with you that, when it comes to our prayer life, God doesn’t just want to hear “gimme, gimme, gimme.” He wants us to WORSHIP HIM. And, through worship and singing, we can fellowship with Him and have sweet communion with Him. 

When we do that, He just blesses us, spirit, soul and body. That means providing for our needs naturally as well. We don’t have to beg. He is a loving Father that knows what we need before we even ask. Amen!

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Scripture For Today:

Yesterday, we discussed how our prayer life can be reflected in our words we speak, to ourselves and to each other. We learned that negative words can tear us and others down and this is in direct opposition to what the Word tells us we should be doing.

Ephesians 5:18-19 says, ““And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD”

As we discussed, these verses talk about an aspect of praying in the Spirit in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, for you are speaking and singing as you are inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is something you do in your own private, individual devotions because the Bible says, “Speaking to YOURSELVES…” Amen!

I always find it the greatest comfort to me to sing spiritual song and sometimes old hymns that I know. I know some others that like singing the Psalms. Others do all three. It is truly unique to you and what your Spirit Man enjoys. 

As you start to do this on a more regular basis, you may even find yourself beginning to sing in other tongues, as led by the Holy Spirit. What I find especially enjoyable is when I sing in other tongues to the tune of one of my favorite songs. That is truly a worship experience I enjoy! Amen!

As you continue to do this, you will find that you have encouraging words to share with others, at church or at the store or just in your own family. There is joy in your step and in your heart and that is reflected in your words as well. Amen!

Hymns and Spiritual songs are songs that are also given by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. They are not just the songs you read or sing out of the song book.  They are not necessarily the songs being led by the praise and worship team at church. In fact, if you truly listen to some of the words and phrases used, it is filled with unbelief!

I’m not talking down the Praise team or the worship service. But I recommend you actually think about some of the words being shared and how they relate to Faith in God.

Do you want a quick example? There is an old hymn called “Dew Drops of Heaven.”  The lyrics go like this:

Let The Dew Of Heaven Fall

Upon My Thirsty Soul,

Let The Dew Of Heaven Fall On Me.

“What’s wrong with that Brother Bob?”

That indicates someone who does not want the blessing poured out in full. Glory to God!  Think about it…

Here is just one verse that says what we should expect. 

Malachi 3:10 “See if I will not open the FLOODGATES of Heaven and POUR YOU OUT a blessing so much, you won’t have room enough to for it!”  Glory to God!

That’s the kind of blessing I want – not just “a little dew drop.”  

Get off your high horse and stop your traditions that are making the Word of God of no effect! Start praising God with Psalms, Hymns and SPIRITUAL SONGS that are filled with Faith and not unbelief.

I want to pray for you right now that you have grasped this very important concept today and actually start to ponder the words that you, your praise team and your church are singing. Stop sharing unbelief and limiting God and step out IN FAITH and see what God can do! Amen!

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Music has always been used in worship. You can read back to Isaiah’s description of Lucifer and in that scripture, tell he was in charge of music. Music is precocious to God. Music also has a way of bringing peace to our souls.

Have you ever noticed how newborn babies will be calmed and even go to sleep as the mother sings to them? It’s part of nature. Our Godly nature. Amen.

Let’s look at Ephesians 5 verses 18-20.

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Praying, singing, worshipping, praising and thanking God all go together. All of these elements should make up our individual prayer life.

Earlier in Ephesians 5:4, Paul said, “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather, Giving of Thanks!”

If our prayer life and our fellowship with God through prayer is as it should be, we should always be full of thanksgiving. Amen!

I don’t know about you, but I pick up, almost immediately, whenever somebody – especially a brother or sister in the Lord – speaks negatively. It is an immediate giveaway to the true condition of their prayer life. They are not praying and fellowshipping with God as they should be.

For example, instead of saying something that will bless others, you will hear people murmur and complain about their circumstances. The ability to keep a right attitude, no matter what is going on our lives, comes from our fellowshipping with God and knowing that He is the One in charge and can work it all out. 

Ephesians 5:4, as we just read, says that believers are to stop speaking negative words that tend to drag us and others down and instead, “…rather speak words of giving of thanks.” 

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

We have been studying about praying in the Spirit. Today, I want to briefly discuss our interpreting while praying in tongues.

First Corinthians 14 tells us something believers are to pray for. Believers are to pray to be able to interpret their own private prayers in tongues. Doing so will greatly enhance your prayer life.

“Wherefore, let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue PRAY THAT HE MAY INTERPRET.”

Paul is not talking here about interpreting messages in tongues in a public setting. That is a different operation of the gift altogether. Paul is talking about the believer being able to interpret their own prayers that are being prayed in other tongues so they will know what it is they prayed for. 

This is an area the even folks who have been filled with the Spirit for many years have missed. They lose many valuable truths God would desire to show them because He promised believers He would show us things to come, right? That’s in John 16:13.

We are told in the Word that when we pray in tongues, we are to pray that we might also interpret. Have you ever done that? If you haven’t yet experienced this, you are missing out on a valuable benefit that God desires you to have through the Holy Spirit.

Some people think, “Well, brother Bob, the person would just be adding what they wanted to believe then. They wouldn’t really know if that is what God was saying or not.”

My answer, YOUR RIGHT! 

Jesus always said, “Be it unto you according to your Faith.”

So, if you believe tongues is foolishness – so be it unto you according to your Faith!  Fool.

But, if you believe God hears your prayers and since He hears your prayers you have the petitions you desire of Him… allow the Holy Spirit to do HIS WORK in HELPING YOU TO PRAY. 

That’s what this series of teachings has been about these past couple of weeks, right?

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2