Study in Prayer

We have been studying about the Holy Spirit’s presence as a helper in our prayer time. Yesterday, we touched on praying with inarticulate speech and groanings in the spirit.

But, just what does it mean to be “praying in the Spirit?” So, I figured I would touch on that today.

Many times, we are so busy in our own personal lives, our natural minds are swamped with so many things, we let the natural start to control our Spiritual thoughts. This will stop us from operating of being in a constant state of prayer, as Jesus taught us to do.

That does not mean you are going to be walking around praying 24 hours per day. But we should be in a constant state of communication with God, listening for His promptings as we go through our daily life.

Ephesians 6:18 tells us, “Praying always, with all prayer and supplication IN the Spirit…”

Notice the phrase, “…in the Spirit.”  Christian are doing a lot of praying sometimes, but not too much of it “in the Spirit.” Many people are just going through the motions of prayer.

What does it mean to be “praying in the Spirit?” As I said, praying in the Spirit is prayer that comes out of your inner man – your spirit – rather than out of your mind. It is prayer inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit, whether in a known or unknown language.

We know that tongues can and should be used in prayer.

I Corinthians 14:2 says, “For he that speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak unto men, but unto God: for no man understands him; howbeit, in the Spirit, he speaks mysteries…”

Prophecy can be used in prayer, too. Prophecy is an inspired utterance in a known tongue. Tongues is an inspired utterance in an UNKNOWN tongue. Both prophecy and tongues are inspirational gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

Prophecy is speaking supernaturally out of your spirit as the Holy Spirit gives utterances in a known tongue. Diverse kinds of tongues is speaking out of your spirit by the Holy Spirit in an unknown tongue – unknown to you, that is.

Prophecy is equivalent to tongues and the interpretation of tongues. Tongues and the interpretation of tongues is prophecy in its varied manifestation. Both are inspired utterances. 

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:5, “…greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, except he interprets, that the church may receive edifying.”

This means that if a person speaks in tongues and interprets, he is on the same level, Spiritually, as he who prophesies. If words mean anything, that is what Paul is saying here.

Amen!

Let’s Pray!

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Yesterday, left off with the realization that Jesus told His disciples, in John 14:16, that “I will pray to the Father and He will send you another Comforter (or helper).”  He did NOT say, “He will send you another DOER.”

The Holy Spirit is to HELP US not DO the praying for us!

In 1 Corinthians 14:14, we read, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit (by the Holy Spirit within me) prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

It is absolutely necessary that we keep reminding ourselves of the spiritual blessing, the benefits and the help that praying in other tongues  brings to us. But, while praying in other tongues, our natural minds are unfruitful.

What does that mean?

In other words, the natural mind cannot enter into praying in tongues because the things of God are spiritually discerned, not naturally discerned. Amen!

Your natural mind cannot comprehend or understand what you are saying to God when you pray in tongues. In fact, your natural mind will even try to hold you BACK from praying in tongues! Praying in other tongues will seem like foolishness to your natural mind.

And, in addition to that, the natural mind cannot understand those groanings that come out of your spirit man either! Why? Because it is the Holy Spirit within you doing the groaning and the praying. Amen!

Sometimes, when you get into the Presence of God, all you can do is groan. These groanings are prompted by the Holy Spirit, groanings that cannot be uttered or spoken in articulate speech – which means your native language. And, the words spoken cannot be uttered in articulate speech either – which includes praying in other tongues.

I have found that in praying in other tongues, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will often have a combination of the two going on at the same time. The greatest things that have happened in my prayer breakthroughs, the greatest miracles, the greatest revelations, have come from a combination of groanings and praying in other tongues at the same time as I’ve been praying over something I’ve seen in God’s Word!

Think about it, you’re reading the Word of God, which is ALIVE – amen! And then you start to pray to the Father about it. Asking Him to show you the Truth behind His Word and how it applies to you and your situation.

Then, you start to pray and meditate and just lifting up your voice…then it starts… Praise God!

Just a little groaning in your spirit man. 

Then it gets a little louder and little longer…

Soon, you start speaking in other tongues…

Don’t fight it!  You are on the verge of a MAJOR breakthrough at that point!

Amen!  Keep it up until suddenly – YOU UNDERSTAND what the hidden meaning of the scripture says about your situation. 

I’m over time for today…

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

Yesterday, we learned, from Romans 8:26, that the Holy Spirit, “…also helpeth us with our infirmities.”  We learned that the actual Greek translation mean to “take hold together with and against.”

The example I gave was asking my grandson to come over and help me to move a couch from the downstairs to a truck outside. I was asking him to come over and help me, together, against the weight of that couch that I would be unable to move on my own power.

Well, that is the same exact way the Holy Spirit works against any infirmity you may have. We learned He will come alongside and HELP YOU by coming together with you – against that infirmity. Amen!

This is the way the Holy Spirit is able to help us fight against things that we may not understand – but He does. This works in any situation you may find yourself. I guarantee, the devil has never come up with something God did not see coming. He may have ALLOWED whatever to happen – but there is a reason behind it. We may not know the reason. We may like the reason. But in the end, what the devil meant for harm, God can turn to good. Amen!

Many times, though, the Holy Spirit cannot do anything to help us. WHY? Because WE don’t take hold, TOGETHER WITH HIM, to take action. We think we can handle it ourselves.

And, be honest, think about the last time you took some kind of action, financial investments, relationships, job offers, whatever. Think about the last time you took action and failed to get counsel. Qualified counsel. 

I’m talking, you are about to invest $100K from your IRA into another investment.  You seen this ad on FaceBook and thought, “That looks cool. I’ll take all my money and plop it over there!”  

But, then you think, “You know, I better talk to somebody about this.” So you walk outside and see your next door neighbor under the hood of his car. He’s always working on it because he doesn’t have a job, can’t hold a job and needs to keep that car taped together…

So you ask him what he thinks about it?  Would that be considered “qualified advice?”  I sure hope and pray you said NO. Amen!

NO. If you need financial advice, you need to go to someone who knows about investments, right. 

Well, it is the same thing here. You need to take any issue you have to the Holy Spirit. Let Him guide you. Let Him come alongside you. Let Him HELP YOU WITH AND AGAINST THOSE INFIRMITIES. Amen!

The Holy Spirit is our HELPER – not our DOER.  Jesus did not say, in John 14:16, that, “I will pray and my Father will send another doer to you.” No. He said, “My Father will send a comforter (or  helper) to you.”

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

We have been studying these last several sessions about the Holy Spirit and Prayer. We have been looking at Romans 8:26 as our foundational scripture, among others. But I want to draw your attention to something that has blessed me immensely over the years – and maybe it will bless you as well.

In Romans 8:26, it says, “…the Spirit also HELPETH our infirmities…”

Now, what the heck does that mean?  Well, I decided to ask the Lord and find out. Amen! 

The Greek word (and I am not a Greek scholar and do not pretend to play one on television, YouTube or podcasts – amen), the Greek word literally means, “to take hold together with and against.”

So this scripture, literally says, the Holy Spirit helps take hold together with us in prayer – against our infirmities. Amen! Whatever that infirmity may be. Sickness, disease, cancer, headaches, toothaches, ingrown toenails or whatever. Amen! 

It does not matter if the infirmity is physical, like sickness. It doesn’t matter if it is mental, like depression. It doesn’t matter if it is spiritual, like demonic possession. The Holy Spirit of THE Most High God comes together with YOUR spirit man and “takes hold together – against” that infirmity!

Let’s say I needed help to move a couch out of my downstairs basement area and load it into a truck. I call my grandson to come over and help.  I’m expecting him to come over and do what?

Take hold WITH ME on that couch and help me overcome the weight of that thing and get it up the stairs and out of my house! Amen!

Well, if you have any infirmity, and ask the Holy Spirit to help, He will do the same thing. He will come along WITH YOU and HELP you to get that infirmity out of your house! Your Spiritual House – which is your Body which is what? The Temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within you!

I pray you are getting this! Glory to God!

Amen!

Let’s Pray!

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

Yesterday, I left off sharing a few scriptures from John 11:33 and 38 where Jesus was praying in tongues in front of His disciples. The Gospel writers had no idea what “speaking in tongues” was about at the time. Jesus had not taught on it. They recorded it as “groanings.” 

We also learned that the Greek translation of Romans 8:26 actually says this is a form of inarticulate speech through groanings in the Spirit.  

In 1 Corinthians 14:14, we read, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

The Amplified Bible reads this way, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, by spirit, by the Holy Spirit within me, prays…”

When we pray in an unknown tongue, it is the Holy Spirit IN US that is helping us to pray. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating again – The Holy Spirit is NOT going to do our praying for us!  It is up to us TO PRAY. He is there to HELP US PRAY! 

That is a BIG distinction. Amen!

If the Holy Spirit was the one who was ultimately responsible for OUR prayer life, then we would have NO responsibility. But He is NOT responsible for our prayer life. He is there to HELP US PRAY.

Let’s look at a quick example.

Let’s say your child or grandchild needs help with their school homework. So they come to you ask you for help. You sit down and explain the problem to them and the Algebra or whatever concepts that need to be used to complete the homework correctly. 

Did YOU do the homework?  I sure hope not…but the answer is NO. They took the concepts you helped to explain and they completed the assignment.

Two or three nights later, they are stuck again. What should they do?

They come you again and ask for help and the same results happen.

You are available to help them with their homework at any time. All they need to do is ask. Right?

But, let’s say, instead of you sitting down and explaining the concepts to use so they can do their homework, you just sat there and said, “Let me do this for you.”

The next night, the same thing. And the next night, you see their math book sitting there while they are taking a shower or whatever, so you just do the homework for them. They come out and ask for your help and you respond with, “Don’t worry about it, I took care of it already.”

What happens if, six weeks later, their report card says they failed and the reason was – they failed to turn in their homework assignments.

You question them and they say, “I thought YOU were taking care of that.”  The reason, they thought you knew they needed their homework done and you had been doing it for them.

Does that make any sense at all? NO!

Well, why do you believe the Holy Spirit operates that way? He doesn’t. 

Yes, He KNOWS what you need. Yes, HE WILL pray with you and help you to pray. Just like you KNOW what the Algebra problem was your child was facing. You KNOW how to do the homework. You can HELP your child in doing THEIR homework (it’s not YOUR homework). Amen!

I want to pray with your right now that you are grasping this concept of how the Holy Spirit HELPS US to pray – but does not DO the praying for us. 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