Study in Prayer

Yesterday, I left off my personal experience of receiving both the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit, which is being born again, and the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit, which confirmed by the evidence of speaking in other tongues. I shared how that happened to me on the same night in which I was born again, but about 5 minutes apart. 

I did not ask for it. I just received it. 

I guess I did ask for it, because I remember asking the Lord to give ALL of Him.  Amen. And the WHAM!  I felt the Fire! Praise God! Amen!

God knows the future better than any of us. You know, it amazes me when, with all of the technology available to us today, the weatherman can’t tell you with 100% accuracy what the weather will be like 3 hours for now, or even tomorrow. But yet, the scientists and global warming or climate change or whatever name they want to use today, want to tell us accurate their predictions are about what will happen 100 years from because they say the air will heat up 2 degrees. Give me a break…

Anyway, God knows everything. And the Bible says He will show us things to come (John 16:13). And, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to pray and change some things that are coming down the tubes or our life. We are able to pray and change the outcomes of what the devil means for harm and God can change them to good. Amen!

But we cannot do it all on our own. We NEED God. We NEED Jesus and yes, we NEED the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

The Bible says that in certain areas of our life, “…we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us” and as we found out the Greek actually says, “ with groanings that cannot be uttered with articulate speech.” Amen! Praise God! Shout amen somebody!

Therefore, Romans 8:26 would include praying in tongues, as well as in groanings because praying in tongues is certainly inarticulate speech. Amen?

Do you remember, I think it was last week, when Jesus was late for Lazarus’ funeral? In John 11:33, we read, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved and groaned in the Spirit?”  And in verse 38, it says “Jesus therefore again, groaning in Himself, came to the grave…”

We can see here that Jesus was speaking in tongues in this situation!  The disciples had no idea what it was because Jesus did not teach on it and they had not experienced the INFILLING themselves. So they described it as a “groaning in the Spirit.” 

These kinds of groanings cannot be uttered in your articulate speech. They cannot be uttered in your known language. It IS the language of the Holy Spirit Himself. Amen!

Let’s Pray!

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Yesterday, we started to look at the help that the Holy Spirit provides us when we really do not know what exactly our how exactly we should be praying. This could involve specific situations in our life that are not covered in the Bible. It could cover things that are in the Bible, things Jesus and the Word have covered, but that we are not familiar with.

That is where the Holy Spirit can step in and “intercede” for us in our prayers to make them effective. Amen!

The scripture we used yesterday was from Romans 8:26 that says, “…the Holy Spirit also helps our infirmities; for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself (Himself) makes intercession for us…”

The Greek actually makes this a little clearer in the definition that reads, “…with groanings that cannot be uttered with articulate speech.” Amen!

We used the example yesterday of something Jesus DID NOT DO. He did not tell His disciples, “Ok folks, I did all I did so you can be saved. Now figure how to live here on your own until I return.”  He did not do that.

He sent us the comforter, which occurs at the new birth. We have already identified that as the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit. And then we receive the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit when we are BAPTIZED WITH the Holy Spirit. Two separate things.

Then, we found the Holy Spirit will help us to pray effectively in areas we don’t know how or what to pray for. But that will only happen when we have been baptized with His Spirit. 

How sad is it that so many Christian believers are born again, love the Lord, but the very thing they need the most is most often the very thing they are afraid of. Not because of anything THEY have done wrong, but because of the misguided teaching by some denominations and pastors that “speaking in tongues is of the devil” or “has been done away with.”

When you talk to these believers about speaking in tongues or receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they actually become afraid. Yet, this is the very thing they need the most in order to get their prayers answered. 

I used to be that way. When I was first born again, I went and joined an Independent Baptist Church, simply because it was located close by and was convenient. I was indoctrinated into their belief system.

But I loved the Lord and wanted to study and listen to the Word being taught all of the time, not just on Sunday morning. So I started to watch Christian television and listen to Christian radio and buy Christian books – and actually read them. Amen!

And what I found was this “speaking in tongues” and the power that was available, etc. So I started to study it out. And I would ask the pastor and some others and was told, “Be careful listening to teaching like that. It’s of the devil.”

But, the thing was, the night in which the Lord came into my heart (I’ve shared my testimony before and I’m about out of time, so I won’t go through it here), I received both the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit (the rebirth) AND the INFILLING all within about 5 minutes of each other! Two separate, but powerful experiences.

AND I was speaking, singing and praising God in tongues for about 20 minutes. Praise God!

So I know what happened to me that night. And it was not lining up with what I was being taught by this Independent Baptist group I was part of. 

This continued on for about two years or so until I decided to attend a meeting one of the ministries I was following (and was sending offerings to because I wanted to partner with them and tap into that anointing – which is a teaching I could do on another day, in case you are interested…amen).

At that meeting, I actually experienced an anointing I had never experienced in my life. I actually understood, for the first time, what had happened to me the night I was born again. Praise God!

A little over one year later, I was called into the ministry and guess what one of the things were that I was called to do? Yup – you guessed it – share my testimony (which includes the part of speaking in tongues). 

Bottom line, the Independent Baptists did not like it too much and I was shunned and blackballed from their group. PRAISE GOD for that! Amen!

Anyway, I’m way over time today. 

I want to pray for you that you understand the importance of receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues.  Now, some may wonder why I don’t speak in tongues for you in this little prayer time at the end of these teachings.

The answer is simple. The Bible says to have an interpreter. Now, if led by the Spirit, I could do the interpreting. But then, some would say, “It’s just what he believes he said.” And if I did not do the interpreting, then some would say, “See, he’s violating scripture because he’s just babbling.”  So, I’ll let the Holy Spirit lead you in your own prayer language as He sees fit and as you believe it – and receive it. 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

We have been studying about the Holy Spirit and how there are actually two separate fillings with the Holy Spirit. First is when we are born again. That is called the “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit. And then the “infilling” of the Holy Spirit is when we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues.

Today, I want to shift a little bit and discuss what role the Holy Spirit plays in our prayer life. I mean, this is important stuff to know, right?

Paul was teaching the church at Corinth, in Romans 8:26, that “…the Holy Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we do not know what we should pray for us as we ought (to know)…”

How many times have we proven that statement to be true in our own lives? I know for me, it is almost on a continuous basis. Amen!  We are flowing along in our prayer time and then we come upon a situation that needs a direct prayer and a direct answer – and we are not sure what to pray or how to pray it. It may be a situation concerning our jobs, our income, our family – our nation. Anything that deals with life here on this earth. Amen!

It is certainly true that if a person has certain needs that need to be met, he or she should know how and what to pray for them to be met – and to believe that God truly hears our prayers and that we have prayed according to His Will – which means in accordance with the Word of God.

God’s Word promises us that the things we need are already provided for us, right?

Let’s take, for example, healing in our physical body. It is provided for us, according to Matthew 8:17. We can read it ourselves, “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” 

But yet, there are some things we do not know what to pray for. There are some things not covered in the Word of God specifically. Remember back in prior teachings when I said you need to be in the Word on a daily basis. And if you had a need, you could prepare a “Prayer of Petition” to present to the Lord on formal basis? But the requirement was that you needed to list scriptures the dealt directly with your situation or at least inferred to deal with it? Do you remember that?

Well, what if you can’t find any scriptures that deal with that? Or even hint at it. 

An example would be, needing a new computer for work. I’m pretty sure there are no teaching of Jesus where He was telling His disciples (and us, through the disciples), “And when you need a new computer in 2000 years, this is how you pray.”

So, what are we going to do in situations like this?

Thank God we have the Holy Spirit to help in this situations! Amen!

I’m so blessed to know that Jesus has not left us to figure all of this out on our own. Aren’t you? Praise God! It would be a complete disaster if Jesus did all He did for our Salvation and then said, “Ok, folks – you can now be born again. Then fend for yourself until I return…”

But, if continue with Romans 8:26, we see we are not alone. The Holy Spirit helps us to know WHAT to pray. Amen! Let’s read this and close for today.

“We know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself (Himself), makes intercession for  us…” 

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

Yesterday, we left off in our study of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, a an understanding that there are two separate experiences of receiving the Holy Spirit. 

The INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit, according to scripture in John 14:16-17,26), comes at the new birth; and the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit, which occurs later according to Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:5,8.

Let’s look at an example involving Philip when he first went down to Samaria and preached Christ to these people. They were saved as they received the Word of God concerning salvation.

Acts 8:5 “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them.”

What did Philip preach? He preached about Jesus. That is preaching the “Good News” of Salvation in Christ alone. Amen!

Then notice, Acts 8:6,12

“And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did… But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”

But, if notice (and if you continue reading) they DID NOT receive the BAPTISM of the Holy Spirit until Peter and John went there and taught them about this subsequent gift from God.  We can read that in Acts 8:15,17

“Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost… Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”

 We know this is the case because verse 16 specifically says, “For as yet He (the Holy Spirit) was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Therefore, we could say that a believer receives a “measure” of the Holy Spirit when they are born again, but they receive the FULNESS of the Holy Spirit when they are Baptized IN the Holy Spirit.

 That clearly demonstrates to us there are two separate experiences involving the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 Remember what we already discussed previously concerning WHO the Apostle Paul was writing to. He was writing to born again believers that not only had been born again, but they had also received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit! 

The promise of the Holy Spirit’s help in prayer in Romans 8:26 can ONLY be fully realized in a believer’s life AFTER they are baptized IN the Holy Spirit. And the evidence of that is Speaking in Tongues, which we will be studying next time or in the very near future. 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

Yesterday, we left off in our study of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with an understanding that the Apostle Paul was writing his teachings to born again believers in his day – which were also meant for our day. Amen!

But, some well-intentioned, but misinformed denominations and pastors have gotten so mixed up Spiritually and religiously, that sometimes they mislead people in God’s Plan and what God’s best is for our lives.

For example, I’ve had pastors try and tell me that, because they are a Child of God and born again, they already have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Therefore, they say, there is no need to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” because they already HAVE the Holy Spirit.

Now, on face value, you think that would be correct, right? But what they fail to take into account is exactly what it means to be “filled with the Holy Spirit.”

When people say this, they usually quote from First Corinthians 6:19, “What? Don’t you know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit…”  They try to use this scripture to prove their case.

But, if you really want to know the plan of the devil, it’s not to tell you God doesn’t exist, just that His promises are not what you think. Just look at what he told Eve! He did not tell her God did not exist. He simply told her she misunderstood what God was saying. Amen!

Have you ever noticed that some of the worst lies are those that are half truths? 

What these misguided folks are trying to say is partly true and partly a lie.

You see, when a sinner becomes born again, the Holy Spirit DOES do a regeneration in their heart. The persons sinful spirit dies and the Holy Spirit brings about a New Birth in their spirit man. One that is in the image of Christ, who is the image of God. Amen!

That is why the Bible says in John 14:17, “Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the WORLD cannot receive…”

Notice what that says – the WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit. It is impossible. Are you with me so far?

But, the sinner CAN receive Jesus Christ as their Savior because John 3:16 says what? Come on – you’ve been reciting this verse since Sunday school… What does it say?

“For God” – come on, say it with me – “For God so loved, what, THE WORLD – that is the unsaved in the world – that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life…”

So, when the sinner, living in the world, receives Jesus as their Savior and is born again, they receive the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit. Jesus referred to this as the COMFORTER. Amen!

This is to give the Peace of God and the Comfort of God to KNOW that they are SAVED and Born Again. Praise God!  

But, the Bible teaches us that the believer can also be endued with Power from on High, right? This is accomplished, according the scriptures, through the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit. Notice those two different words..

INDWELLING is what is received at the new birth…

INFILLING is the Power of God at work in the believers life.

I pray that you understand the differences between the two.  In fact, I want to pray with you right now that you have come to an understanding and realization that YES – you have the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit when you are born again. But that you also need to have the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit as well.

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