Teach Me How to Pray
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“Our Weakness is His Strength”
“Our Weakness is His Strength”
Romans 8:26-28 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
I. Intro
I. Intro
1. Believers experience weakness, but in the midst of this weakness the Holy Spirit helps them through his intercession on their behalf, particularly when they do not know how to pray. We know that Christ maketh intercession for us at the right hand of God, but here the Spirit is making intercession within us: The Spirit, who knows the vast abysmal need of every one of us, knows that need to the least possible particular. As we were going over the Lord’s Prayer last week, did you find yourself wondering, ‘But where is intercession?’ I didn’t see it in the Lord’s Prayer, and surely God wants us to pray for others! You are so right! I asked our Father the same question, and when He showed me where it was, I got excited! Maybe you’ve already seen it, but in case you haven’t, let me show you how to find it. it’s the rich fruit of observation. Read through Matthew 6:9-13 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Mark the pronouns: I , me, my, mine, we, our, and us. Now look at the plural pronouns which are we, our, and us. What does this tell you about intercession? The “we,” “our,” and “us” pronouns let us know that prayer is not just about me. It includes others. When you pray this way, the way that Jesus taught us to pray, you are praying for yourself, as well as the body of Christ. You are also praying for the lost who have not yet received the Gospel. Each sentence in the Lord’s Prayer is meant to stimulate not only petitions for yourself, but also intercession for the body of Christ. We can appear before the Throne of God on behalf of others.
II. Who is the Holy Spirit
II. Who is the Holy Spirit
A friend of mine I haven't talk to in a while called one night this week with a question. The question was about the role of the Holy Spirit in our life. Who is He? He began to say that he was really confused with , in his own words: "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." I believe basically people are taught how to perceive the Holy Spirit. I think perceive would be a good word. It means: (Become aware or conscious of (something); come to realize or understand) People are being taught some really strange things about the Holy Spirit. Let's look at what the Bible says, that's where you get the truth...it's not my theory or anyone else's....its where you can always find out the truth and that's Gods word. What does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit? Simply put, the Bible declares the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also says the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a being with a mine and emotions and a will. The fact is that the Holy Spirit is God is found in many scriptures. Here is one that comes to mind. We can also know that the Holy Spirit is God because He has the characteristics of God. Here is one scripture found in 1 Corinthians 2:10 “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”There are certain things that only the Spirit of God can reveal to us. In John chapter 14 Jesus promised He wouldn't leave us comfortless John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”
III. The Spirit teaches us how to pray
III. The Spirit teaches us how to pray
The first thing we need to know about the work of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life is that He teaches us how to pray appropriately. Notice what Paul says in verse 26 that the Spirit “helpeth our infirmities”, or our weaknesses. That word “help” indicates to us that the Spirit is joining with us to lend a helping hand. This word is also used in Luke 10:40 when Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to get in the kitchen and help her with the dishes. Martha said “Lord, I need help! I cannot serve alone.” Likewise, we need a helper in our prayer life. God has provided us with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit helps us in our areas of weakness. That word “weakness” (Gr. astheneia) does not pertain to sin or even suffering, but it indicates weakness in strength. In fact, that weakness is our lack of understanding regarding our prayer life. We know God is listening to us, but the problem comes in what exactly we should pray for. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you sat down and prayed for everything? One preacher put it this way, “Prayer that is elective is most effective.” We have to be specific in what we pray for. How do we pray? Often times, our problem in prayer is that we don’t know the right things to ask for. What does this stem from? 1 Corinthians 13:9 “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” Because of our spiritual dimness, the Holy Spirit helps us in that weakness and teaches us how we ought to pray. Thus, we learn how to “walk by faith, and not by sight.” How do we learn how to pray in the Spirit? Look back in the book of Romans 8:5 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” When we live after the Spirit, there is a natural desire for us to pray. There is a need to have communication with God. Not only is there a desire to pray, but to pray in the Spirit. Praying in the flesh will never accomplish anything. Our prayers will be void and remain unanswered until we get in unity with the Spirit of God. When we learn to pray in the Spirit, there is no limit to what God can do. Think about what God could do with a bunch of people praying in unity and in the Spirit. We must allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us in our prayer life.
IV. The Spirit translates for us when we pray
IV. The Spirit translates for us when we pray
Not only does the Spirit teach us what to pray for, but He also translates our prayers as they are sent. Paul teaches us that the Spirit makes intercession for the Saints unto God. That word “intercession” carries with it the idea of pleading on behalf of someone. Not only do we often have a problem with what we should pray, but then we also struggle with how to pray for what we want. So, the Spirit makes intercession for us. That means that He “asks God on our behalf.” The Holy Spirit takes the energy of our prayer and then makes it a request to God. How does the Holy Spirit intercede for us? He intercedes with “groanings which cannot be uttered.” God the Father and the Holy Spirit are in such communion that there is no need for words. Paul says that these groans cannot even be expressed with words. We come to God with long, drawn-out prayers full of fancy words. However, Paul indicates to us that the most spiritual type of prayer can be wordless. There are times when you don’t even know what to pray and you fall on your face before God. The Spirit knows your needs without you even saying what they are and God searches the Spirit and hears those requests. Sometimes all I can say is “God, you know what I need.” Sometimes our needs are too deep for words.
V. Conclusion
V. Conclusion
Isn’t it awesome that Jesus Christ from Heaven intercedes for you. The Holy Spirit intercedes in you. You, in turn, as a priest unto God, have the privelage of praying and interceding for others. You can do Kingdom work all around the world on your knees in your closet alone, or gathered with a congregation of fellow believers, members of the church, or other members of the body of Christ. Can you really comprehend all that Jesus does with your prayers? Do you realize how important they are to Him? Challenge for the week is this- Why don’t you ask God to lay a specific person on your heart and mind? Ask God how to pray for this person, to lead you in prayer on his or her behalf. If you don’t know where to begin, try “walking” through prayer using the pattern Jesus gave us in the Lord’s Prayer. Next pray that they would hallow His name, give Him total allegiance, and so forth. Have a blessed time in the Lord interceeding for one another.