The Holy Spirit

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all. . . And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him" 1 John 2:20,27

Devotion #14 of 14

THE MINISTERING SPIRIT, Praying

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Eph 6:18)."But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20). There is a great deal of folklore promoted today in regard to prayer and the Holy Spirit. There are people that equate praying in the Spirit with unintelligent utterances--even though there is no such affirmation in all of Scripture. Superimposing their tradition upon the Word of God, spiritual bondage has been forced upon the unlearned. "Praying in the Holy Spirit" is related to edification, or "building up yourselves." This process is more associated with the mind and the heart than with the body and its senses. Edification is the result of the clarification of the truth of God. We are edified when the objective of truth is seen, and the Word of God is understood. Being built up involves being made stable; able to stand against the wiles of the devil. It is becoming strong enough to stand against the gales of error, as well as assaults upon our persons, like those experienced by Job. Edification results in being "rooted and grounded" -- that is the express statement of the Spirit Himself (Eph 4:12-14). It makes no difference what fanciful arguments are presented to justify the purported reception of "a prayer language," no such affirmation is made in God's Word! It is important that men and woman face this truth! If God had wanted to say "prayer language," that is what He would have said. Furthermore, when Paul spoke of "the tongues of men and angels," he was not referring to prayer, but to interpersonal relationships with our peers (1 Cor 13:1ff). Praying in the Spirit is praying with "the mind of the Spirit." This occurs when our prayers are uttered with an acute awareness of things as they really are! Such prayers are the result of divine fellowship, walking in the light, and not grieving the Spirit. When men pray "in the Spirit," they are in harmony with their Redeemer, and thus are strengthened by Him. Although they are "built up" by their prayers, it is not their effort that builds them up, but that of the Spirit, with Whom their efforts are in harmony. Much contemporary prayer is more characterized by the flesh than the Spirit. It is too tainted with this world, and too little influenced by the world to come. Such prayers do not, and cannot, build up the saints! Notice that those that pray "in the Spirit" are building themselves up "on their most holy faith" -- and faith involves our hearts and minds! It is "the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). Things "hoped for" are things perceived! A "conviction" involves the intelligent persuasion of the reality of things beyond the limitation of our senses. You cannot build irrationality upon a rational foundation! You cannot blend thoughtlessness with thought, or mystery with revelation. When we pray in the Spirit, our minds are at their apex; our understanding is at its keenest; and our hearts are most supple! CONCLUSION The ministry of the Holy Spirit is an effectual one, accomplishing the good pleasure of our God. Without it, we cannot hope to land safely on that heavenly shore; with it, we will not fail to do so! This is our protection against sinful involvements: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal 5:16-17). With great energy and aggressiveness, the Spirit seeks for our wills. He lusts, or desires, against the flesh, counteracting its influence with "the powers of the world to come." Those that yield to Him, keeping Christ dominate, and feeding upon His Word, will find themselves no longer dominated by sin. This is a divine commitment: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." You do well to believe that, depend upon it, and never let it go. We have only touched the surface of this subject; I have not intended to be thorough. You will no doubt recall many additional affirmations of Scriprure on this subject, for there are many more. My desire is to impress your heart with the glories of our salvation, and the abundant provision God has given us in Christ Jesus. The child of God, through the Holy Spirit, is given the advantage in the good fight of faith! It is fitting that we close with an Apostolic admonition. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"(Gal 5:25). If our sensitivity to God is the result of the Spirit, then does it not make sense to maintain our lives in His influence. You were made sensitive to sin by the Holy Spirit. The truth of the Gospel registered upon your heart by the Holy Spirit. You obeyed the truth of the Gospel through the Spirit. He has brought you joy, and caused you to abound in hope. The likenesses of Christ that are found in you are His fruit. Why would you not want to walk in the Spirit; to live your life without causing Him grief, or quenching His influence? Take the word into your heart, and God will empower you to fulfill it. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"