By: G. John Thimothy
You may be frustrated about your prayer life. As you read about famous men and women of God, you may wonder how they ever found the on ramp to the “Freeway of Prayer”. The answer is that they discovered the route to super prayer by the Holy Spirit. The Bible Says Through him [Jesus Christ] we have ACCESS by one spirit unto the Father. [Ephesians 2:18] The Holy Spirit is the access lane onto God’s Freeway of Prayer.
If you feel inadequate in prayer, this is exactly the way the apostles felt. Paul declared, the spirit helpeth our infirmities [or shortcomings]: for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. [Romans. 8:26] Paul felt that he didn’t know how to pray effectively. In fact he said “we”, which included the disciples who had walked with Jesus during his ministry on earth. According to Paul, they didn’t know how to pray effectively without the Spirit’s help. This shouldn’t be a surprise because the Holy Spirit was instrumental in bringing us to Jesus Christ [Romans 8:14-17]. The Holy Spirit is responsible for our spiritual rebirth [John 3:5-6] and He enables us to pray. Paul urges us to be Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit [Ephesians 6:18].
There reason why praying in the spirit is so important is that He is the only one who knows the mind of God. For a moment imagine what you would say if you were called before Her Majesty, the Queen of England or the President of The United States. If you are like me, you don’t know the procedures of protocol in the presence of our sovereign God!
The Bible says He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is in the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. [Romans 8:27] The original Greek word that is often used for the Holy Spirit is paraclete. This term referred to the special court appointed attorney who would stand by an individual and instruct him when he went on trial for an offense. As he stood before the judge, the Paraclete stood beside him, prompted him and told him what to say. Having a competent Paraclete was great comfort to anyone who appeared in court.
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away, the Comforter [the Holy Spirit, our Paraclete] will not come unto you; but if I depart will send him unto you.” [John 16:7] The Holy Spirit is a person, and He knows the mind of God. He will enable you to approach God in exactly the right way.
The Holy Spirit will also strengthen your determination to pray. Jesus said, “Watch and pray. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” [Mathew 26:41] The disciples slept away one of the most important moments in the life of Jesus Christ. As Jesus agonized in the garden of Gethsemane and sweated drops of blood, His disciples snored. This is what prompted Jesus to say “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” If you are like me, there are times when praying is the last thing your flesh wants to do. You feel as dead as a stump. This is when you and I need the Holy Spirit to move upon us and give us the desire to pray.
The Lord knew that your flesh and mine would fail in prayer unless He sent the Holy Spirit. So as soon as Jesus was at the Father’s right hand in Heaven, He made it a matter of utmost importance to send the Spirit. Jesus had commanded His disciples, “Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry [wait] ye in the city of Jerusalem, be endued with power from on high.” [Luke 24:49].
Prayer takes power and Jesus promised to send the necessary power to His waiting disciples. In Acts 1 His instructions are described in greater detail: “…being assembled together with them, [Jesus Christ] commanded them [the apostles] that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the father.” [Acts 1; 4] The Lord said, “John truly baptized you with the holy spirit not many days hence.” [Acts 1:5]. Then He said, “You shall receive power. After that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses [or martyrs] unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the utmost part of the earth.” [Acts 1:8] The disciples received power to be Christian martyrs scattered to the ends of the earth. You and I need this same power of the Holy Spirit in order to pray effectively.
Paul said, “I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding also.” [1 Corinthians 14; 15]. This kind of supernatural expression is the freeway of Prayer; it will put you in the fast lane to results. When the Holy Spirit was first poured out upon the early Christians, Peter stood up and said, “These are not drunken, as ye suppose [many were filled with God that they looked like men intoxicated by wine]. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days,’ saith God, ‘I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. And my servants and on my hand maidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. ‘” Acts 2:15-18
Before John the Baptist was born, he was filled with the Holy Spirit [Luke 1:15]. This gave him great power to preach and pray. John looked forward to the time when every believer would experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He thundered, “I indeed baptized you with water unto repentance: but that He that cometh after me mightier than I who shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” [Matthew 3:11]
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