Praying In The Spirit

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

Eph. 6:18

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A man was taking his eight-year-old son to school. While driving down the freeway, the boy he noticed a large flatbed truck with a forklift on the back.

2. His eyes widened and he said, pointing to the forklift, "Boy, I sure would like one of those!"

3. Curious as to why an eight-year-old would want a forklift, his dad asked, "What would you do with a forklift?"

4. With a determined look on his face the boy answered, "Anything I want to!"

5. Thank God that in children there's still the desire to do mighty things. We're going to talk about a gift that God wants to give all of us to make us "strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."

B. TEXT

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” Eph. 6:18 NIV.

C. THESIS

1. What is the source of the energy, the freshness, and the forcefulness of the Pentecostal/charismatic movement that has propelled it to its position as the largest Protestant body? The Holy Spirit!

2. The Fingerprints of the Holy Spirit are everywhere; from Genesis to Revelation the Person of the Holy Spirit permeates the working of God in this world.

3. Without the working of the Holy Spirit, there would have been no New Testament church to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.

4. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a vital milestone in the believer's progress because it grants full ascendancy to the Spirit. It is the beginning of a great adventure in Christian living called "life in the Spirit."

5. The Golden Text of Pentecostalism is "And they were all filled with a Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance" Acts 2:4. Jesus promised, "He that believes on Me... out of his belly [innermost being] shall flow rivers of living water" John 7:38-39.

6. Jesus called this experience "the promise of the Father" and said we would be "endued with power from on high" Luke 24:49. He foretold we would be "baptized with the Holy Ghost" Acts 1:5. Peter called it "the gift of the Holy Spirit" Acts 2:38; that God was "pour[ing] out of My Spirit upon all flesh" Acts 2:17.

7. There is an emotional quality to Spirit baptism. The Greek word ecsistanto (i.e., ecstasy) is twice used in Acts 2 (7, 12) to describe those who saw the disciples filled with the Spirit. This word ecstasy denotes "a human mood of high elevation."

8. In this message I am NOT referring to the public gift of tongues, but the personal, uninterpreted prayer language given the believer when they’re baptized in the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:4, 10:46, and 19:6.

9. So we are going to look at what “Praying in the Spirit” is, its benefits, and additional reasons why we should seek this gift.

I. AS AN AID TO PRAYER

A. WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO PRAY

1. “Likewise the Spirit also helps [Gr. “takes share”] in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” Rom. 8:26-27, NKJV.

2. Tongues relate the worshiper directly to God, and transcend the ordinary limitations of human speech. Scripture contrasts prayer in the Spirit with prayer framed by human understanding (1 Cor. 14:14-15).

3. Karl Barth referred to tongues as "an attempt to express the inexpressible." Through tongues, prayer and worship are raised to their highest level and elevated far above superficial lip service.

4. Tongues speaking is a new way of praying; leaving the realm of human thought and allowing the Holy Spirit to pray according to the will of God.

5. It is expressly said to be prayers prayed according to God’s will. Those are the kinds of prayers which are answered! (1 John 5:14-15).

B. IT BYPASSES OUR MINDS

1. JOKE

a. A Swiss guy, looking for directions, pulled up at a bus stop where two Americans were waiting.

b. “Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" he asked. The two Americans just stare at him. "Parlez vous Francais?" he tries. "Parlare Italiano?" No response. "Hablan ustedes Espanol?" Still nothing.

c. The Swiss guy drove off, disgusted. The first American turned to the second, "Y'know, maybe we should learn a foreign language."

d. "Why?" says the other. "That guy knew four languages, and it didn't do him any good."

e. English won’t always get you there; That’s why we need a heavenly language!

2. Paul said, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful” 1 Cor. 14:14.