This sermon from the Adrian Rogers Legacy Library © 2010 Rogers Family Trust. Used by permission. www.pastortraining.com, www.adrianrogerslibrary.com
Turn to the book of James, would you please for just a moment, the book of James chapter 4, and you will remember this morning we were preaching on triumphant prayer. Prayer that prevails, and we gave you some principles of prayer that cannot be denied. And, among those principles was a very vital principle that we call sensitivity to the Spirit. Look in James chapter 4, and verse 5. James chapter 4 and verse 5: “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” (James 4:5).
Now, while that verse is somewhat hard to interpret, what it really means is this: I’m convinced, that the Holy Spirit within us is very, very jealous for the cause of Christ. And, the Scripture says that over and over again, that God has given the Holy Spirit to us and the Holy Spirit within us is there to glorify Christ and to promote the cause of Christ. And, it is absolutely essential that you understand this if you are to pray vitally, because this is what we call praying in the Spirit. And, so that’s what we’re going to be talking about tonight, “How to Pray in the Spirit.”
And, tonight I want us to think about the Holy Spirit’s ministry, first of all to us, and then secondly the Holy Spirit’s ministry through us, as we’re talking about praying in the Spirit.
Incidentally, I would like you to check these three other verses of Scripture before
we get into the message. You might write it down there in the margin by James, or you might just want to turn to it. But, look please in Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 6, and verse 18. Ephesians chapter 6, and verse 18. There the Bible gives us this admonition, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” (Ephesians 6:18). Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
I. The Holy Spirit’s Ministry
All right now, I want you to jot down this verse. In Jude, verse 20. There’s no chapter because there’s only one chapter in Jude, so we don’t give you a chapter designation, just the book and the verse. Listen to it. Jude, next to the last book in the Bible. Jude verse 20: “But ye beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20). Praying in the Holy Spirit. Again, prayer in the Spirit is mentioned.
Now, the third Scripture that I want you to notice in conjunction with the Scripture in James is found in Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 25—excuse me, verse 26: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself”—and may I pause here to say that itself is a poor translation, it could be and should be interpreted, “but the Spirit Himself”—“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”—the Spirit—“maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26–27).
A. Prayer is our Greatest Christian Privilege
May I say ladies and gentlemen, that prayer is the greatest Christian privilege that we have? Of all of the privileges that God has given us, beyond a shadow of any doubt and without any peradventure or argument, prayer is our greatest Christian privilege. And, the need of the hour is for loving prayer, laboring prayer, lingering prayer, listening prayer.
B. Prayer is our Greatest Christian Service
But, not only is prayer our greatest Christian privilege. Prayer is also our greatest Christian service. Too many times we think of prayer as the means of getting ready to serve God rather than as the means of serving God. So many times we think if we pray, then we can serve God better. But, my friend, may I tell you that you are serving God when you pray. And, those of you who are bound, and shut in, and can’t do other things, you say, “I can’t serve the Lord.” You can pray can’t you? And, if you pray, you’re serving the Lord.
C. Prayer is our Greatest Christian Failure
All right, but may I say that not only is prayer the greatest Christian privilege, and not only is prayer the greatest Christian service, but alas, prayer so frequently is the greatest Christian failure. We pray but our prayers are not answered.
Isaiah chapter 1, and verse 15. God spoke to Isaiah’s generation, and said, “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear…” (Isaiah 1:15). Now, this is strange, for God wants to answer our prayers. And, yet God says they’re certain situations in which He turns His face away. And, God says in spite of the palpation of our prayers, He will not hear.
Now, why is that? I’m convinced that one of the greatest reasons our prayers are so fruitless, and so powerless, and one of the reasons that our prayers do not reach Heaven is that we do not pray in the Holy Spirit. Praying in the Spirit will change prayer from a weary grudge to a delightsome privilege.
II. The Holy Spirit’s Ministry Through Us
Now, let me speak therefore, about the Spirit’s ministry through us. What does the Holy Spirit do through us? Well, He gives us strength where we do not have strength to pray. Look again please, if you will, in Romans 8. We’re still in Romans 8. If you’re still in the neighborhood and haven’t driven out yet. In Romans chapter 8, I want you to notice a significant series of verses beginning in verse 5. In Romans 8 he says, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh…” Romans 8:5 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh…” (Romans 8:5).
Now, when the Bible uses the term flesh, the Bible does not mean the skin and bones. But, the Bible means a principle, a way of life that we inherited from Adam. Actually, when the Bible uses the word flesh, it means our old unredeemed nature. “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. For to be carnally minded”—or fleshly minded—“is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”—and, then put a star by verse 7— “Because the carnal mind”—that is the fleshly mind—“is enmity against God”—now, that word enmity means warfare—“for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:5–7).
Now, you have within you a spiritual nature. But, you also have a fleshly nature and there’s a civil war that goes on within you. For the Bible says, “The spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit: and these two are contrary, the one to the other” (Galatians 5:17). And, when you go to pray a battle begins between your spiritual nature and your fleshly carnal nature. And, your carnal nature does not want to pray. Your carnal nature is set against prayer. Look again at verse 7: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God…” (Romans 8:7).
Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to pray? Now, let me just ask you a question. Be honest. Is it hard for you to pray at least some of the time? Lift your hand. And, sometimes you say, “What on earth is wrong with me? I love God, I believe in prayer, I know I ought to pray and I want to pray, but sometimes it’s the hardest thing in the world for me to pray.” Can you agree to that? Can you bear witness to that? Well, why is it? Because there is something in you that is at warfare with God. There is a nature in you that is not subject to the law of God, “neither indeed can be.”
And, you find yourself, sometimes when you go to pray, with absolutely no desire to pray. You will find yourself with wandering thoughts. Your mind will gather wool. You will find yourself with unbelief crowding in upon you. You will find yourself with no knowledge of God’s will. You will find yourself, when you pray, with no sense whatever of God’s presence. It seems like God is ten billion miles away, and yet you love God. And, you know you ought to pray, and you want to pray, but there is a principle in you that we call the carnal mind.
It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Indeed it is at warfare with God. And, we make an extra start, we resolve we’re going to do better. We hear someone preach a sermon on prayer and tell us why we ought to pray and we say, “I’m going to pray,” and then we fall flat on our face in our prayer efforts. Why is it? Well, dear friend, there’s something in you that has no stomach for prayer any more than my dog has for the opera, or me either for that matter. And, it is a carnal mind that is not subject to the law of God.
A. There is Weakness in Us
Now, this carnal mind, and this flesh nature, is a form of weakness in us. And, the sooner we admit it the better off we will be. Notice, again if you would please, the weakness that is in us, and we need to accept this weakness. For the Bible says here, in verse 26 of this same chapter of Romans 8: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities…” (Romans 8:26).
Now, you know one of the hardest things for a Christian to admit is that he’s infirm, that he’s weak. We go around always denying that we’re weak, trying to demonstrate that we’re not weak, when indeed we are weak. And, let me tell you that you might as well bow your head and accept your weakness. Don’t deny it, accept it, for two reasons. Number one: the Bible declares it. You haven’t got an inferiority complex. You’re inferior. Just accept it. The Bible speaks of our weakness, the weakness of our flesh and the Spirit helps our infirmities.
B. Your Weakness is an Asset
But, now notice, not only should accept it because the Bible teaches it, but believe it or not because your weakness is really an asset. Your weakness is really an asset. Why does God allow you to continue to have that weakness? I’ll tell you why. To keep you from independence in your prayers—to keep you depending upon him, to keep you weak—because in the Bible the secret of strength is understanding your weakness, and therefore no longer depending upon yourself.
Listen to this passage in II Corinthians chapter 12, and verse 9. God is speaking to the Apostle Paul—a man that we would think was a strong man—but God said to Paul, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness…” (II Corinthians 12:9). Do you hear that? God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. Paul said, “…for when I am weak, then am I strong” (II Corinthians 12:10). The Spirit of God helps us in our weakness. And, many of us say the reason that I don’t pray any better than I do is that I’m too weak, but the truth of the matter is you may not be weak enough. You may not have really understood just how weak you are so that you no longer struggle to pray in the flesh, but you begin to pray in the Spirit.
You see, there are two ways to pray. One is for the ’ol flesh to try to pray, and that’s the reason why it’s so much work. The other way to pray is to pray the way the Bible teaches us to pray, admitting our weakness, casting ourselves upon God, no longer having a self-sufficiency in prayer, but praying in the Spirit.
1. Six Enemies that keep us from Praying
You see, God allows us to stay perpetually weak that we might be perpetually dependant upon the Holy Spirit of God. There are six enemies that keep us from praying. And, I want you to see how praying the Spirit is the answer to each of these six enemies.
a. Indifference
Now, first of all, there is the enemy of indifference—indifference—where we just don’t feel like praying. We have a spiritual lethargy. We have no real desire to pray. It’s sort of a spirit of bondage where we are just lethargic about the spiritual thing. Somebody said, “The greatest problem in America is apathy, but who cares.”
Now, I think that’s the way we feel about this matter prayer, sometimes we’re just really indifferent to pray. Do you want me to tell you why you don’t pray more than you do pray? Is you don’t want to? We find time to do what we really want to do. It’s not that we don’t have time to pray. There is just an indifference about us. The truth is that our flesh has no appetite for prayer whatever, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it indeed is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So quit trying to cover it up. Admit that the reason that you don’t pray is that you don’t want to. Just go ahead and admit it.
There’s something in you that doesn’t want to pray. That’s hard to say, isn’t it? ’Cause we all try to impress each other with our spirituality. But, I’ll be honest, there’s something in me that doesn’t want to pray. There’s something in me that absolutely rebels at going to the place of prayer. You say, “What? And, you’re a preacher.” Yes. And, you’re the same way. There’s something in you that doesn’t want to pray. There’s something in you that is indifferent to the matter of prayer. It’s that ’ol carnal nature.
Well, how does praying in the Holy Spirit help you to want to pray? Well, I want you to look here in Romans chapter 8, verse 15: “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). Who is it that’s crying, “Abba, Father” in us? It’s the Holy Spirit of God. You see, the Spirit of God loves to pray. He wants to pray. And, when you turn that Holy Spirit loose in you, He then gives you the energy and the desire to pray. It is the Spirit of God in you that is crying out, “Abba, Father.” Or, right along side that verse just jot down Galatians chapter 4, and verse 6. And the Bible says, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). Because I’m a son of God, God put the Spirit of His Son into my heart, and it is the Holy Spirit in me that cries out, “Abba, Father.”
And oh, I like that term, “Abba, Father.” I wish I had time just to talk about that. It’s an Aramaic term—it’s not a Greek term—it’s a dominionative term. It literally means daddy, father—daddy, father. Have you ever thought of the great God who scooped out the oceans, and heaped up the mountains, and flung out the sun, the moon and the stars as being your daddy? Oh, we thought of Him as the great eternal God, the everlasting Father. But God has sent forth His Spirit into our hearts crying, Abba, Father. Oh, the tender devotion and emotion of the Holy Spirit of God. He is the one who does the praying—if we’ll let Him—if we’ll turn Him loose in our hearts. And, may I tell you that the problem of indifference to prayer may never be settled until you begin pray in the Spirit. It is the Spirit in you that will give you that to desire to pray that your old carnal nature does not have. So, enemy number one is handled by the Holy Spirit. That enemy I call indifference.
b. Ignorance
Now, there’s another enemy and that’s the enemy that we call ignorance, ignorance. Look again please, if you will, in Romans chapter 8 and notice verse 26: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought…” (Romans 8:26). We don’t know. Have you ever gone to the place of prayer and gotten discouraged because you didn’t know what to pray for? I do. Sometimes when I go to pray there are so many of you to pray for, and there are so many things to pray for, and so many opportunities to pray that sometimes it gets discouraging. I know I can’t get it all done. I know I can’t pray for everything, and sometimes if I would let that type of thinking get me down I’d say, “If I can’t pray for everything, why pray for anything?” Who knows what to pray for? There is so much to pray for, now isn’t there? We don’t know what to pray for.
All right, you see, if I tried to pray for every possibility of prayer, my prayer would cease to be the kind of a force that it ought to be. And, no longer would my prayer be a river that is channeled, my prayer would become just like a dismal swamp. If my prayer is to be effective, it just be selective.
Now, how am I going to know for whom to pray? How, on Wednesday night when you get that hospital list there—and of course, theoretically, you could pray for all of those persons—but is there someone that the Holy Spirit especially wants you to intercede for? And, in this church family, and in the leadership, and in our city, and in our nation, and in our world—what about all of the missionaries, what about all of the countries of the world, what about all of the opportunities? No one human being can pray about all of those things at one time, but the Holy Spirit of God knows what you ought to pray for. “…we know not what we should pray for as we ought…” (Romans 8:26)—and the best Christian, in my estimation who ever lived, the Apostle Paul said that, so that makes me feel in pretty good company when I don’t know what I ought to pray for. He didn’t know what he ought to pray for. And, not only do we know not what we ought to pray for, but we don’t know how to pray for what we ought to pray for when we find out what we ought to pray for.
Now, what I mean by that is this. Suppose the Lord—here, suppose there’s an elderly man in his seventies, eighties, nineties, and he’s sick. And, you go to pray for him. Do you pray, “Lord, heal him?” Or do you pray, “Lord, take him to Heaven?” Huh? Have you ever faced that with an elderly person? Do you remember the night we prayed here that God would take Dr. Robert G. Lee to Heaven, and took him to Heaven that same night? Do you remember that? I felt impressed of the Holy Spirit to pray that prayer, “Lord, take him home, it’s time.” And, I believe the Holy Spirit of God put that prayer in our hearts. How are we going to know exactly, precisely, what to pray for after we determine who to pray for? What to pray for the person, or what to pray in the incidents. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. Thank God for the blessed Holy Spirit, who not only overcomes our problem of indifference, but the Holy Spirit overcomes our problem of ignorance, and He knows how to pray in the will of God.
Notice verse 27 of this chapter, “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” (Romans 8:27). Hallelujah. This is the confidence that we have in Him. If we ask Him anything according to His will, He heareth us. And, the secret of praying in the will of God is absolutely praying in the Holy Spirit. This is the only way that I can pray in the will of God, and that you can pray in the will of God. Thank God the Holy Spirit knows what to pray for.
I love that description of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah chapter 11, and verse 2. The Bible describes him with these words: “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2). Do you know? Do you need wisdom, understanding, counsel? Then you must pray in the Holy Spirit so you’ll know what to pray for.
c. Impotence
All right, there is another problem that we have that the Holy Spirit helps us with. And, it’s not only the problem of indifference ,and the problem of ignorance, but it is the problem of impotence—impotence—or just simply our weakness, our inability. Have you ever tried to pray when you get a dull headache? Have you ever tried to pray when you get sleepy? Have you ever tried to pray, when you just want to pray—“…the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak…”—do you remember how Simon Peter, and James, and John fell asleep there in the garden when Jesus said, “…watch and pray…” (Matthew 26:41). They did not have the physical power, the physical stamina, the mental alertness, the concentration. There was not enough physical, spiritual, emotional strength to concentrate in prayer. There’s just weakness.
Now, the Holy Spirit is the answer to that too. Look in Romans chapter 8, and verse
11: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11). Now, some people say this refers to the resurrection, and indeed one day we’re
going to be quickened by the Spirit in the resurrection, but there’s nothing here that says this applies only to the resurrection. I want to tell you, there’s something about being filled with the Holy Spirit that gives you energy. There’s something about being filled with the Holy Spirit that gives concentration. There’s something that is about being filled with the Holy Spirit that gives you power when you don’t have power to pray, to overcome your impotence. “The Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead will dwell in your mortal bodies and quicken your mortal bodies.”
I think a good illustration is this: remember when the Lord Jesus Christ was sitting there on that curbing of the well in Sychar? You remember there at Jacob’s well and that Samaritan—I won’t say lady—woman came out. You know the one that had been married so many times? If she lived today we’d give her an Academy Award, I suppose. And, Jesus spoke to her. Jesus spoke to her about that water of life. And, do you remember Jesus was so tired? He was so weary. He was famished and His body was hungry. And, the disciples had gone into the city to get provisions and when they came back they found Jesus Christ absolutely invigorated, exhilarated, charged up. And, they said, “Here, you need something to eat.” He said, “I have meat to eat that you know not of.” (James 4:31–32). The Spirit of God had so energized that divine body of the Lord Jesus Christ and given Him strength.
And, I tell you sometimes when your spirit is flagging, sometimes when your mind cannot concentrate, sometimes when you’re weak—your will is so weak and you feel so impotent—cast yourself upon the Holy Spirit. Pray in the Spirit, not in the flesh. And, let me just add a word of practicality here, because sometimes we get so spiritual we don’t get practical. If you have trouble going to sleep when you pray, don’t try to do all your praying in bed. And, don’t kneel beside that big ’ol overstuffed chair and bury your face in a pillow. You’ll smother. That’s right. Sometimes when I have difficulty concentrating and praying—and I’m talking about being spiritual—but sometimes friend, I just get up and walk around and pray. Sometimes I can do my best praying in my study, just walking up and down. If you’d seen me, you’d think I was a hyena in a cage, but I’m going to get some blood flowing, get my mind thinking, get some air in my lungs. But, that’s a practical thing. But, above that, and beyond that, and beneath that, and through that shall be a dependence upon the Holy Spirit of God.
d. Interference
Now, let me tell you another enemy of our prayers that the Holy Spirit overcomes. And, it’s the enemy of interference, interference. And, I’m talking here about devilish, satanic interference. Remember James not only spoke to us about being sensitive to the Spirit, but James spoke to us about being steadfast against the devil. And, friend when you get on your knees and begin to pray, the devil levels all of the artillery of Hell against you. We said that this morning, I want to say it again. The devil will do anything he can do to keep you from praying. When Sidlow Baxter was here, Sidlow Baxter said something I shall never forget. He said that when a Christian goes to pray, the devil says to his demons, “Boys, stop him whatever you do, because if you stop him we can beat him every time. But, if you don’t stop him when he prays he’ll beat us every time.” And, the devil tries to stop us when we pray.
Well, how are you going to overcome the devil? You’re no match for the devil. You don’t have the strength to overcome the devil. There’s only one way that you’re going to overcome the devil and it is to pray in the Spirit.
I want us to leave the book of Romans for just one moment, but however we’re going back, so just keep your fingers in there and turn, if you will, to Ephesians chapter 6, Ephesians chapter 6. Now, here the Bible is speaking about our warfare. And, we are in a war. So the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 6, beginning in verse 11: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:11–15).
Now, so far you’ve just been getting ready for the battle. So far you hadn’t fought a lick. So far all you’ve been doing is putting on the armor, now the battle begins. Look in verse 19: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). God tells us of the armor, but God also tells of the warfare. And, I want to tell you that the Christian is in a warfare, and that war is won or lost on our knees, and on our face. And, when we come here on Sunday morning, we’re not coming here to do battle. We’re coming here just simply to pick up the spoils of the battle—the battle is won or lost by our prayers, by our prayers.
And, how are we going to overcome the devil? How are we going—listen you talk about interference, you try to pray, the phone will ring. You try to pray, the beans will burn. You try to pray, the kids will fight. You try to pray, and you’ll get a headache. You try to pray, your mind will be distracted. You try to pray, and a thousand and one things that you never thought of will happen. Amen? You know it’s true. Who is it does that?
It’s the enemy. He does not want you to pray. And, so you’d better take the whole armor of God and pray in the Spirit. He is no match for the Holy Spirit of God. You cannot pray effectively in the flesh because of the interference of the devil.
e. Inexpressibility
Now, go back to Romans chapter 8 again. And, I’ll tell you, not only do we have the problem of indifference. And, not only do we have the problem of ignorance, and not only do we have the problem of impotence, and not only do we have the problem of interference, but we also have the problem of inexpressibility, inexpressibility.
There are times when we’re not able to say what we ought to say, what we need to say, what we want to say. There’s some times when our words just fail. There are times when we just feel damned up, and there are times when our vocabulary seems so inadequate. There are times when we want to praise, there are times when want to plead. There times when we want to come to God with our petition and we seem so unable to do it. Sometimes, within our bosoms there sighs that are too deep for words, and we cannot express what’s on our hearts. Thank God praying in the Spirit makes up for that. Look in verse 26: “Likewise”—Romans 8:26—“Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself maketh intercession with groaning that cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit sometimes just takes my groanings, that I cannot even utter. Some people say, “Oh, praying in the Spirit is praying in tongues.” No, that’s not what it is. That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s not talking about something that you utter, he’s talking about something you can’t utter. O God, God sometimes our heart is so full that it almost breaks. Sometimes a mother, a father, yearning over a child cannot even verbalize a prayer. Sometimes a person standing at the bed of a sick loved one, at a gravesite, has within him a force about to explode, and all he can do is just sigh, and cry and groan. Thank God the dear Holy Spirit of God knows how to take that prayer and make it acceptable. Take things that we cannot even utter, groanings that cannot be uttered. Oh, He takes care of our inexpressibility. Oh, who is the one doing the
groaning? It’s really the Holy Spirit within us who is groaning.
The Bible says, “He groans and He makes intercession for the saints” (Romans 8:26). This word groaning here is a word that expresses sounds that are uttered at childbirth. That’s what the etymology of the word is. It speaks of the groanings. Have you ever heard the groanings of a mother about to give birth to a child? The agony, the pain, the groanings—but there’s something about that groaning that’s unique. There’s something about the pain of childbirth that is absolutely unique, because it is pain, but linked with that pain is an intense desire to bring forth. It is pain that is transfigured by hope and expectation, and that’s the deepest form of prayer. Pain, transfigured by hope and expectation as the Holy Spirit of God in us prays the prayer of agony. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who helps us to pray.
f. Inaccessibility
And, then not only is there the prayer of inexpressibility—or the problem of inexpressibility—but also there is the problem of inaccessibility, inaccessibility. You see, sometimes we just feel that our prayers are not getting through. That somehow when we pray, we don’t come right into the throne room.
Now, through the blood of Jesus a way has been made through the veil into the holy of holies, and we have a right to come. But, dear friend, we need more than the right to come. We need also the power to come. The blood supplies the right to come, but the Spirit supplies the power to come. I want you to note this verse, Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 18. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 18: “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18)—access, accessibility, how? By the Spirit, it is the dear Holy Spirit of God that takes us by the hand and leads us into the throne room.
Conclusion
Last summer we were in Taiwan, and I was invited to go with several other men to speak to one of the highest officials in the Taiwanese government. The son of General Chiang Kai-shek (I cannot verify he had a son of this name, or something close) who was in charge of all of the military forces there in the Republic of China. We were very honored to get to go. And, we had an invitation to go. And, then they took our passports and they did a security check on us. That gave us the right to come, but when we came to the gate of that palace there was a man there who escorted us in. We needed more than the right. We needed someone who would take us and lead us in.
The Holy Spirit is the one who escorts us into the divine throne room of Almighty God and gives us that accessibility. Not only do I have a royal invitation, but dear friend, I have a palace attendant, the Holy Spirit to lead me right in to the presence of the one that I love so much. Right on through that iron curtain of sin, right on in to the holy of holies, by the blood of Jesus and by the aid of the Holy Spirit.
Now, that’s why it’s so important to pray in the Spirit, to pray in the spirit. But, now look, not only must we pray in the Spirit. You see, not only does the Holy Spirit have a ministry to us, but the Holy Spirit has a ministry to us in order that the Holy Spirit might have a ministry through us.
Very quickly now, because time is fleeting, I want you to notice this intercession of the Holy Spirit. Look, if you will, in just a moment, in verse 26. Romans 8, verse 26, and if I don’t give the chapter from now on just assume it’s Romans 8. All right, Romans 8:26, look at it, “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…”—that is on our behalf. (Romans 8:26). But, now I want you to notice in verse 34 of this same chapter, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). The Holy Spirit makes intercession and Christ makes intercession.
But there’s a difference. There’s a difference into the places of these intercessions. Christ makes intercession at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit makes intercession in us. There’s a difference in the purpose of intercession. I am the object of the Savior’s intercession. He’s interceding for me at the right hand of the Father. But, I am the vehicle of the Spirit’s intercession. He is interceding through me on behalf of others. You see, the Holy Spirit not only gives the ministry to me, but He gives a ministry to me so He can give a ministry through me so that the world can be reached. God wants to raise up a Church that knows how to intercede. I want to pastor that Church. A people who know how to pray, who know how to get hold of God, and I want to be that kind of a man so I can show you how to do it. So that the dear Holy Spirit of God will minister to us that He might minister through us, and that this city and this world might feel the impact of a Holy Church in the hands of a mighty God. Let us pray.
