Prayer Keys - In the Spirit
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18
Much of this verse is easy to understand. “On all occasions” refers to regular and consistent conversation with God. Prayer is to be a regular part of our lives. “Be alert” reminds us to pay attention, to be aware of what is around us and in us. There is much in this world to inspire us to pray. In particular, “be alert” reminds us to listen to God. “Always keep on praying” tells us to never give up. “With all kinds of prayers and requests” means we can talk with God about anything that concerns us.
For example, have you ever locked your car door while you were outside the car but your keys were inside the car? In one sermon I read, the preacher told about a woman who did that. This may have been before the days of cell phones. I’ve seen commercials for phones that can open locked car doors. I don’t have one, but I’ve seen commercials. I guess I’m just down right primitive. I just use my cell phone to make phone calls. I would have to use mine to call for help.
This woman locked her keys in her car. She fretted and paced, then she found a coat hanger on the ground. Years ago, you could use coat hangers to hook the lock button and pull it up. She did not know how to do that, so the coat hanger did not help her. Finally, she prayed. “Dear Lord, please send someone to help me.”
Moments later, a rusty old car pulled up. A big, burly, unkempt man with tattoos and a bandana got out. The woman prayed, “Lord, is THIS the help you’re sending me?”
He proved he did know how to use the coat hanger and in a few seconds the door was open. The woman hugged him and said, “Thank you so much. You’re such a good man.”
He shook his head and said, “No, ma’am. I’m not a good man at all. I just got out of prison today after serving two years for grand theft auto.”
She hugged him again and prayed aloud, “Thank you, Lord, for sending a professional!” [www.sermoncentral.com]
The Bible says we can make all kinds of requests to God. Whether we are concerned about car keys or cancer, God cares. The Bible also says we are to pray “in the Spirit.” This has been interpreted a variety of ways. Just about anything you can suggest has been seriously suggested and studied. Tonight, we will look at three ways that are verified in scripture and we will look at one way that is contradicted by scripture.
One suggestion has been that it refers to speaking in tongues while praying. What does the Bible say about that?
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul says that if there is no one to interpret, the person who wants to speak in tongues should refrain because it is not edifying. If we are to pray in the Spirit at all times, but there are times when we are not to speak in tongues, praying in the Spirit cannot refer to praying in tongues.
Earlier, in 1 Corinthians 12:29-31, Paul asks, "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?"
I have heard preachers add answers to those questions. It really bothers me when those preachers do not study the text enough to add the right answers. I have heard them enthusiastically proclaim, "Are all apostles? Yes! Are all prophets? Yes! Are all teachers? Yes! Do all work miracles? Yes! Do all have gifts of healing? Yes! Do all speak in tongues? Yes! Do all interpret? Yes!" But... if all can interpret, Paul would not have warned them to refrain from speaking in tongues when there is no one to interpret.
In Greek, there are a couple of different ways to ask questions depending on whether you expect a “yes” or a “no” answer. To some extent, we do the same in English. We can make a positive statement followed by a question when we expect a yes answer. Asking, “You’re a Christian, aren’t you?” expects a “yes” answer. We can make a negative statement followed by a question when we expect a “no” answer. Asking, “You wouldn’t happen to have a million dollars I could borrow, would you?” expects a “no” answer.
In Greek there are two different words for “no” and two different ways of asking questions indicating if you expect a “yes” or a “no” answer. When Paul asks, “Do all speak in tongues?” the grammar indicates Paul is asking, “Not everyone speaks in tongues, do they?” He expects a “no” answer. Not every Christian speaks in tongues. It is a gift of the spirit, but not every Christian has that gift. Not every Christian speaks in tongues, but every Christian is to pray in the Spirit.
God does not expect kittens to bark or worms to growl. He did not create them that way. God does not expect all Christians to pray in tongues. He has not gifted all of us that way. All Christians are to pray in the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit cannot mean praying in tongues.
So what is it?
“Through Christ we all have access by one Spirit unto the Father,” Ephesians 2:18. The most obvious key to answered prayer is first that we be Christians. But there must be something more that is meant here, because we can be Christians and still ask for things that are not according to God’s will. This side of glory, we will not be perfect Christians.
A second possibility supported by scripture is that there are times when we need the Holy Spirit to intercede for us. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will," Romans 8:26-27.
Last week, I told you that the singles group at the church I joined in 1978 was fascinated by Mike Warnke’s book, The Satan Seller. That illustration fits this week’s study, also. He wrote about being drawn into Satanism, advancing through the ranks, getting saved, and the struggles he had with other Satanists and even demons after leaving them. It was interesting reading, until he described an impossible event.
He wrote that one night he suffered intense demonic opposition. Hour after hour, all through the night, he despaired of ever having peace again. Hour after hour his wife prayed for him. Then, as the day dawned, it suddenly ended. The demons were gone and he had peace.
Mike Warnke’s wife said that after hours of prayer she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to “plead the blood.” As soon as she said those words in prayer, the demons were gone and Mike had peace.
Nothing in scripture teaches that prayer is an incantation, say the right words and you get what you want, say the wrong words and God will ignore your request. Nothing in scripture suggests what Mike Warnke described was possible. Romans 8:26 says that when we do not know how to pray as we ought, the Spirit will intercede. If the right words were necessary, if Mike Warnke needed to “plead the blood” to have his prayer answered, if his wife needed to “plead the blood” to have her prayer answered, we can be sure the Holy Spirit would not forget the words.
Beyond that, Romans 8:26 says the Spirit will intercede with groanings which are unutterable. Have you ever reached the point in prayer where all you could say was, “O God... O God... O God...?” Maybe for you it was a different phrase or word, but do you know what I mean? Have you ever been praying and been deeply burdened by something you could not express? The Holy Spirit knows how to express those things which are unutterable.
Praying in the Spirit always begins with praying as a Christian. Praying in the Spirit sometimes refers to praying with the Holy Spirit’s intercession. The third option is another “always.” Always pray as the Spirit leads.
Paul writes, “Do not get drunk on much wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,” Ephesians 5:18. Christians are to live under the influence of the Spirit, nothing else!
Jesus said in John 14:16-18, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."
We have a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, living in us. As he fills us and counsels us, we need to listen. When he burdens us, we should pray. When the Spirit puts your spouse on your heart, pray for your spouse. When the Sprit puts your child on your heart, pray for your child. When the Spirit puts a friend or foe on your heart, pray for your friend or foe. Steve Smith said, “Satan may not be attacking you at the moment - but Satan is attacking someone. So PRAY for whomever God places on your heart.” [www.sermoncentral.com]
That’s worth repeating. “Satan may not be attacking you at the moment - but Satan is attacking someone. So PRAY for whomever God places on your heart.”
When the Lord puts circumstances on your heart, pray about those circumstances. When the Spirit puts this heat and drought on your heart, pray about this heat and drought. We have seen some interesting results in regard to that.
Two weeks ago, weathermen said Tropical Storm Don would bring rain to South Texas and, if it held together long enough, bring rain to us in North Texas. Instead, as soon as the storm hit the coast, it evaporated. We watched the storm hit the shore on weather radar screens and as the rotation brought a cloud over land, it disappeared. That’s how hot and dry it is in Texas this year. One weatherman said he has only seen that once before, on the Arabian Penninsula.
I have read that last week, as we had our Wednesday night prayer meeting, that hundreds of churches were praying about the heat and drought. The weathermen last week said a weak front in Oklahoma would fall apart before it reached the Red River. They said we would tie our record of consecutive 100 degree plus temperatures on Friday and break the record on Saturday.
Instead, on Thursday, the front held together across the Red River and an outflow brought temperatures down sharply, so our high was only 89. On Saturday, we had rain and again stayed below 100. God is not limited by what the weathermen can foresee. He can cause mighty storms to evaporate and weak fronts to accomplish the unexpected.
Now, weather men are saying that we have another 100 degree plus streak going and the drought is expected to continue through at least October. In view of the deaths that have already resulted from the heat and in view of the $8 billion in expected agricultural losses from the drought, I sense a need to continue praying for relief from the heat and drought, relief that only God can bring.
When the Spirit puts people on your heart, pray for those people. When the Spirit puts situations on your heart, pray for those situations. Praying in the Spirit is letting God lead us to pray what God wants us to pray.
It probably says something about my need for growth that the examples which first came to mind were about burdens or needs. When the Spirit impresses you with God’s goodness, praise God and thank him.
Something I have not yet pointed out is the context for this prayer key. It comes just after the encouragement to put on the armor of God. It is in a passage about preparing for war. We are engaged in spiritual war. We cannot face the enemy on our own. We cannot face the enemy if we do not pray in the Spirit on all occasions about everything in our lives.
We should always pray as Christians. We sometimes need to pray with the Holy Spirit’s intercession. We should always pray as the Holy Spirit leads.
