I used to think that I knew what praying was. I used to think that it was me asking God or begging God to do something for me in my life. I used to believe that my prayers and my needs weren't as important as other people's prayers and needs. One day I found out that prayer was a relationship with God. I learned that it was just as simple as talking to him and telling him about my day and asking him to help me and others simply because he loved me and wanted to do it. Then I made a new discovery about Prayer that has transformed my life and always shows results very quickly.
Isn't that just like God? You think you have it all figured out and you know exactly what you need to pray for in order to be in line with God's will and then he changes your whole world and turns your knowledge and everything you knew into dung. I suppose that's what Paul meant when he said, But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ..." Philippians 3:7-8.
The truth is that we don't know what to pray for at all. We think we do. We believe we have it all figured out, BUT GOD... Let's take a look at Romans 8:26, " 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 through wordless groans." Isn't that interesting? We don't know what we ought to pray. When I read this I wasn't quite sure how to take it. I didn't realize how arrogant I was to think that I had it all figured out when even Jesus' disciples asked him how to pray. "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." -Luke 11:1
I imagine that the disciples were watching Jesus pray and Peter and the guys are thinking to themselves something similar to what I was thinking, "Jesus knows the secrets of the kingdom. He doesn't pray anything like the Pharisees or the Sadducees. I bet Jesus knows the secret way that they pray in Heaven!" That's what I would think of Jesus were praying in front of me. I wouldn't just want to know how to do it, I would want to know how he walks, and talks, and thinks, and everything about his WAYS and not just what he knows. Asking Jesus how to pray is like saying, "God, Show me your ways!" Of course, Jesus says, "Pray like this..." we all know the Lord's example of prayer; Our father who is in Heaven, Holy is your name..."
Too many people think that Jesus was saying just repeat this prayer 50 times, and that prayer 100 times and you're forgiven of your sins... Nah. It's not like that. Jesus blood cleanses your sins, not prayers. Jesus was showing us a pattern of how we should pray for our needs, for us to be putting God's will before ours, for us to be wanting to see Heaven on Earth through us, and expressing that we understand that we are praying and asking him for these things because we know that he is the ultimate power, and to him through these answered prayers is how he glorifies Jesus. John 14:13-14 says, "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!" When God answers our prayers he is glorifying Jesus and that brings Glory to God the Father.
Now let's take a look at Romans 8:26 a little deeper.
Paul teaches us that the Holy Spirit intercedes in inexpressible groans. This actually indicates that the Holy Spirit does things for us without us even asking, or knowing what to ask for. The Greek used for groans is stenagmois. This word is derived from stenazo which means to groan or express grief by leaning forward like a woman who is giving birth would groan during Childbirth as a result of her labor pains. The total meaning inexpressible groans are that the Holy Spirit is birthing his plans for our destiny and setting things in order so that he can help us reach our destiny in him.
Now let's look at the next verse. "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." -Romans 8:27. Here we see that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with the will of the father. Alright, we have established that the Holy Spirit is interceding for us. Now let's get to how he speaks in your voice.
In Matthew 10:20 Jesus informs us that the Holy Spirit speaks directly through people, "...for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." and in Acts 28:25 you see it written, "And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers," Now how does this apply to the Holy Spirit speaking through us when we speak in tongues? Great question!
We see in the previous verses that God is the same in the old testament as he is in the new testament. That's important to establish because not everyone thinks that God is actually the same Today as he was before Jesus. However, we know that scripture teaches he is the same yesterday, today, and forever more amen. Since God was speaking through his Holy Spirit in the old testament and the new testament, then we can safely deduce that he will still speak through people now.
in first Corinthians 12, Paul starts teaching about what the Holy Spirit does through people in order to profit the church. Interestingly enough, the word translated as "to profit" is sympheron. It means properly, to combine in a way that brings a profit (gain), especially by a "concurrence of circumstances" that results in benefit or advancement. It is a combination of the word Sun, meaning joined close-together in tight identification; with (= closely identified together) and Phero, meaning to bring forth or to publicly make known. Therefore we can conclude that the workings of the Holy Spirit are designed to cause Christians to identify together and create closeness and unity in the body Christ.
Nevertheless, Paul makes it a point to tell everyone that it is the Holy Spirit who works the gifts through people. One of those gifts that Paul mentions is the gift of tongues. When we receive the gift of tongues from the Holy Spirit we are accessing him to speak in a new foreign language that we don't understand. This gift comes directly from the Holy Spirit.
We see a very similar sentiment again. Check this out. When we begin using the gifts of the Spirit we are allowing the Holy Spirit to operate through us. We see in 1 Corinthians 6:17 "But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit." To be one united with the Lord literally means to be glued to or to cleave to as a husband cleaves unto his wife. This is similar to what we just learned from 1 Corinthians 12. What's interesting about that verse is it comes from Genesis 2:24. "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." This was stated by Adam before the Fall. There were no mothers or fathers. This was a prophetic statement made by Adam before they ever thought of eating the fig. Alright, let's get back on track.
Since we are one spirit with God, then we are one with God. In 1 Corinthians 14:14 Paul says, "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful." Since we are one in spirit and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, he also comes up alongside us and strengthens us. When we are praying in tongues we are actually allowing Holy Spirit to operate through us and pray through our spirits so that we will pray the perfect will of God for our lives. Even though I may be praying and the voice sounds like my voice, the words coming from my mouth when I am praying in tongues are the words of the Holy Spirit that is operating through my spirit in order to pray the perfect will of God. It is my voice, but it is the Holy Spirit speaking through us.
Essentially, when we are speaking in tongues we are accessing the Glory realm. I have noticed that when I speak in tongues I get amazing revelation, prophetic words, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, and I feel the heart of the Holy Spirit more profoundly than I do when I am just going about my daily life. and the list can go on an on.
Though you now know that the Holy Spirit speaks through you and intercedes for you in prayer, it's also important to understand that doing this is also part of being a bride of Christ. Remember, we are glues or cleave unto the spirit when we accepted Christ and we became one with him. When we allow our spirits to rule in our lives we are having intimacy with God. Whatever I do in the spirit, since God's spirit is one with me, He is also doing. This is how we learn to hear God clearly and grow in intimacy with him.
Well, This seems like a sufficient amount of material to encourage you for today. Please feel free to read more of our articles because there is a wealth of information that you simply won't hear many other places. Thank you. Be blessed, and we will see you again soon.
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