44. Pray in the Holy Spirit

44. Pray in the Holy Spirit

 

Ephesians 6:18

 

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

 

▣ God has given the Holy Spirit to be life to all His children.

The Holy Spirit dwells in us, not as a separate being, but as life.

The Holy Spirit is the sustaining and empowering power and energy.

The Holy Spirit can and will do all things.

If you do not know the Holy Spirit or obey the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Holy Spirit cannot work.

Only when we obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit will the Holy Spirit do whatever pleases God.

 

The Holy Spirit is a spirit of grace and supplication.

Prayer is breathing in the Holy Spirit.

Praying is a phenomenon and manifestation of the Holy Spirit already working.

Prayer is a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work.

Those who pray must seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We must remain in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

The failure of prayer is when the Holy Spirit is quenched.

 

1. We must believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

 

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy (Luke 1:67).

 

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, (Acts 4:8).

 

3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. (Acts 6:3)

 

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. (Acts 7:55)

 

3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)

 

It is because the Holy Spirit made known the mystery of the gospel and received salvation.

Those who believe in the fact that the Holy Spirit already dwells in them, no matter what prayer topics they pray for, already accept with faith that those prayers will be answered in the best way.

We must believe that the Holy Spirit dwells within us.

 

2. We must not grieve the Holy Spirit.

 

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

 

If you grieve the indwelling Holy Spirit, you cannot be united with Christ.

Grieving the Holy Spirit makes prayer powerless.

Grieving the Holy Spirit makes prayer powerless for two reasons.

 

1) Because the Holy Spirit does not work.

When the Holy Spirit grieves, the Holy Spirit gradually dies.

Just as an unused well dries up, when the Holy Spirit grieves, the power of the Holy Spirit disappears.

 

2) It is because the prayer suffers spiritual stagnation.

When a Christian grieves the Holy Spirit, the Christian's soul also stagnates.

If he falls into a spiritual stagnation, he is deprived of the spiritual power of prayer.

You will avoid the Holy Spirit on your own.

It can be well understood when we consider how Adam and Eve grieved and hid from God.

 

3. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit

 

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

 

18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18).

 

A healthy prayer life is possible only when you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit means being completely obedient to the Holy Spirit, holding on to the Holy Spirit, and being controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Our failure in prayer is because we have not accepted that the Holy Spirit is life.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to give completely to the Lord.

You must first empty your nature to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Prepare an empty bowl and fill it with oil.

Just as if you borrow a vessel to prepare an empty vessel, if you do not have enough will, you must give up your own nature even if you borrow the will of others.

 

18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. (Ephesians 2:18).

 

It is only through the Holy Spirit that all people, Gentiles and Jews, can come to God.  Originally, only Jews could come before God.

However, it is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that even Gentiles can go forward.

Only the Holy Spirit solved the impossible for Gentiles to come before God.

The prayers of saints are overcome only by the filling of the Holy Spirit. Amen.