Powerful prayer means praying in the Spirit.
Tip#5 for our Quiet Times is: Make use of the power of prayer in the Name of Jesus. We discussed this last week. Today we share more guidelines on the practical implementation of Tip#5, namely that we will only experience powerful prayer in the Name of Jesus, if we pray “in the Spirit”.
Ephesians 6:18: ”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.”
Jude 20: “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.”
When we pray in the Name of Jesus, his Holy Spirit inspires and leads us in prayer that God the Father answers.
1) True prayer is prayer in the Spirit, that is, the prayer the Spirit inspires and directs. When we come into God’s presence, we should recognise our ignorance of what we should pray for or how we should pray for it, and in accepting our inability to pray according to God’s will, we should look up to the Holy Spirit, depending on him to direct our prayers, to lead our desires, and to guide our words.
2) When we first come into God’s presence, we should be silent before him. We should look up to him to send his Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray. We must wait for the Holy Spirit and surrender ourselves to the Spirit, then we shall pray according to God’s will.
Christ, our Head, in who’s Name we pray, will teach us how to pray, as he taught the disciples. This happens through the work of the Spirit he sent to guide and inspire us.
3) When we feel least like praying, it is the time when we most need to pray. We should wait quietly before God and tell him how cold and without prayer our hearts are, and look up to him for help, trusting him and expecting him to send the Holy Spirit to warm our hearts, inspiring us to pray.
4) When we wait upon the Spirit to guide us, we will pray with faith, and praying with faith, will make us bold.
In Mark 11:24 Jesus said: “Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” Prayer that believes that we received what we prayed, follows our consideration of the Scriptures. We believe that we received, because we ask what the Bible promises and proclaims.
5) Praying boldly in the Spirit requires first of all that we in faith acknowledge our union with Christ. Those who live in the Body of Christ are able to pray in the Spirit – the Spirit that unites us with Jesus and each other.
John 15:7: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you’”.
To remain in Christ, to live in the Body of Christ, is to:
· renounce every thought, every purpose, every desire, every affection of our own, looking day by day and hour by hour for Jesus Christ to shape his thoughts, purposes, affections and desires in us;
· listen to his Word to know and understand his thoughts, purposes, affections and desires;
· pray what we hear to be his thoughts, purposes, affections and desires.
Praying in the Name of Jesus enables us to pray in the Spirit. Our union with Christ, our living in his Body and our relationship with him, ensures that his Spirit that dwells in us, inspires and leads our understanding of his Word, and therefore teaches us to pray.
Now, let all the Tips on Quiet Times come together:
Tip#1: Always ask God to help you when you have your Quiet Time!
The Holy Spirit will help us to hear God’s voice.
Tip#2: Always reflect.
Quiet down and ensure that God’s message reaches the control centre of your being.
Tip#3: Engage your brain with your heart!
Make your personal devotions a time of fellowship based on both an understanding of what God says and a faith-and-love-relationship with him.
Tip#4: Read the Bible well: systematic and with insight.
Be educated and encouraged for your challenges and calling.
Tip#5: Make use of the power of prayer in the Name of Jesus!
When we pray in the Name of Jesus, his Holy Spirit inspires and leads us in prayer that God the Father answers.
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