Praying With Power (2)

WHEN SHOULD WE PRAY IN THE SPIRIT?

Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert

In a previous message, we learned that Praying with Power involves praying the scripture, in the spirit and with the soul!

Today, I want us to explore the mystery of praying in the spirit by asking the question: When Should We Pray In The Spirit?

I believe we should pray in the spirit . . .

I. When we Desire to WORSHIP in the SPIRIT!

John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth

*What does worship in spirit and truth look like?

Revelation 1:10 I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet

Revelation 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me, and having turned, I saw . . . one like a son of man . . .

*When we are in the spirit, we will hear a voice more powerful than we have ever heard . . .

*If we will turn to see the voice that we hear, we will see Christ as He is, not as He was . . .

*Let’s take a look at something Jesus said about this and see if we can glean something today . . .

John 3:7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, “You must be born again.”

John 3:8 The WIND blows where it wishes and you HEAR the SOUND of it . . . so is everyone who is born of the Spirit

*In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is talking to the highest ranking teacher of Israel, his name was Nicodemus . . .

*Jesus said to Nicodemus, the WIND BLOWS where it wishes and your HEAR the SOUND of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going . . .

*What is the word Jesus uses for WIND? The word for natural wind is a-no-mos but Jesus did not use this word. Jesus used the word pneuma which is the word used for Spirit!

*What is the word Jesus uses for BLOWS? The word for blows is a form of the word pneuma. Jesus says, the Spirit—Spirits where He wishes and . . .

* . . . and you HEAR the SOUND of Him but do not know where He is coming from and where He is going . . .

*What is the word Jesus uses for HEAR and what is the word Jesus uses for SOUND? The word for HEAR is the word a-kou-o and we get our word acoustics from it.

*The usual word for SOUND is also a-kou-o, but the word Jesus uses in this passage is pho-ne-o and we get our word phonetics from it!

*The word pho-ne-o is most often understood to mean “articulated voice.”

*So, let’s take a fresh look at what Jesus literally said to Nicodemus: Jesus said, The WIND i.e. SPIRIT blows or SPIRITS or breathes where He wishes . . .

*. . . and when the SPIRIT breathes or SPIRITS, you HEAR His articulated voice, but you don’t know where He (the articulated voice), is taking you . . .

*. . . so it is with EVERYONE who is born of the Spirit! Everyone HEARS the articulated voice—words—language when the Spirit breathes—blows!

*Now, let’s take another look at what your Bible says about the apostle John . . .

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I HEARD behind me, a loud voice like the SOUND of a trumpet . . .

Revelation 1:12 . . . THEN I turned to SEE the VOICE that was speaking with me, and having turned, I SAW

*The translation I have given you, is the way this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus was interpreted until 325 A.D.

*It wasn’t until Augustine married the church to the state that it was changed from meaning SPIRIT to mean natural breeze!

So, when you desire to worship in the spirit, you can and should pray in the spirit!

I believe we should pray in the spirit . . .

II. When we Discover WEARINESS in our SOUL!

Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up, on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit!

*The life we live is one that is filled with hills and valleys, highs and lows and there are times we will discover weariness in our soul . . .

*It is in these seasons of our life when nobody else can be the lifter of our soul and we will need to be able to encourage our self in the Lord!

*How do we encourage our self in the Lord?

1 Corinthians 14:4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself (builds himself up . . . praying in the Holy Spirit)!

*What else did the apostle Paul say about this carnal, fleshly group of people he called saints who were lacking in no spiritual grace in chapter one?

1 Corinthians 14:15 What is the outcome then? I wish that you all spoke in tongues . . . What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and . . . I will sing with the spirit . . .

I believe we should pray in the spirit when we Desire to Worship in the Spirit and when we Discover Weariness in our Soul and . . .

III. When we Discern WARFARE in our LIFE!

Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition, pray at all times, in the spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance . . .

*What is the context for the apostle Paul’s exhortation to Believers?

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might . . .

Ephesians 6:11 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places . . .

*Notice how he instructs us to be strong in the Lord when we Discern Warfare in our Life: With all prayer (with the mind, with the Spirit and in the Spirit), and with all manner of petition . . .

* . . . pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints!

*Illustration: My first mission trip was to Brazil in 1983. My assignment was to be the leader of a team of 3 Pastors for 21 days and leave a new church in the hands of the host church. . .

. . . at the end of 21 days, the Lord had blessed and we had more than 500 new Believers to be part of this new church . . .

. . . as we discussed with the host Pastor about his recommendation for spiritual leaders for this new church, he had already identified a godly man and woman who thought they had retired . . .

. . . as I talked with this godly couple, I realized they had a spiritual maturity that I did not have and I asked them their secret to becoming so successful in marriage and in ministry . . .

. . . They said to me that it is an easy answer, we pray at all times in the Spirit . . . The depth of their answer flew right over the top of my head. So, I asked them, how do you pray at all times in the spirit?

*I thought they were talking about praying with their intellect and heart. So, when I returned, I tried praying for a specified length of time at the end of my long day as a student, coach and athletic director, only for Marie to find me asleep on my knees when she woke up in the next morning . . .

*I did not know what the wise old couple was talking about in Brazil, but they told me that in time I would understand what they were talking about!

*It is inevitable that when some people hear me and or others talking about praying in, with and or through the spirit, they feel as if I and or others are saying they are “lacking something” or are “less than” someone who prays in, with or through the spirit. . .

*Please, please hear me today, I in no way mean to infer or suggest that you or anyone else is lacking something or are less than any other Believer . . .

*. . . it is my conviction that you are not lacking anything, just as I was not lacking anything, I simply did not know how to release what or who I already had inside of me . . .

*When the SPIRIT breathes, or SPIRITS, we HEAR the SOUND, like John did, and when we turn to SEE the articulated voice we HEARD, we eventually will Hear and then Speak His articulated language through our spirit . . .

*So, if you have not yet released His articulated voice through your spirit, do not grow weary in well-doing . . . there is a good chance that your soul has been talking you out of praying in, with and or through the spirit, but it will happen . . .

*What was the Key for me?

1 Corinthians 14:15 What is the outcome then? I WILL pray with the spirit AND I will pray with the mind also; I WILL sing with the spirit AND I WILL sing with the mind also . . .