What Does it Mean to Pray in The Spirit?
Prayer is often the struggle, a tiny, petty human attempting to understand the ways of God, to accept the will of God, the battle to allow God to replace our ridiculously selfish will with His own incredible, beautiful, mysterious will -- the battle between spirit and flesh. We want to do it our way, we think we have the formula figured out, we think our studies and thoughts have been fruitful, and that we are the experts, and yet God says: "No, you know nothing of Me, but if you allow Me to lead you, I will lead you into all truth."
Man, in all his learning, in all his years of climbing upon the shoulders of giants, knows nothing of God, understands a pitiful handful of facts (and those are generally scrambled and argued and misunderstood), and constantly turns what God says in clarity, into chaotic mush fit for idiots. God says do this, and man replies, God says do that (with a hint of this thrown in).
But the Holy Spirit is the great clarifier, He takes what is mystery and converts it into human words so that humans might walk with God, talk with God, follow the correct path -- and then other men take what the Holy Spirit has revealed and they mash it into chaotic mush, they claim that the Holy Spirit takes sense and crumples it into nonsense. We know nothing of God, every molecule of our being leads us in the wrong way, in our own way, but the Holy Spirit constantly contends with our willful ways, the Holy Spirit is not concerned with the ways of man -- He pulls us toward the ways of God:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by
his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For
what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are
freely given to us of God. Which things
also we speak, not in the words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned. But he that is
spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself
is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord,
that he may instruct him? But we have the
mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16
The Holy Spirit constantly leads us back toward the will of God, toward the things of God, toward obedience to God -- the spirit of man knows nothing of God, the spirit of man is a temporary thing, it is part of the "natural man," whereas the Holy Spirit is not of man, is not concerned with the things of the flesh, the things of the temporary. He, the Holy Spirit, is concerned with the things of God, eternal things, the REAL things -- our life is not reality, but a temporary passing of the winds, nothing in this life is permanent, nothing in this life lasts forever, this life is a whirling, whirring spiral of constantly moving molecules, nothing sits still, nothing sits permanent.
The Holy Spirit leads us to God, REVEALS God to us, presents God in understandable ways, bit by bit, so that man might draw nigh to God. The Holy Spirit is God shaping our clay, shaping the clay of our mind, renewing our mind, giving us the Mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit brings our pitiful human mind into concert with the Mind of Christ.
But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. But
he that is spiritual judgeth all things,
yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the
Lord, that he may instruct him? But
we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
Is the mind of Christ chaotic? It is inarticulate? Is it gibberish? Babble? Much speaking? Vain repetitions? Blowing the bugle without knowing the commands? Or is it reason, calm understanding, peace, order and logical? The Bible says here that with the Holy Spirit things are judged spiritually, he that is spiritual judgeth all things.
The Holy Spirit teaches our willful, militant minds; the Holy Spirit is the secret to understanding. We thrash around, complaining, desiring, lusting, we gush in idiotic syllables, and the Holy Spirit hushes us, the Holy Spirit takes our groans and make sense of them. The Holy Spirit opens new yearnings inside of us, yearnings we can't understand or explain, but yearnings that lead us away from the world, and into obedience in God, obedience to God.
The Holy Spirit opens our mental eyes to the truth, He leads us into truth, despite our ignorance, despite our lack of intelligence, despite our stupid ideas, despite our slow speech and inarticulate babblings. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all Truth, if we allow Him to operate in our lives, if we listen to Him, if we desire Him and pray for Him.
I have yet many things to say unto you, but
ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when
He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide
you into all truth: for He shall not speak of
Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that
shall He speak: and He will shew you things
to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine:
therefore said I, that He shall take of mine,
and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:12-15
The Holy Spirit constantly intercedes for us. We need His help, His input, His direction. We can't do it on our own. We can't do it by studying. We can't do it by seeking. We can't do it by applying knowledge, or logic, or our own wisdom. The Holy Spirit constantly helps us, and leads us where we need to go, and when we allow Him to empower our prayer, we will pray at a new level. Spirit, and Understanding, you cannot possibly have one without the other, that's why the Bible so constantly links them together, spirit and understanding, spirit and truth.
Man, in all his learning, in all his years of climbing upon the shoulders of giants, knows nothing of God, understands a pitiful handful of facts (and those are generally scrambled and argued and misunderstood), and constantly turns what God says in clarity, into chaotic mush fit for idiots. God says do this, and man replies, God says do that (with a hint of this thrown in).
But the Holy Spirit is the great clarifier, He takes what is mystery and converts it into human words so that humans might walk with God, talk with God, follow the correct path -- and then other men take what the Holy Spirit has revealed and they mash it into chaotic mush, they claim that the Holy Spirit takes sense and crumples it into nonsense. We know nothing of God, every molecule of our being leads us in the wrong way, in our own way, but the Holy Spirit constantly contends with our willful ways, the Holy Spirit is not concerned with the ways of man -- He pulls us toward the ways of God:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by
his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For
what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are
freely given to us of God. Which things
also we speak, not in the words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned. But he that is
spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself
is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord,
that he may instruct him? But we have the
mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16
The Holy Spirit constantly leads us back toward the will of God, toward the things of God, toward obedience to God -- the spirit of man knows nothing of God, the spirit of man is a temporary thing, it is part of the "natural man," whereas the Holy Spirit is not of man, is not concerned with the things of the flesh, the things of the temporary. He, the Holy Spirit, is concerned with the things of God, eternal things, the REAL things -- our life is not reality, but a temporary passing of the winds, nothing in this life is permanent, nothing in this life lasts forever, this life is a whirling, whirring spiral of constantly moving molecules, nothing sits still, nothing sits permanent.
The Holy Spirit leads us to God, REVEALS God to us, presents God in understandable ways, bit by bit, so that man might draw nigh to God. The Holy Spirit is God shaping our clay, shaping the clay of our mind, renewing our mind, giving us the Mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit brings our pitiful human mind into concert with the Mind of Christ.
But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. But
he that is spiritual judgeth all things,
yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the
Lord, that he may instruct him? But
we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
Is the mind of Christ chaotic? It is inarticulate? Is it gibberish? Babble? Much speaking? Vain repetitions? Blowing the bugle without knowing the commands? Or is it reason, calm understanding, peace, order and logical? The Bible says here that with the Holy Spirit things are judged spiritually, he that is spiritual judgeth all things.
The Holy Spirit teaches our willful, militant minds; the Holy Spirit is the secret to understanding. We thrash around, complaining, desiring, lusting, we gush in idiotic syllables, and the Holy Spirit hushes us, the Holy Spirit takes our groans and make sense of them. The Holy Spirit opens new yearnings inside of us, yearnings we can't understand or explain, but yearnings that lead us away from the world, and into obedience in God, obedience to God.
The Holy Spirit opens our mental eyes to the truth, He leads us into truth, despite our ignorance, despite our lack of intelligence, despite our stupid ideas, despite our slow speech and inarticulate babblings. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all Truth, if we allow Him to operate in our lives, if we listen to Him, if we desire Him and pray for Him.
I have yet many things to say unto you, but
ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when
He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide
you into all truth: for He shall not speak of
Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that
shall He speak: and He will shew you things
to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine:
therefore said I, that He shall take of mine,
and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:12-15
The Holy Spirit constantly intercedes for us. We need His help, His input, His direction. We can't do it on our own. We can't do it by studying. We can't do it by seeking. We can't do it by applying knowledge, or logic, or our own wisdom. The Holy Spirit constantly helps us, and leads us where we need to go, and when we allow Him to empower our prayer, we will pray at a new level. Spirit, and Understanding, you cannot possibly have one without the other, that's why the Bible so constantly links them together, spirit and understanding, spirit and truth.
Comment
© 2024 Created by Raliegh Jones Jr..
Powered by
You need to be a member of Black Preaching Network to add comments!
Join Black Preaching Network