#2 Prayer Book

I have read over 1500 pages about prayer on this study break. My life is being deeply affected.

My first recommendation to read is Tim Keller's book on prayer. My second choice is "Mighty Prevailing Prayer" by Wesley Duewell.

Hosea Bilyeu recommended this book, saying it had changed his life. When a man I respect as much as I respect Hosea recommends a life-changing book, I want to run as hard and hast as I can to find a copy of it.

I was not disappointed in this book. It lived up to its billing. Buy and read a copy soon.

"Prayer" by Tim Keller

I decided to spend the month of January focusing my study and reading on prayer. It has been a marvelous experience. I have read several books; all have been helpful. The most helpful book, beside the Bible of course, is Tim Keller's book "Prayer."

This should come as no surprise. Keller is one of the most gifted Pastors in all the USA. His Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC has helped start over 240 churches. His writings are prolific and profound. "Prayer" is the fourth book of his that I would consider must-reads.

The other three are "The Reason for God", "The Prodigal God", and "Walking with God through Pain and Suffering". Each of these books had a profound effect on me. The first is a powerful apologetic defending our faith. The second is a masterful tribute to the loving kindness of God. The third is self-explanatory; it helped me with several things in my life that I struggle with.

Keller's book on prayer is a masterpiece. His research seems exhaustless; he mines a lot of gold. He then takes this massive amount of information and boils it down to everyday application. This book will help your prayer life. I did read other books; I'll discuss them on this blog later. God bless you as you pray earnestly and daily.

"Fervent" book

I have devoted January to the study of prayer. This book is being studied by our ladies at Second under the tutelage of Paula Voris.

Ruth has been reading the book. She kept bragging on it, and saying I needed to read it due to my decision to focus on prayer.

Oh my! What a blessing. The book spoke to me in many ways. The author offers some great quotes, and the Scripture passages she uses are always pertinent to what she is saying at that moment.

One of my favorite teachings from the book is its strong emphasis on having a prayer strategy. If you do not have an organized system to pray, your prayers will always gravitate to me, my four, and no more.

If you don't have a prayer folder yet, buy one. If a folder is not for you, then find some other method to systematize and strategize your prayers.

I urge you to buy and read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Intercessory Prayer

Ephesians 6:18h

Intercession

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

Eph. 6:18h (Holman)   . . .and intercession for all the saints.

 

As your pastor, I plead with us all, pray for one another, for at least four reasons. One, intercede because Jesus does. Believers are to imitate Christ, who is the ultimate mediator. In Heaven, Jesus "ever lives to make intercession" (Heb. 7:25b). To be like Jesus, we must pray for others. C. D. Meigs expressed it well:

 

Lord, help me live from day to day in such a self-forgetful way

That even when I kneel to pray, my prayer shall be for others.

Others, Lord, yes, others, let this my motto be,

Help me to live for others, that I may live like Thee.

 

In us, Christ lives to mold us into His own image, which includes shaping us to pray for others as He does. To be like Jesus, we must intercede, having a desire to make requests for others.

Two, intercede in order to avoid selfishness. A vital result of praying "in the Spirit" (v. 18) is that He keeps our prayers from being mired totally in selfishness.

Making specific requests for ourselves is okay, but often we fall into the trap of asking only for ourselves. When this happens, ­our prayers become selfishness.

Prayer ought to be unselfish, for it is the language of God's kingdom, which is a community, a band of comrades, spiritual brothers and sisters. Prayer is the communication link of a society whose life-blood is sociableness.

Christians are not only individuals, but also mem­bers of a body. We be­long to, and should give ourselves to, one another. The bond ­­among believers is never stronger than when we pray for each other. We all need the mutual prayer support.

I fear we are too often isolationists. We go home, close our doors, and hide too much. This is one reason public worship is critical. It gets us together, keeps us from alone-ness. Intercessory prayer also helps us here.

This is a major reason why we should tell others we are praying for them. When we give to the poor, we are to do so "in secret" (MT 6:4), but this does not apply to intercession. We don't want to be self-righteous or ostentatious about it, but the Bible clearly lets us know it is okay to tell others we are praying for them.

Moses let the people know he was praying for them (Deut. 9:25-26). Samuel did too (1 Sam. 12:23). Jesus told Peter He had prayed for him (Luke 22:31-32a). He let the disciples know He prayed for them (John 17:9), and let us know He would pray for us (John 17:20). Paul, in at least nine letters, let individuals and churches know he prayed for them (Rom. 1:8-10; 10:1, 1 Cor. 1:4, Eph. 1:16; 3:16, Phil. 1:3, Col. 1:3, 1 Thess. 1:2, 2 Thess. 1:11, 2 Tim. 1:3, Pm. 4). Intercede, and then tell each other you are praying for them. Love can fly on the wings of this.

Intercessory prayer is not a burden to aggravate us, but rather a precious blessing from God, given to draw us out of our own selves. Preoccupation with self is the root of much mental sadness. Intercessory prayer is a God-given aid, to help relieve mental illness. When sad, turning in on ourselves in unbounded pity worsens our plight. Praying for others helps lift us from the sad mire of ourselves.

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones relates a pertinent story. Immediately prior to the Spanish Civil War, psychological clinics in Spain were filled to overflowing.  Once the war began, these clinics essentially emptied. The same phenomenon occurred in Britain just before World War II. As people's attention was turned away from their own personal problems, their mental health drastically improved.

Self-centeredness is not only sinful, but also destructive and detrimental to self. Ironically, selfishness undermines the purpose for which selfishness exists.

It is meant to make us happy, but results instead in misery. Intercession can help reverse this, and enable us to have a wonderful experience of mental healing.

Three, intercede because prayer works. I­­­t changes circumstances, heals the sick, and alters lives. At some point, we Christians must all deep down confront our own inner selves­, do we really be­lieve in the power of prayer? We are often like the saints who gath­ered to pray for Peter's release from prison. When Rhoda told them Peter was at the gate, they said, "You are out of your mind!" (AC 12:15). They did not believe God had­ answered them, nor were they expecting Him to.

Get gut-level hon­­est, d­o we really think God wants to move in peo­ple's lives? As a result of our pray­ers, can a fellow saint overcome temptation, a stu­dent be made to stand, a businessman be kept from cheating, or a politician be given clear vision? Yes, but we must truly believe it, or we will not inter­cede. If our faith falters when we think of interceding, let us cry out with the father of the demon possessed son, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24).

Four, intercede because we care about people. ­Let the hurts and needs of others get under our skin. Paul, speaking about his prayers for, and his pride in, the church at Philippi, revealed his inner motivation, his inward secret to success in the matter of intercession, "I have you in my heart" (Philippians 1:7).

Paul mastered the essential trait of being able to absorb into his innermost being the hurts and needs of others. He taught us the need to "weep with them that weep" (Romans 12:15b). Paul, having learned this, practiced what he preached.

Letting himself hurt for others, Paul confessed he carried "the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern" (2 Cor. 11:28b-29 NASB)?

When we see someone bearing a large load, we usually feel inclined to stop and offer to help carry it. Seeing an obvious need impresses itself on our sympathy.

Truth is, everyone we see today carries a heavy load, and bears a burden, but since it is unseen, we often forget to help them bear it. Find the load on those we meet, and use intercessory prayer to help lift it. Have a heart tender for others.

When we harden our hearts toward others, we stifle the very feeling of pain that can drive us to effective prayer. As we choke out sen­sitiv­ity toward others, we cheat ourselves by suffocating what could kindle in us many won­der­ful prayers.

Some who could be among our church's most powerful ­prayer war­riors are yet undiscovered, their potential prayers lying dormant under the crust of a hardened heart. How sad to stand someday before God and hear Him say we were meant to be one of His most powerful prayer warriors, but it all went for naught because we refused to hurt. If we have hardened our hearts due to awful pain, the very fact itself indicates we are capable of strong feeling; God gave us a sensi­tive spirit. Don't squelch sympathy, for if we refuse to feel, we lose a choice blessing.

One way Paul proved he cared about people was by being intentional in his praying for them. He obviously organized some kind of a plan, a system, a method.

Paul was prolific in his intercessory prayers. Speaking of his prayers offered for others, he claimed he prayed "always" for Philemon (Phil. 4), and "without ceas­ing" remembered Timothy in prayer "night and day" (2 Tim. 1:3). The only way he could have fulfilled all these claims would have been to have a systematic approach to prayer. He either had a written list, or committed them all to memory. Whichever way it was, the main thing is; he obviously had some type of system.

Often we fail in inter­cession not because we don't want to pray, but because we don't plan to. With­out foresight, and unless we plan otherwise before­hand, we constrict our pray­ers, narrowing them down to our own little circles.

In the matter of intercession, "the power of prayer is gained by systematic discipline" (West­cott). Emphasize the word "system­at­ic." For years I have kept a prayer fold­er containing various lists of names--family, fellow staff, church members, peo­ple with special requests, etc. Nothing has been more helpful in keeping me faithful in intercessory prayer. I also pray over prayer requests turned in on connection cards each Sunday. These customs keep my circle of prayer from constricting to me, my four, and no more.

 

 

Inauguration

When I board my flight at DFW, headed home to Springfield, Mr. Obama will be my President. When I disembark in Springfield, Mr. Trump will be my President.

This peaceful transfer of power, which we too often greet with a yawn and take for granted, is a marvel unknown by most of the world. We need a renewed awe of it.

George Washington, our first and greatest President, gave us this gift. We often talk about how he could have been King George the First had he wanted to be.

He also could have been President Washington for life. His willingness to step down after two terms set the example for all Presidents till FDR. Then it became law through a constitutional amendment.

As you watch the inauguration, thank the Lord first. Next, thank Mr. Washington, for whom today's Inauguration City is appropriately named. God bless America.

Praying for Presidents

I do not know for sure when I began praying daily for our government leaders. My best guess is about 1985, when Ronald Reagan was president.

About that time, my prayer life was radically altered by attending a prayer conference led by Don Miller at Ellisville Baptist Church in St. Louis. At that time, private devotional time became a permanent fixture in my life.

I have prayed for presidents I agreed with, and ones I disagreed with. I have prayed for God's wisdom for them, and for God to use them for His honor and glory.

I also pray for other government leaders, especially those I have served as Pastor and/or personally known. On a side note, I find having a picture of the official to pray over to be very helpful.

Psalm 119

I love the Bible; therefore I love Psalm 119. With only a few exceptions, each of its 176 verses extols God's Word.

Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem divided into 22 sections, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each line of the first section starts with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; each line of the second section with the second letter, etc.

For me, Psalm 119 is one of the tallest trees in the forest of literature. Every year, I thrill at having the chance to read it again.

I encourage you to remove all distractions, and read it in one sitting. Take your time. Ponder the words. Be blessed.

New Prayer Regimen

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I am going to change my daily devotion structure, for the first time in over 30 years. For sure I am going to set a schedule to read the entire Bible in a year. After doing this, I may break my daily private time, what Andrew Murray called inner chamber time, into three distinct parts.

One, I will have a Bible/meditation time. I will read the Word, and seek words that speak to me significantly at that moment. Two, I will have a prayer folder time. This will allow for assorted types of praying. Three, I will pray over connection cards requests from Sunday. I am a Pastor; I enjoy praying for my flock.

Sometimes I will do these three together; other times I will do them separately. I'll experiment with this, and see how it goes. Stay tuned. More info later.

Hyper-competitive

I have always been overly competitive. I had to quit playing on church-league teams due to my bad attitude. I even had a problem with the fact that in my recent heart rehab group there was a guy who walked faster than I did. That really bugged me.

One side effect of this hyper-competitiveness is that I sometimes overreact to the sports teams I love. It's been a tough season in sports for me. Neither the Cardinals nor the Royals made the playoffs. Alabama lost. Dallas Lost. The Chiefs lost. All these facts combined can make for one unhappy preacher.

I have to remind myself often. Sports is a diversion, a relaxation, entertainment--a way to let our minds escape other more important things that can weigh heavily on us. "It's just a game" is more profound than we give it credit for being.

I'm glad to have this off my chest. I feel better now. By the way, when does Spring training start?

Reading the Bible

I have long admired the missionary work of Canadian Jonathan Goforth in China. He was a giant of the faith. Recently I read in Wesley Duewel's book "Mighty Prevailing Prayer" about Goforth's private devotional life. I was brought almost to tears.

Every morning he would begin the day with Bible study, pencil and notebook in hand. He read the entire Bible in Chinese 35 times. He read the Chinese New Testament 60 times. By his death, he had read the entire Bible consecutively 73 times. He said, "I am ever wishing I could spend several hundred years at the Bible."

What a blessing. I know there is no magic charm in reading the whole Bible each year. I also know a person can read too fast and not let the words sink deep within. Yet at the same time, I also know that anyone who reads the Bible with a prayerful spirit will be immeasurably blessed by the discipline.

By the way, don't you agree with me that Goforth is the greatest missionary name in history. We are to go forth.

My Sports Woes

It's been a tough season for me. My Cardinals did not make the postseason for the first time in years. They have been "my team" since 1964.

My Alabama Crimson Tide, which I deemed invincible this year, lost the national championship game. Former staff members at Second caused me to fall in love with Alabama.

My sports hopes for this season now rest on my Cowboys. Anyone who knows football knows this is an iffy peg to hang your hat on. We'll see. Go Dallas.

Ephesians 6:18d-g

Ephesians 6:18d-g

Pray. Request. Stay Alert. Persevere.

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

Eph. 6:18d   (Holman) . . .with every prayer. . .

 

"Every prayer" is prayer in all its many facets. We pray "at all times," in all circumstances, and must pray "with every prayer," in many different ways. Variety in situations requires variety in prayer. As our interaction with people has variety–it is not all asking, all telling, all laughing, all crying, all verbal–thus it is with God.

Since prayer is effective in many forms, we should use every method and approach in prayer. Some prayers are spoken or sung, others are silent, being desires or thoughts of love directed to God. Solomon offered a long prayer at the dedication of the temple (2 Chronicles 6:12-42). Nehemiah offered a short prayer before the king (Nehemiah 2:4). We can cry in panic, as in Peter's, "Lord, save me!" We can talk solely for pleasure, as in, "Lord, I love you. I enjoy you."

Be versatile, learn to use "every prayer." Thanksgivings have to be offered; pray often, "Thank you, Lord." Confessions need to be made; say often, "I have sinned." Make requests for ourselves, and present intercessions on behalf of others.

"Every prayer" covers all settings. Public prayers in corporate worship teach and inspire others to pray. We pray in our social lives, enhancing the fellowship we enjoy with other Christians. We pray in our home lives at the family altar and at meals. We have private prayer, prayers of the closet, when we are alone with God.

These times of secret prayer will make or break our over-all prayer life. My own private prayer time, having often vacillated between the extremes of joyful ups and painful downs, has evolved over the years. Daily Bible reading eventually became easy for me, but daily private prayer time continues to be difficult.

I did it for years first thing in the morning, but often found myself groggy or too preoccupied with the day's upcoming schedule to give God my best. I have tried doing it at night, before falling asleep, in preparation for the next day. I now do daily Bible reading in my insomnia hours of the night, and do prayer usually before heading to work. I urge us, find what works best for you, when your mind is its sharpest, and then stay with it. God deserves our best.

Hudson Taylor, one of Christian history's greatest missionaries, was always pressed about with people wanting to have access to him. It was hard for him to have private time with God in prayer and Bible reading, but he knew it was vital.

People who worked with him told of how they would hear a match struck at 2 a.m. and then long see the flicker of candlelight. However weary he was, Hudson Taylor's time with God was from 2 to 4 a.m., for only then could he be undisturbed before God. E. M. Bounds, famous prayer champion and Methodist Pastor, prayed from 4 to 7 AM every day. George Mueller, considered by many to be the most powerful pray-er of the modern era, would spend 15 to 30 minutes on his knees reading the Bible; he said after this he "only then began really to pray."

With God's help, give yourself to developing an effective private prayer and Bible reading time. Without it, all else in preparation for Christian living is vain. Private prayer is vital. I remind us, in the private place of prayer, in the garden, Christ prayed while Peter slept. Later, in the palace, Christ was faithful and Peter fell. Let secret prayer be the reservoir from which "every prayer" flows.

 

Eph. 6:18e   . . .and request, . . .

 

Whereas "every prayer" is more general, denoting prayer in its many varied forms and methods, "request" is specific, referring to definite petitions. In light of our context, Christian warfare, we are probably safe to assume Paul was thinking primarily of specific requests made in times of temptation.

We believers must display outward godliness, for if we fail in behavior, our wit­ness dwindles in effectiveness. Be unselfish. For the sake of Christ, be­lievers, and the lost, strive for holiness. In every conflict of our spiritual warfare, since we need the victory only God can provide, never be afraid or timid to make specific requests for yourself. Note my emphasis on "specific" requests. Pray in such a way that we can know whether or not God has granted our "request." Specific requests allow God to answer specifically, and thus gain appropriate glory.

 

Eph. 6:18f   . . .and stay alert in this. . .

 

All armor in the world cannot protect a soldier who is asleep. "Stay alert." Being attentive and vigilant bespeaks prayer by intent, the result of effort and inconvenience to self, "the sort of prayer about which trouble is taken" (Gore). "Stay alert", even to the loss of sleep if necessary. Our conflict with temptation is lifelong. The necessity for constant vig­ilance in prayer never ceases. Never be careless. "Stay alert", take every opportunity, and im­prove every chance, to pray.

Watch not only for occasions to pray, but also for the answer, as we do when we send a text, email, or letter to someone we love. If we lose interest in the response to our prayer, do not expect God to be overly concerned about it.

In Gethsemane, Jesus warned the disciples, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation" (Matthew 26:41a). Failure to "stay alert" leads to disaster, "for the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41b). Like Peter, James, and John, we, too, often sleep when we should be staying alert and pray­ing.

 

Eph. 6:18g   (Holman) . . .with all perseverance. . .

 

God delights in persistence. It shows we are serious, mean business; earnest, not dabbling. God always answers our requests. He says yes, no, or wait.

The lat­ter brings "per­­severance" into play. "Yes" excites and encourages us. As God grants spe­ci­fic requests, we are uplifted. "No" develops in us a sub­­mis­sive spirit. Often, the greatest miracles in prayer are those wrought in the hearts of the ones praying. Prayer usually changes not only things, but also the one who prays.

"Wait" spurs "perseverance," keeps us de­pending on, and thus focused on, Him. In "wait," God conveys­ a priceless blessing, His very self, to His children.

Let me illustrate. If I asked everyone in this room who had been praying for a particular matter for over 20 years to stand, I would quickly have to tell them to sit. If they stood very long, thus forced to dwell on their prayer request, their eyes would fill with tears.

Why? Because if they have prayed for a matter that long, it is obviously the apple of their eye, the yearning of their essence. One thing that has helped keep them faithful in prayer so long is the burden of their desire. Yes, it is painful, and grief is never fun, but can we not also see God has used this very pain to keep our minds focused on Him, thereby keeping our hearts riveted to His?

This does not mean He caused the pain or problem because of us. No, God does not play cat and mouse games with us. He rather uses our pains to help us.

God often denies us the burning desire of our heart because He knows this is one way He can keep us close to Himself, thereby sparing us much worse pain. The thing that keeps us focused on God may actually be sparing us from much greater pains and burdens that would come if we ever did backslide.

If we truly desire to know God in all His full­ness, expect to hear "wait" often and long. Live "with all per­severance." It encourages regularity in prayer and turns it into a habit. Desire delayed helps us stay faithful in prayer a long time.

Whether the answer is ultimately yes or no, we must persist, notwith­standing any discouragement. We are not to give up or be depressed when answers are long in coming. Only God knows when the time is right to answer a prayer.  Our duty is to keep on praying, trusting God to answer in His own time and way.

A lady once handed me a written prayer request, asking me to join her in praying her children would return to God. She wrote at the end of her request, "I will never give up." This perfectly illustrates praying "with all perseverance."

A mother in our church recently asked me to pray for her wayward son. When I replied that this breaks my heart, she replied, "It is indeed heart breaking, but I will always have hope." This is what it takes to pray "with all perseverance."

 

Pray at all times

EPHESIANS 6:18a-c

Pray at All Times in the Spirit

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

Eph. 6:18a (Holman)   Pray. . .

 

Paul is discussing how Christians can stand fast in our war against Satan. Success will require prayer. We must learn what it means to fight on our knees.

If I had my life to live over, I would spend more time in my younger years trying to master the discipline of prayer. I wish I had read more biographies of prayer warriors, and more books about prayer. I am overwhelmingly conscious of a need for more power in my prayers, but find myself a 65-year-old possessing what I feel to be a 10-year-old's grasp of prayer. I should be approaching matur­ity in prayer, but am instead just beginning. I am playing "catch up" and I do not like it.

Dear fellow believers, we must give ourselves to prayer. These are desperate times in our nation, churches, and families. The battle is engaged. In times of spiritual warfare like ours, we must sound an alarm in the ears of Heaven. God waits to be taken. Lay hold on Him. When Sa­tan attacks, we have the privilege and responsibility to send distress signals, specific requests for help, to Heaven. The devil cannot sever our communication line with God, but we can fail to use it.

The Knights of Charlemagne once unnecessarily suffered a terrible defeat. Reinforcements were waiting nearby, but Roland, the commander, was too proud to ask for help. All he had to do was blow his horn, but he refused to; as a result, his men were massacred. Warriors, blow the horn of heaven. Call God to our aid.

 

Eph. 6:18b   . . .at all times. . .

 

Pray on every occasion, in every incident of life. To assure we make the best of every situation, let everything, including our "to do" list, be a matter of prayer. Pray not only in crises, but habitually, in all types of circumstances.

Every Christian should have a prayerful spirit "at all times", even in the busy-ness of life. Prayer is not a substitute for action or an encouragement to laziness. We pray while suited for battle, but even as we go forth to tend to the day's affairs, we keep our hearts sitting at God's gate.

We must learn to practice the presence of God, having a never-ending sense of communion with Him. A continually sensed consciousness of God is the foundation of all true spirituality.

This fosters a mindset that offers up prayers frequently. As soldiers, Christians are obligated to maintain constant contact with their heavenly Commander‑in‑chief. Every true soldier fights under the consciously realized direction of a commanding officer, and stays in touch.

Scripture is the soldier's battleground Word from the Commander‑in‑chief; prayer is the Christian soldier's reply to the Commander‑in‑chief at headquarters. This communication line must remain open and ready for use at all times.

In battle, few things more terrify a soldier than broken communication with headquarters. In WWI, a regiment went into the Argonne Forest and was lost. For days they were out of touch with headquarters. They were finally located, but in the meantime, their ranks had been terribly decimated.

Christian soldiers, fight, always recognizing we have a directing Superior. Prayer is our life‑line in battle. Offer up prayers as often as possible. Our Master prayed. If He sought strength by prayer, how can we His followers think we can live without it? Jesus prayed "at all times", long before dawn, in the evening hours, all night, before meals, etc. We, too, need to pray frequently, at dawn, noon, dusk, day and night. On coffee break, pray. Before breakfast, dinner, and supper, pray. Before we put our feet on the floor in the morning, and after we put them in the bed at night, pray. If suffering insomnia, turn sleepless hours into prayer times.

Praying "at all times" is what makes one a "prayer warrior", and without exception, every conquering Christian has been a "prayer warrior". The term itself is a wonderful paradox. It combines a word implying weakness (prayer) with one denoting strength (warrior). In prayer we are weak toward Christ, standing before Him in our frailty and dependence; a stark contrast with God's strength.

By kneeling in weakness before Christ in prayer, the believer is enabled to stand strong as a warrior before Satan. Be assured, Satan looks for prayerless saints. Nonpraying Christians tempt Lucifer to tempt them, but Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saints on their knees. When our prayers fetch Christ into the battle, we assure Satan's defeat. Chrysostom said prayer was a whip to torment the devil, and to put him into another Hell. Amen. "Pray at all times."

 

Eph. 6:18c   . . .in the Spirit. . .

 

To be effective, prayers must be neither formal nor mechan­ical, but offered depending on the Holy Spirit's direction and influence. Prayer, in its truest form, from beginning to end, is all of God--offered to the Father through the Son by the Spirit. To the Father--do not make the too common mistake of taking our difficulties to people instead of to God. Through the Son--pray in Jesus' name; His blood makes prayer possible. By the Spirit--He prompts true prayer.

The Holy Spirit helps us pray accurately. "We know not what we should pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26). Only the Spirit can make our prayers precise. He sees the battle­field better than we do. Thus, we need to commit our prayers unto His guidance and editing. When kneeling to pray, do not always rush into the mat­ter at hand. Pray to be enabled to pray. We do not want our own words and thoughts to predominate. We want to be taught how to pray, what to say.

The Holy Spirit helps us pray with fervent conviction. Prayer is a duty first, but should by the Spirit's help turn into a delight, an unquenchable flaming desire. We need the Spirit to melt our formality into consuming fire, to set us ablaze, to burn away our lethargy. If our prayers do not stir our own hearts, what right do we have to expect them to move God's heart? A half-hearted prayer can bring no blessing from Heaven because it does not have enough energy to reach Heaven.

Pray, not in our strength, but "in the Spirit," consciously aware an assisting Power is available to help us pray accurately and fervently. The Father entrusted the Bible, His words for us, to the Holy Spirit (6:17). We should reciprocate in kind, entrusting our words for the Father to the Holy Spirit. Pray "in the Spirit."