THE COMFORTER – PART 7
Sunday, July 02, 2000
POWER TO PRAY THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 KJV
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Acts 10:44-46 KJV
The Holy Ghost is a free gift, poured out on all those who would receive Him. In the book of Acts, those who were baptized in and filled with the Holy Ghost, also spoke in other tongues, extolling and magnifying God. The Hebrew word for “gift” – “dorea” - of the Holy Ghost is not the same as the word for “gifts” – “charisma” - of the Spirit – tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophesy, etc. in 1 Corinthians 12. The Holy Spirit is a gift in the sense that He is given free – you can’t pay for Him. The gifts of the Spirit, which operate through those who are baptized in the Holy Spirit, are a gift in the sense that they are a special, supernatural endowment – an ability which operates through men as the Spirit wills.
When you are filled with the Spirit, you pray out of your spirit man. Your spirit speaks in tongues through your mouth. The Holy Spirit, in your spirit, is the One who gives the utterance. You can pray in the spirit whenever you choose. This is not the “gift” of tongues – it is your prayer language. When you pray out of your own spirit in tongues, it is a hot line to heaven. Your mind cannot understand it and most importantly, the devil cannot understand it!
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 NKJ
We should pray and sing in our native tongue – in our case, English – and we should pray and sing in the spirit – in other tongues as the Spirit gives us the utterance. We speak, pray and sing in our own languages in order to edify others and ourselves.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Jude 1:20 KJV
We build up, strengthen, and edify ourselves spiritually, as we pray in the spirit.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 NKJ
Unless we pray according to God’s will, He will not hear us and He will not answer us. If we want our prayers to be answered, we must pray so that God can hear us. When we don’t know what or how to pray, we can pray in the spirit and the Holy Spirit will pray, through us, the perfect will of God for our life and situation. As people, we are not perfect, we don’t know everything and we may not even know the word of God very well, but if we can pray in tongues, we can be praying God’s perfect will!
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. I John 5:14-15 NKJ
What a tremendous blessing from God – to have the ability to pray according to God’s will at any time. Because when we pray according to God’s will, He hears us and if He hears us, He answers our prayers!
Recent:
Righteous Now
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
“Therefore if any man be in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You are baptized into Christ when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The moment
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the