Pray in the Spirit (Part VIII)...

May 19, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“AND PRAY IN THE SPIRIT ON ALL OCCASSIONS…”

After your full armor of God is on and in place, you have one more task. You have to pray in the Spirit. We are told not only that we have to pray in the Spirit, but we have to do so “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests”.

“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.” Ephesians 6:18.

“All” means what it says, “All”: not one time, not sometimes, but “all” the time. And we are told to do this after we are told to “stand firm”.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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.” Ephesians 6:13-18.

How do you pray in the Spirit?

I. STANDING: When you “pray in the Spirit” you have your full armor on. That is what is meant by praying while you are “standing”, not the actual act of standing up. When you pray this way you are saying that you need God’s truth on how to handle something or help someone else (Belt of Truth), that you will abide by what He tells you (Breastplate of Righteousness), that you know you are saved and forgiven by Him and you will be at peace with Him even if you do not like the answer and you will not fear doing what He asks (Shoes of Peace), that you will remain faithful in carrying it out every day (Shield of Faith), that you will not let anyone, and especially not your enemy cause you to doubt what He wants you to do (Helmet of Salvation), and that you will yield to the Holy Spirit’s control daily on how to handle the situation and allow Him to guide you (Sword of the Spirit).

When many people pray they throw everything at God and expect Him to do things their way. When you have on His armor you have truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit with you. Therefore, you want things His way, not your way. Remember, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10. You cannot separate your armor from prayer.
Under these circumstances, you may feel as if you do not know how to pray correctly. Instead of allowing your enemy to tell you that this is too hard, that you do not know what you are doing, and that if you do not do it right God will not listen to you, stop yourself. First step, “Dear God, I want to do the right thing. How do I pray correctly then if I need to do it in the Spirit?” Second step, “God you sent the Holy Spirit to teach me, remind me, guide me, and testify through me. Please allow Him to tell me how to pray correctly.” Done.

You have the Spirit in you. He is there to show you, so if you do not know then ask. This scripture is telling you to let Him lead you in your prayers. He is who you are fighting for: goodness and truth, holiness and grace. You have to talk to Him if there is anything you do not know how to do. Do not think if you are in battle that you cannot go to your Commander and ask questions. Talk to Him about how the battle is going. Make sure you are standing when you do. If God wants to answer your question through His word and Spirit, and if you are not seeking His word and do not have your Belt of Truth on, how will you know? And if you are not talking to the Spirit and do not have your Sword of the Spirit with you, how will you know that this is the scripture God intends for you to read to help you? “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” Jude 1:20.

You no longer exist. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. It is no longer about you.

You will always be able to pray in the Spirit when you are standing. Even if you have setbacks and fall, you cannot lose the Spirit. If you have accepted Christ, the Spirit lives in you. You have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. God cannot disown Himself, and He is One with the Son and the Spirit. If He were to disown you, He would disown His own Spirit. That is not going to happen. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:11-13.

Remember that being “filled” with the Spirit is different. You have Him and He is not going anywhere, but you have to yield to Him and allow Him to work through you if you want God’s guidance and truth.

When you do this, you will find yourself praying selflessly, purely, and sincerely. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12. Most importantly, you are no longer the main subject of your prayers. After we put our armor on, stand firm, and pray in the Spirit, we are told, “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Pray for those doing God’s will. Pray for your other soldiers, those far away, and those whose Shield of Faith is locked with your own. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16.

Whatever you seek, seek in His name. Always remember it is not your will but His that is the goal. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15.

Anything you ask that results in His will being done is not a request in vain. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14.

II. CONTINUALLY: You are in battle, and you need your Commander’s instructions on what to do. You do not stop talking to Him. “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17. You are to pray alone and with others repeatedly.

A word of caution though. Do not brag about it as if it is something rare. Make it a habit. Do you brag about breathing? Train your mind to seek God first before you do anything else. This may take a while to accomplish, but a developing habit does take time. The definition of “habit” by most accounts is a recurrent, frequent pattern that arises through frequent repetition. You have to repeat the action to make the habit form and stick. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.” Psalm 86:3.

Your faith is not conditional. If you feel that you are not getting what you want do not stop praying. Remember you are dressed in armor, so it is not about you. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1.
The more you talk to Him the more control you give Him of your life because the things that just happened a few minutes ago will be placed into His hands. This is when you are more likely to stop trying to fix things yourself because you stopped and asked Him instead of forging ahead and trying to save the world. The result is less stress, a clearer mind, and a defined purpose. “I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” 2 Timothy 1:3. Also, you are protected because God cannot lead you into sin, which causes emotional pain and hurt. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41.

Aside from praying by yourself, pray with others. “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14. If you are praying alone and with others, the combination of the two forms a habit.

On a battlefield your shield is locked with others at times. That is because there is strength in numbers and your enemy knows it. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12. God is with those who are joined together in His name. The power of praying with others is immeasurable. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20.

III. WITH DEVOTION: The best way to pray with wholehearted devotion is to spend some time alone praying. Jesus frequently would go off to be alone and pray. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6. This way God knows that when you pray with others you are not just showing off, but you are sincere because you pray in solitude as well.

Your time talking to God is sacred. People ask so much of Him, and wonder why they are not getting their way. Do not pray to Him in haste and while you are rushed. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6.

Instead, pray with devotion, thanking Him even in the bad times, and asking for guidance. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2. Work to alleviate distraction. It is hard to sincerely pray when you have noise and commotion going on around you. That is why Jesus told us to go in the room and close the door. You take the time to spend with God and you will feel His presence. “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8. Every effort you make is not done in vain because He is watching.

The more obedient you are, the more you trust in God, and the more you have yielded to God’s will, the more effective your prayers will be. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. Obedience is taking the time to spend alone with God during a hectic day, and seeking His word. Whatever habit you have, you are obedient to it. You would not have it if you were not. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.

If you want to grow closer to God, to have the Spirit fill you, and to walk in His truth, this is how to do it. Show Him that He is important. Stop taking time for everything else worldly and not Him and then only call on Him in the middle of a life storm. Do not try to put out a fire that is 50,000 acres when you could have stopped it at 1 acre. Take everything to Him, and you will never regret it.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8.