I’ve noticed that there are three things that thriving Christians do almost without thinking – they are part of their natural every-day lifestyle – like cleaning teeth

• feed on the Bible
• pray in the spirit.
• worship from the heart

Today: Praying in the Spirit.

• because at its best prayer is an inspiring experience for us!
• one of the most inspiring and deeply moving and motivating experiences the human mind is capable of!

So here are some principles that form the foundation of prayer.

 

We were made for togetherness

Way back in the garden of Eden – before the human race’s catastrophic fall from grace – two kinds of relationship gave life meaning and purpose

• man and God – He came down to the garden every day
• man and woman – made for companionship – “It’s not good that man is alone” – loneliness is the only thing God disapproved of in his creation

In prayer we enjoy fellowship, oneness, with our creator. >>>

Two meanings of ‘praying in the spirit’

Here’s Paul’s phrase about praying in the Spirit:

He’s describing the Christian’s armour for the spiritual battle:

Ephesians 6:17..Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Praying ‘in the Spirit’ has two meanings. (Greek has no distinction between capitals and lower case.)

• small s – my spirit – that’s where prayer happens
• Capital S – God’s spirit – when He prompts us, nudges us, sometimes shouts at us, and we pray in response. When we’re aware of being carried along in prayer – that’s the HS

My message for you this morning is to encourage you, motivate you to pray in the Spirit!

BUT – I have a problem – I can only give you the principles – I can’t do your praying for you!

• George Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury was recently being interviewed on BBC1. The subject of prayer came up in the interview
• “If I don’t discipline myself to prayer – no-one else will do it for me!”

I thank God for a man of influence like that who will discipline himself to pray!

I want to encourage you to pray in the spirit.

Luke, who researched Jesus life so carefully

Very often in his writings he highlights the prayers of the Christians – and what God did afterwards

• e.g. they prayed “and the place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”
• Prayer is one of the most written about and least practised parts of the Christian life!

Prayer is communicating with God

Prayer is a two-way process.

I can’t expect to develop a close relationship with someone if I do all the talking!

• God gave us one mouth and two ears – to be used in that proportion!
• It is truly amazing how, with only a little practise, we can discover God speaking to us

Sometimes his voice comes through the Bible

• we come across a passage that relates directly to our own experience – we can apply it

Sometimes through other Christians

• friends – @ small group

• or meetings like this

Sometimes through our own intuition

Holy Spirit prompts my conscience – or drops an idea into my mind – and when I act on it I discover that it was God who led me all along.

In human conversation there are various levels of depth

• Sometimes we are superficial – I’ll say how are you, you#ll say fine and that’s about it
• Other times it’s deeply meaningful – we share things (especially with people we love and trust)

So it is in prayer

A balanced prayer life has all levels involved, from the shallow and routine to the deepest and most risky

• By being honest with God about my innermost feelings and attitudes I give him permission to enter my life and alter them

bringing renewal when things have gone astray spiritually,

• to bring forgiveness when I’ve “done it again Lord!”
• to bring strength when life is getting tough
• comfort and support when I’m dejected

Prayer involves commitment

Commitment is a boo word today

We are always looking for get-out clauses!

The Bible talks about being persistent or committed in our praying – and that God acts when he sees how earnest we are in our praying

That’s the whole thrust of Jesus story about the friend at midnight

Luke 11:8-9 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness / persistence (pain in the neck!) he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9 “So I say to you: Ask (persistently) and it will be given to you; seek (persistently) and you will find; knock (persistently) and the door will be opened to you.

By praying I demonstrate my dependency on Him.

• Lord, I could call experts for this decision,
• Lord, I could go through today by my own efforts alone, but I call on you

Bible very emphatic on this!

• Jesus “Without me you can do nothing!”
• absolutely nothing – nothing of lasting value!

That commitment demonstrates my dependency on Him

e.g. Man at a previous church (Walton)

• several times he was offered promotion in his company
• Whenever he was offered new position, he always came to pray it through with the church leadership
• Why? couldn’t he make up his own mind?
• yes of course – but he wanted to be sure that his decision was in line with God’s will
• so they prayed

Believe me – that man went far! Not only in his company, but also with God!

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

Prayer thrives on communion

Just ‘being together’ – in the presence of someone you love – talking is not always necessary

e.g. phone call of 14-year-old with first girlfriend

• nothing said for 5 mins
• just wanted to know that she was on the other end!
• that was sufficient!
• (OK puppy love, but very real to the puppy!)

Ps 46:10 tells us to calm down!

“Be still and KNOW that I am God”

A little girl once went to church one weekday with her mother.

• church empty and mother wanted to pray
• There was a children’s chapel in that church and while the mother was praying the little girl ran off and went into the children’s chapel
• mother finished praying – went to find her daughter in children’s chapel.
• To her surprise the little girl was praying too
• waited outside for some time
• when daughter came out she asked “What were you doing all that time?”
• “I prayed and I said “Dear Jesus” and he said “Dear Barbara” and we just loved each other!”

That story may seem soppy, banal, puerile – but that little girl had discovered something in that moment that many of us need

• the deep awareness of being loved by God

Corrie Ten Boom – speaking of time when she experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit in a remarkable way said “It was just like being hugged by God”

Prayer is communion with God

do you know that kind of intimacy with Him

Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

God longs to know that kind of intimate fellowship with you that you have over a meal with one you love.

• prayer is the human side of releasing God’s power

Back to today’s Bible reading:

Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

All the revivals in history can be traced back to people praying

• C. Wesley – “God does everything by prayer and nothing without it!”

e.g. John Hyde

• began praying for 1 person to find Christ each day – then 2, then 4 – and hundreds found Christ because he prayed
• But these are men in the spiritual super league! Premier Division!

e.g. 2 ladies living opposite a school – praying for school – earnestly – persistently – in faith – one boy converted -> George Verwer >>>

Notice what type of prayer it was

• earnest, believing prayer
• wrestling, urgent prayer

that’s the kind of praying that rattles the gates of heaven

THAT IS WHAT GOD CAN DO WHEN ORDINARY PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY!

Prayer is the human side of releasing God’s power!

Notice also that these were older people praying

• we’re praying for a move of Holy Spirit at VBC – people come to Christ from these estates – and from colleges in town.
• it will mean that things will change – find new, original, exciting ways of “doing church”
• constant change is here to stay!
• some of you older people find this all a bit threatening “I haven’t got the stamina I used to have” “my days of burning my energy for God in the local church are over – all I can do is pray”

All you can do is pray?! – Why prayer is the one indispensable factor in all movements of God!

• Peggy and Christine Smith, both in their 80’s
• one blind, the other bent double with arthritis, described their urgent praying for the island of Lewis like this:

“We struggled through the hours of the night, refusing to take denial. Had God not promised, and would he not fulfil? Our God is a covenant keeping God and he must be true to his covenant promises. Did he fail us? Never! Before the morning light broke we saw the enemy retreating and our wonderful Lamb taking the field”

That night was the night that revival broke out in Lewis >>>

• Is there a Peggy or Christine Smith here? >>>
• will you plead with God to pour out his power here? >>>

to call on HIM in earnest, believing, earth shaking, heaven moving prayer

• then – and only then – will the power of God be let loose in Victoria Baptist Church

• then – and only then – will the people we love, care for and work with turn to Jesus Christ in significant numbers
• then and only then will the fire of the Holy Spirit be ignited here
• And the people we know in Eastbourne will come out to see what’s burning.

Will you join me on a journey of discovery (for some it may be rediscovery) of God in prayer.