by David Hobbs
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. (1 Peter 4:11--NIV)
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 5:31--NIV)
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21—KJV)
If you study the Scriptures, you will find a constant working together of the Holy Spirit and the word of God. This was true from the very beginning, where the Spirit of God brooded over the waters, and then the word of God came forth: “Let there be light!” The word by itself brings death, but when it’s partnered with the Spirit it brings life (“...for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” [2 Cor. 3:6--NIV])
In the Church, we’ve been slow to pick up on this instruction. Many preachers at least realize that they need the anointing to preach the word of God from the pulpit. But when it comes to prayer, the rule of thumb seems to be “any prayer will do.” Whole prayer meetings come and go without once being visited by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Instead of “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” we have “modern men of the world spake as they were moved by their own reasonings.”
When we pray out of our own thoughts and “good ideas,” we end up working against the purposes of God, which the Bible tells us are higher than our own. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord (Isaiah 55:8). If our thoughts are not His, then why do we insist on praying them as though they were? Why are we sending up prayers that God has to consciously block from His ears because to do what we’re asking would be at cross purposes to His will? The letter kills, only the Spirit brings life.
Want an example of how this works? Let’s say a believer stands up in the church prayer meeting and says, “I want us to pray for Aunt Alma—she’s sick.”
“OK sister Bea, lead out and we’ll agree with you.”
“Dear Lord I want to lift up my Aunt Alma to you. Lord I just pray that you would heal her of this (fill in the blank).”
“Amen. We agree Lord.”
This scenario is repeated over and over in prayer meetings every week. But what if the truth of the matter is that Aunt Alma’s allotted days on earth are almost over and God sent the sickness to do a work in her to prepare her for eternity? God’s eyes are on healing her soul of some things (pride, self-sufficient spirit) for eternity, while our eyes are on healing her body for the short time she has left on earth. That’s why the scripture says that His ways are higher than our ways. So what is God supposed to do when we pray these prayers—do what we ask of Him even though Aunt Alma will suffer the consequences for all eternity? Or block out our prayers and do what He knows is best?
“Oh but I meant well,” we say self-righteously, “how was I to know…? Exactly the point! There is no way we could know. Only the Holy Spirit knows. Hence we desperately need the Holy Spirit in our prayer meetings.
Some hope the Spirit shows up to anoint their prayers. But the Bible is clear, the anointing oil (representing the Holy Spirit) is never to be poured out on the flesh of man (Ex. 30:32—KJV). Beloved, we need to get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit have the floor, let Him do what He wants to do.
“But He has to work through us.”
Again exactly the point. We have to learn what it is to tap into His anointing and get it flowing through us. “Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).” “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me (Gal.2:20—KJV)”
“Lord, what is your agenda? What do you want to pray? I open myself up for you to use! Not my will but yours be done!”
Then how can we learn the difference between us praying our own thoughts, and Him praying through us His thoughts???
Now that is a good question! More next time.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. (1 Peter 4:11--NIV)
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 5:31--NIV)
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21—KJV)
If you study the Scriptures, you will find a constant working together of the Holy Spirit and the word of God. This was true from the very beginning, where the Spirit of God brooded over the waters, and then the word of God came forth: “Let there be light!” The word by itself brings death, but when it’s partnered with the Spirit it brings life (“...for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” [2 Cor. 3:6--NIV])
In the Church, we’ve been slow to pick up on this instruction. Many preachers at least realize that they need the anointing to preach the word of God from the pulpit. But when it comes to prayer, the rule of thumb seems to be “any prayer will do.” Whole prayer meetings come and go without once being visited by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Instead of “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” we have “modern men of the world spake as they were moved by their own reasonings.”
When we pray out of our own thoughts and “good ideas,” we end up working against the purposes of God, which the Bible tells us are higher than our own. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord (Isaiah 55:8). If our thoughts are not His, then why do we insist on praying them as though they were? Why are we sending up prayers that God has to consciously block from His ears because to do what we’re asking would be at cross purposes to His will? The letter kills, only the Spirit brings life.
Want an example of how this works? Let’s say a believer stands up in the church prayer meeting and says, “I want us to pray for Aunt Alma—she’s sick.”
“OK sister Bea, lead out and we’ll agree with you.”
“Dear Lord I want to lift up my Aunt Alma to you. Lord I just pray that you would heal her of this (fill in the blank).”
“Amen. We agree Lord.”
This scenario is repeated over and over in prayer meetings every week. But what if the truth of the matter is that Aunt Alma’s allotted days on earth are almost over and God sent the sickness to do a work in her to prepare her for eternity? God’s eyes are on healing her soul of some things (pride, self-sufficient spirit) for eternity, while our eyes are on healing her body for the short time she has left on earth. That’s why the scripture says that His ways are higher than our ways. So what is God supposed to do when we pray these prayers—do what we ask of Him even though Aunt Alma will suffer the consequences for all eternity? Or block out our prayers and do what He knows is best?
“Oh but I meant well,” we say self-righteously, “how was I to know…? Exactly the point! There is no way we could know. Only the Holy Spirit knows. Hence we desperately need the Holy Spirit in our prayer meetings.
Some hope the Spirit shows up to anoint their prayers. But the Bible is clear, the anointing oil (representing the Holy Spirit) is never to be poured out on the flesh of man (Ex. 30:32—KJV). Beloved, we need to get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit have the floor, let Him do what He wants to do.
“But He has to work through us.”
Again exactly the point. We have to learn what it is to tap into His anointing and get it flowing through us. “Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).” “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me (Gal.2:20—KJV)”
“Lord, what is your agenda? What do you want to pray? I open myself up for you to use! Not my will but yours be done!”
Then how can we learn the difference between us praying our own thoughts, and Him praying through us His thoughts???
Now that is a good question! More next time.
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