06/21/2021
Do we pray and ask as we should? Jesus intercedes for us, and so does the Holy Spirit, but they only do so when we ask for those things that are absolutely within the will of God. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that God’s will and not His would be done, and this is the same prayer of intercession that He and the Spirit pray over us every day. In hearing His prayer we know that Jesus had His own will, and that it could be different from God’s; why else would He pray as He did. The same is true of us, and we need to be equally careful to pray for God’s will to be done in our lives, and to do so each time we pray.
“And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:27 ESV
As humans we are weak, and as a result of this we are often at a loss as to how we should pray, or what we should pray for, but thank God that His Holy Spirit knows how to pray for us, and can take the reins of prayer from our hands… even if it means that we hear ourselves groaning, and making strange utterances during our prayers… our heart and soul often find our language insufficient, and need to speak a different language when conversing with God. To facilitate this the Spirit translates our heart’s longings into the language of God for us, and reveals God’s Will to us.
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Romans 8:26 ESV
We often find ourselves crying when praying in the Spirit because not only is our prayer deeper than we can express in words alone, but we may also be dealing spiritually with how our desires differ from the Lords, and the Spirit is leading us as we come to grips with that reality. It was necessary that Angels strengthen Jesus as he prayed in the garden, and the negotiation became so intense for Him that his sweat fell like great drops of blood.
“And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Luke 22:43-44 ESV
Angels strengthen us too, and the Holy Spirit leads us, as we struggle in prayer to resolve the differences we find between our will and God’s. If we have lived long enough then we each will find ourselves in our own version of the Garden of Gethsemane. We can say the words “Thy will not mine be done”, but that is not enough… we must reconcile our will with God’s so that there is no longer any conflict. This is what Jesus was doing as He prayed so intensely. Doing God’s will requires more than our capitulation, we must be changed… transformed, and our will become one with God’s.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Psalm 139:23-24 ESV
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
Psalm 51:10-12 ESV
I have played several sports in my life, and in the process of doing so I have realized that the best team doesn’t always win. The team that wins is the one that believes completely that it will. Coaches know this, and so they give pep talks, and inspirational speeches. Until the team believes completely that they will win, then their doubt will undo them. We call this buying into the plan. This is especially true when we seek God in prayer. Until we reconcile ourselves with his will completely then we can’t possibly succeed in obeying Him, and doing what He asks. If we can’t buy fully into His plan, then the mountains we command will not be moved…
“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:23-24 ESV
Are we ready to pray in the Spirit as we should? Are we prepared to be visited by angels, enter into deeply intense prayer, sweat blood, and be conformed without blemish to the will of God?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the example we have in Jesus regarding prayer, and how to conform our will to yours as we do so. Thank you for revealing the intensity of these moments of reconciliation, and transformation, in which your will becomes ours. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who leads us by praying for us in a language we can’t understand… only feel. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God whose will is perfect, and who makes us new creatures as our imperfect desire is replaced fully by yours. Praised be your name for the tears we cry, and the utterances we make during prayer for they are the evidence of our transformation, and of becoming one in your will. You are merciful Father in that you have helped us by sending your Son Jesus, your angels, and your Holy Spirit. You have given us your grace, and forgiven us our sin in preparation for judgement. Wash us in the blood of your Son Jesus the Lamb of God, and make us into new creations that vary in no way from who you desire us to be. Find us worthy in Christ, and seat us at your table forevermore.
Rich Forbes