The works of the Holy Spirit in our Prayer Life
.Today we are going to look at the works of the Spirit of God in our prayer life. The whole purpose of the work of the Holy Spirit is to unite all believers in Jesus Christ to the TRIUNE of God, (The FATHER, SON and the HOLY SPIRIT). Prayer is a way taught by the Lord and the Apostles for believers in strengthening our relationship with God, personally and in ministry. Prayer also sharpens our relationship with the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts it clearly shows how the early Church spend most of their time in prayer, then ministry comes after.
The Holy Spirit is also a Spirit of prayer, and all those who are led by the Holy Spirit will always love to pray, and if they missed prayer they will know that they are missing something that is very important in their life.
Few things the Holy Spirit does in transforming your prayer life
1. THE HOLY SPIRIT INCREASES OUR HUNGER FOR PRAYER
Carnal Christians will always find excuses not to pray, they theorize their justification of not spending time on their knees in prayer, because they have no desire to pray. It is natural for a child to talk to their father daily and so it is natural for us as believers to talk to our heavenly Father daily.
Yonki Cho – Said “The greatest need that God our heavenly father has is to have fellowship with his children”, so prayer is a time will allow you to have fellowship with God, it meet that need.
His mother in law taught him how to pray and how to commune with God
Illustration
Luke 22:46 Jesus caught His disciple sleeping through time when suppose to pray, Jesus asked "WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING?, GET UP AND PRAY". It was so sad to learn from the gospels that even in the last few days of Jesus with His disciples, they still haven't catch the idea of praying fervently.
The difference is they don't have what Jesus got, later on in the day of Pentecost things change, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and when they received the Holy Spirit it change the way they view prayer
Application
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isaiah 55:6 (KJV)
The Holy Spirit will increase your desire to pray, and when you pray He will lead you into deep fellowship with Him
and you will experience a lot of good things with Him.
Satan will always try to rob us from our communion with God, who is the source of everything that is called life
The Holy Spirit that dwells within you will always draw you near to the Father
2. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL GUIDE YOUR PRAYER THROUGH GOD'S WORD (John 16:13)
One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to remind you and guide you along the truth of His word. When you pray your prayer will not be a miss because the Holy Spirit will lead you to pray for the things according to His word.
How do we know that what we are praying for will receive an answer?
It is because the Holy Spirit lead us through God's word that assures you that you will receive the answer to your prayer.
a. The Holy Spirit will reminds you - John 14:26 26 However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything
John 14:26 (GW)
of the scriptures that will build your faith while you're praying
- We do face discouragement attack when we pray
b. Enlarges your faith - He will make the scripture come alive in your heart, and what inspires mighty people of faith to do great things for the Kingdom of God. (Romans 10:17)
c. Most of effective prayer Praying with scriptures - 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1 John 5:14 (KJV)
Praying coating scriptures while you're praying you are not reminding God with His word, but you are just reminding yourself while praying.
d. It leave no room for Doubt - James 1:6 When you ask for something, don't have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. 7 A person who has doubts shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can't make up his mind about anything.
James 1:6-8 (GW)
e. It drives you to pray - 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:7 It simply means that if my word is in you, "YOU WILL PRAY"(KJV)
Illustration
First year of my Christian life was one of the best year of my life, when I engaged myself in getting to know God and improve in my Christian life, I wouldn't miss a church meetings especially a prayer meeting because I was taught to know the importance of prayer. I attend all night prayer meeting on Friday night 10PM to 6AM the next day, we would have three sessions and in each sessions the Senior Pastor and the assistant and the associate pastors would lead the sessions in Bible studies before prayer time.
Bible studies in our prayer meetings really shape me in my early years of Christian life.
The word of God play every vital role in the effectiveness of our prayer life, to be spiritual it also means scriptural
3. HOLY SPIRIT DOES PROMPT YOU AND PUT BURDENS UPON YOU WHEN YOU PRAY (Romans 8:26)
Chapter 8 of Romans explain to us about the liberty we have because of the LAW of the Spirit of Life that lives in us, liberates us from the Law of spirit of death which worked powerfully in us because of sin.
The Holy Spirit liberates us and placed us in a different realm, where we live a life that is not according to the flesh, but what according to the Spirit.
Acts 12:1-19 Peter were put in prison, because it pleases King Herod the killing of James the Apostles, so he also put Peter there preparing for another killing on the next day.
The church all came together to pray for him, they were praying for Peter without ceasing. He was put four layers of guards and on his both sides posted another two guards. The prayer of the Church dispatched an angel from heaven.
Application
This how the Spirit of God deepens your relationship with God, as He leads you to feel what He feels, and to do what He wants you to do. So you move as He direct you, just like Peter when he was praying at the roof of Simon the tent maker.
He was praying and he saw a vision of unclean creatures were lowed down for him to kill and eat.
God was revealing to Peter about salvation to the house of the gentiles. It was a new area for Peter and the Holy Spirit change Peter's heart by giving him a heart that opens to the gentiles.
4. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL CONNECT YOU TO A GLOBAL PRAYER MINISTRY (Romans 15:14-33)
All Churches all over the world are all connected together through prayer, and all these Churches globally carrying out the task that is needed to be done in Kingdom of God.
Paul's last encouragement to the church of Ephesus in chapter six, "18 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 Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should".
8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psalms 2:8 (ASV)
Application
Sometimes we don't ask for big things thought that is too big to ask, but if there is a reason why God is revealing Himself to the people in the Middle East is because prayers has been offered from Churches all over the World.
CONCLUSION
This is the hour that God is calling upon us people of God to pray
Our Home group questions arises why is the things that happens in the book of Acts is not happening now days?
The Holy Spirit is also a Spirit of prayer, and all those who are led by the Holy Spirit will always love to pray, and if they missed prayer they will know that they are missing something that is very important in their life.
Few things the Holy Spirit does in transforming your prayer life
1. THE HOLY SPIRIT INCREASES OUR HUNGER FOR PRAYER
Carnal Christians will always find excuses not to pray, they theorize their justification of not spending time on their knees in prayer, because they have no desire to pray. It is natural for a child to talk to their father daily and so it is natural for us as believers to talk to our heavenly Father daily.
Yonki Cho – Said “The greatest need that God our heavenly father has is to have fellowship with his children”, so prayer is a time will allow you to have fellowship with God, it meet that need.
His mother in law taught him how to pray and how to commune with God
- He pastor the largest church in the world, and all the church that planted through his ministry all believes in prayer.
- His got influence in the world of Christianity, in his country
- The government will consult him before they draw any policy
Illustration
Luke 22:46 Jesus caught His disciple sleeping through time when suppose to pray, Jesus asked "WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING?, GET UP AND PRAY". It was so sad to learn from the gospels that even in the last few days of Jesus with His disciples, they still haven't catch the idea of praying fervently.
The difference is they don't have what Jesus got, later on in the day of Pentecost things change, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and when they received the Holy Spirit it change the way they view prayer
Application
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isaiah 55:6 (KJV)
The Holy Spirit will increase your desire to pray, and when you pray He will lead you into deep fellowship with Him
and you will experience a lot of good things with Him.
Satan will always try to rob us from our communion with God, who is the source of everything that is called life
The Holy Spirit that dwells within you will always draw you near to the Father
2. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL GUIDE YOUR PRAYER THROUGH GOD'S WORD (John 16:13)
One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to remind you and guide you along the truth of His word. When you pray your prayer will not be a miss because the Holy Spirit will lead you to pray for the things according to His word.
How do we know that what we are praying for will receive an answer?
It is because the Holy Spirit lead us through God's word that assures you that you will receive the answer to your prayer.
a. The Holy Spirit will reminds you - John 14:26 26 However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything
John 14:26 (GW)
of the scriptures that will build your faith while you're praying
- We do face discouragement attack when we pray
b. Enlarges your faith - He will make the scripture come alive in your heart, and what inspires mighty people of faith to do great things for the Kingdom of God. (Romans 10:17)
c. Most of effective prayer Praying with scriptures - 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1 John 5:14 (KJV)
Praying coating scriptures while you're praying you are not reminding God with His word, but you are just reminding yourself while praying.
d. It leave no room for Doubt - James 1:6 When you ask for something, don't have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. 7 A person who has doubts shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can't make up his mind about anything.
James 1:6-8 (GW)
e. It drives you to pray - 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:7 It simply means that if my word is in you, "YOU WILL PRAY"(KJV)
Illustration
First year of my Christian life was one of the best year of my life, when I engaged myself in getting to know God and improve in my Christian life, I wouldn't miss a church meetings especially a prayer meeting because I was taught to know the importance of prayer. I attend all night prayer meeting on Friday night 10PM to 6AM the next day, we would have three sessions and in each sessions the Senior Pastor and the assistant and the associate pastors would lead the sessions in Bible studies before prayer time.
Bible studies in our prayer meetings really shape me in my early years of Christian life.
- We see break through in every areas of ministries, people got save ever week
- Broadcasting church services became once in every month instead of twice a year
- Help me to discover the call of God in my life
The word of God play every vital role in the effectiveness of our prayer life, to be spiritual it also means scriptural
3. HOLY SPIRIT DOES PROMPT YOU AND PUT BURDENS UPON YOU WHEN YOU PRAY (Romans 8:26)
Chapter 8 of Romans explain to us about the liberty we have because of the LAW of the Spirit of Life that lives in us, liberates us from the Law of spirit of death which worked powerfully in us because of sin.
The Holy Spirit liberates us and placed us in a different realm, where we live a life that is not according to the flesh, but what according to the Spirit.
- This when the Holy Spirit begins to work in you by sharing ministry with Him
- You will begin to see things in His eyes, and your heart breaks when you see it.
- He brings into your attention people that you need to pray for or need in His work
- Praying over crisis
- Burden over the Church, over the people, or for the Country
Acts 12:1-19 Peter were put in prison, because it pleases King Herod the killing of James the Apostles, so he also put Peter there preparing for another killing on the next day.
The church all came together to pray for him, they were praying for Peter without ceasing. He was put four layers of guards and on his both sides posted another two guards. The prayer of the Church dispatched an angel from heaven.
Application
This how the Spirit of God deepens your relationship with God, as He leads you to feel what He feels, and to do what He wants you to do. So you move as He direct you, just like Peter when he was praying at the roof of Simon the tent maker.
He was praying and he saw a vision of unclean creatures were lowed down for him to kill and eat.
God was revealing to Peter about salvation to the house of the gentiles. It was a new area for Peter and the Holy Spirit change Peter's heart by giving him a heart that opens to the gentiles.
4. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL CONNECT YOU TO A GLOBAL PRAYER MINISTRY (Romans 15:14-33)
All Churches all over the world are all connected together through prayer, and all these Churches globally carrying out the task that is needed to be done in Kingdom of God.
- People who are not into this, are people who sees prayer as a waste of time
- Praying for places that haven't been reached by the Gospel
- Praying for persecuted Christians
Paul's last encouragement to the church of Ephesus in chapter six, "18 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 Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should".
8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psalms 2:8 (ASV)
Application
Sometimes we don't ask for big things thought that is too big to ask, but if there is a reason why God is revealing Himself to the people in the Middle East is because prayers has been offered from Churches all over the World.
CONCLUSION
This is the hour that God is calling upon us people of God to pray
Our Home group questions arises why is the things that happens in the book of Acts is not happening now days?