Prayer & The Holy Spirit

Part 2

 

A Purposeful Prayer

Ephesians 6:18
Jude v20
Hebrews 11:6
Matthew 7:7-12
1st Thessalonians 5:17-19

Previously we saw how Jesus was our example in a prayerful life, and that we should follow his example of purposed strategy for obtaining God’s strength to do His will in our daily life. Jesus was raised in an environment dictating prayer for pious Jews. They had hours of prayer to observe, which had an obvious origin or authority from the Old Testament and seemed to have grown out of Temple worship itself, especially around the offering of incense, Lev. 9:23-10:3, 2nd Chron. 26:16-17, Lk. 1:10.

Pious Jews in the time of Christ around the world, opened their windows "toward Jerus" and prayed "toward" the place of God's presence, 1st Kings 8:48, Dan. 6:10, Psa. 5:7. The regular hours of prayer, as we may infer from Psa. 55:17, were three in number.
1. The 1st hour coincided with the morning sacrifice, at the third hour of the morning, at appx. 9am, Acts 2:15.
2. The 2nd hour was at the 6th hour, about noon, perhaps coincided with the thanksgiving for the chief meal of the day, a custom apparently universally observed, Mt. 15:36 & Ac. 27:35.
3. The 3rd hour of prayer coincided with the evening sacrifice, at the ninth hour, appx. 6pm, Ac. 3:1, 10:30.

The fact that these hours were connected with sacrifice and incense has an implied point for the Holy Spirit’s role in the Christian’s prayer life. The point being? Sacrifices of incense in Rev. 5:8, 8:3 are carrying the prayers of the saints. This is harmonious with what Paul taught about the Spirit of Christ making intercession with our prayers, Rom. 8:28. If it were not for the Spirit’s role in our prayers, we would never be heard.  He sanctifies us, our hearts and our prayers. Without Him, our prayers could not ascend acceptable and presented before the Throne.

One of our objectives or aims in prayer is for the Spirit’s strength. Paul said, “I bow my knees unto the Father…that he would grant you…to be strengthened with might by His Spirit”, Eph. 3:14,16. The power or strength of God is always an acceptable request in prayer, inferred by Jesus himself when he says, “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?...How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (Luke 11:11,13).  Bread is nutrition, strength or power. So is the Holy Spirit. He is not dwelling in us for the sole purpose of identity, but rather to strengthen us for manifesting His fruit. It takes power to exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control, Gal 5:22-23.  How can we ask for power? The same way a child asks his parents for bread. Prayer is simple.
Good children ask good parents for what they need, in love.  It is love for what we need, rather than what we want, which our heavenly Father waits to hear from us. When it comes, it is as sweet smelling incense sanctified by the Spirit.  Why? Because The Spirit loves us, Romans 15:30, It is in The Spirit’s love, that we are to ‘struggle’ with others in prayers for each other.  Do we struggle or strive in prayers strategically?

The Greek word for ‘struggle’ is
Sunagonizomai, meaning a team fighting together. Do you see the English word ‘agonize’ in it? We should be surrendering our emotions to each others interests, Philippians 2:3.  The love of the Spirit will help us love one another. This kind of prayer will strengthen the bond of unity which the Spirit creates in the church. Eph. 4:3.

In praying for each other, we should keep Paul’s example to the Thessalonians in constant remembrance.
1st Thes. 3:13 & 5:23-25.
1. The Spirit’s job or ongoing process of
 sanctifying our whole self.
2. The Spirit’s role of preserving us
blameless, as we appear at His coming. 
Do we pray with each other for these things?