Prayer

A Life Changing Experience

One of our friends, who is a preacher, had written very clearly that he wanted God to work in an English country town. He heard that Praying Hyde was on his way back to America.

Praying Hyde had actually had wonderful results in India, and had seen souls saved day after day of the past year. So, our friend called for this man of God to pray for him because he had had very bad results. The two of them spent the first fifteen minutes together, and my friend poured out his heart to God. Nothing seemed to be happening. But he said at the end of fifteen minutes, Hyde just said two words, "O GOD."

My friend said the Lord's Presence filled that room. It was indescribable. As a result, he knew that God had entered that room, and that night forty people were touched by the mighty power of God.

Therefore, I believe there is praying; and there is also praying in the Holy Ghost. And so, in this seventh lesson in our series dealing with the practice of prayer, I want to talk about the subject of praying in the Holy Ghost.

I am from Northern Ireland. I graduated from Oxford in 1952. In 1955, I was seeking God for revival in this country with brother Arthur Wallace and others. We were all concerned that England should have an outpouring of the Holy Ghost.

I went to Exeter, in Devon, and as we were praying, I heard somebody speaking fluent Latin. This person was praising the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, -- similar to the tongues of praise that were heard on the day of Pentecost. I knew this had to be a miracle because when I taught Latin in public school, it was a language that was very difficult to learn.

When I was teaching, some of my students said, "This language is as dead as dead can be. It killed the ancient Romans, and now it's killing me!" But this guy, without any education, was praising the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I knew then that what had happened at Pentecost was being repeated in this 20th century.

The most powerful prayer of all is that which is directed and controlled by the Spirit of God. And the Spirit knows how to pray much better than we do. The practice of prayer, though, can be in the Spirit, or with the Spirit.

Let me first deal with the work of the Spirit upon the believer. I believe the Holy Spirit is sent by God, and God is seeking those who would worship Him in a supernatural way. Jesus says in John 4:24 that "God is a Spirit, and His worshippers must worship Him in Spirit and in truth." I believe also that the Holy Spirit is given to those who are saved, and thirsty for more of God. They are prepared, in fact, to drink in His Power and begin to praise God.

The Lord speaks about this in John 7:38, when He said, "Whoever believes in Me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water shall flow from within him." By this, of course, He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Because up to that time, the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. This is a forward look to the date of Pentecost.

The Spirit, then, gives this ability to speak in a new language. On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), they were all filled with the Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. In Acts 2:11, they were declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues.

The point of this is that while we are praying in our native language, our mind has to be involved. When we are praying in this prayer language, our mind is then set free to drive the car or do whatever else is in our hands. The Spirit also prays into the mysteries of God, so that we are not limited by our mind.

1 Corinthians 14:2 says, "Anyone who speaks in a tongue, does not speak to men, but to God, although no one understands him, he utters mysteries with his spirit." If I am faced with a very severely injured person, and I do not know whether to pray for healing or maybe a quick release, then it is useful to have a tongue to pray with.

When the Holy Spirit comes, He gives a bigger vision of the Lord Jesus. The Lord said this in John 16:14, "He will bring glory to Me, by taking from what is Mine, and making it known to you." So, by praying in my tongue or heavenly language, the Spirit gives us no limits to our understanding and knowledge. In fact, Romans 8:26 says, "The Spirit helps our weaknesses, and He that searches the mind of the Spirit knows, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints."

Come with me now to Jude 1:20. Let us have a look at the cooperation of the Spirit. Jude says, "Dear Friends, pray in the Holy Spirit." The Spirit never forces Himself upon you, but graciously cooperates with you in the life of prayer.

We can see this, of course, in the life of Jesus. The Lord was led to fast and pray by the Spirit (Matthew 4:1). Then, we may offer ourselves in intercession in Hebrews 9:14, "By the will of God, He, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself unblemished to God." Now our flesh may be weak, but by the power of the Holy spirit, we can get victory. For Jesus says in Mark 14:38, "Watch and pray, that you fall not into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Somebody I heard snoring in a prayer meeting said the spirit was willing, but the body was weak. The Lord is not saying that. He is saying "no, you have got to overcome the weakness of the body by the Spirit." So that he was praying in Gethsemane, when the rest were falling asleep. As you yield, in fact, the Lord gives us joy and strength.

In Luke 10:21, I see that Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, too, can guide us while waiting and fasting in our choices, and particularly in the choice of ministry. In Acts 13:2, while they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them". I think that perhaps many of our churches would be better off to have prayer meetings instead of voting meetings where the Spirit would lead.

In the early church, the church prayed for Holy Ghost boldness. We have already seen this in Acts 4:31 when the place was shaken and they were filled with the Spirit and spoke the words of God boldly. Sometimes, as they were praying, they received revelation and visions.

For instance in Acts 9:10, Ananias saw a vision of the conversion and healing of Paul. And Ananias said, "Oh, but Lord, You haven't heard the gossip. He is a menace. He has come to kill us all." How often we tell God in prayer that we have better knowledge than He has. Peter was also given a vision of the need of Cornelius in Acts 10. Although he knew that he was going to a gentile, he went at the leading of the Holy Spirit. And so, the Holy Spirit has guided often in the New Testament -- in prophecy in Acts 13:2, and in direct visions.

What are the conditions of Spirit filled praying? In Romans 8:9-27, I see the following main conditions. First, Romans 8 says that we must belong to Christ. We are His. Second, we must die to ourselves and our own selfish ideas. Third, We must be led by the Holy Spirit when praying.

Romans 8:14 says that those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. We must be led by the Holy Spirit in our praying. Spending time in prayer communion as a child of God does not mean that we are going to be making requests all of the time. The Spirit may be revealing our relationship -- our adoption. Romans 8:15 says, "You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear. You received the spirit of son ship, and you cry 'abba,' or 'daddy, Father'." In our prayer times, then, let us make way for the Spirit and the Spirit will help our weaknesses and lack of knowledge.

I knew an American Baptist pastor who saw a little girl dying as a victim of an accident. He did not know what to pray. He started praying in tongues, and God showed him that the girl would not die, but live and be perfectly well. So, he prayed that way, and she is now completely healed. While praying in tongues, particularly, (1 Corinthians 14:13-17), one should ask for an interpretation from the Spirit.

Sometimes I find that I am singing a heavenly song of worship to the Spirit. And sometimes I am asked by the Lord to pray with my understanding. Then at the end people know what I am praying, and they can say, "Amen."

When I first went to the northeast of Scotland, I heard them praying in their native dialect, and I thought it was a message in the Spirit. However, it was just normal Scottish people praying in their native dialect. Maybe if we are going to pray together we need to get a common language and pray in that language.

What are the ways, then that we pray with the Spirit? We pray with the Spirit when we pray supernaturally. Because our mind is not involved, we are praying with our spirit. But, if I am praying in English, I can still pray in the Spirit because the Spirit is leading me in prayer.

What are the consequences? I want to summarize first the main results of praying in the Spirit. First, praying in the Spirit gives us a second advocate. In Romans 8:26-27, Jesus prays for us, continuing His intercession and heavenly ministry. Romans 8:34 says, "Who is that who condemns? Jesus, but He died, and more than that, He has been raised to life at the right Hand of God, and is interceding as an advocate." That word 'Parakletos' is from John 14:16.

It is not that Jesus is just a comforter. I know in our Bible the name is comforter, but the actual Greek word is an advocate --- like in the court of heaven. So Christ's intercession is apart from us, but with us, through the Holy Spirit. He is praying for us in heaven.

And this is very important as we see in many scenes in the Bible. The devil is an advocate. He is a lawyer. He is praying. He is crying, but then, Christ, our lawyer, is praying on our behalf. So, praying in the Spirit is distinct from praying with the Spirit. Praying with the Spirit is when we have supernatural prayer by our spirit, perhaps in another tongue.

The New Testament reference in the Greek is in 1 Corinthians 14:15 saying, "I will pray with my spirit. Also with my mind. I will sing with my spirit. I will sing with my mind. So that when I am praying in the Spirit, I do not understand what I am praying and my mind is unfruitful."

How do we test spiritual messages? We can see how much of the human spirit is involved. We can tell that this is a human being. But in the supernatural, it is difficult to test the Holy Spirit. I know in 1 John 4:1 it says, "Test the spirits to see whether they are from God, and every spirit of God will say that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh." But when we are looking at supernatural praying in tongues, as distinct from praying in English when our minds are involved, the Holy Spirit will given an anointing. You will feel an atmosphere with it. And you know in 1 John 2:20, it says "The anointing teaches you."

So, praying with the Spirit is normally done in tongues. Praying in the Spirit can be done with the Holy Spirit praying in our native language. This is contrasted obviously to praying in the flesh. Romans 8:19 says "you will pray not in the sinful flesh by the Spirit, but if the Spirit of God lives in you, then you are of Christ." You can be in a meeting and you can feel the Holy Spirit praying through a person. This is normally in English or their native language, and there is an anointing with it.

Praying in the Spirit can also overcome our weaknesses. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Jesus said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness." So Paul says that he will boast about his weaknesses. If I do not feel like praying, or if there is a sickness or a problem, then the Holy Ghost can help me. He helps (Romans 8:26) our weaknesses.

I believe any burning desire to pray has got to be implanted by the Holy Spirit. And sometimes when you are tired, you need that strength to overcome. I also believe that we get to God through the fact that Jesus has made a way to the Holy of Holies. He died (I Peter 3:18), for all, for the righteous, for the unrighteous to bring us to God.

So, that in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18), we have access to the Father. We can consciously feel the Presence of God. And the anointing of the Holy Spirit is done on the basis of the Blood work of Jesus.

In the Old Testament, when the high priest went in, nobody else would follow him. But they knew he was still alive because they heard the bells on his robe, and smelled the fruit of the pomegranates. Now we know that Jesus is alive because we hear the tongues of praise, and we feel and sense the atmosphere of His love in the meeting.

In fact, praying in the Spirit will often show us the Presence and the will of God. We do not know how to pray, (Romans 8:26), but the Spirit prays through us. In 1 John 5:14-15, it says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God; if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if He hears us, we know we have what we have asked of Him." This gives us boldness in prayer.

God has told us what He is going to give us and we have boldness to ask Him in freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12). Sometimes when the answer is delayed, this also gives us faith to hold onto God. Do not throw away your confidence (Hebrews 10:35) says. It will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that after doing the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

In Ephesians 5:1, I see God moving and in Ephesians 1:17-8, I see Paul moving. "I keep asking the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord Jesus Christ, a glorious Father, that He may give you the spirit of wisdom, and revelation. I pray the eyes of your heart may be enlightened that you may know the hope to which He has called you. The riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints." I find this particularly helpful in the healing ministry. Very often when you are praying for the sick, do not see them as poor and downtrodden, but see them as healed and moving in the power of God.

I find that praying in the Spirit settles many difficulties in the life of prayer. This is because we often have difficulties arising from circumstances. Difficulties, delays may occur, not always of satanic origin. Why not let us accept them and say this is part of God's plan? And the Spirit will begin to reveal the divine purpose in them as we work in loving submission. Romans 8:28 says, "All things are worked (says the Greek), for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose." Sometimes we have difficulty with physical weakness, and the Spirit overcomes our bodily weakness.

In fact, Romans 8:11 says, "The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, if it is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal body." That means the body we now have. The body we are going to die with. The Lord helps us to sort out our priorities too. If we are working harder than we are meant to and we are overtired.

Then, sometimes it is a satanic attack, and the Spirit will show you this attack and give authority to resist the enemy in prayer. It says in Revelation 12:10, that he heard a loud voice in heaven. John said the accuser of the brethren accuses us before our God day and night.

We were in a major revival in Ireland and an evil spirit attacked my wife Elsie. She spoke under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and told this demon attack to leave, and thank God she was set free. In Zechariah 3, you find Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord. Satan was accusing him, and in verse 2, the angel says, "Satan, the Lord rebuke you." This is the word of the Lord in Zechariah 4:6, "Not my might, not by power, but by My Spirit." And so, in intercession, or in sickness, when it is an attack of Satan, we are given power to rebuke it.

I am finding as I travel around the work that if I bind the strong man over certain countries, God gives us souls. In Ireland alone, we have seen 75,000 people come to Jesus after my wife rebuked that evil spirit over that country.

I believe too, that praying in the Spirit is a sign of son ship. This may or may not be in tongues, but is a definite leading. Romans 8:14 says that those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. And when we walk in the Spirit, we are not walking in the flesh, but with a heart pure before God. And if our hearts do not condemn us (1 John 3:21-22), we have confidence. We know because we obey His commands, that we receive what we ask of Him.

As we take on God's nature and family likeness, we are naturally spiritual in our praying. As we wait on God, we tune into His purpose, or praise God in our tongue after we have been sealed (Ephesians 1:13), or we are waiting on God in the form of prayer, praise, and singing. Suddenly, we get an interpretation (1 Corinthians 14:13-15) and we know what God is doing in the meeting. This releases our spirits and builds us up, and we pray in the situation beyond our understanding.

Even when our mind is too tired to concentrate, we may be led by the Spirit to pray beyond our mind with supernatural tongues. Believers may sometimes groan in prayers (Romans 8:26), and the Spirit helps our infirmities. We have seen this happen in Toronto, Canada. This is often accompanied by people bowing and groaning in prayer travail. And the Spirit intercedes for us with groaning that cannot be uttered. Jesus prayed this way in Gethsemane, and we can join Him in intercession. As we were with the folks in Canada, we saw them bowing and praying, and suddenly the Holy Ghosts came down. In this last year, 3,000 decisions were made for Christ in four days in the United States of America.

So let us commit our way to the Lord. God desires to lead us by His spirit. Therefore, let us also commit our prayer lives to the Lord and invite His Spirit to lead us as we pray. Lets look to God to have our prayers be led of the Holy Ghost, whether it be in tongues or in our native language. Amen.