"The [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought... the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will." (Romans 8:26a,27b)
The Bible talks about two separate baptisms that are available for every born again believer. When we get born again, the Father gives us His Holy Spirit to live inside of us. John 14:16,17 says, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever - the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you."
God has put a part of Himself within every born again believer. Through the Holy Spirit now residing within our spirits/hearts, we are connected to God. We cannot be united to God through our minds or bodies. Our spirit parts are the parts of us that are connected to the unseen realm around us. Proverbs 20:27 says, "The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord."
Through His Spirit living within our spirit, God imparts His wisdom, ability, understanding, intelligence, knowledge and all kinds of craftmanship to us. Even during the Old Testament times God imparted to His people what they needed in order to fulfill His purpose in their lives. In Exodus 31:3 God says, "And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and ability, in understanding and intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship." So, whatever kind of wisdom or understanding we need, in the New Testament times we have the Holy Spirit living right within us to teach us and lead us. The Holy Spirit also translates the Truths of the Bible to us. Without Him we would translate the Bible with our human minds... and get a wrong picture, for "God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality)." ( John 4:24) John 16:13 promises us that, "He (Holy Spirit) will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him]."
We should get into the habit of daily praying for the Spirit of God to lead us and guide us and reveal the Truth to us. Romans 8:14 says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." God desires to lead us through His Spirit.
I have seen on Sunday mornings, before going to church, the beginning of Joel Osteen's service on God TV. He has taught his congregation to speak out certain words before a service...something like this, "I open my heart to what the Spirit of God has for me today. Lord, speak to me. I am open to Your Spirit. My mind is clear, my spirit is receptive." Joel Osteen speaks those words together with his congregation. It automatically opens our spirits to the wisdom the Lord wants to share with us.
The Old Testament examples are written for us as small beginnings of the better things to come. When in the Old Testament God's people had to offer a sacrifice for their sins, in the New Testament we have Jesus Christ who has once and for all washed away our sins through becoming a sin offering for us. We have a better covenant. We have more wonderful blessings. In Deuteronomy 34:9 we learn that "Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him." In 1 Samuel 10 we read that Samuel the spiritual leader over Saul anointed Saul to fulfill God's purpose. Samuel tells Saul in verse 6 that when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him, he will become a completely different person, saying, "Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you will show yourself to be a prophet with them; and you will be turned into another man."
We need such power for doing God's work... for we cannot ever be effective for God in our own human power or understanding. It is a powerful act when our leaders put their hands on us and bless us to do the work of God. But, having a better covenant, we have the infilling of the Holy Spirit that belongs to ever born again believer. During the New Testament times the Holy Spirit should be our constant companion Who helps us in decision making, comforts us during the times we need comfort - there are times when I have specifically asked the Lord to comfort me... and He does that - Who counsels us in situations, helps us, and strengthens us. Holy Spirit also assists us in interceding for our loved ones according to the will of God.
Holy Spirit is within us and with us all the time, standing ready to lend us supernatural power and wisdom for every situation. He is a living being Who perfectly knows the will of God. He also knows and understands each of us personally and intimately and knows how to help us exactly the way we need Him to. That is why it is so important for us to listen to His guidance and counsel in every situation. As He is a Person, He actually wants us to consult Him before making decisions. But instead of turning to Him, we t oo often begin to analyze and weigh things, turning them over and over in our minds. This shuts off the counsel of the Holy Spirit. We have to learn to consult Him daily. It is especially important during the times we are living.
Now, during the New Testament times there is even more powerful thing available to us, believers. It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Bible talks about two different kinds of baptism - the water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, manifesting in praying and speaking in tongues. Here is what the Bible teaches about the baptism of the Holy Spirit:
John 1:33 says, "He Who sent me to baptize in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit."
Luke 3:16 says, "John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
Acts 2:4 says, "And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression."
Acts tells us that we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands of another spirit-filled believer. Acts 19:6 says, "And as Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke in [foreign, unknown] tongues (languages) and prophesied." I have laid my hands on several believers, asking for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and they have received it and started to pray in tongues.
Why would we want the baptism of the Holy Spirit when we have His counsel available to us as believers anyway?
One of the greatest benefits of praying in tongues is that it edifies us spiritually. It fills us with great inner strength... especially in situations that are so tough and hard that humanly would just crush us... when we pray in the spirit, it will fill us with supernatural strength and wisdom. 1 Corinthians 14:4 says, "He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself." Acts 1:8 promises, "But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you."
When we get baptized with the Holy Spirit, we actually receive the power, the ability, the efficiency and the might of God Himself. This means we can daily, even moment by moment stir up the power of the Holy Spirit within us by praying in tongues.
Romans 8:26,27 says that when we pray in tongues, we always pray the perfect will of God over a situation... and God is free to move powerfully on our behalf. It says, "So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but he Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf... the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will."
When we pray in tongues, our minds do not understand what we are praying and thus also are not able to interfere ... especially when we are praying for things that our minds couldn't even believe for or fathom... but our spirits can. So, we allow our spirits to pray, keeping our minds from interfering. 1 Corinthians 14:14 says, "For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody]." We give an opening for God to move in our situations and in the lives of people through our prayers.
I believe we all have sensed things in our spirit far before they have actually happened. It was the Holy Spirit who revealed those things to our spirit/heart. John 16:13 says, "He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]." Sometimes we sense something but we don't quite understand what it is or what the Spirit is saying. Our minds immediately cut in and begin to translate the cognition in a limited human understanding. That is when it helps such a great deal to pray in the spirit. When we pray in the spirit, we open our spirits up to God's Spirit to minister to us and show us things we need to know at this time. We no longer have to get by only with mere human wisdom... we have the wisdom of the All Knowing and All Powerful God Himself at our disposal.
1 Corinthians 2:9-13 says, "The Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him.. to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny]. For what person perceived (knows and understands) what passes though a man's thoughts except the man's own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]."
If You haven't yet been baptized with the Holy Spirit, here is what Gloria Copeland says about it in her book God's Will For You :
After You have asked another believer to pray with and for You to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit: "As hands are laid upon you, expect the Holy Spirit to come upon you just as He came upon the believers at Ephesus, and you will begin to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gives you the words.
"In the accounts of believers receiving the Holy Spirit, they began to speak with other tongues. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say the Holy Spirit does the speaking. The believer speaks as the Holy Spirit gives him utterance.
"You must supply the sound as the Holy Spirit supplies the words. These words will be unknown to you. The Scripture teaches us that in the spirit we speak mysteries unto God. (1 Cor. 14:2)
"When you pray in tongues, you are praying in the spirit. Just as English is the voice of your mind, praying in tongues is the voice of your spirit. Therefore, after you ask, speak no more English. You cannot speak two languages at once."
When I dedicated my life to the Lord, I heard pastor Casey Treat say that he prayed at least 1 hour in tongues every single day. Then I heard some other successful ministers and business people say the same thing. I too wanted this powerful gift that would give me the deeper connection with my Lord. I asked for it and another believer prayed with me and I got filled with the Holy Spirit and started to pray in tongues. Since then I have made it a habit to pray in tongues daily for a certain period of time. I can pray in the spirit while cleaning or washing dishes or even during a walk. It not only brings me creative ideas or ideas of how to solve a problem but it fills me with peace and calm... it calms the storms within and around me.
It doesn't matter what our calling in life is. We need the wisdom of God daily. We don't even know what obstacles lay before us... but God knows and when we pray in tongues, He is able to move on our behalf and completely eradicate some problems... without us even knowing there was one coming our way.
I remember, years ago, waking up one morning and having a really bad feeling inside. I had no idea why! I did not know what was happening, but I took time to pray in tongues. After praying for about an hour, complete peace filled me again. During my evening walk I was crossing the road. At the same time a car was making a turn. I did not see the car. The driver was talking to his passenger and did not notice me... until his car touched my leg. He managed to hit the brakes at the last moment. That is when I realized, had I not prayed that day until peace came, I would have been run over. I did not know it... but the Lord, Who knows the future and the plans of the devil, knew it. I would not have known how to pray with my mind... but my spirit, being connected to the Spirit of God, knew how to pray. I prayed the perfect will of God and I was spared from a horrible accident.
There is great power in praying in tongues. God did not give us this gift for no reason. I believe all believers during those times should be baptized with the Holy Spirit, praying in tongues daily. We would be walking and living in so much greater protection and wisdom and blessings... we would truly be living in the power of God. This gift and power is Biblical and it is available to every single child of God. If You have not yet received this awesome gift of God, please do meditate on the above verses... and then step out and receive the gift Yourself. Your life will never be the same.
Praying in the spirit helps us to fulfill the calling to "walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God)." (Gal.5:16) When we get baptized with the Holy Spirit, even our whole nature will become diffused with Him. It is so much easier to live a Christian life in the power of God... rather than in a human power.
Eve Juurik
Contributing writer of My Walk With Jesus newspaper & website
Body-mind-Spirit Health, Fitness & Beauty in a Biblical Way
Eve Juurik is a writer and speaker. She has
taught style and make-up to young models at a modeling school, written articles
for health and beauty magazines in Estonia, including Style and Health
Newspaper. At present Eve is a Health and Beauty Editor of a US based My
Walk With Jesus newspaper and website. She is a regular speaker at women's events.
Eve has been
invited to write for Recipes 365,Connecticut Herb Association’s
Newsletter and US
certified fitness expert Amy Lundberg’s Aim For It Newsletter. For 5 years she has been
teaching the Bible through weekly spiritual-inspirational articles. Eve
regularly writes for a US Christian newspaper and website My Walk With Jesus, website HandMaidens, and Estonian internet magazine The Voice of
Victory.
Eve promotes and sells certified organic skin-, body-, hair-, oral-,
men's-, home-care products through her website: www.TheSpringOfLife.net
» left by Anonymous (1 year 74 days ago.)
Great article. Now I will start praying in the Spirit more. Respond to this comment
» left by Eve Juurik from Estonia (1 year 74 days ago.)
Thank You for Your kind comment :-) ... yes, please do start praying in tongues daily. It will change Your whole life. My life changed when I started to pray for an hour a day in tongues. We hear from God and receive His wisdom much easier this way.
Many, many blessings and success to You in all You do,
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