Praying with the Holy Spirit..Craig Denison Ministries;

 Praying with the Holy Spirit

Craig Denison Ministries;

Weekly Overview:

As believers, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, Friend, and seal for the promised inheritance of eternal life with God. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives are our greatest gifts while here on earth. Through him we have access to direct connection with our heavenly Father. Through him we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. And through him we are able to bear the incredible fruit of abundant life. Open your heart and mind to all that the Holy Spirit would give you, show you, and lead you to this week.

Scripture:“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21

Devotional:   

God loves to respond to the prayers of his people. We see him respond to the desire of Adam for a helpmate with Eve, the prayer of Abraham in saving Lot and his family, the prayer of Moses in the salvation of his people, the prayer of Elijah in sending down fire upon an altar, and the cry for a Savior in sending his only son, Jesus. And through the death of Jesus we’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit,  God himself sent as our Helper. Our Helper not only longs to guide us and empower us, but also to help us pray and to pray for us.

Jude 1:20-21 says, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” We’ve been given the incredible gift of praying with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who searches the deep things of God desires to help us pray. He desires to reveal God’s desires to us in the midst of our circumstances, relationships, and opportunities and longs to help us pray in line with God’s will. When we pray in the Spirit we are praying along with the will of God himself. When we pray in the Spirit we are asking God to do the very thing he desires to do. It’s crucially important that we as children of God learn how to discern the will of our Father through the Holy Spirit and pray according to that will.

Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” And Romans 10:17 teaches us, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Scripture tells us to pray in full faith that God will give us what we ask for because faith is always meant to begin with the word of God. Prayer is meant to be as simple as asking God to fill us with the knowledge of his desire and then praying in accordance with that desire in full faith because God will always fulfill his promises.

What’s more, when we don’t know what to pray we can trust in and lean on the groanings of the Spirit. Romans 8:26 says, “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.” Did you know that the Holy Spirit prays for you? Did you know that he intercedes on your behalf? So great is his love for you that he asks God to help you. So great is his desire for you to walk in abundant life that he intercedes on your behalf when you don’t know how to pray.

Aren’t you thankful for the grace of God? In his grace he’s blessed you with the Holy Spirit to help you pray and intercedes for you, all because he loves you. You’ve been given an incredible, powerful gift in praying with the Holy Spirit. Take time today to listen to your Helper as you enter into a time of prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the Spirit’s desire to help you pray and to intercede for you.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21

“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. 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 8:26-27

2. Ask the Spirit to fill you with the knowledge of God’s will for whatever it is you desire to pray about. Before you speak, listen.

3. Pray in line with what the Spirit has revealed to you. Ask God, in faith, to bless you with whatever you feel he has shown you. Pray along with Scripture! Rest in the assurance that God will provide you with any and every thing that is in his perfect will for you when you ask him to.

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

God loves to make the Christian life simpler than we often make it out to be. I used to believe that to discover God’s will I had to ask God for things and wait to see if life’s circumstances panned out in line with those prayers. But God longs to fill us with the knowledge of his will even before you ask so that we can simply pray in full faith and joy in accordance with what he already desires to do. He blesses us with a life of simplicity if we will simply, wholeheartedly follow him. Take time today to search out the will of God for your life and rest in assurance of his faithfulness as you pray.

Extended Reading: Hebrews 11

Stand Confidently in Christ..Emily Rose Massey

 Stand Confidently in Christ

By Emily Rose Massey

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” - Romans 8:1 ESV  

For years, I was driven by perfectionism and the idea that I had to work successfully or perform well to be loved by others, especially by God. On the outside, I looked like I had it all together- high honors throughout school, hyper-involvement in extracurricular activities, serving in any ministry I was asked to be involved in, star of the high school plays and musicals, head cheerleader, a first chair clarinet player in the band, and the list goes on and on …but on the inside, I was empty and searching for true fulfillment. I knew God was there for me, but somehow, I thought I could do this “life thing” on my own. Because I'm human, I failed time and time again. I made a mess of things often. Guilt and shame pushed me further away from others and God. 

Even when I came back to church and began reading the Bible in my early 20s, I still believed I had to be perfect (in my strength) in my walk with Him. If I didn't read my Bible every day, pray longer, or fast more often, I somehow felt like less of a follower of Christ.  I was on a Christian hamster wheel; It was so exhausting- emotionally and spiritually. I allowed self-condemnation to take root in my heart, which heavily weighed me down. Thankfully, today, I no longer live burdened by that anymore because I began to understand my identity before the Father- who I am in Christ- forgiven and justified because of the finished work of the cross of Christ. In Romans 8:1, the Bible tells us that we should not carry condemnation in our lives when we are truly in Christ: 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 

This means embracing what Jesus did for us with a sincere heart full of repentance. We rest in His performance on the cross and stand before the throne of God without any shame or the heavy burden of our failures and sin. We stand before the Father, completely blameless. Jesus took all our shame and condemnation upon Himself, and it has been cast as far as the East is from the West. We no longer have to live with the weight of our failures. We can come boldly to the throne of grace because it worked for us. We can rest assured God sees us as blameless and perfect because Jesus is blameless and perfect for us. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Have you ever experienced thoughts of condemnation when it comes to your walk with God? Thoughts like: I didn’t pray enough today. I haven’t read my Bible in over a week! Man, why can’t I get over this sin?! I am such a failure! Am I even saved? 

As Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, we know that we cannot earn our salvation because it is a gift from God, and just as God is sovereign in salvation, He is also sovereign in our sanctification. He is the one who matures us on our walk with Him. The same grace that saved us is the same grace that keeps and molds us into the image of Christ daily. From the moment of your conversion, you became God’s work-in-progress, and the greatest news is that He doesn’t grow weary, stressed, or exhausted with you. He will complete the work He began! Your inconsistencies and failures are not going to change. Your disobedience, your lack of trust- none will change the work nor thwart God’s plan in your life. God starts it. God finishes it. Simply lean on His strength and grace and ask for wisdom to walk in obedience. The Holy Spirit is our Helper and will help you walk in God’s will. You don’t have to muster up your faith muscles to see that happen. You simply need to trust God’s plan will be accomplished, not because there is anything good in you, but because of His goodness and faithfulness! Stand in Christ and remember that you are justified and forgiven because of the cross! 

Further Reading:

• Romans 3:23-24
• Romans 5:15-17
• Philippians 3:9

How to Pray without Ceasing..Kelly O’Dell Stanley

 How to Pray without Ceasing

By Kelly O’Dell Stanley

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV).

Impossible, right? Maybe in the olden days, when every task directly affected your family’s survival—of course they prayed, because if the crop died, they’d starve. If someone got sick there was no medicine to help. Life was dangerous and fragile, and people weren’t distracted by social media and cell phones. But today? Who could be expected to keep their mind on God at all times? Surely God wouldn’t expect that of us, because He knows more than anyone how flawed we are, and how short our attention spans are.

Except that nowhere in the Bible is there an asterisk after that verse that says, “*unless you’re really busy.”

Here’s the good news. Not only is it possible to pray without ceasing, but it’s possible to do so without making any significant changes to your schedule or time commitments. It’s all about shifting your thought process and turning everyday moments into prayer. Keep that connection open and talk to God as you go through your day. Here is how you can pray without ceasing:

Begin with gratitude.

Psalm 100:4 says “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” 

In other words, start by telling God what you’re thankful for. Prayer doesn’t have to be asking for something; it can simply be thanking Him from your heart for what He has already done.

Incorporate prayer into everyday chores.

Let your everyday tasks become acts of worship by turning them into times of prayer. As you fold laundry, pray for each family member—and then if your laundry piles are as high as mine, and you’re done praying but not done folding, branch out from there. Pray for your child’s soccer teammates, for the teachers standing in front of your children’s classrooms, for the partner who works hard to pay the bills, for health to stay active, for the workplaces where the clothes are worn. Or simply give thanks for the warmth of the home where you relax in those pajamas.

Sing a song of praise.

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise” ( James 5:13).

Often, we think of prayer as what to do when we need God to fix something or when we’re unhappy. But the Bible encourages us to pray at all times. Try listening to worship music. As you sing along, offer it to God as your prayer. Or, better yet, make up your own song along the way. Nobody is listening but Him, so don’t worry if you’re out of tune.

Stop talking once in awhile. Instead, just listen.

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” ( Matthew 6:7).

The number (or quality) of words you use in prayer doesn’t matter, because prayer is about God, not about us. Allow yourself to contemplate the nearness of God. Trust that He is your constant companion. Don’t monopolize the dialogue, but spend some of your time just being, simply sitting and resting in His presence. And keep in mind that the best conversations are two-sided, but you won’t hear anything if you never stop to listen.

A Prayer Inspired by Psalm 8..Emma Danzey

 A Prayer Inspired by Psalm 8

By Emma Danzey

“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” - Psalm 8:2 

It's powerful to read the descriptions in the Bible of how God views children and babies. He cares for them and has beautiful lessons woven into learning from them. Psalm 8:2 powerfully reminds us that praise from these little ones has created strongholds against the enemy, to the point of silencing the avenger. The contrast between an innocent baby to an avenger is vast. However, baby-sized faith, mustard seed faith, moves mountains spiritually! Today we will come before God like little children, nothing fancy, just our hearts. We will seek Him and remember the truth that He is working on our behalf, and we can depend on Him.

Let's Pray:
Our Father,
Thank You that we do not have to be the most well-spoken or equipped to pray to You. Thank You that You invite the least of these to come to You. We are welcomed in Your presence by Your blood Jesus. Thank You that as we praise You, even with simple songs, words, or actions, it is pleasing to You and powerful against the works of the enemy. You are our God. You are not only Ruler over all creation, but You are also our adopted Father. By Your grace, we are saved. We cry, Abba Father. Dad, thanks for being perfect. Thanks for loving us fully. Thanks for caring for our deepest and smallest wounds. Thanks for protecting us from evil, giving us life, and bringing us into Your family forever. When we get tempted to focus on spiritual intellect, help us to be child-like in our faith and remind us of the heart of dependence and need we have from You. Hold us, please. Help us when we fall. We cannot live without You. You have promised to always be with us and never leave us. Thank you for Your presence and Your love. Thank You for giving us Your identity, even though we fail. 

As we look and observe the actions and lives of little ones daily, we may better understand how we are supposed to live in a relationship with You, totally dependent, trusting, and believing. You are the Perfect Father. Where our earthly fathers (or lack thereof) have tainted our view of You, would You please give us a corrected perspective of Your goodness and love? Show us and reveal how You are everything we have ever longed for, and You are our good Father who delights in giving us the good gift of Your Spirit. Where we feel hurt, broken, or hold shame from earthly fathers and their sin, mend us and reveal who You truly are and how You never let us down. 

God, we pray You would hold us close to Your heart. Please help us. We, like children, all need You to survive and sustain our lives. We cannot live without You. The very breath we each take in now is by Your creation. We are in awe that You are sovereign and reigning overall. You say in John 1:12 that all who receive Jesus, You give the right to be children of God to those who believe in Your name. We come to You today not just as servants before a king or workers to a boss but as children to our Father. This love is great, personal, and real. We do not deserve it, and we cry out to You for Help demolish strongholds from the enemy. Bless us with Your full armor. We humble ourselves to have child-like attitudes of belief and confidence in You. We love You, Father, praise You, and thank You for adopting us into Your forever family through Jesus. In Your name, Amen.

The Blessings of Inadequacy..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Blessings of Inadequacy

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Paul never claimed he was capable of accomplishing all that God called him to do. He simply learned to look beyond his own inadequacy to the sufficiency of Christ. If we'll adopt the same practice, we, too, can discover the blessings hidden in our own experiences of inadequacy.

Our insufficiency drives us to God. When we realize a situation is bigger than we can handle, we're quick to open the Bible and diligently pray for guidance and power.

Inadequacy relieves us of the burden of self-effort and self-reliance. The Lord has us right where He wants us--at the end of our rope with nothing left to give.

Inability motivates reliance on divine power. We'll never be adequate until we draw from the Holy Spirit's inexhaustible strength. He does in and through us what God never intended that we do on our own.

By using weak, inadequate people, God demonstrates what great things He can do. He actually delights in choosing unlikely individuals to carry out His purposes. There's no limit to what He can do through someone willing to give Him full control.

Inadequacy challenges our faith. Paul says, "Our adequacy is from God" (v. 5). Those who focus on the reliability of this promise and step out in obedience will grow in faith.

Why go through all the fear, pressure, and frustration that accompany feelings of inadequacy when there's an alternative? Let the Lord make you adequate: rely upon Him and allow Christ to live in and through you. He will replace your anxiety with a quiet spirit of contentment.