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 ESV
Previously we learned that your spiritual survival kit is a pack of essential spiritual resources that you need to survive and triumph in these perilous times. We identified the PERSONALISED WORD of God as the first such resource. I hope you’ve upped your game in terms of utilising this Sword of the Spirit for your victory in such a time as this. Have you? I have.
The second indispensable resource for every believer during this lockdown is LIVING WATER. This is one of the special terms the Bible uses to describe the Holy Spirit (see John 7:37-39). How fitting it is for us all as we pilgrim through this dry and thirsty land to have the fresh waters of God the Spirit flowing in and through us! “Let your Living Waters flow over my soul. Let your Holy Spirit come and take control.”
Now, observe that our Scripture for today says the way to build ourselves up is by PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. See also 1 Corinthians 14:4, 14-15. My friends, given that the events around us in this season threaten to depress and discourage us beyond anything we have ever experienced, is there any better time than now to build ourselves up?
Moreover, the Bible says you and I DO NOT EVEN KNOW how to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26-27). Imagine! In these days when so many virtual prayer meetings are going on, this truth’s importance cannot be overemphasised. We all run the risk of having many fruitless prayers, simply because they do not match the will of God. Without the help of the Spirit we all tend to PRAY AMISS (James 4:3). But when our prayers are in sync with God’s will, we are assured of answers (see 1 John 5:14-15).
How wonderful it is to know that the Holy Spirit NEVER prays amiss! He is always in tune with the will of God. That is why we must cultivate a strong relationship with the Holy Spirit and develop the habit of praying in the Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit pray in and through you. He is your Helper. Every time you genuinely pray in the Spirit you bypass human and demonic limitations as you speak hidden wisdom directly to God (1 Corinthians 14:2).
Beloveds, this is not the time for intellectual prayers. This is not the era of speculative prayers. This is not the season for emotional prayers. Nor is this the hour for religious prayers for that matter. This is the hour to receive God’s favour-through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s the opportune moment for anointed praying. Today is your day to pray in the Spirit unashamedly. Nothing less!
Pastor Josh