The Holy Spirit and prayer

True prayer is a fruit of our God’s gloriously Trinitarian work of salvation. True prayer is itself gloriously Trinitarian! Jesus said, When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven (Luke 11:2). He also said, And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13). We come to the Father through the Son, our Advocate and heavenly Intercessor. If prayer is a fruit of the Trinitarian work of salvation then there is also a special work for the Holy Spirit in the prayer-life of the Lord’s people.

We are taught that through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). Jude says, But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). This work of the Holy Spirit is so essential that without it you cannot be building yourself up on your most holy faith. Paul says that Christians should be praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18), and Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27).

Perhaps by way of reaction to extremes, we shy away from talking about praying in the Spirit. But it is a Biblical expression and it is vital to the reality and spirituality of your prayer life.

The unbeliever has no true desire for God. Except a man be born again he will not and cannot truly pray. As a Christian, you are still affected by weakness and infirmity in spiritual life; if someone thinks true prayer is easy then they should question whether they have ever truly prayed. Romans 8:26 points to our natural inability to pray. You will meet hindrances in coming to the Lord in prayer. They may come from many directions and you need help to overcome them. When praying, there will be times when you will not know what to pray for. The trial may be difficult and perplexing, the suffering great, and you do not know what to ask. With limited understanding of situations and people, it is possible to ask amiss. Given the natural corruptions of the heart who can say their prayer life is utterly free from the pernicious influences of pride, resentment and selfishness? You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:3). Where would we be without divine help? Take heart, God’s provision is truly complete; the Lord remembers your weakness. You are not left alone for the Holy Spirit will come alongside and help you.

Merely reciting forms of words is not true prayer. However eloquent and powerful the language, without the Spirit, prayer becomes mere words, empty form and cold ritual. With the Spirit, prayer is living communion with the living God. Even the groanings and sighs of the struggling, but Spirit-filled, heart are intelligible and acceptable to God.

True prayer is reverent and child-like in humility. After all, only saved sinners may approach the Holy God knowing he is a consuming fire. Prayer is fervent, earnest, sincere, persevering, patient and submissive because God is Lord, not you, and he has graciously saved you and put his Spirit within you. True prayer is penitent, stirred up by the Spirit of holiness who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement to come. Your sins are forgiven, you are justified by faith and you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ (Romans 8:15). True prayer can be bold, confident, joyful and hopeful because Jesus Christ is the new and living way to God your Father. True prayer is thoroughly Christ-centred because of the special ministry of the Spirit in glorifying Christ (John 16:14). Because the Holy Spirit helps you, these ideas taught by the Bible become more than ideas. They become living realities burned into your heart, mind and conscience.

The Holy Spirit helps you in the matter of prayer

Answer 98 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism says, ‘Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.’ But we do not know what we should pray for and You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss. The Holy Spirit is your divine guide in the matters of prayer. He takes of what is Christ’s and declares it to you. He is the divine illuminator of spiritual truth and the divine guide and counsellor of those lacking wisdom. We are taught in the Bible what to pray for and he will open your understanding, stir your memory and direct your thoughts so that you pray for things agreeable to his will, prompted by pure motives and desires above all else for God’s glory. B M Palmer wrote that this special ministry of the Holy Spirit is the meeting place ‘between our prayer and God’s secret and holy and ordaining purpose.’

Romans 8:26 does not mean that the Holy Spirit takes over and prays on your behalf. You are like a person with a load too heavy to carry alone. The Holy Spirit is the person who comes alongside you and shoulders the burden to help you along the way. It is part of his daily work for the Lord’s people and is his delight. The Lord gave the Holy Spirit not to make your prayer-life unnecessary, but to make it effective. James Buchanan comments on Romans 8:27, ‘every prayer that is prompted by the Holy Spirit is a pledge of its own fulfilment.’ So, If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).