Asking for the SPIRIT

“Keep on asking for something to be given, and it shall be given you. Keep on seeking and you shall find. Keep on reverently knocking, and it shall be opened to you….how much…will Your Father …in heaven give the Holy Sprit to those who ask Him for Him to be given”
(ref#37, p163, [Luke 11:9,10,13]).

FATHER, I pray for ____, that (he/she) continue pleading for the HOLY SPIRIT—that (he/she) become sensitive to the requirement of constant asking. Incite (him/her) to grasp the concept of how vital He is in (his/her) life.

“As God’s children, we have already received the Spirit. But, we still need to ask and pray for His special gifts and operations as we require them. And not only this, but for Himself to take complete and entire possession; for His unceasing momentary guidance” (ref#19, SEVENTH LESSON).

FATHER, Your SPIRIT is not general or bland with His words of instruction. He will inspire ____ immediately. Favor (him/her), O LORD, to instantly know it is the SPIRIT’s words that has entered (his/her) mind.

I read of the SPIRIT in Acts and marvel at His clearness and specifics. His comfort sets the ones He dwells in apart (Acts 9:31). Set ____ apart today with the blessing of Your SPIRIT.

Reasons For Affliction – Eliminate Slothfulness

“…I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things” (Isa 45:7 ESV).

FATHER, I admit ____, like all of us, needs calamity otherwise (he/she) will fall asleep and let all the spiritual knowledge in (him/her) drain out without seeing the need for constant replenishment. Your difficult providences keep ____ from laziness.

You, WATCHER OF ISRAEL, condemned the prophets because they avoided the difficult situations which accompanied their occupation:

“You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord” (Ezek 13:5 ESV).

“While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk, it is useless to man.
It must be threshed out of its resting place before its value can be known. Thus it is good that Jehovah “trieth the righteous,” for their trials cause them to grow rich toward God” (ref#34, Sept 3rd PM).

FATHER, balance ____’s mind in all varying circumstances. And help (him/her) to “cultivate a disposition that renders every duty a spiritual privilege” (ref#76, p139).

It is possible that You call (him/her) to elective affliction. If so equip (him/her) with power to “defend the breaches and build up the wall.” Do not allow ____ to run away from affliction.

“Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD with slackness…” (Jer 48:10 ESV).

Compatabilism

FATHER, theologians have coined the word, “compatabilism” to address the doctrines of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. These are two doctrines that are difficult to be reconciled together in the human mind. However, the “writers of the Bible are not embarrassed to put side by side teachings that do not fit our logic. For example, Peter charges his hears on the day of Pentecost with wickedness in killing Christ yet admits it was all in God’s plan (Acts 2:23). Jesus says, ‘No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.’ And He also says, ‘Whoever comes to me I will never drive away’(John 6:37,44)” (ref#79, p108).

“God has, from the beginning, chosen a people unto salvation; but that does not mean there is no need for evangelists to preach the Gospel, or for sinners to believe it; it is by such means that His eternal counsels are effectuated” (ref#152, p131).

FATHER, Your sovereignty does not release me from being responsible for my actions. And my human responsibility does not permit me to do anything without Your help. FATHER, I don’t want to be slothful. I want to do what I know I should.

Internal Righteousness

“If you would climb to heaven, stoop. Do we not say of Jesus, ‘He descended so that He might ascend’? So must you. You must grow downward so that you may grow upward, for the sweetest fellowship with heaven is to be had by humble souls, and by them alone” (ref#34, April 5th PM).

FATHER, I want to become conformed to the image of Your Son (Rom 8:29)—His compassionate acts—His authoritative words—His unrivaled righteousness.

This way of thinking brings me close to the thin line where, on one side, activities are produced by my own energies, and, on the other side, activities are prompted by the SPIRIT. It is an unsafe place to be for the continual lure is to fall on the side of self-effort, which, at its best, can only “act” like CHRIST.

FATHER, direct me toward an internal righteousness—my striving to subject my mind, will, affections, and desires to JESUS. This is the place where the HOLY SPIRIT definitely works. “In every corruption subdued, in every…besetting sin laid aside, in every holy desire begotten, Christ is glorified…” (ref#61, August 24th). In repentance— with a broken heart—by being contrite I can bring You more glory than appearing impressively righteous to people around me.

“The most powerful worship will be among people whose minds… and whose hearts—whose emotions—are as near the fire of God as they can be without being consumed” (ref#75, p195)

Psalm 63
Oh my FATHER, this is where I want to be. This is my most urgent prayer.

“O GOD, praise waiteth for thee, and to render it is my noblest exercise;…” says the Puritan (ref#76, p14). I must wait for You to pass by before I am able to offer up praise. I can’t just pick up my guitar or sit at the piano and sing praise songs anytime. O FATHER, compel me to wait near the fire of GOD.

Elijah came to a cave and lodged in it. There the word of the LORD came to him (1 Kings 19:9). The LORD passed by him and a strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but He was not in the wind. And, after the wind, an earthquake, but He was not in the earthquake. And, after the earthquake, a fire, but He was not in the fire. But, after the fire the LORD came in a low whisper (1 Kings 19:11- 12).

The LORD favors those who wait for His lovingkindness (Ps 147:11). Your name and remembrance are the desire of my soul (Isa 26:8). I will tie myself down and wait for Your low whisper.

“O God, you are my God;
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,…” (Ps 63:1 ESV).

“…I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you” (Ps 63:2-3 ESV).

“…in your name I will lift up my hands.
…my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy” (Ps 63:4,5,7 ESV).

The Roles of the HOLY SPIRIT

FATHER, as a Christian my life is an impossible life to live without drawing on Your SPIRIT for “The Spirit of God shatters every power in the world, the flesh and the devil, every power of sin and the domination of Satan” (ref#157, June 15th).

“The Spirit…is Christ without the limitations of the flesh and the material world. He can reveal what Christ could not speak. He has resources of power greater than those Christ could use, and he makes possible greater works than his” (ref#161, p18).

“He is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of witness, the Spirit of conviction, the Spirit of power, the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of light, the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit of help, the Spirit of liberty, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of revelation, the Spirit of promise, the Spirit of love, the Spirit of meekness, the Spirit of sound mind, the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of glory, and the Spirit of prophecy” Samuel Chadwick (ref#161, p18,19).

FATHER, all Christians have the SPIRIT resident in them but I desire to be “full” of Him—desiring He control me to the point that I am “distinct and observable in some way” to others (ref#161, p109). When I feel my heart warmed with joy, and I’m supported in peace, and established in obedience, let me give Him the praise due Him (ref#35, p422).

Prayer Facts:

“You don’t need self-discipline to pray continuously; you just need to be poor in spirit” (ref#62, p65).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You keep covenant, loving-kindness, and mercy for those who love You and keep Your commandments (Neh 1:5), I will wait for You.
Because You do not withdraw Your eyes from me (Job 36:7), I will wait for You.

Because You open my ears to instruction and discipline (Job 36:10), I will wait for You.

Because You give songs of rejoicing in the night (Job 35:10), I will wait for You.

Mightier Than the Thunders of Many Waters

“Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

mightier than the waves of the sea,…” (Ps 93:4 ESV).

“Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting” (Ps 93:2 ESV).

“Both riches and honor come from You,
and You rule over all,…
it lies in Your hand to make great
and to strengthen everyone” (1 Chron 29:12 NASU).

“Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Ps 90:2 ESV).

“…Yours is the kingdom…and you are exalted…above all” (1 Chron 29:11 ESV).

JESUS’ Dealing With Flesh

FATHER, “…everything a man naturally inherits from his parents belongs to the flesh” (ref#33, p71). Therefore we are naturally hostile to You, for we do not submit to Your laws, indeed, we cannot (Rom 8:3,7). That which is born of the flesh is flesh (John 3:6).

“God…does not try to alter man’s flesh; He instead gives man a new life in order to help put it to death. The flesh must die. This is salvation” (ref#33, p73). “…By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:3-4 ESV).

But, man “does not understand God’s Word and so he tries continually to refine and reform his flesh” (ref#33, p73). Because I see no consistent spiritual fruit in ____, I pray, FATHER, that You provide (him/her) with a deeper understanding of You. I observe ____ is not willing to make (himself/herself) uncomfortable doing good works which makes me believe (his/her) actions are the actions of (his/her) selfish, not-regenerated- yet, flesh.

FATHER, this flesh is so predominate that even Your regenerated easily revert back to utilizing their sinful flesh to deal with daily situations (Gal 3:3). So I pray also for my fellow Christians as well, that they continue depending on Your SPIRIT as they did at first.

“Though He cannot alter our flesh God gives us His life. Man’s flesh remains as corrupt in those who are born anew as in those who are not. The flesh in a saint is the same as that in a sinner. In regeneration the flesh is not transformed. New birth exerts no good influence on the flesh. It remains as is. God does not impart His life to us to educate and train the flesh. Rather, it is given to overcome the flesh” (ref#33, p76).

FATHER, unsettle ____ until (he/she) longs to walk by Your SPIRIT so (he/she) will not gratify the desires of (his/her) flesh (Gal 5:16). May (he/she) “experience less failure battling with sin and more success battling with self” (ref#33, p79).

How Does JESUS Speak?

“The head is where God’s will is understood, but it is never the source of His will. The will of God originates in Himself, Who by His Holy Spirit reveals it to the spirit of man” (ref#101, p79).

FATHER, I thank You for the SPIRIT, who impresses ____ with the words of JESUS through the Bible and then illuminates those very words in the Bible. You do not speak to (him/her) through one without the other (ref#119, p51).

“According to Jesus, the Holy Spirit would first lead the disciples to remember and record His teaching in what we call the New Testament. Then He would guide Christ’s followers into increasing knowledge of the truth on the basis of that written revelation” (ref#119, p31).

FATHER, prohibit ____ from courting the desire to search through the Bible for some precept to obey. Instead, guide (him/her) to making (his/her) life be so in touch with You that the HOLY SPIRIT can continually bring some word from JESUS and apply it to (his/her) circumstances (ref#118, p16).