Person & Work of the Holy Spirit

We are still on less than 12, and I do believe that we can get through this pretty quickly. Question three. Question three is where we ended on last last week. I do want to go back over that because we didn't get through all of it. And a couple of things, I listened to the tape last week and just kind of going over some of the things that were brought up.

We'll start with, and this is Lesson 12, so Lesson 12 of the Holy Spirit. The book we're going over, send it right out, the book on the Holy Spirit. This is Lesson 12, Question 3. And Question 3 is read Romans 8.26 and what is the Holy Spirit's job down here when it comes to prayer? And then the second part of it is what is the Lord Jesus' job when it comes to prayer? So I want to go over that verse again, Romans 8, verses Romans 8, 26 through 27.

In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit itself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he intercedes for saints according to the will of God. So it's basically, we went over and began, what is the Holy Spirit's job down here when it comes to prayer?

From those verses. There were three different things I pulled out. Helps our infirmities. Helps our weaknesses, you know, from our weaknesses. Helps us to pray for and make intercession for us down here. Okay. Any other thoughts? Because when I went back over the tape, I was thinking about what Mike brought up, that it's a two-way two-way street basically, or that the Holy Spirit is also interceding and taking arguments and taking what the Father has and giving it to us. One thing I do want to caution about that, because the other is the thing, bring everything in prayer. And I thought about how we were discussing that, and I thought, I don't want to have the feeling that you only have to pray what you think exactly that the Father has for you. How would you know? How would you know? And I want to caution you, it is the Holy Spirit really also working from the two-way street. He's interceding and I think responding from the Father's side.

But I want to make sure that we don't go to that I can only pray with the things that I think it's in the Father's will. Because I think that the other scriptures that we have that bring everything to Him in prayer, It says we're weak. A lot of the things we bring to the Father are not in accordance with His will. And He'll show that to us. And I think that's part of the growing, the maturing in Christ.

As I used the Ferrari example last week, I pray for a Ferrari, that I need a Ferrari in my garage the next morning. Well, he's obviously not me. Well, he may. He may give me a Ferrari and find out that that's very hollow, that's an earthly thing. I really shouldn't have that, and why did I ask for that? He may answer that way, but I didn't have the Ferrari in my garage this morning, so I'm assuming that the answer was no. But I was free to ask for that.

And I want to just make sure, as I listen to the tape, I want to make sure that we understand that. And I go back to, as I told you to read John 17, that intimacy that we have. What he has asked for in John 17, that's the real Lord's Prayer. That was another thing I thought about this week too.

I'm kind of rabbit trailing a little bit. When you ask 99% of Christendom, what is the Lord's Prayer? Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. I thought you were off somewhere. I'm usually off somewhere like that, but I hope not today. Everybody knows what the Lord's Prayer is. But is that the example for us? No, it's Old Testament. It's for who? Jews. So 90% of Christendom will say the Lord's Prayer is, and this is how we're to pray.

Think about what that prayer says. And is that for us as believers? Forgive us this day our daily bread and forgive us of our trespasses. We forgive those who trespass. We all know it. We've been taught that. But that's not us as believers. We're forgiven and are we asking for... What about Ephesians where we've been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heaven? We've already passed tense.

The real Lord's Prayer is John 17. And that's why I say, look at John 17, and that really shows us the communication as we have with the Father. Christ is praying at that, saying, I want this union between you and I, God the Father, the same with these who you've given me. I want that same intimacy. Look at that. I want the union. I want to share my glory with them.

That's the intimate prayer. That's the prayer we should look at and see the communication that we have between the Father. And again, it's a very intimate prayer. It's not, again, in old English, King James has to be, you know. It's an intimate prayer with the Father. And I go back to the fact that the Abba Father, that we can cry out Abba Father, which really translated now would be Daddy.

That's the intimacy that we have with Him. And as I listened to the tape last week, I didn't want to come across that we only can ask for things that we think the Father wants us to come before Him. No, He wants us to come before Him with everything.

And the good part is the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and takes those prayers. The Ferrari, the asking for wisdom for your daughter's doctor. You know, those things. He'll take those. and respond in accordance with God's will. But we're free to ask anything, to have that intimacy.

We were talking with Wayne a little bit earlier, it's just a constant discommunication with the Lord. As we used last week with Randy, what if you were married and you never talked to your wife? What kind of relationship would you have with your wife? What kind of relationship do you have with the Lord if you're not in constant communication with Him? Always bring Him things before talking to Him in prayer.

And He'll give answers, yes, no, maybe, wait, whatever, they're all answers. And I think, I just want to make sure after listening to Tate that we understand that, that it's not that we only come with what we think is God's will. I think part of it is by understanding this verse that we're weak and we may come to Him with lots of different things. But that's where I think he uses that to mature us, to grow us, to conform us to that image through prayer. That we ask these things and it's like, really? Okay, here's the answer. No. The prayer is not going to be in your garage. And why are we, you know, give me an understanding that that was probably not the best prayer.

But I was free to come to him. And I just want to make sure that we understand that, that we are free to come to him with everything. And again, I always go to the micro to the macro. A lot of times we think that, you know, that little thing is just too little for God.

He's busy. He's taking care of all the stars and moons and everything, holding everything together, Galatians, you know, he holds all things together. And this little thing that I want to bring before him is just too little. Is that true? No. What about the big things? You have medical, you have whatever. Is that too big for him?

To change a person's heart. When you pray for somebody in your family, you know, boy, I've got some rock-hard people in my family. I just thought, you know, Lord, you just can't change their heart. Every time I do that, I look in the mirror and I go, you did that guy. And then I totally blow out that anybody can change their heart.

I just want to make sure you understand that from listening to the pig last week. God knows everything that's in your heart. He knows everything. Why do we need an intercession? He already knows everything. I think that's part of the two-way communication too. The interceding is to come back with what the Lord's will is for us. His interceding is to bring back the answer in accordance with God's will. So, you know, that's where I say I think it's kind of a two-way, or what Mike was saying last week, it's a two-way street. We can ask anything, but it's also His to intercede for us.

And I'll get to that, actually. We had a question last week we never did answer. What does intercede mean? So, yes, Wanda. Okay. The disciples said to Jesus, Because he was off praying and they said when he came back I guess or whatever they said teach us to pray. They believed in Jesus. Yeah.

So why are you saying that that is a prayer just for the Jewish people? If you look at the content of that prayer it doesn't make sense to a believer. So and a lot of it like which always gets misinterpreted the Beatitudes. Is that for us? I thought they were. No? Just for the Jewish people? It's for the Millennial Kingdom.

It's not for us. And that's why I said, the principles we can derive from it, but the Beatitudes are not for us. If you look at those, they make no sense to us who are in Christ. Makes no sense. But if you put it in perspective of the Jews in the Millennial Kingdom, it makes absolute sense. So again, the audience is key. And what he's saying, look at the prayer.

Like I said, in the Lord's Prayer, it doesn't make sense to us as believers. We have everything in Christ. We've been placed into Christ. We're identified with Christ. And we'll even see positionally, where are we? We're seated with Christ where? In the heavenlies. So, I know this is tough. Like I said, a lot of Christians... I don't go along with you.

Would it be like the part where it's, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those? I mean, God already forgave us, right? Right. And God's going to forgive us whether we forgive other people or not. Yeah, is God done with our sins? Right, yeah. So why are you forgiving as we are forgiven? We are, we're done. Yeah.

I want to point out that two lessons from now will be the study of the Holy Spirit and the church. And what we're talking about right there will distinguish between his work with the Lord Jesus when he was on the earth and his disciples side by side with his work in the church. And now you'll be able to see the difference.

Yeah, but look at like the Beatitudes and read those. and see if that makes sense as a believer in Christ. All your sins paid for, you have in Ephesians, we've been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. And then look at the Beatitudes and see how that fits for us as believers in Christ, who have been placed into Christ. And you start to, that doesn't make sense. How does that?

And it was for the Jewish audience. And that's really some of the confusion that comes up is a lot of who's the audience he was talking to. And again, The millennial kingdom and what that represents to the Jews versus us as believers. And a lot of those things have become clear. Mike said we'll touch on that when we get a little bit further. But it's nice to read. It's all scripture, all scripture. Yes, that's what I was going to say. Maybe we ought to have a bible just for us. And then pare it all down so we don't get confused. I don't want to be the editor of that one. I don't want to be the editor for that one. It's like praying in accordance with, we know God's will, so we'll only pray according to that. Well, I know exactly what to edit out.

Now, again the principles are there and the principles can be derived from those. To see his character, to see who he is. Those are all usable for us in scripture. All scripture is. So it's not that you cut those out and exclude them, but you understand that those are for a different audience. It still reveals his character, how he operates and different things like that, but it's not for us.

I'm trying to pare this down a little more. It says Christ is our intercessor on high. He lives to make intercession for us and the Holy Spirit is our intercessor down here. So he makes a distinction between Christ there and the Holy Spirit here. But he doesn't elaborate on that a lot.

Second question we'll get to. We'll get to that. Or at least the interpretation. Okay. We good? Because that, you know, again, well, we never did get to, I think, Randy's question. What does it mean to intercede? That the Holy Spirit intercedes. What does that mean? To intercede? He goes on our behalf. I'm a pulling guard and I'm blocking for the running back. It's interceding for him. What does that mean? It's like driving through a stop sign. You intercede and somebody lets you go. You intercede, you push people aside. I'm worried about her driving now too. I'm worried about both those people driving I think.

You know, what I'm thinking is that when Jesus was on the earth, he prayed to the Father and the Holy Spirit interceded for him. So maybe it's like the Holy Spirit's job is us being in the flesh people that, you know, it's kind of a filter maybe for God who can't look at sin or Or just because we're, I don't know. But you know what I mean? I'm kind of thinking that's the Holy Spirit's job because when Jesus was on earth, that's his job.

Right, that's what he's here for. He was brought as a helper. And then we see here that his purpose is to intercede for us. So that is his purpose. That's what God left us for us, for him to intercede. In their verse it says, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Wow, that's a whole different... That's a big rabbit drill. Do you have one word that would... I'll get to what I have. Go ahead.

I was just going to say, intercession as my understanding is to to pray or go on behalf of someone else, sometimes sacrificially. Yeah, you know, I looked at the verse in the Greek on that, and it really didn't give any additional. It was just basically to intercede. Intercession means to intercede. So what does intercede mean? The Greek didn't help me much. So I went to the final authority which was Webster's Dictionary. Webster's definition for intercession is mediation, the first one, or almost what Randy said, prayer or petition in favor of another. Wow. That's good. And then the other, when I looked at intercede, I thought this was actually what could be applied too. To act between parties with a view to reconciling differences. Wow.

So when you put that into perspective of what the Holy Spirit is doing, those two aren't too bad. It's intervening, the prayer or petition in favor of another or to act between parties with a view to reconciling differences. That was pretty good as maybe what the Holy Spirit is doing, interceding between us and the Father is reconciling the differences. Is this in accordance with God's will? Yes or no. And I think there's some benefit to these definitions. So that's what I thought was a pretty good one actually for Webster's.

Yeah. Courtney, you read this morning at 826 and it says, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. We sometimes don't know what to say. Oh yeah. So then he takes over. Yeah. You know, I'm sure you just don't know what to pray. You know, you just, And I'm at a loss for words.

And a lot of times it's, Lord, whatever. And I think about that sometimes. In my prayer, I know what I want, but it's just, what is your will? And a lot of times it's just back to, what is your will? And he'll take that, I think, and intercede for me. And respond in accordance with God's will. And again, it says we're weak in prayer. We're in weakness. We don't know how to pray. So a lot of times it is just, I don't know, or I'm asking and not in accordance with will, whatever. I just think it's really important what the Holy Spirit's job is, is to intercede in prayer. And again, I want to go back to everything in prayer.

Bring everything before Him. Talk all the time. Have the communication. He wants that. John 17 says He wants that intimate communication. He wants that intimacy with it. He wants the same union that He has with the Father with us. So what kind of relationship do you have with the Father? Perfect. He wants that same relationship with us.

I think it all fits together in what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is. We'll move on quickly to Steve's question, the second part. What does the Lord's job when it comes to prayer? Stunned silence. I guess he listens. Well, do you mean by the... Who do you mean? The Lord Jesus. What's his job?

Well, according to this... Write up. Yeah, okay. He said that God searches the heart and knows the Spirit's desires for us, I guess. So, is that right? Well, I'm going to keep getting answers. Well, if it isn't right out this block. Would it be that his job is already done when he died for our sins so that we can have that relationship with the father? That provides that. That provides the intimate communication with him, yeah. So it's through him. Yeah. Through what he did.

1 John 2 says, My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So I think the Lord Jesus is an advocate is a lawyer, a representative. And when I sin, the accuser of the brethren is pointing fingers at me. And the Lord Jesus is the propitiation for my sins. And so that's what he does. He keeps me in the same position and standing before God as I've always had, even though I may conditionally have sinned.

And I'll expand on that with a couple other verses. This is very close to what's being discussed now, but in Hebrews, It says that Jesus intercedes for us and there the picture is given like because he is pure and sinless, the Father can look at us through him and otherwise he couldn't. I'm going to expand on that, yep. Wow, that's good.

Because I think that gets back to our identification and well, the Hebrews verse Hebrew 725 is what I did therefore he is able to save forever those who draw near to God through him what since he always lives to make intercession for them okay so he's making intercession for us Christ is and if you look at Ephesians this this one's kind of a longer longer one Ephesians 1 15 through 22 and this we also get a glimpse of Paul in his prayers too For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all saints, do not cease giving thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and a revelation and knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glory, of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly place. far above all rule and authority and power and dominion in every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.

Going back to the identification, so where is Christ? Seated at the right hand of God. Through our identification, where are we? Positionally. We are positionally, and what does that mean? And I kind of expanded on what Mike was going on. The way I interpret this is, When God sees us, does he see all that nasty sin and all the different things that we have? No. What does he see?

Christ. Christ. He's making intercession for us. When God looks at us, he sees Christ. That's, I think, the intercession. That he is interceding. When the accuser comes and says, look at this chump, God looks and sees Christ. He sees us in Christ. That, I believe, is his job now, is the intercession. He's the one interceding for us. That when all these things happen, he looks at us, but he sees Christ. That's where I think Christ is the intercession right now. Because positionally, we're there. We're seated. This is the thing where everybody gets beat up on their sins. Oh, my sins. Oh, my sins.

Does God see those anymore? No. The only thing we do when we sin is lose fellowship. And what is the first John 1 line? It's to confess, I'm not acting who I am in Christ. I'm already forgiven. You've already taken care of this through Christ on the cross. I want the fellowship back. And it's not that God turned away. No, not at all. God never turns away.

As I was going through this section, I was just overwhelmed by the fact that what God has done through this whole scenario. He's immediately, upon salvation, brought us so close to that fellowship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And you see the working out through this section. It's incredible. Well, that's why, as I did study this, I wanted more on the prayer and what this means. This is really incredible stuff. And when you tie it to the identification throughs, I mean, we are in Christ, seated positionally. God sees us in Christ at the right hand of God. And we can avail ourselves of that at any moment.

And that's the Abba Father. And John 17, he wants that same union. That's why I say read John 17. He wants that intimacy. He wants the same intimacy that he has with the Father shared with us. I mean, that just blows my mind. If you think about that, that means when you pray, You're having that intimate conversation with him, and he desires that. He desires it. That's what he asked for in John 17. That we have that same union. Well, I mean, positionally he sees us as Christ, right at his right hand, and he wants that communication. He wants that same union with Christ. That he has a Christ with us.

My thought there was that when you refer to our weakness, our weakness is basically our ignorance of the position that God has placed us in. So when we don't know how to pray, we don't know how to pray from what he's already accomplished. can talk to you face to face or talk to you via cell phone. If I didn't know that, if I was ignorant about that and ignorant about my identification and my position and my intimacy with Christ, then the Spirit of God is about the job of illuminating me and educating me about who I am.

As that happens, My prayers changed. Oh, completely. That's the maturing, I think, as you understand. I think as you understand the identification truths, that leads you into grace. You pray down instead of up. It's a whole different thing. When you sin, it's not devastating to you. It's, I lost fellowship. That's stupid. I turned away from God, not God turned away from me.

And the fact that when God looks at me, He sees Christ. How does that change you? I mean, that's got to change you. And then, with this intimacy, I go back to the Abba Fathers. Daddy. You know, I have that intimacy. I call him Daddy. The God of the universe. Intimate communication with him. Wow. That blows my mind. How about Randy?

I always really wrestled with Hebrews chapter 4. of grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That described a relationship with God that I never felt that I had because I didn't understand that I was made perfect in Christ and my position was in Him. And once I started to understand those things, it made it so that I could pray with confidence with the attitude of I am told and I confidently can go to the throne of grace. So when you start putting this, it's so cool. Everything fits together. Everything fits together when you start putting it together with the identification of Jerusalem Grace. It's awesome. I kind of go back to the thing, how do we position ourselves there and how does God see us?

And I use the example, it's a weak example, but it's the best I can come up with, was the thought about when I was married. Up until the point we were married, he looked at me and I was boyfriend, fiance, whatever. But the minute we were married, she could only see me as a husband. She can't see me any other way. Even if we got divorced or whatever, I'd still be ex-husband. Better be husband. She can never look at me the same other than being a husband. Weak, but that's how she can only see me that way.

Same when we are placed into Christ. God can only see me in Christ now. He can't see me any other way. I can never go back to in Adam. He can only see me in Christ. How does that change your prayer life? He only sees you in Christ. All those flaws, all the sins, all the weaknesses, he doesn't see. He sees Christ.

How long should we feel guilty after we realize this? Not guilty, but it's a wonderful freeing thing. It was already sort of answered, but anyway. That we turn away conditionally, not positionally. Good point. It's conditionally we turn away. Positionally, Roxelle is never to change. That's the piece that surpasses all understanding, is that you know no matter what you do, God can only see you in Christ. That's all. And Christ could never turn away. I was just going to say, that scripture that kind of goes along with this, where it says that we are the righteousness of God. Yeah, well, the important part is the last two words of that verse.

In Him. In Him. In Him. You know, it's incredible. I think these are just incredible things when you start thinking about what we have. The Holy Spirit is interceding, but what Christ is already doing, He's interceding all the time because when God looks at us, He doesn't see anything but Christ. Awesome.

And I guess in the whole big picture, that's just called love. Go back to the circle. Why? Where does it start with? God loved us. We loved Him. We loved Him, so we obeyed Him. Why? Because... But it starts with God loved us. You know, I always loved that. I was saying Webster's Dictionary. I love to see the definition of love is Christ. That's the definition. I think the part that makes it credible, though, is that he decided to love us.

Apart from who we are, or how we are, it was his decision, an executive decision, even before we appeared on earth. And he cannot go back on it. It's a forever decision. It makes everything possible. See, it's staggering when you think about this, when this was before there was ever creation. They'd already planned this out. They knew we were going to be sinful. And Christ would have to go to the cross. So, I always wonder about that. Why did He even create us? Why did He ever go that far? Because He loved us.

And He wants to share His glory. Look at John 17. He wants to share that glory with us. It blows your mind. He wants to share his glory with us. He wants that intimate relationship. And as I've said before, I keep bringing it up, in flesh we have a different relationship. We can't have a one-to-one or a plane with Christ. That's where in the gardens he wasn't satisfied. Man was alone and it wasn't good. You're in the garden with God, walking in the cool of the morning, with God having fellowship, and it wasn't good to be alone? How do you be alone? What do you mean alone? It makes sense when you go to what we are in Christ, identified with him, we're placed into Christ. We now have everything the same as Christ, except for deity.

So now he can have an on-par relationship with us. And that's what explained in John 17, that he wants that same union, With Christ and God, He wants that same union with us. It all fits. It's really, really cool. Like I said, it should change your prayer life. Don't matter what you pray, the Holy Spirit's interceding and Christ is interceding for us in heaven. Seated at the right hand. It's incredible.

I think just one clarification going back is I think when we've all been taught the Lord's Prayer, But it's really the Lord teaching disciples how to pray. It's not his prayer. That's what 17, John 17, is heart bleeding to the Father for our sakes and for our future intimacy and union with the triune God. But the Lord's prayer is just a class on how to pray. It's not his prayer.

And yes, we'll get into this. in a couple of lessons on the audiences for that. John 17 is the one that I go to, because that's really the intimacy that he's expressing to the Father. And in his prayer he's saying he wants that same intimacy with us. So that's the one that we looked at for how we were to pray, intimately to the Father. Hey, Courtney, I think it's worthy to note, because you said it a couple of times, that we actually have double intercession. We have an intercessor down here and we have an intercessor on high. A double portion of that feeding on our behalf.

Yeah, what are you worried about? And this isn't like state farm insurance. This is a whole lot better. I'm not double covered. I don't have both life insurance and house insurance. This is much, much greater on an internal basis. What more could you ask for? When he promised, I just like when he promised the Holy Spirit, a helper, a comforter, an advocate. I mean all these things for the Holy Spirit. But then, as Matt says, we have somebody in heaven.

And again, just when he looks at us, he sees Christ. That's so cool. You know, what are you worried about all those blemishes that you have? He sees us in Christ, positionally. Conditionally we're warts and everything else. We're conforming to his image. But we have a lot of failures, ups and downs and all that. But from a positional standpoint, he looks at us and he sees Christ.

What are you worried about? All right, we'll quickly get through these last four or five questions very quickly. Question four, when you don't have the capacity for prayer, what does the Holy Spirit do in this case? What? Intercedes. Intercedes and right ahead of it. On earth there are sides and drones and we feebly in much ignorance, lift our hearts to God. But there is a mighty intercessor within, lending us unconsciously to prayer. And our blessed God understands these inarticulate groanings."

That was a pretty good summary of that. What's that? Oh, that was from Right Out. That's in Right Out. I can't remember what page it's probably in. It's in 42 to 44, I think. 41. But the gronies on our behalf, when we don't have the word to express what we need, is in scripture. I don't know which book, but it's there in those words. Yeah, well, it's the Romans that we have the gronies. Question five.

If there is no understanding in our prayers, what good are they? At least we're going to the right person. What good are they? I believe they help others that we pray for and they definitely help us because we feel relieved and like we're in union with the most important being ever. It's a peace that you get that you don't have if you didn't pray. Okay? Others? There's no understanding. What good are they?

Even if we don't understand them, if we pray in the Spirit, God understands them. That's what Rite Out said. The Holy Spirit takes our prayers and with droning's too deep for words, He takes them and intercedes. Again, everything in prayer. Take everything to prayer. I never worry about that I'm in the right form asking the right question at the right time when I go before the Father. I go before him all the time. I think also in this context though we can trust the Spirit of God to educate us about how we should pray.

And we may, like he said in the previous question, have a burden on our heart to pray for a certain circumstance that we're not real clear. But over time he'll make it clear to you. It's like Paul going to the Lord three times about the thorn in the flesh.

He didn't get it until after the third time. How many times have you prayed for something? The answer comes back completely different than what you think. Five years later? Oh, thank you Lord. There are so many things that have happened in my life that I have no clue why. And I tell the Lord, I tell God, that I have no clue what you're doing. I have no clue. But a lot of times in three, four, five years, I look back and it's like, oh man, thank you.

Thank you. You know, just even how coming out of the Brethren and different things. A lot of things happened, different stuff. I kind of think of Joseph, thrown in the pit by the brothers. I'm sure at that time he's going, thank you, Lord. No, he has no clue what's going on. They hucked him in a pit, but what happened years later? I look at that a lot, where things happen in my life, I have no clue. But three, five, ten years later I go, oh, thank you, Lord. Back to you, sir.

There are times when God asks us to be like Abraham, where he says, okay, take Isaac up on the mountain. But Laurie said, I was going on a nation tour. I said, yeah, I know. He means we need to go here. Not that we should be sacrificing our kids today. I mean, it is the thing. You don't understand what he's doing in your life. Why did that?

I thought that this was the perfect job for me. You had it, you laid it all out, you open the doors and you got me there. And well, five years later, oh, You were a witness to ten different people in that office. You were used in a mighty way there. Thank you Lord.

Is this the break point where some groups would evolve into tongues? That's a whole different deal. There are, but if you look at that, even if you go, I always love it, people are speaking tongues. What's always the requirement when you speak in tongues? Interpreter. Do most of these people have interpreters going, you know, that's what he said?

Absolutely not. And again, there's a whole thing about which gifts have gone away and different things like that. There's a whole bunch. But typically when it talks about tongues, and typically it's also at Pentecost, was that just gibberish? There were languages. They were suddenly amazed. I was talking in Italian, Spanish, you know, they were all. And so it was a known language. So again, there's a lots of things in the tongues part that we can get into.

But that. Yeah. Well, maybe this is maybe this is a good analogy, but I don't exactly know what the banker is doing in that transaction on my behalf or the real estate agent. or the lawyer, but he's interceding for me in that transaction. And perhaps maybe that's a good way to think of this. You may not understand it, but it is on your behalf and for your benefit. Yeah, according, yeah. Except for bankers and real estate agents. Yeah, I don't trust real estate agents. Real estate agents. That's not the perfect analogy. If you left it at banker, I was maybe going a different way. Somebody else?

Also, not just with prayer, but with the Word, understanding the Word. Because you can go years without understanding something that looks like an apparent contradiction in God that reveals it to you later. Yeah, there are a lot of times, as I said, it's a living Word. I've read a scripture and then five years later I read the same scripture and it's like, whoa! So that's the Holy Spirit revealing at the time, the proper time, the proper circumstances. What do we do if we don't have a clear understanding of all of this? How should it depress us? What do you mean? If you don't have a real understanding of all this, where can it lead you? It can depress a person because you want to really know it.

But see, I think that's the Holy Spirit pushing into you to where? Faith. The Word. I think where you understand this is in the Word. We can teach all day long, but it's ultimately the Word and the Holy Spirit. But you could rest in Him, then He'd reply to you.

And yet, like I said, there's times, you know, I've read Scripture. And you know, again, in the Brethren, for 20 years, 25 years, you know, I didn't see all the identification truths. I've read these Scriptures a hundred times. But he chose not to reveal that at this point, or at that point. But in time, when I was ready, and the circumstances were right, I understand him. But it was 20 years. I think one of the guys, I think, talked to you, like an 83-year-old guy who talked to you, and he was like, boy, I've led my flock astray for all these years.

What do I do? Teach it now. It's the right time, the right, you know? Don't get depressed about it. But it may take, you know, 80 years to figure this out. It may take you whatever. But I think it's that conforming to the image of Christ. I don't have that much time left. Maybe you do. Alright, let's, because I want to get to a secondary question after this.

So from right out on this one, if there's no understanding in a prayer, what good are they? From right out, he had a good section there. Have you ever felt your inability for prayer? Words have failed, and under the pressure of a groaning creation in which we live, you have been mute. You had no words to frame the deep yearnings of your heart over a lost world, over a Christless crowd passing on to eternity, or other loads pressed heavily. And as you have bowed before God, there is more groaning than speaking.

Well, beloved, these were doubtless the intercessions of the Spirit, leading you out in prayer beyond yourself and giving voice in the language understood by God alone. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities. What a comfort! He is the helper. The weakest of us can pray with such assistance. And God, who searches the heart, knows the Spirit's desires, even as the saints in their infirmity have not given clear utterance to them. He knows that the Spirit maketh intercession according to God."

I thought that was pretty good. The question I have, so, how do the answers to questions four and five impact your prayer life? about when you don't have the capacity for prayer, what does the Holy Spirit do? And if there is no understanding in our prayers, what good are they? How do the answers to that change your prayer life? Does it?

I think it makes you more free to go sooner. Anytime, anywhere, anyplace. Your prayers. Anytime, anyplace. You don't have to wait until your paper is perfect, you know. Right. Absolutely. What else? Anything else? I mean, does it, when you realize that, some of those answers? I think there's a, I'm going to use the word raw, there's a raw quality to your prayer when you stop thinking it has to be formal and it has to be processed and it has to sound like the King James Bible or something and you just pray.

Papa, Father, Daddy, this is what's on my heart. This is what I'm, this is what I, what I bring to you. You know a lot of points, when we pray about people with medical issues, you know a lot of times he's using that, I mean I always rest in the fact that he's sovereign and controlling, he's using it for his purposes.

Sometimes he's going to cure that person, sometimes he's not. But I rest in the fact that he knew about it and he's using it for his purposes and his glory. So I can bring you a request, but the answer may be that he impacts 25 different people. if that person passes on and they have a message. I don't know. I just understand. I rest in the fact that he's in control.

You know, like Hal, when he died, he talked to all these people in the hospital and they changed their views. It's just amazing. His whole life may have been pointed to that one point. I mean, when he was done, he was done. All the works that God had for him were done. Took him home.

I don't know if you heard April, but she was saying, stop thinking prayer is an emergency line. Well, I don't, as I use, as I say the arrow prayer in the midst of something, Lord, God, help me now, quickly, quickly. I'm still free to do that. But I think on a regular basis, as you mature and you understand, it's just all the time you're talking to them and asking and asking for wisdom, direction. comfort, peace, all these different things, the arrow printers start to minimize because you're understanding you're in full communication with him at all times, and that he's sovereignly in control of all your circumstances. You can rest in that path. And whatever he's using, it's in love. The trial is used in love to what? Draw him to you, to conform him. Gives me a peace, understanding.

And maybe it's not only the asking. Oh, no, it's not. Oh, you know, I was trying, and this is I always try to start off with the praises and the blessings. He blesses us so much that I try to start off with blessings. It's like thank you Lord for all that you're doing for me. And then I have this request. That's just my personal prayer usually. It's just thank you for all that you're doing. You're awesome. And incredible. than if I have a request. Sometimes just talk to me. Just give me an understanding. Laura, I have no clue what's going on. If you desire, give me an understanding of what is going on. So, why don't I just close out this one question with 1 John 3, 21 and 22.

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God, and whatever we ask, we receive from Him. Because we keep His commandments to do the things that are pleasing in His sight. You know, it's when we are in fellowship with Him, whatever we ask we receive from Him.

It's all from Him. It's not from some other source. Everything we derive is from Him. So when we ask, whatever is from Him. Now how does that change it? That all your birth requests and all the different things are from Him. The answers are from Him.

It's pretty cool that he's intimately involved with you, you know, and all the world and all the stuff. He didn't go oops and miss you. He's intimately involved with every moment of your life. And like I said, when he looks at us, he sees Christ. How does that change your career life? Alright, let's close. Father, we thank you just for this time and trying to understand prayer. That it is a communication that you desire. You actually want to have a relationship the same that you have with your son, the Lord Jesus. You want that same relationship, that same intimacy. And we thank you for that.

We thank you that it was nothing that we did that got us to that position. It was all through Christ and what he did on the cross. And Father, as we study your Word, we are comforted by the fact that you have indwelled us with the Holy Spirit who, in our weakness, intercedes for us. We don't have to come up with flowery words or anything.

You just want us to intimately come before you and have that relationship. And as we do, as we understand who you are, we are conformed into the very image of your son. And we thank you for that process. Sometimes it's trials, sometimes it's blessings, and we thank You that it is all done in love. And if we understand that, that gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding in every trial, in every blessing. We know that You desire that relationship for us to be with You and to have that intimate relationship with You. So, Father, we just thank You for this time to study Your Word. Now, we pray for Vern upstairs, just for his message. to prepare our hearts to receive it. Father, we do all these things to glorify you, in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus. Amen.