PRAYER AND BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

It is important that we go on this journey through faith and that we ask with faith for the Holy Spirit. That means that after praying for the Holy Spirit we need to trust and be certain that the Lord has answered our prayer and that He has already given us the Holy Spirit while asking.

Galatians 3:14 NKJV says,

“... that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Another translation (NIRV) says,

“... that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit by believing in Christ.”

God has given us a great help so that we can easily trust our heavenly Father. We call it “praying with promises”.

“To blot the promises of God from the Word would be like blotting the sun from the sky.... God has placed the promises in His Word to lead us to have faith in Him.” Ellen G. White, My Life Today, p.338

POSSIBILITIES AND IMPOSSIBILITIES

Here is a helpful example… Let’s assume that my child isn’t good in French at school. I want to encourage my child to work hard at French. I promise him that if he gets a good grade on his report card that he will receive $20 from me. The child starts to study hard. I also help him with French and he really does get a good grade. What happens now? When the child comes home from school and comes through the front door he calls loudly: “Dad, $20!” Why is he so certain that he will get $20? Because a promise had been made and he has fulfilled the requirements. In fact, this is normal for most people today.

But it could be that at that moment I don’t have $20.

Can it be that God doesn’t have something that He has promised? Impossible!

Or it could be that I take my promise back and say: “I read in a book on education that you shouldn’t use money to motivate children to study. So I can’t give you the $20.”

Does God change His mind later? Impossible!

We can see that when we have a promise from God and have fulfilled the requirements, then there is only one possibility: We receive the promise!

Through God’s promises He wants to encourage us to move in a certain direction. He bids us receive the Holy Spirit, which will give us God’s power in our lives. He wants to make it easy for us to trust Him. Trust is at the heart of faith.

BY FAITH

Now let’s read this key concept found in 1 John 5:14,15 NKJV for praying with promises,

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

God gives a general promise that He answers prayers that are according to His will. God’s will is expressed in commandments and promises. We may rely on them in our prayers. Then in verse 15 it goes on to say,

“And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Another translation (NIRV) says,

“If we know that God hears what we ask for, we know that we have it.”

What does that mean? Our prayers according to God’s will are answered in the same moment that we bring them to God. But emotionally we usually don’t notice anything. Our prayers are answered by faith, not by our feelings. The feelings will come later on.

In praying with nicotine and alcohol addicted people… At the moment when they pray for deliverance they don’t notice anything. They receive the answer by faith. But a few hours later they notice that they don’t have any craving for tobacco or alcohol anymore. At this moment they have received the practical answer to their prayer.

RECEIVE THE ANSWER

Jesus said in Mark 11:24 NKJV,

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Ellen G. White said,

“We need look for no outward evidence of the blessing. The gift is in the promise, and we may go about our work assured that what God has promised He is able to perform, and that the gift, which we already possess, will be realized when we need it most.” Ellen G. White, Education (1903), p.258

So we shouldn’t be searching for outward proof or an emotional experi- ence. Roger J. Morneau said,

“The spirits [demons] would encourage people to listen to their feelings instead of the word of Christ and His prophets. In no surer way could the spirits obtain control of people’s lives without the individuals realizing what was happening.” Roger J. Morneau, A Trip into the Supernatural, Review and Herald 1982, p.43

BEYOND

Praying with promises opens God’s treasury for us. Our loving heavenly Father opens an inexhaustible account for us – He will always go beyond!

“They (the disciples) may expect large things if they have faith in His promises.” Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (1898), p.668

“... plead for the Holy Spirit. God stands behind of every promise He has made. With your Bibles in your hands, say: ‘I have done as Thou hast said. I present Thy promise, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ Christ declares: ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.’ (Matthew 7:7; Mark 11:24; Joh 14:13)“ Ellen G. White, Testimony Treasure, vol.3, p.213

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION & DEVOTION

1. Why should you pray with promises?

2. Explain the importance of God’s faithfulness and immutability.

3. What can get on the way of not seeing God’s answers to our prayers?

4. God will always go beyond. What can you understand about Him though that?