Prayer | Part 1

Rollover fighting studios in Memphis Tennessee Byron title here with your reformed signor will providing jury today.

Adrian Rogers part one in a message called prayer and will be looking at Romans 826 and 28 know the spirit administrates our access to God. I love that by the way, you know know know, set appointments, no calendar conflicts no reservations right we have full access to Almighty God, we do as Christians. Prayer is our greatest privilege in service. You can also be our greatest failure. What is so fundamental we can look right past it right. To me it's the blocking and tackling of our faith that we are people of prayer wagered. Roger says the devil laughs at our organization and mocks our schemes. He ridicules our good intentions, but he fears our prayer sorted us absolutely.

When we know that prayer is powerful. It's the best tool we have in the toolbox will Adrian Rogers reminds us now why we should pray well.

I believe that for number of reasons. First of all Jesus commanded to keep his commandments. You can do nothing better and he's locating one is for comparable under them to this and that men ought always to pray and not to faint and lost apostle Paul said we to pray without ceasing, but the reason that the we can do nothing better than pray is, in my estimation, that prayer links are nothingness with God's all my tennis and I think we unmitigated fools if we don't learn how to pray because what what an opportunity to come to the ruler of the universe and the and move his mind and heart.

Some people think that the prayer does not change the mind of the heart of God.

But the Bible clearly says that we have not because we ask and I believe one day we get to heaven. We're going to be ashamed, when we find out what we could've had had we only learned ask interest.

We always enjoy hearing from our love for finding listeners and here's a response we just recently received a part after Rogers method of teaching the world was and still is so relevant, practical and profound. I pray I can be a greater blessing to your ministry this year because it left me with a great response. You know we tell people often have a quiet time. But what is it me, me.

Most people say how you structure that how do you formulate a quiet time. You know we we have a great hardbound new journal entitled good morning Lord is a great resource and I think this book helps us to really structure that quiet time with a daily practice of studying Scripture and so I want to encourage people not only to get a copy get two copies given away to family and friends, and you can do that it LWF.org or call 1877 love God will will today's message prayer part one. Here's Adrian Rogers Romans is the Constitution of Christianity.

We are looking at the foundations of our faith.

A solid word and unsure age and we've been right in the heart of this eight chapter which is the heart of the book of Romans, which is the heartbeat of all great theology and today were going to be talking about prayer we going to replace some things that we told you before and reemphasize these things because they are of such great importance Romans chapter 8.

Then we began in verse 26 likewise the Spirit also help with our infirmities but we know not what we should pray for as we all but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit because he that is the spirit maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose is very obvious that the two words that are standing out here.

One is the spirit and the other is the word prayer.

I want to talk to you about how to pray in the spirit. I don't know one of us that would say I am satisfied with my prayer life and I think all of those of us who know and love the Lord Jesus want to pray better. Prayer is the greatest Christian privilege. I want to say it is the greatest Christian service you can do more than pray after you prayed that you cannot do any more than pray until you break is the greatest privilege. It is the greatest service, but alas, alas, alas, it is the Christians greatest failure, we fail in our prayer life and very few of us would say I am satisfied with my prayer life now.

Why one of the problems. Well first of all, there's the problem of in different many times we just don't have a desire to pray, we just don't want to pray we don't have a longing to pray you might as well admit there's something in every one of us that doesn't want to worry there's the problem of indifference and then there's the problem of the we don't know how to pray or what to pray for, and then not only is it the problem of indifference have a problem of ignorance, but folks there's the problem of interference I mean when you go to pray the devil moves heaven and earth and hell beneath the try to keep you from bring it really that the beans will burn the kids to get in the fight. The telephone will ring you will get sleep. Your mind will gather wool, you will think silly thoughts that ever happened to you or just me by when you're trying. There's an affair. Why the devil laughs at our organization.

He mocks our schemes. He ridicules our good intentions. He fears our prayers. So when you go to pray the devil is going to level all of the artillery of hell against you because he does not want you to pray and your indifference in your ignorance and his interference sometimes does line up against us. And then we do say well we're not very good at prayer. We like to talk about prayer saying about prayer, but many of us really do not have a satisfying fulfilling prayer life.

Now what is the answer. The answer is to find that God has given us an outline and asset help and encourage and he is the Holy Spirit in this passage of Scripture says likewise the Spirit also help with our infirmities.

We gotta talk about that would help in just a moment and show you how the Holy Spirit of God helps you energizes you enlightens you empowers you the pray now what are some ways that the Holy Spirit of God helps us to pray, let's look right here. First of all, the Holy Spirit of God activates our will and prayer. The Holy Spirit of God… He activates our wills in prayer. That is the Holy Spirit of God moves your will to pray, we might as well admit the reason basically that we don't pray is there is a lack of desire we have no will. We have no appetite. We have no hunger, because I Morte something the reason you don't pray more than you pray is because you don't want to. People do what they want to do people do what they want to do, but there's a part of us called the flesh night is not about you hide your hair, your skin, the bones, the flesh, the meat on those bones.

That's not what the Bible means when it says flesh when the Bible uses the word flash in this instance anyway is talking about your old nature that predisposition to sin that part of you that doesn't love God you were born with it. Let's see how the Bible describes it look, if you will hear in verse five.

Chapter 8 look in verse five.

What, for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, and some of you right now. I've already checked me out on the sermon.

I mean your mind right now you think about business, you thing about a movie you think about that support your thinking about your lawn or something. Right now you don't have an appetite even to hear about prayer. You are in the flesh, and you reminding the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit.

The things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded word Conley just another way saying fleshly mind to be carnally minded is that not talking here about physical death only talk about spiritual death.

He's talking about death to goodness, purity power prayer.

It's that, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Now you have a condo mind a spiritual line here hungry to know more. Are you probably bore it all depends on what your mind this at all. Now look, if you will, at the explanation of that in verse seven because the carnal mind is enmity against God knew the word enmity means means warfare is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So you have to be filled Holy Spirit to desire to pray because if you're not filled Holy Spirit, the flashing years and I don't care about that. I am not interested in that. I don't want to know about that. You see, we do what we want to do now. How does the Holy Spirit of God activate all will what this is beautiful this is wonderful. You see, look, if you will, in verse 15 of the same chapter Romans chapter 8 and verse 15 for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba.

Call now there is the spirit of bondage. That's the old devil wants to keep you in bondage. You want to keep you down.

That's the spirit that motivates the children of this world, but he say when you get say you have received the Spirit of adoption know what is adoption well.

We are born into the family of God spiritually readopted in the family got legally and the spirit of adoption means that we are heirs of God and once we are adopted into the family of God. God puts his Holy Spirit into us and the Holy Spirit in us just loves the phone Holy Spirit father.

It's is normal and natural to pray when your spirit who God is. Take away the spirit of bondage that keeps you from bring God puts the Holy Spirit of God in your heart and your life and you just say father. Did you know that you don't have to be a junior size Shakespeare in order to pray. Sometimes you ask a person pray in public is what I can pray what they mean is I can't rattle off some poetical phrases. Jesus said would not heard from my speaking. He says here is Abba father. That's the most primary speech that a child can make. That's the counterpart of daddy father suppose when my girls were growing up. One of my teenage daughters would say to me Haley on him. The pastor of Bilby bit is that our have a wonderful sojourn down Interstate 40 coming to our domicile by daughter by second daughter Janice Woodward quest of her father, that thou would us grant to thy daughter Janice a dollar or two that I may sojourn the younger apothecary and to cure some necessities for my cosmological appearance of a lot better say that hey I love you Papa. Good to have you home is a kiss day daddy, I need some things at the drugstore. You got a couple books to be better would be better.

God has sent forth the Spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba father is for you to pray as it would be to speak to your own Danny when you filled Holy Spirit because you see looking at will. In verse nine of the same chapter the Bible calls the Holy Spirit. The spirit of Christ.

You see that look if you will, but you not in the flesh but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you that any man have not the spirit of Christ is not so when you're filled Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is just Christ and the Christian well what was the prayer life of Jesus life is prayer life was so wonderful when the disciples saw him praying said, Lord, teach us to pray after they heard him, praying saw him praying well the spirit of Christ is in you, you have the spirit of adoption. It is normal. It is natural.

It is easy to pray when you're in the spirit. But I'm telling you to be carnally minded isn't bad but carnal mind is enmity against God. There is a part of you that does not want to pray. That is your old nature.

You know it is true friend if you don't have a desire to pray it's because you're not filled Holy Spirit.

The first thing the Holy Spirit of God does to help us to pray is that the Holy Spirit of God activates our will and thought is God that worketh in you. The Bible says in Philippians 2 verse 13 both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God works in you, he activate your well listen at risk" is God that worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. So you have to let the Holy Spirit of God come in you and activate your will. Not only will the Holy Spirit of God activate your well what else Holy Spirit of God will do. He will animate your body is not only the activation of your will. But the intimation of your body and I want to set me means it makes you body now look, if you will look in verses 10 and 11 of the same chapter and of Christ being you, the body is dead because of sin, that is, the wages of sin is death and because of our sin. Jesus died for us. We died with him. The old person is crucified, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. If the same was it that brought Jesus out of that great work on this versus the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit that brought Jesus actually literally visibly bodily out of that grave. He's the Holy Spirit became in the when you get say that if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells within you know what the word quicken means means give life energy to activate it gives you strength to pray digital. It takes energy to pray. Did you know I have brother preach for an hour than to pray for half an hour so far as energy is concerned, it takes great strength to pray Paul talked about laboring with me in prayer.

The reason many of us don't pray is that frankly we lays and we go to pray our energy just drains out of this jam file get tired get sleepy you can get full of cobwebs. Part of it is your fault to get in a big overstuffed chair and put your face down in your smother at your head up anyway and brave. Sometimes, you know, I just go for walk in as wonderful thing to walk in pray in breathing and so what I'm talking on top of that, that part of the flash, the old nature of the body. We just don't have the strength to pray. Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane and he was praying and he wanted his disciples to pray. He said watch, pray less dinner to temptation and it came back. What were they doing sleepy sleeping and what did Jesus say listen to this very carefully. He said watch and pray the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Had they been filled with the spirit. They wouldn't bring many times with sleeping when we ought to be praying have a reason were sleeping relatively praying is were not praying in the spare if the spread of him and raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwell in you, that spirit will quicken your mortal bodies.

There's something about the Holy Spirit that gives you energy you know when the spirit of God is their joys and the joy of the Lord is your strength. When Jesus was there hearing about the fourth Of John Jesus was@car in Samaria and Jacob's well was there. Jesus was weary. He was sitting on the rim about well, I've been there many times drunk water from that same weld is to a deep well Jesus was sitting on the rim about well it was time and a woman of Samaria, Cayman Jesus began to witness to her and she came to saving faith. I don't want to digress and get into that too much.

Many of you know the story, but interesting thing is that Jesus was time is sitting there and he was hungry because the disciples had gone into town to get some food and they come back and Jesus is vibrant and they say is some food they say, I've got food beat.

You don't know anything about. I have food beat. You don't know anything about Jesus actual body had been invigorated by the Holy Spirit of God.

And when you're in the spirit, the Holy Spirit of God will literally strengthen he will animate your body as well as activate your will and you can just say Lord I will.

I'm afraid I'm not in sleepy in my mind is telling will Holy Spirit of God. My flesh is weak. Spirit is willing, okay element 1/3 thing Holy Spirit of God will do. Not only will he is there, the activation of your will and prayer in the animation of our bodies in prayer about number three there is the adaptation of our requests in prayer. Now look at this is very interesting. Go if you will to verse 26 likewise the Spirit also help with our infirmities. Alice just stopped there for a moment and say that Paul includes himself. He didn't say your weakness of Paul's greatest Christian ever live, and he includes himself.

He says our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for.

He did say you. But you, people don't know what you should pray for said we know not what we should pray for as we all but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered that you want to accept your weakness, for two reasons. Reason number one it's a fact. Paul said my infirmity. Your infirmity, it's a fact number two. It is an asset is how can my weakness be an asset. Will Paul learned that his weakness was an asset, but this verse down in second Corinthians chapter 12 in verse nine, Paul had a thorn in the flesh – got taken away from them. And God refused, and beginning in verse nine and the 70 my grace is sufficient for the for my strength is made perfect in weakness, and I gripe you see many of us think were too weak.

May we have been we cannot make you haven't come to the place where we said Lord I can't have you ever done that. Lord I just can't so long as were struggling. We don't cry out to him. But when we say Lord I can't and you can and then God's is all right now that strength is a fact is going to become an asset because my strength will be made perfect in your weakness. What God wants to do in prayer is to deliver us from self sufficiency he makes is perpetually weak, that we might be perpetually dependent that we might be perpetually powerful as we depend upon him, and so the spirit help with in infirmities, you see the Holy Spirit of God adapts our request in prayer. When we pray in the Holy Spirit we are face to face with him.

They is that vital relationship face to face with him. He with me and I with him and together we I cannot do it without him.

He will not do it without me, but to gather in prayer. The Holy Spirit of God helps us coming up tomorrow will pick up with her to this important lesson in love with finding one of her greatest honors is to come alongside you, and pray with you and for you if you can go to our website homepage@lwf.org/radio and scroll down to find our prayer wall. You will find the option to either submit a prayer request or pray for others. This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry in the community praying continually for one another's needs.

Let us hear from you today again go to LWF.org/radio and go down to our prayer wall. Thanks for studying with us in God's word today. Be sure to sign up for our daily heartbeat emails you get daily devotions in message link sent straight to your inbox. Again, you can do that@thewebsitelwf.org/great tune in tomorrow to prayer writing on love were fine