Overview: The Presence of the Holy Spirit

• Why do we need the Holy Spirit?
• Do we pray to the Holy Spirit?

 

Why we need the Holy Spirit? Because…

1. Who the Holy Spirit is – He is our: Helper, Comforter, Guide, Counsellor, Intercessor, Seal, etc.
2. Jesus Himself was filled with the Holy Spirit –

Matthew 3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

3. Jesus said so –

John 16:7 ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

4. The Apostles said so –

• Acts 8:14-17 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord.
• Acts 19:1-2a And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ² he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

5. For Salvation –

John 3:3-5 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

6. To produce Christ-like character, resist temptation and overcome our flesh –

Galatians 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

7. To give us Spiritual gifts to equips us for service –

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ⁴ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. ⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

8. To Preach the Gospel –

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 

Do we pray to the Holy Spirit?

• In the Bible, there is a Patterns of Prayer:
• We pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Usually, we have no problem praying to the Father, but why in the name of Jesus? Because of what JESUS has done on the cross (Ephesians 2:11-20 – He is our peace who has broken down the wall of separation)
• Do we pray to Jesus?
• Acts 1:24 They prayed to the Lord, which means, they prayed to Jesus to guide them to choose an Apostle to replace Judas Iscariot.
• Acts 7:59-60 Stephen, when he was being stoned, prayed to the Lord Jesus asking Him to receive his spirit.
• 2 Corinthians 12:8 Paul prayed to Jesus to take away his thorn in the flesh.
• 1 Corinthians 16:22 & Revelation 22:20 -Praying to Jesus to ask for him to come (Maranatha).
• Do we pray to the Holy Spirit?
• We will do so with the pattern of prayer (as mentioned earlier).
• There is no prayer in the New Testament that is directed to the Holy Spirit, however there is nowhere in the Bible that prohibits it.
• However I do not think there is anything wrong if you were to pray to the Holy Spirit. Why?
• He is God.
• For example if He is our illuminator of the Word of God, our guide, our comforter, counsellor, etc.. So, how can we receive such help unless we commune with Him?
• What is the focal point?
• The Father wills it, Jesus speaks it and the Holy Spirit does it – We know we have to align our prayer according to God’s will, and when we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are assured that it shall be done by the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, when I pray to:
• The Father – the focus is His will
• Jesus – the focus is on His word which confirms God’s will and accomplish it through the Holy Spirit
• The Holy Spirit – the focus is on His works; which is, actions that leads to fulfill Jesus’ word and finally God’s will.

 

Praying & Ministering in the Spirit 29^th July 2018

• We cannot pray and minister in the Spirit unless we live and walk in the Spirit.
• When it comes to the topic on the Holy Spirit and particularly, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it is a controversial topic which has been widely debated.
• What is the right thing to do?
• There are fundamentals truth which we must never compromise. Such as the doctrines of Salvation, Bibliology, etc.
• There are areas which we must never fight over. Examples of these topics are: i) Pre, post or mid-tribulations, ii) Where is Moses’ body, iii) Who are the witnesses in Revelation, iv) Who is Melchizedek, and v) some aspects on Spiritual gifts. Especially on the gifts of the Holy Spirit (such as speaking in tongues).

Why? Because ultimately, is not about the gifts, it is not about anointing, it is not about manifestation, and it is about love.

 

Roadmap

1. Pray in the Spirit
2. Minister in the Spirit

 

1. Pray in the Spirit

• Praying in the Spirit is mentioned three times in the Bible:

1. 1 Corinthians 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
2. Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

• Jude 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
• What is praying in the Spirit?
• It is faith, not the form.
• Its focus is on God, not self.
• It is the leading of the Spirit, not leading the Spirit.
• It is dependent on the Spirit, not our flesh.
• Pray in the Spirit:
• In (Lexicon: Strong’s G1722 – En: in, by, with etc.)
• To pray in means with the help of the Spirit, by means of the Spirit or in the sphere of the Spirit.
• The key is simply pray as the Spirit lead and not how eloquent the words are.
• It is praying for things which the Spirit wants us to pray for.
• Romans 8:26 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.
• Intercession (in Greek) – Lexicon: Strong’s G5241 – hyperentygchanō:
• Hyper – On behalf of
• Entygchanō – To pray, entreat, make intercession, fall in with.
• To pray in the Spirit is to fall in with the Holy Spirit.
• Praying in the Spirit is to pray with the help of the Holy Spirit; which means with HIS strength, enablement and empowerment to make up for our weakness.
• Why? Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought,
• What we need to do is to continue in faith and trustingGod to give you the Holy Spirit to help you pray.

 

1. Pray in the Spirit
2. Minister in the Spirit

• In order for us to minister in the Spirit, we need the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
• Spiritual Gifts:
• 1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
• Desire (Lexicon: Strong’s G2206 – Zēloō): to burn with zeal, to be zealous in the pursuit, to desire earnestly.
• What are the Spiritual gifts?
• Romans 12:6-8 ⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; ⁷ or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; ⁸ he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
• 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ⁴ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. ⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
• 1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
• Total 17 – Prophecy, Ministry, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leading, Mercy, Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues, helps, and administration.
• 1 Corinthians 12:31 But earnestly desire the best (Lexicon: Strong’s G2909 –Kreittōn: More useful, more serviceable, more advantageous) gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
• 1 Corinthian 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these islove.
• Spiritual gifts are given to serve, to benefit others, never for self-gain.
• Let me rephrase: If you want to receive the best gifts, the best way to receive them is through love.

 

Application

• Ask by faith and find opportunity to use it with love.