30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 18 1-8 Persistent prayer of faith 02 Praying according to the will of God
📖 Luke 18:1-8
29Aug2020 - *Praying according to the will of God* - _Luke 18:1-8_ - Persistent prayer of faith 2 – Bible reading: _I Corinthians 2:11-12_
_Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,_
Yesterday, we began this study of _Luke 18:1-8_, under the title *Persistent prayer of faith*. These were some of the foundational nuggets that we picked up. Prayer must be a ‘constant’ for the disciple of Jesus. Prayer underlines the basis of our life that life is no more about ourselves. Prayer is a denial of the self in us. Prayer is our breath. Prayer is about being totally dependent upon God, always, not just in time of need. Prayer is a relationship with Him. The more we persist in prayer the more we strengthen our relationship and love for Him.
Prayer has to be according to His will. _Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven._ Our task here on earth is to bring in the will of God, or the kingdom rule of God. Our prayer life has to be always aligned to His will and not ours.
We see an example of praying and wrestling for the will of God, in the life of Jacob. _Genesis 32:9-12 Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you': (10) I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. (11) Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. (12) For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.' "_
Though Jacob did pray for his personal protection, he was seeking that the purposes of God, in and through his life, must be accomplished.
_Genesis 32:24-28 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. (25) Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. (26) And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" (27) So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." (28) And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."_
Jacob wrestled with God and prevailed and that was how a nation was born. Do we see the stupendousness of prayer? God longs for us to be prayer warriors of this stature.
God had told Jacob of His purposes in and through his life but what about us, how do we know the mind of God for our circumstances and situations? _I Corinthians 2:11-12 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God._
It is the Holy Spirit, who takes from the mind of God and brings God’s will to our mind and spirit. Therefore, our intentionality needs to be in tune with the Holy Spirit and seek Him to reveal the mind/will of God to us.
_Luke 11:9-13 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (10) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (11) If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? (12) Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? (13) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"_
The Lord’s desire for us is to have the Holy Spirit for He, the Holy Spirit, reveals the mind of God to us.
As we pray in and through the Holy Spirit, He, the Holy Spirit, will bring to our attention the concerns of God for our time and for the people of our time. _Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints._
The Holy Spirit will give us the burden and the specific requirements for the people of God. Epaphras was one such prayer warrior, who was in tune with the Holy Spirit and thus prayed according to the will of God for the people of Colossae, Laodicea, Hierapolis.
_Colossians 4:12-13 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills. (13) For I testify for him that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis._
*Thought to ponder*
```Would you desire to model after Epaphras?```