Pleasant Conversation (or Not So Pleasant)

It is often ironic that when unbelievers see Christians praying it is often quipped, "Hey look, the Bible-thumper is talking to himself again." (lol). I've even heard Christians themselves say similar things like, "When I'm tired and worn out from the world and I pray, I feel like I'm talking to myself." 


Really?


Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ~Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)


I guess this should come as no surprise but it might for some. Reread the above passage and understand what I say in my next statement. People say they do not like to pray or it is hard for them. One should question the Spirit that dwells within them why this is so then...if they are Christian.


For prayer...is a Trinity-human activity. It involves you, and all three of the persons of the Godhead.


Holy Spirit: 

• "...the Spirit helps us in our weakness"
• "...the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words"
• He is interceding to The Father AND Jesus!
• Because we could never fully understand the mind of God in our fallen wretched state we need the Spirit to move beyond the limitations of our words which are wholly inadequate to articulate the truth in words.

Jesus:

• How is it that one even has the Spirit indwelling within them unless they have accepted the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in faith?

God (The Father):

• "...the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God"

As All are One, commonsense dictates that they would be involved but this passage clearly shows us the split directly and indirectly just as we see in places like Matthew 28:19-20

Truth is that even if we pray outside God's will we always will receive a response from Him...it just isn't always the response we would hope for because our hope is subject to our fallen condition and is not always based in the will of God.

I then think of Jesus praying to the Father when He was fully human/fully God during His ministry. While He was on Earth, Jesus, "though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ~Philippians 2:6-8

Jesus even prayed on the Cross...multiple times...

Jesus--God, was working through the power of the Holy Spirit and praying to the Father for guidance. This was to create by example, a precedent and to demonstrate how we should live, working through the power of the Holy Spirit, in submission to God’s will for our lives.

...and He was the perfect example for us all. By emulating Him we are Christ-like and very Christian.

So go pray...now.