The Holy Spirit In Our Prayers

February 8

The most often-prayed prayers are those that beseech God for something. We are very quick to be on our knees when there is a matter we want the Almighty to undertake for us. Our prayers of supplication carry our deepest longings and desires before Him and we hope to find Him receptive to them, for they convey our heart to Him.

The kind of prayer that gets short shrift is the prayer of thanksgiving. We know we should have hearts filled with gratitude for the many blessings we receive daily from His hand of provision, but these, in fact, are not the cries of our hearts that come before Him most frequently.

How can we rectify this situation? How can we improve our ‘track record’ to the point where our time before the Lord is actually reflective of the appreciation we have for the blessings He lavishes upon us daily? How can He know that we recognize His mercy is renewed to us every morning (Lamentations 3:22, 23) if we don’t tell Him? Paul gives us insight into the way we can convey our thanks to our Lord and King.

In Ephesians 6:18 he says, “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests; be alert and continue to pray for all the saints.” When we employ the power of the Holy Spirit in our prayers, we will be attuned to God’s will and attuned to the needs of believers around us. The focus of our supplications will not be consumed upon ourselves but will lift others’ needs before Him—and will glorify His name.