TEACH ME TO PRAY 3

1 JOHN 1:6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.

Rightly or wrongly I have emphasized that the Holy Spirit resides within the believer.

John 14:17 He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognize him, because he lives with you and will be in you.

Remember in Genesis 1:6 the scripture says; And the earth was waste and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Prior to the earth being exposed the omnipresent Holy Spirit moved over all of the waters. He in the same fashion today moves over the whole of humanity convicting all men of sin. Similarly he is residing in all who believe in Jesus.

For a minute you need to acknowledge the fact that the Holy Spirit resides in you as the scripture indicates.

You might say I thought this was about prayer and it is, as you will eventually see.

Lets look at this another way. The Spirit of GOD is in you when you decide that you are going to sin. How does the Holy Spirit view this and feel about it. There He is, in you, while you do your dirty deed.

The scripture we started with says in effect; “Walk in darkness (sin) and you are lying both to yourself and to GOD. You can forget about fellowship, joy in the Holy Ghost. Many people today believe they can do whatever they want and live in a sinful way and still have favor with GOD.

It seems a little strange to pray; “Lord bless my unrighteous lifestyle and my affairs, praise your name.”

Suppose you decide to tell some lies and the Spirit is in you wondering what is wrong with this person? Or maybe you decide to steal something and He is there in you while you do it.

How about moving in and living with someone in a unholy relationship, I question whether The Holy Spirit approves of this conduct.

You see that if you have deceived yourself into believing that you can have true fellowship with GOD and at the same time have an unholy lifestyle…… go figure.

Now let us pray! We enter the land of doubt when we sin. It is a neutering process. No life springs forth even though we go through the process and think we have met the requirement for life to flow. Try this; “If you doubt you do without!”

James 1:6-8 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

A person who has doubts shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Paul addressing the Galatians said something like “Who has bewitched you?”

GOD knows anyone can make a mistake and He has made provision for that, but when you enter sinful practice and allow it to become a lifestyle you are in serious trouble.

Ask yourself who has bewitched me that I do not obey the truth.

This Prayer series will be continued.