Our Helper in Prayer
The Holy Spirit is our Helper in prayer, prompting us to pray in times of need and offering opportunities to participate in God's work.
Charles Stanley emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit as the Helper promised by Jesus, who stands by believers, assists in prayer, and guides them in God's work. The burden to pray comes from the Holy Spirit, who sensitizes us to upcoming challenges and prompts us to communicate with our Father. Ignoring this divine prompting is considered a sin, as it quenches the Spirit's work in our lives. Responding to the Holy Spirit's call to pray for others is a demonstration of God's love and a way for believers to participate in His work.
Text
John 16:5-15
As Jesus neared the time of His death, He frequently referred to the Helper He would be sending. The Holy Spirit was promised to enable and instruct believers. Often called the Comforter, or Parakletos in Greek, He is the one who comes to stand by us and assist in whatever God calls us to do.
One of the Holy Spirit's most significant responsibilities is to be our Helper in prayer. The burden we feel to pray comes from Him. He knows about temptations lurking ahead or harsh experiences that may befall us, so He prompts us to talk to our Father. When you sense a need to pray, the last thing you should do is ignore it. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, we are told not to "quench the Spirit"; in other words, to ignore that divine prodding is actually a sin.
By burdening us to pray for someone else, the Holy Spirit frequently offers Christians the opportunity to participate in God's work. On many occasions, I have received calls asking if I was going through a tough time. Invariably, my caller had been praying for me at the behest of the Holy Spirit.
This burdening of our hearts to pray for ourselves or for others is a special demonstration of God's love. By calling us to prayer, He can begin the delicate work of sensitizing us to our surrounding circumstances or preparing us for a battle that He knows is coming. Listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and allowing ourselves to be prepared is how we display our love in return.
Sermon Outline
- The Holy Spirit as Our Helper
- The Holy Spirit's Responsibility in Prayer
- The Holy Spirit's Burden to Pray for Others
- The Holy Spirit offers opportunities to participate in God's work
- The Holy Spirit's burden to pray demonstrates God's love
Key Quotes
“The Holy Spirit was promised to enable and instruct believers.” — Charles Stanley
“By burdening us to pray for someone else, the Holy Spirit frequently offers Christians the opportunity to participate in God's work.” — Charles Stanley
“Listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and allowing ourselves to be prepared is how we display our love in return.” — Charles Stanley
Application Points
- We should listen to the Holy Spirit's prompting to pray and not ignore it, as it is a sin to quench the Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit's burden to pray for others demonstrates God's love and offers opportunities to participate in His work.
- By listening to the Holy Spirit and allowing ourselves to be prepared, we display our love in return.