Dearest Ones,
Have you ever been at a loss for words when praying either for your own situation or someone else's? I certainly have. Sometimes I just don't know how to pray ....should I pray that someone gets a certain job or does God have something else in mind??? When this happens I go to Romans 8:26-27:
"It is the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our praying. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray as we should; but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words."
Isn't this wonderful? When I am tired, worried or my mind is full of distractions, the Holy Spirit takes over! Even though I don't really know a lot about the Holy Spirit, I know what it says in the Bible about Him. I don't have to feel inadequate or without power when I pray because I have this unseen friend, promised by Jesus on the night before He died, when He said these words:
"I will not leave you alone. I will give you a Guide, a Counselor, an Advisor. He lives in you! I will not leave you orphans." (John 14:16-18.)
How wonderful that I don't need to go far at all to receive the best advice possible! The Holy Spirit is right inside the hearts of all who have been baptized. He gives free advice - just think of it - why would anyone not take advantage of this offer? The reason people don't go to the best place for advice is because the devil tries to deceive our minds and fill them with lies, like these:
Who has ever seen the Holy Spirit? He can't be real - he is only imaginary. It's better to rely on yourself in times of doubt; how dumb it is to take advice from someone you can't even see, how can God hear so many prayers all at once, etc.
How do I know if the answer to my prayer is the work of the Spirit or of the devil? After much prayer and asking the advice of holy people I can really trust, if I feel at peace with a decision, then I feel it is from the Spirit and not from the devil.
Just who is this mysterious, often forgotten person, the Holy Spirit? Sometimes, I forget to pray to Him. He is the third person of the Holy Trinity - equal to the Father and the Son, Jesus. We learned this when we were little. He's real - He's not just a shadowy ghost or a bird. The reason He is pictured as a dove is because when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Spirit appeared over his head in the form of a dove and a voice was heard saying: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." A dove is used as the symbol because a dove is gentle and quiet, like the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit really loves us and wants us to succeed. It must grieve the Holy Spirit when we put ourselves down and complain about the way God made us. When we put ourselves down, we are putting God down. When we get up in the morning and only remember our mistakes or think of ourselves as a failure, we only make ourselves miserable. Instead, we need to pat ourselves on the back and think of what we have to give the world. We need to remind ourselves that we are great because God made us! He did the best He could!!
How can you tell if someone is filled with the Spirit? They are calm, peaceful, joyful people, who know the Spirit has so many free gifts that are ours for the asking. These are the gifts of joy, peace, love, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control. Read Galatians 5:22-23. Rather than trying on our own to achieve these virtues, God asks us to rely on Him to bring these heavenly gifts into our lives.
What a peaceful life we will live if only we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.
Wouldn't it be foolish to act without first asking for the Holy Spirit's advice on what we need to do? It would be like a hungry man starving to death in a well-stocked kitchen! Or if someone was giving out free $100 dollar bills and a poor, homeless beggar would ignore this.
Be at peace if at all possible, my dearest friends, in spite of all the doubts, the disappointments and setbacks. There will come a time when we will have all our prayers answered and all our problems solved:
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, you will all be changed." This is the promise in 1 Cor. chap. 15.
It will all happen so quick, just as the Bible promises. All that bothers and concerns us now, in an instant, will go away. Everything will then make sense. We'll know the reason for suffering. We'll have all the answers! Until that time, the Holy Spirit is here to guide us, protect us from danger and enlighten us. We are living in the dark now but have nothing to fear because He leads us. The Father will give the gift of His Spirit to all who ask (Luke 11:13), and the Holy Spirit will help us understand the Bible so we will know how to apply its wisdom to our lives (John 14:26).
God loves you,
Sister Francelle
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