The Holy Spirit Teaches us the Right Goal in Praying

Tip! The Master will not expect more from anyone than a person is capable of doing for Him. Jesus wants us to understand that each person will be rewarded according to their faithfulness in doing their given task.

We are aided by the Holy Scriptures when the Holy Spirit teaches us the right end in praying. God has fixed the guidelines of prayer that consist of at least three guiding principles.

First, that the great Three in One, God might be honored, for prayer is an act of worship, a paying of respect; to our Father as the Giver, in the Son's name (Jesus Christ), by whom alone we may approach Him and by the moving and directing power of the Holy Spirit.

Second, we must humble our hearts, for prayer is designed to bring us to the place of complete dependency on our Father. Prayer is to develop within us a sense of our helplessness, by admitting that without the Lord we can do nothing. We are beggars and depend on His charity for everything we are and have. But we only realize this halfheartedly (if at all) until the Spirit takes us in hand, removes pride from us and gives God His true place in our hearts and thoughts.

Tip! Praise and thanksgiving This is the earnest, heartfelt prayer where we come before the Lord thanking and praising him for his mighty power and love. We may praise him in both our earthly and spiritual language.

Third, prayer is a means or way of obtaining for ourselves the good things for which we ask.

I am greatly afraid that one of the main reasons why so many of our prayers remain unanswered is because we have a wrong and an unworthy end of our prayers in view. Our Saviour said, "Ask, and it shall be given you" (Matthew 7:7): but James confirms that, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." (James 4:3).

To pray for anything, and not specifically for the end that God has designed, is to "ask amiss," and so therefore our prayers are of no purpose. Whatever confidence we may have in our own wisdom and integrity, if we are left to ourselves our aims will never be suited to the will of God. Unless the Holy Spirit restrains the selfish desires that are within us, our own natural and distempered affections intermix themselves in our prayers, and as a result are submitted in vain.

(1 Corinthians 10:31) "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." yet no one but the Holy Spirit can enable us to lower all our desires to God's glory.