THE SECRET OF YOUR POWER IS WEAKNESS
09/13/14 The Third I from Thad Faulk on Vimeo.
Romans 8:26
In mentoring guys through the years, I have discovered that their Biggest Problem has been weakness in prayer. What the guys have not realized is that the Secret of their power is their weakness. If you’re Popeye, I guess the secret of your power is a can of spinach; if you are Superman, the secret of your power is Kryptonite. If you’re a Christian, the secret of power is weakness (2 Cor. 12:9ff) and especially in prayer.
It is not our supposed strength that helps us, it is not egotism, it is not our pride, or education. It is when we recognize our lack of power that we plug into His power. When we understand how much we need Him, then that’s how much we have Him.
God knowing our weakness in Prayer has provided powerful Helps in our praying:
- God Has Given Us the Essential INGREDIENTS in Real Praying in the Lord’s Prayer.
This isn’t the Lord’s Prayer. It is our prayer. It tells us how to talk to our heavenly Father. In this prayer we give:
- Praise to our Heavenly Father
- Prayer for His will
- Presentation of our personal needs
- A plea for forgiveness and
- For help in resisting temptation,
- And protection from the enemy.
Shorthand of Lord’s Prayer is: ACTS
A -doration
C-onfession
T- hanksgiving
S-upplication.
Note: “You haven’t prayed until you pray the Lord’s Prayer.” (St. Augustine)
- God Has Given Us the Wonderful Gift of the INTERCESSION of the Holy Spirit to overcome our WEAKNESS. Even Paul, the greatest prayer warrior next to Jesus in history, admits his weakness, and Jesus gave to him the answer, which is our answer in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. The word Help is only 4 letters in English, but in Greek 18, SUNANTILAMBENETEAU. It means to “take hold with us.”
- “There are times when we’re not able to say what we ought to say, what we need to say, what we want to say. There’s some times when our words just fail. There are times when we just feel damned up, and there are times when our vocabulary seems so inadequate. There are times when we want to praise, there are times when want to plead. There times when we want to come to God with our petition and we seem so unable to do it. Sometimes, within our bosoms there sighs that are too deep for words, and we cannot express what’s on our hearts. Thank God praying in the Spirit makes up for that. Look in verse 26: “Likewise”—Romans 8:26—“Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself maketh intercession with groaning that cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit sometimes just takes my groanings, that I cannot even utter. Some people say, “Oh, praying in the Spirit is praying in tongues.” No, that’s not what it is. That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s not talking about something that you utter, he’s talking about something you can’t utter. O God, God sometimes our heart is so full that it almost breaks. Sometimes a mother, a father, yearning over a child cannot even verbalize a prayer. Sometimes a person standing at the bed of a sick loved one, at a gravesite, has within him a force about to explode, and all he can do is just sigh, and cry and groan. Thank God the dear Holy Spirit of God knows how to take that prayer and make it acceptable. Take things that we cannot even utter, groanings that cannot be uttered. Oh, He takes care of our inexpressibility. Oh, who is the one doing the
groaning? It’s really the Holy Spirit within us who is groaning.”[1]
- “There are times when we’re not able to say what we ought to say, what we need to say, what we want to say. There’s some times when our words just fail. There are times when we just feel damned up, and there are times when our vocabulary seems so inadequate. There are times when we want to praise, there are times when want to plead. There times when we want to come to God with our petition and we seem so unable to do it. Sometimes, within our bosoms there sighs that are too deep for words, and we cannot express what’s on our hearts. Thank God praying in the Spirit makes up for that. Look in verse 26: “Likewise”—Romans 8:26—“Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself maketh intercession with groaning that cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit sometimes just takes my groanings, that I cannot even utter. Some people say, “Oh, praying in the Spirit is praying in tongues.” No, that’s not what it is. That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s not talking about something that you utter, he’s talking about something you can’t utter. O God, God sometimes our heart is so full that it almost breaks. Sometimes a mother, a father, yearning over a child cannot even verbalize a prayer. Sometimes a person standing at the bed of a sick loved one, at a gravesite, has within him a force about to explode, and all he can do is just sigh, and cry and groan. Thank God the dear Holy Spirit of God knows how to take that prayer and make it acceptable. Take things that we cannot even utter, groanings that cannot be uttered. Oh, He takes care of our inexpressibility. Oh, who is the one doing the
Example: Monica’s prayer for her lost son, Augustine.
- God Has Also Provided the Constant Intercession of Jesus in Heaven for Us. Hebrews 7:25, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” 1 John 2:1-2, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” Romans 8:34, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
“We could not live for Christ one minute on earth if Christ was not living for us in heaven” (WA Criswell). “Because He lives, I live.” (John 14:19).
- God Has Given Us in His Word the Specific ITEMS (Objects or Purposes) for Which to Pray:
- Pray for your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-45)
- Ask, seek, and knock. (Matthew 7:7-8)
- Pray corporately. (Matthew 18:19-20)
- Pray for strength against temptation. (Mark 4:38)
- Pray without restraint. (Luke 6:12)
- Pray for more harvesters. (Luke 10:2)
- Pray with endurance. (Luke 18:1-7)
- Pray with humility. (Luke 18:10-14)
- Pray in Jesus’ name. (John 15:14-16)
- Pray for spiritual protection. (John 17:15)
- Pray for opportunities to encourage the faith of others. (Romans 1:8-12)
- Give thanks. (1 Corinthians 1:4)
- Pray in tongues and in English. (1 Corinthians 14:14-15)
- Pray for the perfecting of the saints. (2 Corinthians 13:7-9)
- Pray for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. (Ephesians 1:15-19)
- Pray that your love may abound. (Philippians 1:9-11)
- Present your requests. (Philippians 4:6-7)
- Pray that you may live a life worthy of the Lord. (Colossians 1:9-12)
- Pray for those who are sharing Christ. (Colossians 4:2-4)
- Pray continually. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
- Pray that Christ will be glorified in you. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
- Pray for the propagation of the gospel. (2 Thessalonians 3:1)
- Pray for those in authority over you. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
- Pray with a clear conscience. (2 Timothy 1:3; see also Matthew 5:23-24)
- You toward others. (Matthew 6:14-15)
- Others toward you. (Matthew 5:23-24)
- Pray the we will be active in sharing our faith. (Philemon 6)
- Pray for wisdom. (James 1:5)
- Pray with faith. (James 1:6-8)
- Pray with right motives. (James 4:1-3)
- Pray for healing. (James 5:13-15)
- Pray for each other. (James 5:16)
- Tell God your concerns. (1 Peter 5:7)
- Confess your sins to God. (1 John 1:9)
- Pray for the sins of others. (1 John 5:16a)
- Pray for prosperity. (3 John 2)
Please Revisit Chapter on “Intimacy with the Father” in The 12 Absolute Life-Changers of Men, pp. 45-65.
Revisit the “5 Positions on the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit” in The 12 Absolute Life-Changer of Men, pp. 39-43.
[1] Adrian Rogers, sermon central, “How to Pray in the Spirit”