IV.-The Holy Spirit In Relation To Prayer
Although Christ is the One to whose Name saints are gathered at the prayer-meeting, it is equally necessary to recognize the function or office of the Holy Spirit in prayer; and that, whether in private or public. Consider the magnitude of the fact that the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost, and, abiding with us forever, is here to-day (John 14:1616And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16))! He dwells in the church which is builded together for His habitation; He dwells in the individual believer (1 Corinthians 6:19, 2019What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19‑20); Ephesians 2:2222In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)). Such a fact cannot but have immense bearings. Now we find that this indwelling Spirit is our Instructor and Guide in prayer, and all true prayer is in the Spirit. “Praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 2020But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (Jude 20)). “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:1818Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18)). “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to God” (Romans 8:26, 2726Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26‑27)).
When Christ was with His disciples He taught them to pray; John had similarly taught his disciples. But now all that is changed. It was expedient for the disciples that Christ should go away in order that the Holy Ghost should come; and He, being there, takes the office of forming our minds and hearts in prayer. Truly, we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but—as dwelling in us—the Spirit Himself maketh intercession. The words “for us” in Romans 8:2626Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26), are not in the best texts, and, like many well-meant additions to Scripture, only mar its perfectness. Maketh intercession for us inserted in this verse, would rather give the idea of the blessed Spirit and the saints as two distinct parties, and that He, externally to us, makes intercession for us. That this is not the sense, is clear from the next words— “He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to God” (ver. 27). Thus then, God who looks down into the heart, sees there the inwrought desires and prayers of the Spirit; and the intercession which the Spirit there makes, for and on behalf of the saints, is according to God. The structure of this scripture (Romans 8:26, 2726Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26‑27)) is remarkable. As regards ourselves, the Spirit is so identified with us, that God, in searching the hearts, finds there the mind of the Spirit; and this is what He graciously takes up, not the workings of the flesh. But as regards God—whatever may be the Spirit's condescension to us—the Spirit stands in all His own power and dignity as a Person of the Godhead, to plead for the saints. What solemnity, what divine value, clothes the prayers of saints, when the form in which they come before God is that of intercession by the Spirit Himself! On our side this may reach down to an inarticulate groan; Godward it rises to the height of the Spirit's own intercession.
The bearing of this upon prayer is most encouraging. Here we find the Holy Spirit as dwelling in us, graciously identifying Himself in tender sympathy with our weakness, with our infirmities. The church which Christ has purchased with His own blood, is so precious that the blessed Spirit must come and dwell there and look after it. Being here He is our Paraclete; that is, Manager of our affairs. He opposes the flesh in us (Galatians 5:1717For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17)), helps our infirmities, condescends to our ignorance, and enters into our sorrows with groanings which cannot be uttered. We do not think enough of the sympathy of the Spirit of God with us. He is that “other Paraclete” who, the Lord said, was to replace Himself on earth. Jesus took our infirmities; and the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; Jesus groaned at Lazarus' grave, and the Spirit intercedes for the saints with groanings which cannot be uttered. How great must be the interest of the Holy Spirit in us when He can come and dwell in us, not discontinuing His stay, albeit, alas, our ways so often grieve Him (Eph. 4:3030And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30))!
When once grasped, this truth of the function which the Holy Ghost graciously assumes in the matter of prayer, easily disposes of some popular errors.
Praying to the Holy Spirit.
If the Holy Spirit is in us, and is Himself the moving power and inditer of our prayers, then obviously to address our prayers to Him is an incongruity; it is “by Him” that we “have access to the Father” (Eph. 2:1818For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)). For addressing the Holy Spirit, scripture gives us neither precept nor example. Such hymns, therefore, as that commencing, “Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove,” however pious their intention, are not framed in an intelligent apprehension of Christian doctrine. When we address God indefinitely, of course the three Persons of the Trinity are included, but when we pray to the Persons distinctively, it can only be to the Father, or to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Forms of Prayer.
By parity of reasoning, forms of prayer are quite inconsistent with the office of the Holy Ghost in the church. If He is Himself with us as inditer of our prayers, how unworthy to limit Him to certain forms of words! Suppose the greatest musical genius of the world came to reside with me that I might enjoy his compositions, and I, instead of listening to him, brought out a mean musical box, which could only regale me with its narrow stock of tunes, should I not be insulting my gracious guest? Admitted that we know not what we should pray for as we ought, the remedy is not that wise men should frame forms for us. Our resource is the Holy Spirit who helps our infirmities, condescends to our weaknesses, and intercedes with groans which cannot be uttered. When that Mighty Spirit condescends to undertake this gracious function, what dishonor to Him, what a want of faith, to substitute a dead form for His living guidance!
Using the Lord's Prayer.
But some think, “However I may distrust my own prayers, and even the Prayer Book, which, though framed by good men, is not inspired; yet in 'the Lord's Prayer' which he Himself ordained—surely we are on safe ground in using that?” This spirit of reverence for the Lord Jesus is certainly right, but the view expressed is oblivious of the immense change of affairs, consequent on the coming of the Holy Ghost, who, having descended on Christ at His baptism, descended upon the church at Pentecost, and is still here. In giving the prayer of Matt. 6, the Lord was performing the office of Paraclete which is now performed by the Holy Spirit. That prayer was absolutely perfect for the time and circumstances for which it was prescribed. It is not equally applicable to another time and altered circumstances. One or two points will be sufficient to establish this. (1) The Lord Himself declared that in connection with the coming of the Holy Ghost there would be a change in respect of this very matter of prayer. In John 16, He is speaking of a future day, “When the Spirit of truth is come” (ver. 13), and in verses 23-26, deals with the subject of prayer in “that day.” He says: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.... At that day ye shall ask in my name” (John 16:24, 2624Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24)
26At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: (John 16:26)). Now here we see that the Lord Himself was leading the disciples beyond “the Lord's Prayer” —for in the latter His name is not mentioned, and He tells them that, in the coming era, prayer was to be in His Name. (2) Another indication of the incongruity of “the Lord's Prayer” to the present time is that its aspiration is for the coming of the kingdom, “Thy kingdom come.” This was a proper Jewish hope, suited to the Jewish disciples for whom the prayer was ordained; but the church has an earlier and a brighter hope, even to see and be with the Lord Himself before the kingdom comes (1 Thess. 4:16-1816For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑18)).
The Lord indeed taught the disciples to pray, and did so perfectly. But the office of Paraclete on earth He has now relinquished to the Holy Spirit, to whose guidance therefore we are committed. Let us seek to be “praying in the Holy Ghost” —knowing that the Spirit enters, with fullest, minutest sympathy, into all our infirmities, all our circumstances; and will give us desires, sentiments, and expressions appropriate to every experience, either happy or sad, through which the soul can pass. ''The Lord's Prayer” belongs to a past period, before the Spirit had been given. We have the Holy Ghost Himself now, to indite our prayers.
The way in which “the Lord's Prayer” is repeated by some Christians upon all occasions, and sometimes several times over—in the Church of England when the Litany and Communion Service are used, five times in one morning—savors really of superstition, as if there were some charm in the mere repetition of the words.
[E. J. T.]
(To be continued)