What gives a person fulfillment and satisfaction in life? Is it having a lot of things, or is it having meaningful relationships with others? It can seldom be both! If it is true that the best things in life are experienced through honorable relationships, then this could be also true of our spiritual relationship with God.

We have Purchased the Wrong Transportation to Fulfillment

Our generations have been sold a particularly obnoxious bill of goods. The commercial world and our own personal worldly covetousness have convinced us that real satisfaction in life comes from having more and loving less… from acquiring security, power and wealth at the expense of destroying family and friendships. Our society has bought into the falsehood that reliance on mankind, his science and knowledge can displace quite satisfactorily any old-fashioned idea of knowing God intimately. We seem to be happy to pursue the dreams of turning the key to unlock the door of our newly purchased mansion, complete with sports car in the driveway, until we open the door and find retreating family and friends inside.

We have lost the art of relationship and have “graduated” to the isolation of “consumership”. We are a “free” enterprise society, which majors on enterprise but are “bound” in its pursuit. We have removed the liability, which relationships with others may cause us, but in doing so we have lost some of the deepest and most fulfilling meanings in life.

This is not only true with worldly friendships and family, but it is also true of our relationship with God. I am convinced that it is in building a deeper Spiritual relationship with The Almighty, that we learn the greatest fulfillment, joy and satisfaction of walking daily in communion with Him, whatever our lot in life – by “Praying in the Spirit”.

What is Prayer?

Prayer is an interesting topic. As we study it we will see that 1. God knows what we need before we ask Him. 2. We shouldn’t repetitiously mouth words thinking that God will hear our many words, or continue on spinning a prayer wheel when we can repeat the words any more thinking God might start looking at our request if we say it so many times. In a sense this is the same technique used by a spoiled grandchild pestering a granny until he or she gets what “they want” whether it is the right thing or not! God is pretty intelligent (tongue in cheek). I would feel pretty confident in saying that He understands when we are doing this to Him…but He doesn’t cave in like we do and if He did give it to us, given our limited understanding of what we truly need, then we ultimately wouldn’t be happy with it anyway! If He did say, “OK, you can have it, even if it isn’t good for you.” We would have our “thing” but experience somewhat of an emptiness in our soul, in having “pressed” God into seeing things “our way” (Psalm 106:15 KJV; Number 11:4-34).

¹³They soon^b forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel: ¹⁴ But lusted^c exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. ¹⁵ And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. ^[1]

God Encourages Perseverance in Prayer

On the other hand, God clearly encourages us to “press Him, in faith” for that which is good and right, and to “pray” about everything and not give up, just as Jesus told the story of the widow who pressed the unjust judge for a just judgment (Luke 18:1-8).

So, why pray? And, not only “why pray”, but “why pray ‘in the Spirit’”? What does that mean anyway? Does that mean we have to have another religious experience so we have enough of the Holy Spirit to pray “in the Spirit”? Or does it mean something else that we will never be able to understand, or maybe these things aren’t quite so confusing as we are making them out to be? These studies can be rather heavy topics if we make them heavy, but, I am convinced, they don’t have to be “theologically” heavy at all. They can just be really quite normal. First of all, let’s look at what Jesus taught His disciples about prayer.

v The Lord’s Prayer

Jesus Model Prayer

Jesus prayed, but He didn’t just pray words. His prayers were complete. They were not like the prayers of the priests in the temple, full of pomp and high words; His prayers had substance, reality and they had power. Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray and He gave them a prayer that had only a few sentences, but clearly it was so full of meaning that has been passed down through the centuries as probably the most prayed prayer – ever.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ¹⁰ Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. ^[2] Matthew 6:9-13

Jesus gave His disciples a model prayer for a reason. This prayer gave a basis for what a person should pray:

o That we will be forgiven our sins, just as we forgive others their sins against us.

o That we would be delivered from falling into temptation to sin against God and that we would be delivered from the evil one.

§ Concluding Recognition: Respect and praise for the Glory and Authority of God.

But it still holds true that a person could recite this prayer over and over, many, many times and still have nothing to show for it as a meaningful prayer to God…

Elements in Prayer that We Should Not Include – as seen in the passage on the Lord’s Prayer

Hypocrisy in prayer is something which God distains…even if you happen to be reciting Jesus’ own model prayer. Before Jesus gave His disciples His model prayer He told them how not to pray (again from verses in Matthew 6 preceding the Lord’s Prayer):

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Ø Don’t pray thinking God hears more diligently, or in more willingness to answer if we say more words! This is “vain repetition” in God’s eyes, not diligence in prayer – God makes a clear distinction between these two terms.

If we think we, being so discerning, can pick up subtle hints from people wanting to “use” us, then we must understand that God is certainly more discerning in these things than we are! He is God, The Creator and Sustainer of all and He can very well pick up on our human “hint” and desire to “use” Him. He knows the very motives of our hearts. Verse 8 (above) tells us that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him. He wants us to be diligent and have perseverance in prayer, but He does not respond positively to a spoiled, “I want that…give it to me,” or, “You don’t realize this is not fun for me and it hurts bad so I don’t want that either,” prayer. He knows what is best for us and He also knows the depravity of the world around us. He knows how we fit into that whole scheme of the life and death struggle within that world. He wants us to continue in prayer, but He wants us to accept His will if He obviously does not grant us our request. He knows about the “twin towers” of life and where we are in relationship to those in the line of terrorist fire. This should press us all the more to find out and pursue “praying in the Spirit”!

Elements of the Spirit of the Prayer we should Seek – As seen in conjunction with the Lord’s Prayer

⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6

o God provides our daily needs but desires us to participate with Him in fulfillment of that request.

§ We Work, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, for the fulfillment of His will in our lives (Romans 8:9-24).

Prayer is interactive. Just as we are interactive in our communication with each other, so, in a much greater way, God desires an interactive daily communion with us that I believe He calls “praying in the Spirit”.

There are times when we go to our “prayer closet” and there are times we are walking to work, talking with friends, or seeking an answer to a problem at work or in our home, when we “pray in the Spirit”. There are times though, when we may be in our “prayer closet” and have no ability to have meaningful prayer…possibly because of an unforgiving spirit.

We will be dealing with more of these aspects throughout the remainder of the text, but in the mean time, let’s look once again at the Lord’s Prayer:

Without forgiveness we wouldn’t have a relationship with anybody, because interactive friendship also means we are vulnerable to each other’s shortcomings. When we are not sensitive to our friend and offend them, whether that be God or man, we are told to ask their forgiveness…and to forgive. The Scripture does not give us any latitude here; it is very clear – we are to forgive if we want a proper relationship with God.

⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption,^c the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus’ Ultimate Forgiveness forgave not only those who physically crucified Him, but also those whose sins brought Him to the cross – our sins!

³²Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^b And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

²⁸This is my blood of the^b covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

There are many more Scripture passages about God’s forgiveness of sins to us than the few passages above, so to save time, let’s go on to what God expects of us when it come to forgiveness.

¹⁴ For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^a”

³⁵“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

²⁵And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.^b”

“Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. ²It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. ³So watch yourselves.

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

¹²Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

How important is a forgiving attitude? God thinks it is very important! Could this area be inhibiting the growth in our Christian life when it comes to “Praying in the Spirit”?

Good Friends Talk – All the Time (when they are around each other) – About Everything

Communication between good friends and family is continual. We talk about everything. We analyze what is good to incorporate in our lives and family and what is not so good. Sometimes we can go back and forth on the same subject for days until we come to a conclusion we believe to be the best conclusion. We might even argue and disagree at times, but never to the point that our friendship is jeopardized. We can be separate from each other for months or years without any communication, but a dear friendship just takes off where it left off when you meet your friend again. It is that interchange of communication that strengthens and deepens our friendship.

On the other hand, we don’t communicate so well with those we assume are in a threatening position over us…sometimes that may seem to be our parents, or our boss, or God. When we do not have a congenial relationship with someone we don’t talk with them very much either. We use minimal sentences and words. We might even very carefully choose which words to use, so we won’t get ourselves in trouble. When that Person is God, He knows our little game pretty well (if we are making it into a game). He also knows if we are real in our communication and fellowship with Him, because He knows what we are thinking, what we are trying to hide and what we are trying to get out of Him (Hebrews 4:12). He knows what we need, before we ask Him.

So why doesn’t God just go ahead and give us what we want and be done with it? Sometimes He does…but if He does this against what He knows is good for us, this sends, as we said before, “leanness into our soul” (Psalm 106:15 KJV). He may “play along with our game” and give us what we want…but He also knows it isn’t what we really want, or even need. Sometimes what we need is what we truly don’t want! He knows that too. That is why it is important for us to understand what God wants us to do – we learn this when we spend time with Him and begin to understand what His will is for us in a particular situation. This, in part, is “praying in the Spirit”.

What we really want is a sense of fulfillment, purpose and understanding on one hand, and a realization that someone meaningful in our life loves and cares for us. This is ultimately only fulfilled in a close relationship with God, because even our very closest friend is limited and unable to “fix” many critical things that adversely affect our life.

When you are in the company of a friend or a spouse who is also a friend, and you talk about everything, especially the topic that is of most concern, or most meaningful to you at the time – we call that communication and interaction “having a meaningful ‘relationship’”.

If there is a problem between two or more people that cannot seemingly be resolved, then the meaningful relationship seems to have gone away. The only way that relationship can be restored is through someone or both sincerely saying (repentance) they were wrong…that they are “sorry” and to ask for and receive forgiveness. The other party, or both parties must have a forgiving spirit and desire to repair the relationship and to continue build the relationship. If this does not happen, then the breach, which had occurred in the relationship, is never restored, but a grudge is always kept and bitterness grows to that which both parties believe is irreparable.

§ Things which Separates Relationships between People, and between People and their God:

It takes willingness from at least one of the parties to initiate healing the breach. Then it takes both to work at restoring the relationship if any harmony and depth of friendship is to be reestablished and strengthened.

That which mends broken relationships and strengthens our friendships and restores fellowship with God:

o An ability to clearly comprehend circumstances and manipulative people with discernment

o Proper resolution of mistrust which should be dealt with (if accurate) through repentance and forgiveness

o The Power by the Spirit of God, to overcome and truly forgive unconditionally…and to “trust” each other again

Have you ever visited your friend and you noticed an obvious piece of food stuck in their teeth, or their collar is twisted up and the tag hanging out, unknowing to them, and you just kept talking like old times. Maybe you couldn’t stand it any longer and you say, embarrassedly “You’ve got some food in your teeth”, or “Your collar’s up” – and you’ve waited so long, that too was embarrassing to let them know they had been talking to you that amount of time with this food in their teeth and you hadn’t said anything about it? You have endured the unusual and embarrassing situation because you were their friend, but because you are their friend you know that you should say something so that they will look better to the rest of the world…to those who don’t consider them to be friends. It could be the same with God. He knows our weaknesses – the “food that is stuck in our front teeth”, but He loves us anyway. He can overlook our obnoxious looks or mistakes when we are oblivious to their presence and their offence to Him…King David writes about God forgiving even our unknown sins.

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

God keeps talking to us, even though we aren’t perfect, because we are His Children, He accepts us and He knows everything is going to be OK in the end. And often He points out areas we need to work on…but sometimes He knows we just aren’t ready to deal with these things yet.

It’s like a child who decides they look best in a brilliant neon Mohawk hairdo…because “that’s what’s cool”. They have no idea how foolish they look to most people…all they want to impress is their few friends who “think it is cool too, dude”.

This hairdo teen talks to the “adults”, and “adults” who love them will continue to treat them with respect, caring less what their hair looks like, but caring more for them. God is like that. He loves us as His children and knows when we grow a little more Spiritually wise and mature we will probably shave off the gaudy hairdo and change our spiritual clothes to something more appropriate for a growing child facing an unforgiving world, but in the meantime He loves us just the same. The key for Him, is that we do not purposefully “color our hair” to spite Him – to rebel against His will and purpose…to choose to live in our sin and waywardness. The “hair” in that case is still not the issue, but the rebellious spirit in which the hair is colored and blatantly styled, is. The person is now “out of fellowship” with the authority figure. The teen-child might not care a whit, but they will have to suffer the consequences of rebellion with the person in authority, especially if that Person is God.

It is not Biblical or reasonable to teach that we have to have certain Spiritual “gifts” in order to “Pray in the Spirit”.

Is it true that we must “speak in tongues” to be “praying in the spirit”? It isn’t the gift; it is the relationship. What if one has a Spiritual “gift” but isn’t living where they should in their relationship with God? (There are people like that which you and I know, because you and I have been there.) Does that mean their “gift” overrides the relationship? Never. It doesn’t work with the relationship between a husband and wife and it doesn’t work with God either.

One can have any of the Spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, or the interpretation of tongues – but if one is not living in a proper relationship with God, one will not effectively “pray in the Spirit”.

One can have any of the Spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:11: prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, showing mercy, being an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher – and if one is not living in a proper relationship with God, one will not effectively “pray in the Spirit”.

As a Pastor who has been gifted by God, for the work of the ministry (according to the above Ephesians 4:11 passage) and have had the Elders of this congregation lay hands on me commissioning me for the work of the ministry here; do I, as a pastor, have a more "high-speed connection" to God, when it comes to "Praying in the Spirit" than anyone else in the Church, because of my gift? Not at all. Every believer has the same "direct, high-speed line"! Does my "gift" override my human carnality, when at such a time I may grieve God's Spirit and keep my spirit from communing with God, as I should? No, my "gift" does not override my spirit-grieving potential. How then can each of us deepen our walk with God whether or not we are gifted in certain gifts (God has gifted each of His Children with gifts, according to the Scripture)? I believe "Praying in the Spirit" has to do directly with our "relationship" with God, not our "gifting".

v “Praying in the Spirit” is Directly Related to Our Relationship with God

Sometimes We Just Need God to Understand Us (Not realizing He does already!)

Sometimes what we want is not the thing we are after, but simply the understanding that we are understood. God allows us more of this comprehension when we are “praying in His Spirit”.

Sometimes we feel we must have a certain thing or do a certain thing to make us secure, when what we really need is a sense of the reality of security before God’s Throne. We find this by “praying in His Spirit”.

We comprehend direction for our lives; we walk through “doors” that He opens for us; we yield ourselves to patiently wait for His will to be worked out in our life, even during the difficult, scary times of living. His Presence comforts us…when we “pray in His Spirit”. We learn to “pray in the Spirit” through experience…through the experience of waiting, watching, pain, perseverance and faith. We grow in our knowledge of God and in our trust of Him…we wait quietly before His Throne in the uncluttered “closet” that we have found to be our place of worship. We “pray in the Spirit”. Waiting before His Throne, bringing our requests, crying, calling, praising, reaching and pleading…it finally comes to silent waiting again when it is all said and done. Nothing is so fulfilling as just simply being there – because the relationship of just being with Him is more important than the requests and all the other things that had so concerned us. It is here that the unknown requests of our soul are prayed for with groans by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:26,27). It is here that our soul worships at His Throne and waits for His bidding. It is here that our spirit prays in His Spirit.

Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away (Gen. 5:24).

Enoch had learned the joy of in his communion and relationship with God, which was certainly through his interrelationship with God through the Holy Spirit, even when the Holy Spirit had not taken up full-time residence on the earth!

⁵By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Enoch was so commended as one who pleased God, so God took him! What a commendation, what a challenge for us who have been “born again” by the Spirit of God!

The final piece of the armor of God, after putting on all the other armor which should be worn by the Child of God, is the reality of relationship with God, by “praying in the Spirit”!

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. ^[4]

Let’s review the previous six points since we have had many interruptions to the continuity of this series.

d. “Truth” and “Savior” Go Together – Just as “Helmet” and “Salvation” go together!

e. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Truth that reveals His Lordship Over All

· The Holy Spirit’s Intercession for the Believer – Our Cry to Understand God’s Will for Our Life

When we “Pray in the Spirit” the Holy Spirit intercedes for us before the Throne of God, even though we do not know what to pray for as we should.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

· Understanding How to Pray in the Spirit and with our Mind (for those Churches eager to emphasize and have spiritual gifts) – “Be Adults,” Paul tells us…

What if we are caught up in our “gifts”? How should we deal with this experience when we are “praying in the Spirit” around others? Paul answers this question clearly in the following passage.

¹² So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

¹³ For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. ¹⁶If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand^e say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰ Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

· Building Ourselves as Believers in the Most Holy Faith – by Praying in the Spirit

¹⁷ But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. ¹⁸They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” ¹⁹These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

²⁰ But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. ²¹Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

²² Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

²⁴ To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— ²⁵to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

v Basic Qualifications for one to “Pray in the Spirit”

· To be born into God’s Family – those transformed by God’s Spirit are Children of God. These Children fellowship with God by “Praying in the Spirit”.

³In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.^a”

¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^f that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.^g

· To not grieve God’s Spirit by living carnal lives, but to be those overcoming the world, their flesh and the devil by the Power of God’s Spirit.

³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.

³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

· To be those who are yielded to God and seeking His Spirit’s fullness in their lives, with the desire to follow God’s direction for our life.

¹³For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, ¹⁴because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Conclusion

We are all at different stages in our growing relationship with God when it comes to prayer and “praying in the Spirit”. Some of us are just beginning to understand and come to know God. Others have just committed their lives to Jesus Christ – to accept His Salvation and to make Him Lord of our life. Others yet have been believers for many years but have not grown in the same maturity in their faith, while others may have grown more quickly in their faith than they have in years, following their conversion to Christ.

Whatever the case, we should all be growing in our prayer lives too. We should have as a goal, no matter where we are in our spiritual lives with Christ: to seek God’s will through our prayers, to fellowship with Him in a deeper Spiritual and more meaningful way…and in a fuller manner – to “pray in His Spirit”!

b They soon...: Heb. They made haste, they forgat

c lusted...: Heb. lusted a lust

^[1]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA

^[2]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA

^[3]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA

c A few late manuscripts redemption through his blood

b Some early manuscripts do not have this sentence.

b Some manuscripts the new

a Or seventy times seven

b Some manuscripts sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.

c Greek everyone who is indebted to us

^[4] The Holy Bible : New International Version is used throughout unless otherwise noted. 1996, c1984. Zondervan: Grand Rapids

^e Or among the inquirers

a Or born from above; also in verse 7

f Or his only begotten Son

g Or God~s only begotten Son

1 Or had regarded

a Job 36:21; John 9:31

Step Seven in “Seven Steps to Building a Mature,

Christ-Centered Church”

Introduction

What Makes You Fulfilled?