“…Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” John 5:19
Jesus told us that everything He did or said was done or spoken in agreement with God’s will. Jesus knew the will of the Father because He knew the Scriptures and because the Holy Spirit was with Him.
The ministry Jesus left for us was not without the same mission or the same function. We can know the will of the Father because we have the Word and we have the Holy Spirit. When we pray, we minister by accomplishing tasks in the spirit. Like other ministry, prayer is to be based on the Word and led by the Holy Spirit.
In its entirety, the Word of God not only teaches us about the life God intends for us to have, but He also teaches us about the effect sin has on the world we are born into, our old nature before salvation, and our new life after salvation. The Bible also teaches us about our responsibility to receive His grace by faith. Our faith is a loving submission to the Lord for our eternal salvation and our daily living. In prayer, we can have an understanding of God’s best, and we can have knowledge of what could hinder a person from receiving God’s best. We can pray accordingly.
The Holy Spirit can uncover issues that we do not know about so that we can pray effectively. As we pray, if He doesn’t choose to reveal the matter, He helps us to pray beyond our understanding, with languages we do not know. God wants people to have His best; however, there could be matters that need to be resolved in order for a person or a group to receive His best.
Because we don’t always know how to pray or how to minister to the unique needs of each person, we must pursue the leading of the Holy Spirit. Because we don’t always understand the Scriptures, we must seek revelation from the Holy Spirit. In prayer, we want to work together with the Lord so that our prayers can be effective. Therefore, respecting the Holy Spirit as part of the Godhead, we lean in to follow His leading in prayer and receive His revelation of the Word.
Application: It is important not to become narrow-minded about the Word of God or our mentality about the Holy Spirit. It is also important not to swallow any false doctrine or spiritual error. Learn the Word and spend time with God so that you can grow in your knowledge of the Scriptures and understanding of the Holy Spirit. Being part of a healthy, Bible-based, Spirit led church will help you stay on track.