Praying in The Spirit (Spiritual Depression)
A Sermon on Praying in the Spirit from Ephesians 6:18
Scripture
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Sermon Description
Who can talk to God? Who can boldly enter His presence and communicate with Him in prayer? In this sermon on praying in the Spirit from Ephesians 6:18, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones guides the listener through this careful study of how Christians are to pray. The blood of Jesus, His death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives His people unhindered access to the Father. But that open access to God in prayer is not an invitation to be casual, flippant, or fill prayers with meaningless repetition. Christians need the Holy Spirit's guidance to teach them how to pray. The spiritual battles of life, the weakness of the flesh, and the need for intercession requires careful attention to one’s communication with their king. Prayer that glorifies God and maximizes the spiritual life is prayer that is filled with reverence and respect for the Father who loves and is always ready to hear the voice of His children.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on Ephesians 6:18 which exhorts Christians to "pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."
- The sermon begins by providing context about spiritual warfare and the armor of God. Prayer is essential in addition to the armor.
- The sermon asks the question: How are we to pray? It aims to provide guidance on how to pray in the Spirit.
- Praying in the Spirit is not determined by:
- A particular place (e.g. a specific building)
- A particular time (e.g. out of duty or habit)
- Forms (e.g. vain repetitions or going through the motions)
- Frantic pleading in times of crisis
- Praying in the Spirit means:
- Being led and guided by the Holy Spirit
- Realizing God is Spirit and worshipping Him as such
- Realizing we can only come to God through Jesus
- Having boldness and assurance of faith
- Addressing God as "Abba, Father"
- Realizing the presence of God
- Being a living, vital, free, and warm prayer
- Being thoughtful, directed, and orderly
- Being according to God's will and mind
- Being full of faith and expectation
- Questions about methods and times of prayer will be resolved if we pray in the Spirit. But some guidance:
- Pray always, without ceasing, on all occasions
- Pray specially at certain times, like in times of crisis
- All types of prayer are legitimate (kneeling, standing, contemplative, etc.) as long as in the Spirit
- Pray for all types of things and people (yourself, church, leaders, etc.)
- We must pray in the Spirit to stand against the devil and see the church stand. We must put on the whole armor of God, using prayer.
Spiritual Depression
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.