May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion! . . . Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord . . . Save, O Lord; May the King answer us in the day we call. (Psalm 20:1-2, 7, 9, NASB)
In my walk through the Bible I came across Psalm 20, which reminded me of Israel’s war with Gaza. King David wrote this Psalm, entitled “Prayer for Victory over Enemies.” In addition to the obvious application to war, there is a personal one as well.
David invokes “the God of Jacob” for help “in the day of trouble!” Further, David implores God to send “help from the sanctuary and support you from Zion!” He says that the ungodly will boast of the numbers of their physical assets, but “we will boast in the name of the Lord.” Finally, King David asks, “Save, O Lord; May the King answer us in the day we call.”
On a personal level, we all go through times of trouble. We all have to rely on God. It’s great to know that He’s right here when we need Him! The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, does indeed set us “securely on high!” God sends us help from His sanctuary. “But we will boast in the name of the Lord.”
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27, NASB)
In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul discusses one example of the Holy Spirit’s role as Helper, in that He helps us to pray! Paul says, “we do not know how to pray as we should,” and the Spirit helps us with that. How? He “intercedes for us, with groanings too deep for words.” C.S. Lewis called this “God talking to God.”
Further, God “who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,” and “He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” So it appears that God and the Holy Spirit are on the same page! That’s because the Holy Spirit IS God. The reason the Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with the will of God, is because God the Father and the Holy Spirit are of the same mind. The “will of God” is very important in our prayer lives.
A good friend, the late Pastor Don Seymore, perhaps the best Bible teacher I’ve heard, taught me that our prayers should not be a laundry list of our wants and desires. Rather, they should be a reflection of God’s will. (As an example, if we need reliable transportation in our life, we should pray that God will meet our transportation needs, and not for a Corvette!) And how do we know what is the will of God? We have to study His word. The more we study, and ask the Holy Spirit to teach us, the more likely we are to be of one accord with the Spirit and with the Father.
What is the will of God? As a partial list, He desires strong marriages; a healthy family life; that our homes would be blessed, and that Satan would not gain a stronghold in them; that our houses would be peaceful; that all people would see salvation (although this is not His mandate); and that people would be healed from illness and diseases (although not everyone will be healed; we all will expire from this earth because of Adam’s transgressions). As I said, this is only a partial list of God’s will for our lives, but when I pray for my friends and others, these are the things for which I pray!
The Holy Spirit is Helper and Teacher. If you know Jesus, then the Holy Spirit lives in you. You’re His Tabernacle. According to Paul, we don’t know how to pray, but the Helper does, and He assists us, according to God’s will! Let’s let the Helper do His work!
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you . . . But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:16-17, 26, NASB)
The Apostle John continues recounting Jesus’ discourse to the disciples at the Passover Seder also known as the Last Supper. The topic is the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says that after He has been arrested, condemned, tortured, crucified, died, laid in the tomb, arisen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, that He would ask the Father to send His Holy Spirit to them. Jesus calls Him “another Helper,” and promises that He “may be with you forever.”
Further, Jesus calls Him “the Spirit of truth.” He says “the world cannot receive” the Spirit “because it does not see Him or know Him.” When Jesus speaks of “the world,” He’s talking about unbelievers. But, He tells the disciples, “you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” The presence of the Helper is conditional: The world (those who don’t know Jesus) cannot know Him, while He dwells within those who know Christ.
Jesus goes on to explain the duties of the Spirit: “He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” So the Holy Spirit is a Teacher as well as a Helper. And He will help the apostles to remember all that Jesus said. This was important because as a result, we have the Gospels that record the life and teachings of Jesus Christ!
Yesterday morning I received the daily devotion from Ann Graham Lotz talking about the Holy Spirit:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13, NKJV
“I was once sitting in an audience when the speaker asked, ‘What do you think God expects of you?’ I mentally ticked off a list of things I thought God expected of me: obedience, faithfulness, holiness, love, service. To my astonishment, the speaker went on to say, ‘All God ever expects of you is failure!’ I wanted to raise my hand and say, ‘I can do that! I can live up to the expectations of God! I know I can fail!’ But then the speaker added, ‘However, He has given you the Holy Spirit so that you need never fail.’ Right! Without Christ I can do nothing, but in Him I can do all things!
“The difference between strength and weakness, righteousness and wickedness, success and failure, is Jesus – the Holy Spirit – in me.” (Lotz, Anne Graham. “Joy of My Heart” Daily Devotion, via email from AnGeL Ministries, 2 April 2022.)
I often forget the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit, Christ in me. When I remember, He reminds me that I’m a work in progress, that God’s not done with me yet. I try to incorporate the Helper throughout my day: In my prayers, in my Bible study, and in writing this piece. He is my Helper and my Teacher. My part is to make sure I don’t get in His way. The Bible says my body is a Tabernacle, and He is enthroned within. I have to ensure He is comfortable there, that I don’t defile my Temple.
Do you have the Helper in you? If you’re a follower of Jesus, Christ indwells you. Won’t you invite Jesus to be the King of your heart? Then you’ll have the Holy Spirit, the Helper, in you. Don’t leave home without Him!
I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)
Worship: “Holy Spirit,” by Jesus Culture ft. Kim Walker-Smith
Well, Mustache March is over. Here’s my input:
I’m reminded that Mustache March comes but once each year, and it’s usually around this time. I hardly feel like I put much effort into it, so God willing, if I’m here next year, I’ll try again. Oh, and I AM smiling!
John 14:16 image. Found at 