Acts chapter 4 verse 23.
And having been let go they came to
their own and reported all that the chief
priests and elders had said to them.
And they having heard it lifted up their
voice with one accord to God and said,
Lord thou the God who made the heaven
and the earth and the sea and all
that is in them, who has said by
the mouth of thy servant David, why have
the nations raged haughtily and the peoples meditated
vain things?
The kings of the earth were there and
the rulers were gathered together against the Lord
and against his Christ.
For in truth against thy holy servant Jesus,
whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius
Pilate with the nations and peoples of Israel
have been gathered together in this city to
do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had
determined before should come to pass.
And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings and
give to thy bondmen with all boldness to
speak thy word, in that thou stretchest out
thy hand to heal, and that signs and
wonders take place through the name of thy
holy servant Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place in
which they were assembled shook, and they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke
the word of God with boldness.
To me I feel that this passage, which
is on corporate prayer, is one of the
most wonderful passages in the scripture.
If we only think of the setting that
Peter and John, they were just threatened.
Threatened by the council to shut their mouth
and not to speak in the name of
the Lord Jesus.
After they were released, they came to their
own, and they reported what had happened.
And then the scripture said, and they having
heard it, lifted up their voice with one
accord to God and said.
Now we know that at that time in
Jerusalem there were thousands of believers already, because
on the day of Pentecost, aside from the
120, you'll find 3,000.
And then before this incident, you'll find more
were added as we find in the preceding
verse.
And many of those who had heard the
word believe, and the number of the men
had become about 5,000.
So you see there are thousands of believers
there.
And they lifted up their voice with one
accord to God.
Not a few, not even a hundred, but
thousands of them.
And they lifted up their voice with one
accord and prayed.
Now in the find there are many places
where prayers are recorded.
But most of these prayers are prayed by
one person.
For instance, Paul, he prayed, and his prayer
are recorded.
Daniel prayed, and his prayer is recorded.
Mostly you'll find all the recorded prayers are
personal prayers.
That is prayed by one man.
But in this instance you'll find the Holy
Spirit recalls the prayer of the church.
Thousands of people were praying.
And they prayed in such a manner that
the Holy Spirit is able to recall their
prayer.
Why?
Because they prayed with one accord.
Or to put it another way, they prayed
as one man.
If you read the record of their prayer,
you'll find a divine order there.
It's a perfect prayer.
It's not organized beforehand.
It's not a prayer of one person.
Now if one person is praying, probably you
will find it's comparatively easy to pray in
this manner.
But thousands of people are praying.
And the Holy Spirit recalls their prayer as
if only one man is praying.
And it is.
And you'll find a perfect order in the
prayer.
First of all, they declare that God is
the God of the heaven, and the earth,
and the sea.
And then they quote the scripture, Old Testament,
and find its fulfillment in the life of
our Lord Jesus.
That founds the, that sets the basis of
their prayer.
And then they mentioned what had happened.
And after that, they asked God to give
them boldness to speak.
It is as if only one man is
praying.
There is no discord.
There's no diversions.
Now we are few here.
But when we are praying, can the Holy
Spirit record our prayer in this manner?
Will it be that one will pray for
this, and one will pray for that, and
one will think of this, and one will
think of that, and we jump around, and
you know, and it will be all discord.
But here you find the Holy Spirit, when
He recalls that corporate prayer, it is a
perfect prayer.
Now if it is not the Holy Spirit
who is in charge, now who can do
such a thing?
And these people were really given to the
Lord, that the Holy Spirit is able to
pray through them in such a manner that
there is perfect order.
And you notice that they lift up their
voice.
Now in the original, it is voice, singular.
In some version, it put voices.
But I like the singular.
Because they lifted up their voice.
Only one voice.
So many people, but only one voice.
Now I do not think that at this
occasion, thousands of people, they all lifted up
their voices and prayed.
You know, sometimes we do.
As a matter of fact, I was brought
up under that kind of situation, because I
was born, I was saved among the holiness
people, and we all pray together.
Everybody pray his prayer, but we all pray
together, and nobody hear anybody, you know.
But I do not believe this is what
happened there.
Because they lifted up their voice.
Only one voice.
But that one voice was carried by many
people.
It was not Peter who was praying.
It was not John who represented the whole
company and prayed.
No.
They lifted up their voice with one accord.
So it must be that the Holy Spirit
will touch upon different people, many people, and
all their prayers, you can see that there
is a sequence, there is an order, you
can connect all these prayers together, and it
comes out to be a perfect prayer.
And that is Corporate Prayer.
That is the first recorded Corporate Prayer of
the Church.
So I often think that this is a
marvellous passage, if we know the background, it
is a marvellous passage.
When the Holy Spirit is really in charge,
and He should be, and He is, because
wherever two or three are gathered together, the
Lord said, there am I in the and
how?
By the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is here.
He is representing the head.
And He is directing the body to pray.
So whoever may be used by the Holy
Spirit at the moment, they are not just
praying their own prayers.
They are praying the prayer of the head.
And that is the reason why you will
find there is such harmony, there is such
agreement, there is one accord, no jarring notes,
everything just fit in, and the Holy Spirit
is able to record it.
Now what if everybody pray his prayer?
Now how will the Holy Spirit record it?
If He records John's prayer, it won't be
Peter's prayer.
But now you will find the Holy Spirit
is able to record it as the prayer
of the whole Church.
It is a tremendous, it is a tremendous
thing.
And I do believe, sincerely, that when the
Holy Spirit is really in charge, and if
we are really submitted to the Holy Spirit,
this is what happens.
Now unfortunately, sometimes we do not submit ourselves
to the Holy Spirit.
That is, when the Holy Spirit touches upon
a certain brother or sister, he refuses to
cooperate.
And if that happens, then of course you'll
find, and sometimes the Holy Spirit hasn't touched
upon a person, and he stops to pray.
So you see here, the whole company was
so yielded, available, you know.
Now when we come together to pray, are
we available to the Holy Spirit?
Have we decided that we are going to
pray tonight, or we are not going to
pray tonight?
Are we really available?
Are we really open?
Do we allow the Holy Spirit to really
pray through us?
And if we do, you find the proof
here.
The way that we pray, it really is
marvelous.
Now here you'll find there is a challenge.
The church was challenged.
Not just Peter and John.
Even though only Peter and John were threatened,
but actually you find that this challenge was
against the whole church.
And the whole church took up that challenge.
Now how did they take up the challenge?
Not by matching the world with their own
cleverness.
Not by fighting against the world with their
own power, but by turning to God and
praying.
So prayer is the weapon of the church.
This is the way that we meet every
challenge.
If there is any challenge to the church
of any kind, whether it is a threatening
just like Peter and John, or whether it
is something else, but a challenge nevertheless.
And we know that the church is always
being challenged.
Negatively or positively.
And when we are challenged, what do we
do?
The only recourse we have is to go
to pray as a church.
The church is to take up any challenge
with prayer.
Not with discussion, not with negotiation, confrontation, you
know, but with prayer.
And that is what we should do.
You know, any challenge that comes to us,
we'll take it up and turn it into
prayer.
And as they pray, you'll find they have
absolutely absolutely no desire or no idea of
retreating.
But on the contrary, you'll find all they
ask of the Lord is that the Lord
would give them boldness to speak.
Now the council said shut your mouth, but
they asked the Lord for boldness to speak.
Why?
Because they have a mandate.
The Lord had given them that mandate that
they should be his witnesses from Jerusalem to
Judea, Samaria to the end of the world.
And because they have a mandate, therefore they
ask the Lord to give them boldness to
speak in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And what is the result?
The result you'll find that the place literally
shook, and they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God
with boldness.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
not just a few, but they were all
filled.
Why?
Because they prayed with one accord.
Every one of them was filled with the
Holy Spirit.
And not just boldness given to the apostles,
boldness given to all.
And that is the way that God answered
prayer.
So as we come together tonight, I really
feel that, you know, there are many challenges
before us.
Just to mention one I think is evident.
The conference is a challenge, you know.
It is not a challenge just to a
few.
It's a challenge to the whole church.
And we really need to take up that
challenge and pray that the Lord will enable
us to stand and withstand and stand.
Enable us to utter His word, His will,
and accomplish His work for that conference.
There's a conflict there.
The enemy is trying to shut us up.
But we have a mandate from heaven.
And we need to ask the Lord to
give us boldness to accomplish His purpose.
So we definitely have a challenge here.
And we need to lift up our voice
with one accord to God.
And if we do, you know what will
happen?
We will all be filled with the Holy
Spirit.
People who do not take up the challenge,
people who do not pray, they miss the
blessing too.
But if we really give ourselves to prayer,
when the blessing comes, we will be included.
So may the Lord really encourage us as
we are week after week, you know, uh,
laboring as it were, preparing for the conference.
And as the conference is within this month
now, it's almost on us now.
And we haven't prayed enough.
We really need to continue to pray and
meet the challenge that His name may be
exalted.
This concludes message number 17.
Message number 18 follows.
Romans chapter 8 verses 26 and 27.
And in like manner the Spirit joins also
its help to our weakness.
For we do not know what we should
pray for as is fitting.
But the Spirit itself makes intercession with groanings
which cannot be uttered.
But he who searches the hearts knows what
is the mind of the Spirit, because he
intercedes for saints according to God.
To understand these two verses, we need to
uh, keep these two verses within its context.
And if you notice in the preceding verses,
how the whole creation groans for that day.
And how even we who are the first
fruits of the Spirit, we also groan in
ourselves waiting for adoption.
In other words, we find that the whole
creation is groaning, is waiting for the manifestation
of the sons of God.
And those who are the children of God
are groaning in our spirit for the same
thing, that we may grow up into sonship.
And under that kind of atmosphere, we find
these two verses.
And in like manner the Spirit joins also
its help to our weakness.
We do feel that there is much infirmity,
much weakness in us, as we think of
this matter of sonship.
That we may be conformed to the image
of God's Son.
That he may be the firstborn among many
brethren.
And as we think of this objective before
us, we do sense there is much infirmity
in us.
We find that lots of things around us,
and even within us, are somehow trying to
pull us down and slow our progress in
the Lord, and hinder us from being changed,
transformed, and be conformed to the image of
Christ.
So this weakness or infirmity is a general
weakness.
In other words, we do feel within us,
there is much weakness within us, in view
of what the Lord is calling us, in
view of what we are aspiring for.
And of all the weaknesses, there is one
weakness that is most evident, and that is
the weakness in prayer.
When we are surrounded by our circumstances that
seem to be contradictory to that which God
is calling us, this is the time that
we can overcome with prayer.
And yet we find that in this area
of prayer, we are the weakest.
We know we should pray, we know that
without prayer we cannot get through, but somehow
we find that not only we do not
know what to pray, how to pray, sometimes
we do not even feel like to pray.
This is the weakest of all our weaknesses.
And if it depends upon us to pray,
and to pray through, I think it would
be a very, very sad thing.
But thank God for one thing, and that
is, in our weakness, there is the Holy
Spirit.
You know, brothers and sisters, sometimes when we
come to this area of prayer, we forget
the Holy Spirit.
It is as if we must pray, we
must struggle to pray, and we must pray
the best prayer, the perfect prayer, the prayer
that will touch God's heart, the prayer that
will change our circumstances, the prayer that will
change ourselves, the prayer that will move mountains
and move even the heart and the arm
of God.
Oftentimes we think that, well, we have to
depend on prayer, because we know we should
pray.
But we forget the Holy Spirit.
We forget that the Holy Spirit who dwells
in us is to come to our aid
in this very area of prayer.
We tend to depend upon ourselves to pray,
then depend on the Holy Spirit to pray.
We may not be conscious of it, but
we do.
We do neglect the Holy Spirit in our
prayers.
It says that in like manner, the Spirit
joins also its help to our weakness.
The Holy Spirit will help us in this
weakness of prayer, but He is not going
to substitute us.
Now, it doesn't mean that because there is
the Holy Spirit, so He will pray for
us.
It is true.
But the Spirit itself, making intercession with groanings
which cannot be uttered, because He intercedes for
saints according to God.
It is true that the Holy Spirit will
intercede for us, but not in the sense
that He will substitute us.
That is, He will do it without ourselves
involved.
The Holy Spirit does not pray for us
without ourselves praying too.
I think it is very evident that the
Holy Spirit does intercede for us, but He
intercedes for us in us.
He who knows the mind of God will
intercede for us according to God, but yet
you find that God is the one who
searches the hearts.
It says, but he who searches the hearts
knows what is the mind of the Spirit.
So you find that our hearts and the
mind of the Spirit work together.
We are not praying alone, nor does the
Holy Spirit intercede alone.
It is the cooperation of our hearts with
the mind of the Spirit.
In other words, we need to have hearts
before God.
Our hearts must be burdened, our hearts must
be open, our hearts must be willing, and
as our hearts are before the Lord, then
the Holy Spirit who dwells in us will
help us to pray according to God.
If our heart is not there, we cannot
expect the Holy Spirit to help us in
our prayer.
Our heart must be there.
Now in one sense we do know what
to pray for, that is in a general
sense, because in the general sense we know
that we shall pray for the maturity, for
the manifestation of the sons of God.
We know that, but specifically we do not
know.
We know in a general sense where the
direction of prayer should be, but in particular
occasions, in particular cases, we do not know
what to pray for and how to pray
for that is fitting.
And this is the area when the Holy
Spirit will come to our aid.
If we have no heart before God, if
we do not care whether we will grow
spiritually, we will be transformed and conformed.
If we have no desire for the purpose
of God, for the manifestation of the sons
of God, then we cannot expect the Holy
Spirit to help us in our prayers.
But if we do have a heart for
the Lord, for His interests, for His work
in our lives as well as in the
Church, also in the world, if our hearts
are really burdened before Him and we do
not know THE what to pray for, in
the original there is a definite article there,
in other words, not just in a general
sense, but in a particular sense, we do
not know exactly what to pray for and
how to pray for that is fitting.
Now this is the time that the Holy
Spirit will come to our aid.
He will make intercession for us according to
God.
Now when we pray, we will pray according
to what we feel, what we think.
But when the Holy Spirit intercedes for us,
He will intercede for us according to God.
Because He is God and God knows the
mind of the Spirit.
Sometimes it is unutterable, like a groaning which
cannot be uttered.
But other times it can be uttered.
So it doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit,
when He is coming to our aid in
our prayer, it has to be just groaning
and unutterable.
I know in some places people just try
to groan.
But that may be people who are groaning,
not the Holy Spirit who is groaning.
You know, because people take hold of this
verse.
Now it is true, sometimes the Spirit is
praying and our spirit is cooperating, but our
mind does not have the understanding.
Therefore it comes out as groanings which is
unutterable.
That is true.
But at other times, not only our spirit
will respond to the Holy Spirit, but even
the mind of the Spirit is made known
to our mind.
And when that is the case, we can
pray intelligently.
We do not need to groan.
We can utter with plain words.
And the effect before God is the same.
So what we need to do is this.
As we come together to pray, brothers and
sisters, is our heart here?
Is our heart open to the Lord?
Is our heart willing or is our heart
burdened?
Now if our heart is open, willing and
burdened, we will feel our weakness, because we
do not know exactly how to pray, what
to pray for that is fitting.
Then we can trust the Holy Spirit to
give us the direction, show us his mind,
and even when we cannot understand it with
our mind, still our spirit can cooperate with
him.
So let's look to the Holy Spirit for
help.
I think it would be a great encouragement
to us.
You know, sometimes we hesitate to pray, because
we don't know what to pray and how
to pray.
But if we know that the Holy Spirit
is with us, he is in you, ready
to give you help, to aid you, to
help you.
If you just cast yourself upon him, and
let the Holy Spirit come in as you
cooperate with him, and you will find that
he will intercede according to God.
So I do hope that it will be
an encouragement to us.
No one should feel that he knows how
to pray.
If we know how to pray or what
to pray for, probably we are praying ourselves.
If we are really burdened before the Lord,
we have to acknowledge we have an infirmity.
We do not know.
But that should not hinder us from praying.
On the contrary, that should encourage us to
pray.
If we just give ourselves to the Lord
and trust the Holy Spirit, he is here,
and he is waiting to pray in us,
and for us, and through us.
So may the Lord really help us tonight.
This concludes message number 18.
Message 19 follows.
Revelation chapter 8, from the first verse through
the fifth verse.
Revelation chapter 8, verse 1.
And when it opened the seventh seal, there
was silence in the heaven about half an
hour.
And I saw the seven angels who stand
before God, and seven trumpets were given to
them.
And another angel came and stood at the
altar, having a golden censer.
And much incense was given to him, that
he might give efficacy to the prayers of
all saints at the golden altar which was
before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense went up
with the prayers of the saints, out of
the hand of the angel before God.
And the angel took the censer, and filled
it from the fire of the altar, and
cast it on the earth, and there were
voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Heaven was prepared to make a move.
But before that move was made, there was
silence in the heaven for half an hour.
The silence was not because heaven was not
going to make any move.
Heaven was prepared to move.
But the silence was heaven must wait
for something to happen before that move can
be made.
In other words, you'll find that everything was
ready in heaven, but there was a suspense,
waiting for something on earth to happen first.
And what was to happen?
The prayer of the saints.
Heaven was waiting for the saints to pray.
And after there was prayer on earth, then
you'll find heaven answered the prayers on earth.
And immediately there was voices, and thunders, and
lightnings, and earthquake.
The move began.
It is the principle of prayer that God
or heaven must initiate.
You know, the prayer does not begin on
earth.
Prayer is initiated in heaven.
But after heaven initiates, it has to wait
until the earth responds.
And with the response in prayer, then heaven
answers the prayer on earth.
So the principle of prayer is, it begins
in heaven.
Heaven discloses its will to some people on
earth, to the saints on earth, because only
the saints can know the will of heaven.
So heaven has a will.
It reveals its will to the saints, waiting
for the saints to take up heaven's will,
and discharge it in prayer.
Then heaven will answer the prayer of the
saints, and do the things that heaven decides,
has decided to do.
And this, if you read Matthew 18, 18
in the original, that's what it really means.
Because in Matthew 18, 18, our translation is
such, you know, as if heaven is waiting
on earth to move.
Verily, verily, I say to you, whatsoever you
shall bind on the earth shall be bound
in heaven, and whatsoever you shall lose on
the earth shall be lose in heaven.
Now oftentimes we think by reading this verse
that the earth has to make the first
move, and heaven will respond to the move
upon the earth.
But in the original it is, verily I
say to you, but that's not English, whatsoever
ye shall be, ye shall, having been bound
on the earth, no, whatsoever ye shall bind
on the earth shall be having been bound
in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall lose on
the earth shall be, shall having been lose
in heaven.
That's the original.
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be
having been bound in heaven.
Whatsoever ye shall lose on earth shall be
having been bound, lose in heaven.
Having been bound, having been lose, shall be
and shall be.
So in other words, actually heaven initiates, but
then the earth takes this up in prayer,
and then heaven answers the prayer on earth,
and that is the order.
Now if we see this, I think we
realize how important the prayers of the saints
is.
In other words, if the saints do not
pray, even heaven cannot move.
Whether the will of God can be done
on earth, it depends very much upon the
prayers of the saints.
God is waiting.
Heaven is silent for half an hour, just
to wait, to see whether the saints will
respond, whether there will be prayers offered, whether
there will be cooperation, sympathy of one mind
of the saints with heaven.
And after that is done, then immediately you'll
find heaven will make that move.
So actually what we bind on earth has
already been bound in heaven.
What we lose on earth has already been
lose in heaven, but the actual losing and
the binding will not happen until we have
bound and we have loosed, on the basis
of what heaven has bound and heaven has
loosed.
Now that is the mystery of prayer.
A tremendous responsibility if we realize the significance
of the prayers of the saints.
Now because of such weight that heaven put
upon the prayers of the saints, sometimes we
feel overwhelmed.
Now if heaven doesn't matter whether we pray
or not, or our prayer doesn't really carry
much weight for the will of God to
be done on earth as it is in
heaven, then probably we feel well we can
pray.
But when we realize that heaven depends upon
us to pray for its action, it almost
overwhelms you.
Who are we?
What are the conditions of our prayer?
Are our prayers also feeble?
We do not know how to pray and
what to pray for?
And if heaven should depend upon our prayers,
what should we do?
Not only there is the thing of prayerlessness,
we do not pray as we should, but
even if we pray, even we ourselves know
how feeble, how weak our prayers are.
And yet heaven depends on our prayers.
There will be no movement.
It's all silent, but everything is ready.
Now what can we do?
Now if we do not know the importance
of prayer, probably we dare to pray.
But when we realize the significance of prayer,
it really makes you feel, now what can
we do?
How can we pray as we should?
Because heaven is waiting for us, is depending
on our prayers.
How can our prayers be effective, be effectual?
Now this is where, in verse 3, and
another angel came and stood at the altar
having a golden censer, and much incense was
given to him, that he might give efficacy
to the prayers of the saints at the
golden altar which was before the throne.
The prayers of the saints need some strengthening.
So much incense was given to add to
the prayers of the saints, and that gave
his efficacy.
In other words, the prayers of the saints
are weak, ineffectual.
So incense, much incense was given to give
efficacy to the prayers of the saints, to
make our prayers effective before God.
Now what are these incense?
You know in Revelation chapter 5, the incense
in Revelation chapter 5 verse 8, are the
prayers of the saints.
But the incense in chapter 8 verse 3,
is added to the prayers of the saints.
The prayers of the saints are like incense,
ascending up to God.
But our prayers are too weak.
Heaven cannot depend upon our weak prayer.
So much incense was added to give efficacy.
Now if, according to the exegesis, interpretation, if
incense in chapter 5 verse 8 refers to
prayer, then the incense here in chapter 8
also refers to prayer.
Now whose prayer?
The prayer of our great high priest.
Here you find our Lord Jesus, who is
risen, who is ascended, our high priest, ever
liveth, making intercession for us.
That is much incense.
He adds his prayers to our prayers, and
that gives his efficacy.
So we know that our prayers, however weak
we are, our prayers are, it will be
answered, because there is one who adds his
prayer to ours.
And you remember our Lord Jesus say in
John chapter 11 said, you know, when he
stood before, well we can look at it
in John chapter 11, verse
41, and Jesus lifted up his eyes on
high and said, Father, I thank Thee that
Thou has heard me, but I knew that
Thou always heareth me.
In other words, the prayers of our Lord
Jesus are always heard.
Even when he was on earth, now he
is at the right hand of the Father.
How much more his prayers will be heard?
His prayers add to our prayers, and that
gives our prayers the efficacy that we need.
So brothers and sisters, be encouraged.
No matter how weak our prayers are, and
even when we pray wrongly, when his incense
is added to ours, it makes it right.
That gives us courage to pray.
You know, on the one hand, when you
realize the importance of prayer, you dare not
pray.
But on the other hand, when you see
that is the work of a high priest,
our Lord today.
He is, he ever liveth making intercession, never
ceases.
He put his prayers into our prayers.
And when the smoke ascends, immediately thunders, lightnings,
action begins.
You know, I can never forget, once on
a steamboat, you know, in a big ship,
in a state room, you know, there are
pianos there, grand piano there.
And the people, you know, were sitting there,
you know, some reading and so forth.
And a little girl, she climbed to the
stool and started to play.
She didn't know how to play piano.
She just hit, you know, the notes at
random and make such noise, and people sitting
in that state room and couldn't read and
didn't know what to do.
And suddenly a man stood up.
He went to that piano, sit down by
the girl.
And whenever that girl hit a note, he
hit some notes to accompany it, make it
beautiful music.
And everybody just enjoy it.
And after a while, when the girl stopped
playing, he stood up and said, you ought
to thank that girl for the good music
you have heard.
That man is a musician.
And I never forget that story.
Because every time I feel my prayers weak,
I say, Lord, you accompany it and make
it good.
And every time when I speak, and I
fail, I fail, that's the same thing I
did.
I say, Lord, make it good.
This is our courage, our confidence, our encouragement.
So I do want to encourage brothers and
sisters.
Sometimes, you know, you do not dare to
open your mouth.
In a prayer time like this, we want
all the brothers and sisters to have a
chance.
Not always all a few brothers and sisters
pray.
Well, maybe they can pray better.
That's true.
And you may not be able to pray
as good as theirs.
But the Lord knows, He will add much
incense to your prayer.
Now, some brothers and sisters may pray very
good, and the Lord may not add much
incense to it.
But if you don't know how to pray,
the Lord will put more incense to it.
So be encouraged.
You know, even if your prayer is wrong,
it's not too good, you know, a few
words, not much, you know, not very musical.
But He will make it heavenly music.
So be encouraged.
I do hope that every brother and sister
should be encouraged to pray.
Even if you don't know how, well, take
it up when a brother is mentioned.
Just take a look to the Lord and
say a word or two.
And the Lord will add much incense to
that.
You know, and to heaven we're here.
We're here.
So do encourage.
Chapter 14.
1 Corinthians Chapter 14.
We'll just read three verses, 15, 16, and
17.
1 Corinthians Chapter 14.
Verses 15, 16, and 17.
What is it then?
I will pray with the spirit, but I
will pray also with the understanding.
I will sing with the spirit, but I
will sing also with the understanding.
For thou indeed giving
thanks
well, but the other is not edified.
We know this chapter deals with the assembly
of God's people.
Therefore, what is mentioned here about prayer does
not refer to our personal private prayer, but
refers to corporate prayer as we come together
to pray.
And it is mentioned here that I will
pray with the spirit, but I will pray
also with the mind or with the understanding.
Now, even though it is I who prays,
even though it is individual who is praying,
yet none prays as just an individual.
In other words, I will pray, but as
I pray, I'm representing all the brothers and
sisters.
The spirit of God may use me as
his mouthpiece to utter a prayer, and yet
when I'm praying, I do not pray as
an individual.
I'm praying as representing all the brothers and
sisters.
And because of this, you'll find there are
two things that are essential to such prayer.
One is I must pray with the spirit,
and the other is I must also pray
with the understanding.
As we gathered here, we believe that the
Holy Spirit is directing this time.
It is important for us to remember whenever
we come together to pray, that the Holy
Spirit is here.
He is directing us to pray.
Therefore, as the spirit moves upon different individuals,
these individuals will respond with prayers.
As the Holy Spirit gives burden to our
spirit, as our spirit is burdened, then we
pray.
Maybe to put it in a more simple
way, our prayer is not just lip service.
Our prayer must be from the heart.
As our heart is touched by the spirit
of God, then we pour out our heart
before the Lord.
But then because we are praying with our
brothers and sisters, therefore we must not only
pray with the spirit, we must also pray
with the mind, that is with the understanding.
Sometimes you know our spirit is burdened, and
as in Romans chapter 8, we do not
know what to pray and how to pray,
but the spirit within us will groan.
But the groaning of the spirit is known
to God, but not known to the brothers
and sisters who may be with us.
Therefore, when we come together to pray, not
only our spirit must be burdened and touched,
but we must utter our burden, discharge our
burden with plain words, words that can be
understood.
We understand what we are praying, and brothers
and sisters must also understand what we are
praying.
Because we are praying in a representative way,
not alone.
If we are alone, we can pray with
a spirit, and sometimes with groaning, unutterable.
But when we are praying with brothers and
sisters, we have to pray with a spirit
and also with the understanding.
Because when we are praying, we expect our
brothers and sisters to join in with Amen.
This very fact that Amen is expected from
the brothers and sisters proves that whoever is
praying, he is praying for the whole company.
And as a person prays in the spirit
and with understanding, then the brothers and sisters
who hear such prayer, they will be touched
by the spirit of God.
And as they are touched by the spirit
of God, they will respond with Amen.
In other words, it is as if they
are praying.
So when we pray together, if any brother
and sister, when he or she is praying,
and you find that you understand, and you
are touched in your spirit, and you find
that this is the very same thing, very
same word you want to utter, very same
burden that the Lord has burdened you, then
respond with an Amen.
Don't be silent.
Now of course we do not need to
shout so loud as to make the prayer
unheard.
But we need to respond with Amen to
show that we are one with our brothers
and sisters.
And what he is praying is what I
will pray.
And thank God that the spirit of God
has used my brother or my sister as
the mouthpiece.
And I fully agree to it.
So whenever your spirit is touched, and you
feel that this is what the Lord, what
you will pray if you are given opportunity,
then do not hesitate to respond with Amen.
The very Amen will strengthen that prayer.
And to show that we are really praying
as one.
And of course when we are praying, we
are praying to God.
I think this is the first basic.
We are not praying to our brothers and
sisters, even though it is so basic, but
sometimes it does affect us.
One way or the other, sometimes when we
are praying, we are so conscious of our
brothers and sisters that we try to put
in some words for their sake, but it's
a waste.
And sometimes we are so conscious of our
brothers and sisters that we do not dare
to utter our prayer because we are afraid
that we do not have that beautiful words
to utter.
It is unnecessary.
We are praying to God.
As the spirit touches us, as we are
burdened, we pray.
And we are praying to God, not to
our brothers and sisters.
But they are there.
And they're over here.
And they are supposed to join in with
your prayer.
But I think there is a by-product
to prayer.
You know, of course, as we pray, we
expect God to answer our prayer because we
are praying to Him.
But there is a by-product if we
pray with the spirit and with understanding.
And the by-product is our brothers and
sisters will be edified.
Now, isn't that marvellous?
Sometimes we think that only teaching or ministering,
ministering the Word will edify the Church.
But remember, prayer will edify the Church.
Now, teaching or ministering the Word is towards
our brothers and sisters.
And it comes from God certainly.
It should edify, build up our brothers and
sisters with the Word of Grace.
But praying is unto God.
And yet you find as we pray to
God, our brothers and sisters are edified or
built up.
In what way?
In the way that they realize that the
same Spirit of God is moving upon the
hearts of His people.
In the way that sometimes you have a
burden, but you do not have the Word
to discharge the burden, and the Lord use
your brother and sister to utter it.
That edifies you.
And also, as your brother and sister is
praying, and you really join yourself with them
in one, then you'll find we are really
built up together in love.
So that's the by-product of a prayer
meeting.
A prayer meeting should build up God's people.
Now, do not go away from prayer meeting
and complain and say, well, the prayer is
very poor, and it's almost mechanical and formal.
Well, if it is mechanical, formal, it won't
edify.
That's true.
But if we are really praying with the
Spirit and with understanding, it ought to edify
every one of us, to build us up.
That's the reason why you'll find a psalmist
said in Psalm 19.
I believe you all know this.
Psalm 19 verse 14.
Let the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy
sight, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Let the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart.
Not only pray with the Spirit, that is
the meditation of my heart, but also pray
with understanding, which results in the words of
my mouth.
Both are important.
Be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my
Rock and my Redeemer.
Sometimes, you know, when we pray together, well,
when I was in Florida, one brother asked
me this question.
When we are praying together, can I say,
I pray, I say, I ask?
Or it should be always we say, we
pray, we ask.
Now, technically, we will say, when we pray
together, it should be we, because we are
praying together.
You are not praying alone.
But sometimes you can say, I pray, I
ask.
But when you say that, remember, you are
saying it in a representative way.
Not just saying it as an individual.
You are not praying your private individual prayer.
You are praying on behalf of all the
brothers and sisters.
So may the Lord help us when we
pray together.