COPYRIGHT 1991

BOOK I
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

ROMANS 8:26-29
Likewise the Holy Spirit also helps our infirmities:
For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
But the Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered. And God that
searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the
Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit makes intercession
for the saints according to the will of God. And we
know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to His
purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.


INTRODUCTION
To understand prayer, we must become familiar with the
Holy Spirit. He was sent to minister and to administrate in the
capacity of an intercessor. He assists in spiritual management of
our relationship with God. Without His intercessory ministry, it
would be impossible to fulfill the commandment of our Lord as He
taught His disciples on the subject of prayer: "Your will be done
in earth as it is in Heaven" (Matt. 6:10).

CHAPTER 1
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

In preparing His disciples for His ascension, our Lord
promised the provision of a Holy partnership which would occur
shortly after His departure (John 14:16). The "Comforter,"
(Paraklete), would be sent as The (One called along side). He,
the Holy Spirit, would parallel our lives; affording us oneness
with God through His ministries of comfort. He would be sent, not
to speak of Himself, but rather to glorify our Lord as well as to
guide us into all truth (John 16:13-14). This partnership with
the Holy Spirit would constitute a new and unique relationship
with God hitherto unknown to Believers for He would "dwell with us
and in us" (John 14:18).

PARTNERSHIP DEFINED
A confirmed partnership is first an association: (A closely
joining together or union of persons for a common purpose).
We enjoy an association with our Heavenly Father through
partnership with the Holy Spirit. We have been eternally joined
together with the Holy Spirit through the finished work of Christ
upon the cross. The purpose of our partnership with the
Holy Spirit of God is for spiritual unanimity and completeness
through revealed truth.

A second and necessary condition of partnership concerns
agreement. Such agreements encompass the exchange of promises and
the harmonizing of opinions and actions. These agreements provide
arrangement and mutuality. Often such partnerships provide a
common terminology, or language, to be employed to assure
understanding. Additionally, it is common for a written document
to be offered; stating the particulars of the relationship.
We have such provisions through partnership with God as
administered by the Holy Spirit. He earnestly seeks to harmonize
our relationship with the Father through the promises found within
God's Word. He arranges spiritual mutuality and even provides a
language of agreement, "groanings which cannot be uttered," to
assure precise communication with God in our behalf. We even
possess a written document stating the particulars - THE WORD OF
GOD.

HELPER
During my days in Bible college, I often spent weekends with
my roommate and his family. Near their home ran an active
railroad and occasionally my friend and I would wonder down to the
tracks on Saturday afternoons to challenge each other on the
rails. The contest consisted of seeing who could maintain balance
the farthest on a single rail. After some practice, we learned to
walk long distances without falling; but we inevitably would lose
our balance and drop from the track. Years later, as I meditated
on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, I recalled this experience
and realized that "two are better than one." If in our attempt to
traverse the rails, we would have simply reached across the empty
space between us and grasped hands, we could have shifted the
point of balance equally; thus in harmony negotiated a much
greater distance.

The Greek word translated "helpeth" in Romans 8:26, "Likewise
the Holy Spirit also helpeth our infirmities," means to (take
hold, together, against.) The ministry of the Holy Spirit
therefore is one of intercessory prayer which parallels our own.
It is interesting to compare the interpretation of "helpeth" with
the word translated "Comforter" in John's gospel; (Paraklete.)
"Klete," or (called), and "para," (along side). Literally the One
who (parallels).

He is sent to parallel our prayers by providing counteracting
spiritual balance through intercession. In this way we can
achieve greater supernatural distance when we pray. Without His
help, we will fall time and time again; unable to maintain
continuity or direction when we pray.

It is additionally important to note that the Holy Spirit
"Helps our infirmities: For we know not what we should pray for
as we ought." Our human inability to pray does not give us
license to neglect prayer. The Holy Spirit parallels, or takes
hold with us, as we pray. if we do not pray, He does not pray.
His ministry of intercession is engaged as we fellowship with God.
We must learn the importance of reaching out in partnership with
the Holy Spirit when petitioning God. We must learn to pray in
the Spirit.

LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
Partnerships are limited by the persons involved, the
promises made, and the purpose for which the partnership has been
established.

PERSONS INVOLVED
God has established partnership with us through the
Holy Spirit and He demonstrates definite interest in us:
"Likewise the Holy Spirit also helps our infirmities." He
exhibits a willingness to intercede for us in every thing that we
face as believers since it is His nature as The Comforter. Many
businesses fail because of a lack of intimate knowledge of the
persons involved. How well do you know the Holy Spirit and do you
trust Him?

CREDIBILITY
For one to be trustworthy, he must possess credibility. His
credibility is only valid if his source is credible. The
Holy Spirit possesses such credibility as the third personage of
the Godhead.

There are numerous Scriptures which refer to the doctrine of
the Trinity; confirming the Holy Spirit's place in the Godhead.
Our Lord commanded His disciples to go into all the world and to
preach the Gospel; "Baptizing them in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). The Apostle Peter likewise
made reference to the Trinity on the day of Pentecost: "This
Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore
being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the
Father the promise of the Holy Ghost He hath shed forth this,
which ye now see and hear" (Acts 2:32-33). The Apostle Paul also
addressed this doctrine when writing to the Galatians: "And
because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6).

When praying to Our Heavenly Father Therefore, we would do
well to always recall the Holy credibility of our partner in
prayer; the Holy Spirit, as God. This will always help us to be
acutely aware of the authority of the Holy Spirit as our
intercessor who has the power to effect answers to our prayers
since, He, the Holy Spirit, is God.

CHARACTER
The character of those persons in partnership is equally
important. Often the vice president of a corporation or the son
of an influential business man has credibility because of his
relationship to the source, but may himself fall short when it
comes to personal character. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand,
displays both character and credibility for He is not merely a
representative of God but is God.
In the genesis of the New Testament church, many converts
sold all they had and gave it to the church. Ananias and Sapphira
did likewise but withheld a portion of their earnings for personal
use. When their portion was laid before the Apostle Peter, Peter
spiritually discerned their indiscretion. He said that, by doing
so, they had lied to the Holy Ghost (Acts 5:3). Peter then
concluded his reprimand by saying: "Thou hast not lied unto men,
but unto God" (Acts 5:4). Peter clearly identified the
Holy Spirit as God; thus, as God, the Holy Spirit has the
character of God.

THE HOLY GUEST
The Spirit of God is often referred to as the "Holy Ghost" in
New Testament Scriptures. The word "ghost" in this case was an
old English word supplied by the King James translators to
indicate a (guest.) In those days if one was invited for a meal,
a place was set at the table for that unseen guest. He was
referred to as a "ghost" because he was yet unseen. The
Holy Spirit is the (unseen invited guest) who comes to dwell in us
with the character of God; providing partnership in prayer. He
is the character of the Holiness of God for He is God's nature
revealed through the personage and ministry of the Holy Spirit's
occupation of the regenerated human spirit.



PROMISES OF PARTNERSHIP
Partnerships are ineffective without promises [agreements]
and our partnership with the Holy Spirit is no different. Our
text under study reveals at least three promises:
First, the Holy Spirit helpeth or (assists) us with our
infirmities. Secondly, since we often do not know what we should
pray for as we ought; He makes intercession for us or, (actuates),
prayers in our behalf with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Thirdly, He (agrees) with us in prayer concerning God's will
because "He makes intercession for the saints according to the
will of God."
These three promises, or agreements of partnership, produce
spiritual efficacy when we pray with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
We have the promise that He will assist us, which is to say, He
will provide aid and support when facing spiritual imbalance as we
pray. Additionally, we often experience indecisiveness and
uncertainty when in prayer and when this occurs, we have the
promise that the Holy Spirit will actuate, or incite supernatural
prayers in our behalf, through His intercessory groanings which
cannot be uttered. Finally, when seeking the will of God, we have
the promise of the Holy Spirit's power of agreement with God's
perfect will for our lives through the intimacy of intercession.
Exactly how this is performed will be discussed in later chapters.
It is important to recognize now, however, that these promises
connote spiritual force at work for us whenever we pray. Thus the
knowledge of these promises should inhabit our thoughts whenever
we commune with our Heavenly Father.

PURPOSE OF PARTNERSHIP
Every partnership has a purpose; else there is no need for
the relationship. Our purpose of partnership with the Holy Spirit
is likewise three-fold:

First, we need the (wisdom) of God. Verse (27) of our text
reports: "And God that searches the hearts knows what is the mind
of the Holy Spirit." When God searches the heart, He is looking
for wisdom; wisdom which can only come from God through the
Holy Spirit as He ministers the Word of God.
The second purpose is to know the (will) of God: "The
Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for the saints according to
the will of God." Every Christian desires to "know God's will."
Partnership with the Holy Spirit provides such knowledge as we
pray in the Spirit, thus such prayer should not be over looked or
neglected.

The third purpose is found in verse (28): "And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God." For
this statement to be true and fully embraced by the believer, we
must know God's (ways) to enable us to walk in obedience.
When entering God's presence through prayer, we need always
be mindful of the purpose of our partnership with His Holy Spirit.
We certainly come before God in need of His wisdom; thus to become
more skillful in honoring Him. We need to know His will and not
our own. We also need to be capable of seeing God's ways as they
work together for our benefit. Without such acknowledgments of
purpose, our prayers atrophy and our relationship with the
Holy Spirit will exacerbate. We must reach out in partnership
with the Holy Spirit when we pray; allowing Him to parallel our
prayers, that we may experience the spiritual intimacy our Father
desires to have with us.