Q4. Praying in the Spirit

[Pastor Ralph]

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

[Philippians1.2]

Q11.4    (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27)      In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?     

Praying in the Spirit  and with  the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.  It is with those scriptures that will come to mind ,  that will both protect you from the enemy and then allow you to be a blessing to others in need. 

*     Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?    *     How have you experienced this is your life?

Praying in the Spirit allows us to know things that we would not otherwise know. We can miss the mark in prayer sometimes but the Holy Spirit knows exactly what we should pray.  When we do so we are blessed as well as those we have prayed for.   I have been awoken at times and even felt that urge to pray when at work.  There is a certain feeling , a knowing, that comes over you as the Holy Spirit nudges.  It took a while in the beginning to know for sure but then i remember young Samuel when God first called him at that young age, his answer was "Hineni .... Lord here i am "   and that has been my guideline ever since. 

 

"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (Ephesians 6:18a)

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 20)

"²⁶  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." (Romans 8:26-27)

 

*  (  Pastor Ralph,    Many thanks for this beautiful refreshing study of the Holy Spirit.  )

[Travis81]

In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?

Within the whole (within each piece, He is ALL)

 

Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?

So that we are not praying according to our own will!

The best example of Spirit-directed prayer we can follow is given by Christ, “not my will but thine will be done.”  He didn’t pray aligning with a carnal desire or motive.

Had Christ prayer not been Spirit-led, Spirit-engaged the will of God wouldn’t have been according to the Will of God.  

 

How have you experienced this is your life?

Yes

 

[Godswriter]

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

 Eph 6:18a And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (Biblica, NIV 2011)

 

Jude 1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, (Biblica, NIV 2011

 

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Biblica, NIV 2011)

He shows Himself in the Word of God and praying in the Spirit.

It is so important because without it we could pray amiss like the Bible says and pray wrong for the person concerned whether it be ourselves or someone else. We want to be able to pray in a way that glorifies God and gives the person what they might need or what God wants as well. In that case sometimes praying thy will be done is the best prayer possible in all cases.

I have experienced this in my life through God answering my prayers for other people and directing me to people and telling me what to pray for them when I didn’t what to pray at times.

(Biblica, NIV 2011)

* Thank Pr. Ralph for this study. 

[blezed]

(Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?

The Spirit shows itself throughout the list of elements but is mentioned more specifically in the last two elements.

 Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?

The Spirit helps us when we do not know what we ought to pray for.  The Spirit intercedes on our behalf.  

How have you experienced this is your life?

I find myself more and more thanking God for any and everything throughout the day. The condition of the world today keeps me on my knees.  I thank Him for allowing me another day, some did not wake up.  I thank Him for getting me to my destination and then for getting me back home safely.  I thank Him when I am on my job to give me the right attitude to deal with unsaved people.  I can go on and on.  These are a few of things that at one time I took for granted.

 

[Mutsa]

QUESTION 4^LESSON 11 (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27)

In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?

The Spirit shows himself at the mention of the offensive item, the “double-edged” sword of the Spirit in the form of the Word of God and Prayer in the Spirit.

Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?

Once you become a believer with the Spirit living in you, battle lines are soon drawn up in the spiritual world. Paul confirms this when he states that, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

Basically we do not know how to pray in order to counter spiritual foes, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

In order to fight under the sea, you need to be able to transverse under the seas with weapons that are effective in that environment. It is obvious here that the weapon of choice is the double-edged sword made up of the Word of God and Prayer in the Spirit.

How have you experienced this is your life?

Yes, indeed when we got married we were childless for 7 years all sorts of tests showed no problems. We then went to a mission where my sister who is a nun was stationed.  We were advised to confess and the priest-in-charge of the mission, the friars and nuns joined us in Spiritual prayer and in that year my wife conceived and right now we are grandparents with my daughter giving birth to her second baby boy on Monday 19 November 2018 as I started my 11^th Lesson of the Guide to the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful gift from Almighty God as I finish this awesome 11-week course.  

 

[Rev. Michael]

The sword of the Spirit is the Word and we can pray in the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit is for every believer. We pray intently and focus on Jesus. The Spirit enables us to pray in words and groanings.

Spirit filled prayer is essential for all those who are in Christ. It strengthens and will give us confidence while building our faith. 

[hanks]

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) 
In the list of elements of the Full Armour of God, where does the Spirit show Himself? 
Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? 
How have you experienced this is your life?
As believers we have the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to counter Satan’s attacks. We see Jesus using this sword in His encounter with Satan - three times He quoted the word of God which the Holy Spirit gave Him for that occasion (Luke 4:1-13). It’s not about simply having a verse to quote, but rather about studying the Word and then obeying and applying it to our life. Then only will our “sword” always be sharp. We read in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. The Word of God is living, life-changing, and dynamic - revealing who we are, and penetrating the core of our moral and spiritual life. We are involved in a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. We see this today not only in the wars, revolutions, and crime waves, but in the inner tensions and fears of individual lives, in the neurotic problems and mental illnesses which afflict us today, in family fights and church struggles. 
Prayer is not mentioned as a part of the armour, but we are to Pray in the Spirit if we are to counter and face the enemy. Prayer should be in the Spirit, that is, inspired and led by Him. This requires spiritual alertness and perseverance – we must keep on asking, seeking, and knocking (Luke 11:9). The Spirit reveals our inherent human weakness and our limited perspective on life. We see the part, the Holy Spirit sees the whole and prays according to His perfect knowledge; making sure that God’s will be always done. Not our self-centred motives. We will win in the end - “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). 
 

[Lottie]

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

The Spirit shows himself in the Sword of the Spirit and prayer in the Spirit or with the Spirit's help. Spirit-directed prayer is important if someone is to know how to pray for others. It is important to be alert and pay attention to the nudges of the Spirit especially if he urges you to pray for a person you know. It is important so that whenever the Spirit leads you to pray that you do it without questioning why. Because sometimes someone's life might be in danger and you could be the one the Lord uses to bring intervention through prayer.

I have felt led to pray or to sing once when I was downstairs in the shower when I felt an evil presence and once I started singing it went away. I have felt led to pray when I hear about someone being ill recently. 

[Uncle Dave]

1 Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27)

   

1)      In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?

2)      Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?

3)      How have you experienced this is your life?

The Full Armor of God is a rhetorically speaking body armor compared to what a Roman soldier might have worn.  The “uniform” we are supplied with is worn within, where the Spirit abides. The idea of wearing man-made garments as a means of protection against powers from Satan’s evil spirit empire would repel nothing, much like the idea of owning an M16 does not make a person a soldier.

 

·         The Belt of Truth Does this not go hand in hand with the Spirit of Truth? The father of all lies (who never speaks the truth and has lied from the beginning) cringes when a person, believers in particular speaks the truth.

·         The Breastplate of Righteousness You must protect yourself at all times. The very split second you so much as look at something of an evil nature, the enemy smiles. Walking the narrow road, looking neither to the left or right, as tempting as the sights are never gets easier. This road passes through a carnival of evil and Satan (thinks he does) has a pretty good idea of how to get the Saints of God to just take the tiniest peek-a-boo. Once again it is the Spirit of Christ within you who keeps your focus on the finish line only

·         The Shoes of Piece There are shoes that literally run to the closest lottery ticket merchant with the hope of having a better life through the riches of the world. Especially when the prize gets really big. I, myself have fallen victim to this snare a couple of times and even though I only spent one or two dollars, the fact is I fell victim. The last time the prize was huge, and the thoughts were going through my head about how I was going to not be known as the won who won, the Holy Spirit intervened and reminded me that the gold in heaven lasts forever and that I would never have peace were I suddenly to wake up in a ton of money. The shoes of peace, which is, put in another way, the Spirit saying not to run after evil. The shoes of peace only know to seek out the things of God and is it not the Holy Spirit who looks into the mind of Christ?

·         The Shield of Faith In a sense, you can figure on the enemy shooting his fiery darts at you, in much the same way flaming arrows were once used or even in modern times, high speed projectiles which can kill the body. Beware of the one who can kill both the body and spirit. We are saved by our faith. One of the jobs of the enemy is to attempt to instill doubt in us. If you are not abiding in Christ, your faith is vulnerable. One must remember that the enemy is looking for holes anywhere he can in our armor and if he can get you to doubt the deity of Christ for the shortest time, he is on his way to succeeding. Without the Holy Spirit in in acting as a barrier against the world, the end holds a sad result.

·         The Helmet of Salvation The words of Paul “the wretched man I am” quickly come to mind when I think of this one. If anywhere, we need a strong defense in the mind. How often, does a person look at something and before you know it the desires of the world and lusts of the flesh come to life from within. The Holy Spirit is the only truly effective defense we have here. Most sin starts in the mind. It is so easy to be doing something as common as watching the news on television and next thing you know, thoughts of an unrighteous nature are at play. The entertainment industry has been a real source of poison with what might be expected to come across the screen. Back in the early ‘60s, growing up and watching television shows like I Love Lucy or Dick Van Dyke, men and women did not sleep in the same beds and they were always pajama clad. Sex scenes on television were forbidden and even language was closely monitored. Over the years that changed and now sex scenes, language that should never be heard, half nude (or should I say, practically nude) actors are no more than part of what kids watch. I was shocked about two years ago when a young boy, say about 12 or so was watching some kind of movie on Netflix that showed nude actors shooting heroin and smoking dope. We got into an argument over it and when I approached the kid’s dad I was surprised at the “could care less” attitude. Kids need to be taught to guard their minds at a young age. Without the Holy Spirit present to help in this, it will only get worse.

·         Sword of the Spirit This is where it all begins. The only way a person is going to learn about the Holy Spirit is by drowning under the sword of the Spirit. This sword is none other than the Word of God. There is much to be learned about the Holy Spirit in the Word, and, of course, a good teacher who is good about putting the pieces together. The Word of God is a two-edged sword which cuts with the power of the truth in the life of a believer. The Spirit of God is here to lead us, educate us, correct us, and so much more.

The question of Spirit directed prayer in the life of a believer goes beyond what a person can comprehend concerning prayer. Although we pray for things for others, ourselves, etc., we really don’t know just what we should pray for. The Spirit prays on our behalf to cover us on this one. This could be about the way the Spirit looks into the things of God, something we can’t do, but we don’t know enough about what is really going on for the best of prayer because we only see the earthly side of things, whereas the Spirit sees both the earthly things and that which exists in the spirit world.

Have I experienced this in my life? Many times. One example might be a few years back when we decided to move to where we are now located. It wasn’t far, but it was far enough to protect us from a flood which left water that would have been a few feet over our heads for a few days and many homes were ruined with much property having to be destroyed (which the flood itself didn’t already destroy). Although I’m positive things like this happen every day, there are many things we will never even know about but at the same time, if it hadn’t been for the Holy Spirit, we could have been wiped out or seriously injured.

Knowing this is the last of an 11-week series, I would like to thank Pastor Wilson for providing this most informative study. As always, I look forward to the next one.

 

[Karen11]

On 7/23/2018 at 2:04 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

I think he shows himself in all, but most of all in The Sword Of The Spirit, because that is the Word of God.

Sometimes we don't know what to pray, but the Spirit directs us the way to pray, what is in our heart.

Yes, Sometimes for family members, one time for two old friends that I hadn't seen in awhile where heavy on my heart, then I found out there sister had died, I had know them since we were teens and the sister was in grade school, it made me realize that they needed that prayer.

[rosegarden]

On 7/23/2018 at 2:04 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

a.  All do but specifically  - Spirit of Truth; The sword of the Spirit (The Word of God);Praying in the Spirit.

b.  Spirit directed prayer is important for the believer, as the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

c.  Yes, I pray in the Spirit every day.  Sometimes when I am praying for someone in English, Spirit filled words come out of me.  Its like a compassion and groaning for the particular person I was praying for.  I find that praying in the Spirit edifies, strengthens and encourages me. 

[Debra Grant]

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

1. Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and Prayer in the Spirit.

2. When the Spirit lives in us, we're quickly on the enemy's radar and subject to battles in the spiritual realm. We must be prepared to use Spirit-directed prayer defense against the enemy's lies and so we may assist people to come to Christ and grow in him. The spirit leads and intercedes for us in prayer because we do not always know what to pray for. We must respond to God’s nudges and pray for others as led by God. 

3. When trials come I am connected to the spirit and I am strong enough to give my cares and worries to God. I see faces of people and then I know to pray for them. Sometimes I am waken early, early in the morning and I know to pray.  

[Queen Mc Daniel]

Q 4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?  Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

 4a. The Spirit show himself in the Armor of God “Sword of the Spirit” which is the word of God.

Hebrew 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

 4b. It is vital important that one’s prayer be directed by Spirit as we don’t always know what we should pray for, therefore, we need the Spirit to intercede for us. It’s the Spirit that searches our hearts and knows the mind of our spirit….and will give to us according to God’s will. Romans 8:26-27

 4c. My ten-year-old granddaughter suffer a brain aneurysm  one thanksgiving, she was rush to the hospital where surgery was performed. Afterward, she never spoke again; a swollen tongue was outside her mouth. Her eye, seem to follow you, and tears would flow from her eyes at time. From Thanksgiving, to February, we prayed, she developed septic and died. It was painful on the parent and her sister and brother. I prayed, for what I thought was best for her and her family.  Yes, I need the Holy Spirit to direct my prayer.  

 

 

[David W Donnelly]

I can add to Pastor Ralph's mother's story.

Some years ago I had set up a meeting in Zwiebrucken. It had not been easy as there were several parties involved. The Sunday before the trip I became unwell. Nonetheless I was determined to carry on. I managed to drive to Bath, and from there my colleagues helped me to get there.

That night, however it became clear that I had been hit by food poisoning. My head was pounding and I had a fever. It did occur to me that I might be with the Lord by morning, but when I woke up I felt a bit better. When I told Eva, my German contact she commented that this would be the antibiotics kicking in. I explained that as I  had no way of getting a prescription, I hadn't had any antibiotics - which is when I discovered that in Germany you can just buy them over the counter. One visit to a pharmacy and three days later I was fine.

A little while later I was talking to my mother and she asked me what I had been doing on a certain date. Checking my diary I told her I was in a hotel in Zwibrucken. "Why do you ask.?" I said "Because" she said, "that night, around midnight, the Holy Spirit turfed me out of bed and told me to pray for you."

Did she save my life? Well I believe so.

[JanMary]

On ‎7‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 11:04 AM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

Q4a: Rom 8:26,27: Holy Spirit comes and bears us up in our weakness for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to pray and goes to meet our supplications and pleads in our behalf with yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. Jude 20: We build ourselves up in our most Holy faith, making progress and rising like an edifice higher and higher. Eph 6:18: Pray at all times on every occasion and season in the Spirit, to the end keeping alert and persevering, interceding in behalf of all the saints. All of that to say: Holy Spirit is our PRAY-ER. He inspires our prayers, corrects our prayers in taking them to our Father, aids others via our prayers, and builds up our inner woman/man,  in faith, in the process of our praying! 

b. In order for our prayers to be effective, we need to know when and how and what to pray! (One of my early mentors had painful arthritis. I often told her I will be praying for you. I would be in a meeting, or asleep at night and awakened, or driving in the car to the store and would hear in my spirit: Pray for Ruth and I would pray. She quite often asked "Were you praying for me at (such and such) a time? The pain stopped!"  And I was able to answer "Yes, Holy Spirit let me know you were suffering."

c. Recently, I was praying for someone's daughter for healing, and Holy Spirit let me know that she was being tormented emotionally by an unclean spirit which was the cause of the illness. So I prayed and took authority over that spirit (Luke 10:19).  On Sunday a woman was praying with me, and Holy Spirit showed her the confirmation of what He has been showing me about a very painful family situation ( but I hadn't shared it with anyone) I did after she prayed, then we came into agreement and prayed for the answer! (Mt: 18:19)  So many other examples of His intervention in prayer which is so encouraging and for which I am so very thankful! It's wonderful to be reminded that He knows all there is to know about all there is to know....and hears our thoughts and intentions every moment, and intervenes when we pray in order that our prayers are productive and in line with His purposes!

 

[Old Jerry]

I think that the Spirit shows himself in all the Armor of God. Spirit-directed prayer is so important for the believer because it is the Spirit that knows what to pray for. I have experienced this in my life. It helps me in all that I do.

[haar]

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27)

Q. In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?

A. The use of the Sword of the Spirit and Praying in the Spirit .

Q. Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?

A. It is important to be guided by the Holy Spirit so as to pray right: as to when, for who and what to pray for.

Q. How have you experienced this is your life?

A. I am afraid not so much that I can recall. I need to seek more of the leadership of the Holy Spirit to empower, lead/ guide me in all areas of my prayer life so that I can pray right by knowing when to pray, what/ who to pray for and what to pray specifically for. So help me Lord God Almighty. Amen.

 

[Rosesam]

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

The armor of God contains both defensive elements as well as offensive. Belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation are all defensive pieces that we put on. Whereas the sword of the Spirit is offensive and it is the word of God with which we wield prayers which is the most powerful weapon that we have in our arsenal. Sometimes we think prayer is the last resort because we underestimate the power of Spirit inspired prayer.

 Prayer is to be directed to God, but not directing God. When we pray self-inspired prayer, it can invariably result in directing God. But Spirit inspired, Spirit empowered, Spirit directed prayer is praying according to the will of the Father. Holy Spirit knows the mind of Christ and He prays according to how the Lord wants our prayer to be made. When we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire our prayers, we align ourselves to what God wants in our life. This strengthens the inner man and the Lord’s name is glorified in the process.

 Yes, I have experienced this in my life.

[av4Jesus]

On 7/23/2018 at 10:04 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life?

The Spirit shows Himself in the sword of the Spirit, a weapon that is double-edged and used to penetrate the soul and spirit. It is used to convict people of their sins and help them see the truth. 

Spirit-directed prayer is so important for the believer because the Spirit can help us with out weaknesses. He can tell us what and who to pray for. Being continuously in the Spirit means constant communication with Him and He can guide us in every aspect of our lives.

[Queen Mc Daniel]

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?

The sword of the Spirit and praying in the spirit

 Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?

Spirit- directed prayer is important for believer, because we don’t always know what we should pray for, but the Spirit within us will make intercession on our behalf. The before mention is the reason pray is so important.

 How have you experienced this is your life?

I have experienced that prayer is the key to every circumstance in my life.

[Nana Karlsson]

The spirit shows Himself specifically in " pray in the spirit" and Sword of the Spirit, the word of God.

Spirit directed prayer is important for the believer because the Spirit helps us in our weakness when we do not know what we ought to pray. He intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express, this is essential part of spiritual warfare.

I have experienced this in my life because i realise when i pray directed by the Spirit i flow easily without struggling and searching for what to pray.

[Celia P]

In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself?

The last two elements specifically mention the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit which is Fathers Word and to pray in the Spirit on all occasions.

Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?

Because it is important to Father, that is why He places that desire, that urgency to pray for someone or something specifically. It builds our faith, and gives us testimony to share with, uplift and encourage the body of Christ.

How have you experienced this is your life?
 

Yes on two occasion, two of my children. The next day they both called me and told me they were in trouble of sort, both could have ended tragically, but it didn't. Hallelujah, Thank you Lord.???? 

Love and Blessings to you all..xx 

[Krissi]

In the list of elements of the Full Armor of God, where does the Spirit show himself? 

Last. Other parts of armour are listed before the Spirit is specifically mentioned. I'm not sure this is significant, however. I recall reading somewhere that the double-edged sword is the only piece of spiritual armour that can be both offensive and defensive, so perhaps it was listed last because we should be wary about offensively using the Holy Spirit.

Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer?

In our quest to be Christ-like, our prayers increasingly mime the mind and intention of Christ Himself. The Holy Spirit as an intermediary makes such sanctification possible. Spirit-directed prayer should replace self-generated prayer as we become more like Him.

How have you experienced this is your life?

I don't have any tales of miraculous delivery, as do others above, but I believe the Holy Spirit quietly and secretly guides my life and corrects me so that I stay on His path. One of the reasons I took this course is that I wanted to be more aware of the working presence of the Holy Spirit, to feel His presence, not just know it, and to be overwhelmed by Him. Slowly and incrementally, I pray this happens and think it is happening.

 

 

 

[Katy]

Q4. The Spirit is mentioned towards the end of the list as the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. The word of God is full of verses which help us to protect ourselves from the attempts of Satan to shake us and tempt us to sin. It also teaches us , guides us , and shows us the way God wants us to live. The second element is to Pray in the Spirit, sometimes we find it hard to pray even though we want to pray. The Spirit takes over from us and prays with groanings. When we are Spirit filled we are connected to God and desire the things that God desires, and thanks to the Spirit we can pray in the Spirit as the Lord wants us to. 
I have at time been prompted to pray for people. A couple of times I have found out that the person in question was ill and having to go to Hospital. Sometimes I think of someone out of the blue, I will pray for them because I feel I have been prompted by the Spirit.