Cultivating a Deeper Prayer Life - A Theology of Prayer

Study 1

Text: Luke 4:1-13: Matt. 4:1-11; Romans 8

As important as it is to have a deep theological understanding of prayer, it must also be said that we need to make every effort to cultivate a consistent and significant prayer-life. One must complement the other! To have a proper theological perspective without having consistent prayer-life profits not at all.

Let us be deeply challenged to cultivate a significant prayer life. Let us desire to improve our prayer life significantly. Let us not only learn about how we can pray better, let us seriously apply what we have learned.

EMULATING THE EXAMPLE OF THE LORD JESUS

We have spent much time studying what the Lord Jesus taught in "The Lord's Prayer." Let us now take time to study the way He practised praying in His personal life. There are many deep and precious lessons we can learn from studying the prayer-life of our Saviour.

It is not without significance that both Matthew and Luke chose to mention that the Lord Jesus began His public ministry by entering into a special season of prayer. He set aside time to commune with His Father for forty days and forty nights!

What are some lessons we can learn from the Lord Jesus as we take time to ponder over what the Gospel texts said about this special time set aside for the purpose of prayer?

THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND OUR PRAYER-LIFE

Both Matthew and Luke noted that the Holy Spirit was involved in this episode of the life of the Lord Jesus. We read,

"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit,
returned from the Jordan,
and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
being tempted for forty days by the devil"
Luke 4:1 (Cf. Matt. 4:1)

We cannot ignore the special ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life, especially with reference to the cultivation of a deep and significant prayer-life. Are we conscious of the Holy Spirit in our life? Does the Holy Spirit lead us into a deeper and more meaningful prayer-life?

THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIFE

If we are desirous of becoming more prayerful, then we must seek to be filled with the Spirit of God. This understanding must first be fully understood. We must understand what it means to be filled with the Spirit of God.

The Spirit of God indwells every true believer. We read about the Spirit's purposeful indwelling in Paul's letter to the Ephesians,

"Having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession"
Eph. 1:13-14

Take time to rejoice in this wonderful truth. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer! He is both our seal and our guarantee that we truly belong to the Lord! Take time to meditate upon this great truth!

The Spirit of God will cause us to desire to pray. This is another important truth we must consider carefully. Let's ponder over what Paul wrote in Romans 8,

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
these are the sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
But you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,
Abba, Father"
Romans 8:14-15

The Spirit of God desires to play an active role in the life of the believer. He wants to lead them. Those who are willing to be led by the Spirit of God prove that they are truly sons of God.
One of the things that the Spirit of God will do actively in the life of the genuine believer is to lead him into a deeper prayer-life!

JESUS WAS TRULY FILLED WITH GOD'S SPIRIT

When the Lord Jesus put on flesh, he became subject to all the limitations of the human physical body. He needed to be filled with the Spirit of God. Wisely, He opened His heart, mind and spirit to be filled with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit took over and led Him into the wilderness where He cultivated an even deeper prayer-life.

Let us be deeply challenged to be filled with God's Spirit. We are already graciously given the Holy Spirit. Is it not logical to yield ourselves to the same Spirit for His empowering? Let us yield ourselves to the Spirit of God in the hope of developing a truly significant prayer-life.

~ Pastor Charlie Tan ~