by Dutch Sheets
For two days I watched this. Now I've always wanted to parachute-actually, wondered what it would be like is closer to the truth-but was smart enough to not do it before I married. My wife has since asked me not to, which is now my face-saving excuse. But maybe this would satisfy my curiosity, I thought as I watched this activity. Finally, I decided I wasn't quite that curious.
We men have a constant need to impress the ladies in our lives, demonstrating our fearlessness and ability to rise to any challenge.
"Wow, that looks pretty awesome," my wife said.
"Aw, it doesn't look that difficult," I replied in my best matter-of-fact "any guy could do it" voice. "All you do is run off the beach and let the boat do the rest. I'd do it, but you probably wouldn't want me to. Besides, it's not worth the money."
To my absolute horror, she responded excitedly, "Oh, I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'd love to see you do it and it's not really that expensive. Give it a try!"
Oh, my dear heavenly Father, I cried inwardly, get me out of this!
Get yourself out of it, I heard in my heart. You got yourself into it.
"Oh, you're just saying that for me, dear," I responded to her. "I know you would really be terrified if I did this, but thanks for thinking of me. I won't put you through it, though."
"No, really, I want you to. It would make a great picture and, besides, what could go wrong?" she asked. "Go for it."
"Okay," I said foolishly. "Yeah, what could go wrong?"
There are times in your life when the thing to do is fake an injury, come up with an unexplainable headache or simply humble yourself, admit you're an egotistical male liar and repent of your sin. But I decided to save face. Now tell me, with God's sense of justice and humor, do you really think He was going to allow that?
It was the final morning of our stay. We were to leave in an hour or so. I was in my street clothes, shoes and all. Even kept my watch on. After all, you didn't even touch the water. I should have known this didn't always go as planned when they made me sign that release form but . . .
I was the first of the day. Takeoff was fairly routine and within seconds I was 200 feet high, enjoying a bird's eye view of the beach. Being the first of the day, they were pulling me along the beach, only about 50 or so yards out from the shoreline so that they could advertise for their day's business.
I actually began to enjoy it. It was a real high (pun intended). People along the shore began to wave at me and cheer me on. I was the center of attention for everyone. I, of course, waved back in a "not too demonstrative, this is no big deal" sort of way. Just being cool.
Suddenly, I had the strange sensation the water was getting closer. A second later I knew it was getting closer. Another second and I lighted upon the water with a great splash. "How the mighty have fallen!"
This is impossible, I thought. This is a dream. A BAD dream. Remembering that I had never tasted salt water in a dream, it didn't take me long to realize that it wasn't a dream at all and that it was very possible. I swam to the boat, which had experienced engine failure, and climbed aboard. Now I was totally cool-wet and cool!
The driver of the boat finally got it started again and we drove back to the starting point. With my best "it's no big deal, in fact, it was kinda fun" swagger, I waded back onto the beach. To this day I don't think my wife knows how I really felt. Like most women she never picks up on it when my male ego is asserting itself. Why, just the other day when she thought we needed to stop and ask for directions . . .
I can hear the wheels of your mind turning. You are wondering what part of this story could possibly have anything to do with intercession, except for a couple of fleeting seconds when I was in SERIOUS prayer. Actually, another of our definitions of paga is used, which is "to light upon."' The concept, of course, is landing on or coming to a certain place, and the inference is that it is happening by chance. We might, therefore, use the phrase "chance upon" or "happen upon." I'll give you the reference for this shortly and explain its connection to prayer, but first let's look at a couple of other introductory points.
Our Helper
This chapter is about our Helper, the Holy Spirit. Without any doubt the greatest single key to successful intercession is learning to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to be all He was sent to be in us. Jesus called Him our "Helper" in John 14:26: "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."
Some translations use the word "Comforter" instead of "Helper," but the word is Parakletos and means "one called alongside to aid, help or support."' It is such a powerful word that the Amplified version uses seven words to communicate its rich meaning: "Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit." I want to focus on Him as our "Helper" and "Intercessor."
We read in Romans 8:26-28 that He wants to help us in our prayer lives:
And 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. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Notice that verse 28 begins with the word "and," which is a conjunction connecting verse 28 to verses 26 and 27, making it dependent on what is said there. In other words, all things DON'T work together for good in the lives of Christians unless certain conditions are met. All things CAN work together for our good, and God's will is for all things to work together for our good, but this isn't automatic. We have a part to play. It happens as verses 26 and 27 are being implemented.
I don't believe the intercession of the Holy Spirit spoken of in these verses refers only to "tongues." However, most of us in Pentecostal and charismatic circles believe it has to include this gift, which we believe allows the Holy Spirit to literally pray through us. It is not my intention in this book to prove this, nor am I implying that those who do not practice it are second rate in their praying.
If you do not pray in this way, it is my strong desire not to offend you. I have great love and respect for my non-charismatic brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet, it is impossible for me to share what I believe the Lord has taught me concerning this passage without referring to praying in tongues, or as the Scriptures also word it, "praying in the Spirit."
I will, therefore, be saying a good bit about this. From this point on, however, in an effort to be as inclusive and inoffensive as possible, I will only use the phrase "praying in the Spirit." To charismatic readers, when you see this phrase, please know that I am including "tongues." To the rest of you, please interpret with your belief of what it means to "pray in the Spirit."
This passage says that the Holy Spirit wants to help us in our "weakness." The word in Greek is astheneia and means literally "without strength" or ability.' An "inability to produce results" is the concept communicated by the word.
Have you ever felt an inability in your prayer life to produce results? Have you ever come up against a "mountain" you couldn't move? I recall that happening to me a few years ago, or was that a few hours ago? It's a fact of life.
The Lord then says in this verse that one of the reasons we have this "inability to produce results" is because we don't always "know how to pray as we should." The word "should" here is a very important word. Dei is primarily a legal term meaning "that which is necessary, right or proper in the nature of a case; what one must do; that which is legally binding for someone."4
For example, Luke 18:1 tells us, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (KJV, emphasis added). The verse does not mean, "It would be a good idea to pray." It is declaring, "It is absolutely necessary-binding upon you-that you pray."
Jesus used the word when He said of the woman bent over from a spirit of infir
mity, "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" (Luke 13:16, KJV). His reason that she should be loosed from this spirit was her being "a daughter of Abraham." In other words, she had a covenantal right to it. Because He had the ability to give her what she had a covenantal right to, He said in essence, "Is it not necessary and binding upon me that I deliver this daughter of Abraham from this infirmity?"
Now that we understand the strength of the word, let's put it back into Romans 8:26. The Lord is saying that we don't always know what needs to happen in a given situation. We don't always know what is necessary or right.
I find myself wondering at times, How do I pray for this person or situation, Lord? What needs to happen?
At other times I have felt led by the Holy Spirit to pray for someone, yet had no way at that moment of knowing why the person needed prayer.
Sometimes mature intercessors are prompted by the Lord to pray, and not only do they not know what they are praying for, but they also don't know for whom they are praying. They just feel a burden to pray. Talk about a weakness-an inability to produce results. Talk about not knowing what is "necessary, right or proper" in a situation.
What do we do in these circumstances? This is when the Holy Spirit wants to help us. He will lead us as we pray, perhaps revealing things about the situation to us, or bringing Scriptures to our minds so that we can pray them in the situation. He will certainly help us by empowering our prayers. But another way He wants to help us is by literally praying through us as we pray in the Spirit.
The Right Place at the Right Time
This now brings us to gaga and the definition mentioned earlier: "light upon" or "light on by chance." The setting where the word is used this way is in Genesis 28:10-17.5 The passage is describing Jacob's flight from Esau after conniving from him his birthright. After traveling all day Jacob needed a place to spend the night "because the sun was set." Verse 11 says he "lighted upon" (KJV) a particular place and there he spent the night. Notice that Jacob had not predetermined to spend the night there, he didn't choose the place in advance, but was guided by chance-"because the sun was set."
The place as it turns out was a very special place, Bethel, which means "house of God." Jacob actually referred to it as a "gate of heaven." Even though most translations sayJacob lighted on "a" place, the literal Hebrew wording is "the" place. What was simply a place to Jacob, chosen by chance, was the place to the Lord and sovereignly chosen by Him. It was there that Jacob had a mighty, life-changing encounter with God.
It was there that he saw the angels ascending and descending from heaven. It was at that time that God extended to him the same covenant He had made with Abraham, and informed Jacob that through his lineage He would save the world. He also promised great blessing to Jacob, to protect him and bring him back to his homeland safely. In short, it was a place where Jacob's entire destiny was foretold and his history shaped.
Nice story but how does that relate to intercession and to Romans 8:26-28? I'm glad you asked!
Like Jacob, who was not guided to this special place by his own reasoning or understanding, we are not always able to be directed in prayer by ours either. Consequently we often feel weak and anemic in our ability to produce results. At times it seems the process is hit and miss, as though we have to land or "light upon" the situation correctly "by chance."
That's okay. It's one of the primary meanings of paga.
And it isn't really hit and miss because what is by chance for us is not to our Helper, the Holy Spirit. In fact, gaga also means "bull's-eye."6 They still use the word this way in Israel today. Close your eyes and fire! When we allow Him to intercede through us, just as He sovereignly guided Jacob to the right place at the right time, He will cause our prayers to light upon (paga) the right person or place, in the right way, at the right time, bringing forth the will of God in situations. And that's right good!
• Bethels will occur!
• Meetings with God will occur!
• Heaven's gates will open!
• Destinies will be written!
• History will be shaped!
"Too dramatic," you say? If you said that, you don't know God well enough. Or perhaps you don't believe strongly enough that we can involve the miracle worker in our praying. I submit to you that one of the reasons we don't see more miracles is because we don't expect more miracles. Our Bible-on both sides of the Cross-presents a lot of them. They come from God, however, and the way to see more of them is to involve Him in more situations. Praying in the Spirit does this.
The Butterfly Anointing
At times when I'm praying in the Spirit I feel like a butterfly looks. Have you ever observed a butterfly flying from one location to another? They flutter this way and that, up and down, "herky-jerky." It appears they do not have the slightest idea where they are going. They almost look drunk. When I begin to pray in the Spirit, not knowing what I'm saying, sometimes with my mind wandering this way and that, I feel as though I'm trying to move in the "butterfly anointing."
Where am I going?
What am I doing?
Will I land in the right place, on the right person?
Is this really accomplishing anything?
But just as surely as that butterfly knows exactly where it's going, so too the Holy Spirit directs my prayers precisely! They WILL "light upon" correctly.
This truth is profoundly illustrated by a story I heard a minister from Cleveland, Tennessee, relate that happened in one of his meetings. He was ministering in a small church in Canada. He did not know anyone in the church well, as it was his first time there. About 15 minutes into his message, he heard the Holy Spirit speak inwardly to him, Stop your message and begin to pray in the Spirit.
I'm sure you can imagine the awkwardness of such a thing, especially since he really didn't know these people. The leading of the Holy Spirit was so strong, however, that he obeyed. "You'll have to excuse me," he said, "but the Lord has just instructed me to stop my message and pray in the Spirit." He began to pace the platform, praying in the Spirit audibly.
Five minutes went by. Nothing.
Ten minutes went by. Nothing.
Fifteen minutes went by. Still nothing.
I don't know about you, but I would be feeling pretty nervous by that time. I would have been looking for that button on the podium I've longed for a time or two that I could push to disappear through a trap door! Talk about a weakness-an inability to produce results (anaideia). He hadn't even the slightest idea what this was all about.
Talk about not knowing how to pray as he should-what was necessary, right or proper (dei)!
Talk about needing to light upon by chance. Talk about the butterfly anointing!
Twenty minutes.
The people had simply sat and watched and listened. Suddenly a woman in the back began to scream, leaped to her feet and ran to the front of the church.
"What is happening?" the minister asked.
"My daughter is a missionary deep in Africa," the lady began. "So deep, in fact, that it takes 3 weeks to get where she is. You have to travel by automobile, then a boat, ride an animal and walk for a total of 21 days. My husband and I just yesterday received a telegram from the people she works with informing us that she had contracted a fatal disease that runs its course in 3 days. If she was in civilization it could be treated, but it would take too long to get her there. `She'll probably die within 3 days,' they told me, `and all we can do is send you her body as soon as possible."'
"The last time my daughter was home," the lady continued, she taught me some of the dialect of the people with whom she works. And you just said, in that dialect, `You can rejoice, your daughter is healed. You can rejoice, your daughter is healed."'
And she was!
WOW! Now that is PAGA! That is lighting upon the right person at the right time in the right way. That is Holy Spirit help. That is the butterfly a
nointing.
Why did it take 20 minutes? Because it's a long way from Canada to Africa and it took the Holy Spirit awhile to flutter like a butterfly all that way?! Well, maybe not. I'm not sure why it took 20 minutes. There are several reasons why I believe perseverance is often necessary in prayer, but that is for another chapter. (Persevere and you will come to it.)
Taking Hold of Together with Against
Another tremendous way the Holy Spirit aids us in our intercession is hidden in the meaning of the word "helps." "And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness" (Rom. 8:26, emphasis added). The Greek word is sunantilambanomai. I think you have to speak in tongues just to say this word. There must be a revelation in it somewhere. It is a compound word made up of three words. Sun means "together with," anti means "against," and lambano means "to take hold of.Putting them together, a very literal meaning of the word would be "take hold of together with against."
How's that for help?
In situations where we're experiencing an inability to get results, the Holy Spirit not only wants to direct our prayers precisely, causing them to light upon correctly, but He also wants to take hold of the situation together with us, adding His strength to ours. "`Not by [your] might not by [your] power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 4:6) will the mountain be moved.
Although the context of 2 Corinthians 12:9 is not prayer, praying in the Spirit is perhaps the greatest example of when His strength is made complete in our weaknesses. When we realize our weaknesses, our inability to produce results, it causes us to look to Him for help. If we allow Him to pray through us, He will take hold together with us. We just have to believe that when the Holy Spirit takes hold, something is going to move!
Please notice that both the word "helps" and its literal definition "takes hold together with against" implies not that He is doing it for us, but with us. In other words, this isn't something the Holy Spirit is simply doing in us, with or without our participation. No, we involve Him by praying in the Spirit, which is actually allowing Him to pray through us.