October 12 - Pray in the Spirit 성령 안에서 기도하라

October 12 - Pray in the Spirit

 

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” – Ephesians 6:18

 
After describing the pieces of the armor of God, Paul adds another important part of the spiritual battle: prayer. This is not a piece of spiritual armor, yet it is essential to winning spiritual battles. Why? Prayer connects us to the power of God, which is necessary to defeat spiritual enemies. Communication in battle is often the difference between victory and defeat. This is especially true when soldiers hear the instructions of their Commander.Paul then notes some specific applications of prayer in this verse and the next. First, believers are to pray "in the Spirit." Our prayers are not merely our thoughts or desires but are to be done in submission to God. Next, we are to "keep alert." While we may not pray every waking second, there is never a good time to set prayer aside. It's a tool we must have in constant use (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Third, prayer is something to do "with all perseverance." We do not pray once each day and then stop. We are to talk with God persistently and about all matters. Nothing is too big or too small to discuss with the LORD. Finally, Paul highlights the importance of praying for the needs of other believers. We praise God in prayer, pray for our own needs, and also pray for the needs of others. Each of these areas is important.                 

 

Even if a solider of Christ who goes into spiritual warfare is equipped with truth, righteousness, faith, and salvation, standing firmly with the word of peace, and is ready with Scripture, he will not win the war without prayer. Thus, the first thing that a spiritual soldier must do is pray. Christians ought to be in spiritual warfare with a kneeling posture to pray. There is significant meaning when Paul mentions prayer as the seventh element after he says six elements of the full armor of God in Ephesians 6. In the Bible, ‘7’ can be considered ‘completeness’ or ‘accomplishment.’ Then, what kind of prayer is Paul referring to in Ephesians 6?

 

It ought to be prayer guided by the Holy Spirit. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). What kind of prayer is the prayer in the Holy Spirit? “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints following God’s will” (Romans 8:26-27). Thus, the Holy Spirit prays for us, and when we pray, the Holy Spirit participates in our prayer to pray for us. This is the prayer guided by the Holy Spirit. When we pray in the Holy Spirit, two supernatural events will occur. 

 

First, the Holy Spirit teaches us what to pray properly for. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, our prayer is nothing but rational and emotional. But, when the Holy Spirit helps us, our prayer will be on a different level. Through God’s word, we can pray with faith and realize God’s will for us. The reason God inspires our hearts to pray is because there is a will God is going to accomplish through our prayer. With the conviction that God would answer his prayer, George Muller prayed for the salvation of two people for 50 years. Muller said if God had not planned to save these souls, God would not have moved his heart to pray. Eventually, both persons repented and came back to God. Secondly, if we pray in the Spirit, we will be supplied with the power of prayer. When we cannot pray due to physical fatigue, physical weakness, or despair in our hearts, the Holy Spirit gives us the power and strength to pray. 

   

Today’s Prayer: Ask God to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of God through you to the people you meet this week (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).  

Prayer Pointer: Everything about prayer is based on relationships. That relationship may be good or bad, new or old, close or distant, warm or cold. The better the relationship, the better the prayer. – Leith Anderson 

Bible Reading: Isaiah 48-49; Colossians 4

 

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10월12일 - 성령 안에서 기도하라 

 

“모든 기도와 간구로 하되 무시로 성령 안에서 기도하고 이를 위하여 깨어 구하기를 항상 힘쓰며 여러 성도를 위하여 구하고” - 엡 6:18

 

바울은 하나님의 전신 갑주의 각 분야를 설명한 후 영적 전쟁의 중요한 분야인 기도에 관해서  말합니다. 기도는 영적인 전신갑주에 속하지 않지만 영적전쟁에서 승리를 위한 필수적인 갓입니다. 왜 그렇습니까? 기도는 영적인 원수를 물리치는데 필요한 하나님의 능력을 공급받는 위해 반드시 필요하기 때문입니다. 전쟁에서의 군사들간의 소통여부는 종종 승패의 차이를 가져옵니다. 전쟁에서 지휘관의 작전 명령을 듣는 군사가 소통을 잘해야 하는 것은 절대 중요한 일입니다.  

 

바울은 18절과 19절에서 실제 기도의 적용에 대해 몇가지를 언급합니다. 첫째, 신자들은 성령 안에서 기도해야 합니다. 기도는 단순히 우리의 생각이나 욕망이 아니며 하나님께 순복하는  것입니다. 들째 깨어 구해야 합니다. 문자 그대로 깨어있는 순간마다 기도하지는 않아도 기도하기 좋은 시간을 놓쳐서는 안됩니다. 깨어 구하는 것은 지속적으로 기도하는 좋은 방법을 의미합니다(살전5 : 17). 셋째, 기도는 인내하며 해야 합니다. 우리는 매일 한 번 기도하고 더 기도하지 않습니다. 모든 문제에 대해 끈질기게 하나님과 상의하며 기도해야 합니다. 주님과 상의하기에 너무 크거나 너무 작은 일은 존재하지 않습니다. 마지막으로 바울은 다른 신자들의 필요를 위해 기도해야 한다고 강조합니다. 우리는 기도로 하나님을 찬양하고, 자신의 필요를 위해, 또한 다른 사람들의 필요를 위해 기도해야 합니다. 이러한 기도의 분야가 모두 중요합니다

 

그리스도인이 영적 전쟁에서 진리와 의와 믿음과 구원의 확신을 가지고, 또한 평화의 말씀으로 굳게 서서 말씀으로 준비되어 있어도 기도 없이는 승리하지 못합니다. 그러므로 영적 전쟁을 치루고 있는 그리스도인들이 반드시 해야 할 첫 번째 일은 기도입니다. 그리스도인들은 기도하기 위해 무릎을 꿇고 영적 전투를 싸워 나가야 합니다. 바울이 에베소서 6장에서 하나님의 전신 갑주의 여섯 가지 요소를 말한 후 기도를 일곱 번째 요소로 언급하는데는 중요한 의미가 있습니다. 성경에서 '일곱'은 '완전함' 또는 '성취'로 간주되고 있습니다. 그렇다면 바울은 에베소서 6장에서 어떤 기도를 언급하고 있습니까?

 

그것은 "모든 기도와 간구로 하되 항상 성령 안에서 기도하고"(엡 6:18) 라고 말하며 성령안에서 하는 기도라고 말합니다. 성령 안에서의 하는 기도는 어떤 기도입니까? “이와 같이 성령도 우리 연약함을 도우시나니 우리가 마땅히 빌 바를 알지 못하나 오직 성령이 말할 수 없는 탄식으로 우리를 위하여 친히 간구 하시느니라 마음을 감찰하시는 이가 성령의 생각을 아시나니 이는 성령이 하나님의 뜻대로 성도를 위하여 간구하심이니라(롬8:26,27). 성령은 우리를 위해 기도하시고, 우리가 하나님께 기도할 때 성령은 우리를 위해 기도하기 위해 하나님께 드리는 우리의 기도에 함께 참여하시는 것입니다. 이것이 성령의 인도를 받고 성령 안에서 하는 기도입니다. 우리가 성령 안에서 기도할 때 두 가지 초자연적인 사건이 일어나는 것을 알아야 합니다. . 

 

첫째, 성령은 무엇을 위해 기도해야 하는지 가르쳐 줍니다. 성령의 도우심 없는 기도는 이성적 이고 감정적인 기도기 됩니다. 성령께서 우리의 기도를 도우시면, 다른 차원의 기도가 됩니다. 하나님의 말씀을 통해 믿음으로 기도하고 우리를 향한 하나님의 뜻을 깨닫게 됩니다.  하나님께서 기도하도록 우리에게 영감을 주는 것은 우리의 기도를 통해 이루실 그의 뜻이 있기 때문입니다. 조지 뮬러는 기도 응답의 확신을 가지고 50년 동안 두 사람의 구원을 위해 기도했습니다. 그는 만약 하나님께서 이 영혼들을 구원하실 뜻이 없었다면 그에게 영감으로 주어서 기도하도록 하지 않으셨을 것이라고 말합니다.  결국 두 사람 모두 회개하고 하나님께로 

돌아왔습니다. 둘째, 성령 안에서 기도하면 기도의 능력이 공급됩니다. 육체적 피로, 연약함, 절망으로 기도할 수 없을 때 성령께서는 기도할 수 있는 능력과 힘을 주십니다. 

 

오늘의 기도: 당신이 금주에 만나는 사람들에게 하나님을 아는 냄새가 퍼지도록 하나님께 기도하십시오 (고후 2:14-16)  

기도 지침: 기도의 모든 것을 관계에 기초하고 있다. 관계는 좋을 수도 있고, 나쁠 수도 있고, 새로울 수도 있고, 오래될 수도 있고, 가까울 수도 있고, 멀 수도 있고, 따뜻할 수도 있고, 차가울 수도 있다. 관계가 좋으면 좋을수록 기도도 더 좋아지는 것이다. – 레이스 앤더슨

성경 읽기: 이사야 48-49장; 골로새서 4장