Tyner Community Church

09/29/2026

06/26/2026

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇

A breakthrough is a sudden, significant development or discovery that overcomes an obstacle and paves the way for further progress. It often represents an "aha moment"

You won’t find this lesson in its entirety online.
I’ve pieced together numerous resources to create this lesson.

My presentation tonight, IS
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 “𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 & 𝐧𝐨𝐭 “𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭” 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞?”

I’ve never heard a sermon preached on this subject.

If you’ve ever paid close attention to A lesson, The Lord is asking for our undivided attention tonight. I’m guilty throughout this lesson and have short-changed the Lord and myself. I pray this lesson will be as much A blessing and conviction to you, as it has been to me.

I need to declare A disclaimer—just because God doesn’t grant us our requests doesn’t mean we’re not praying in the Spirit. God did not grant Paul’s request to remove his thorn in the flesh nor Jesus’ request to remove his cup of suffering onto Calvary’s cross.

We see in Rom.8:34, Jesus intercedes to the Father for us as our High Priest. Tonight our focus will be on our Intercessor in prayer, the Holy Spirit.

We find two commands to “pray in the Spirit” —in Jude 20 that says🩸But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
and 🩸~Ephesians 6:17–18~ (“Take . . . the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God praying at all times in the Spirit”.) They’re part of the whole Christian life which is to be lived in the Spirit. Everything we do is to be done in or by the Spirit.

What A privilege to be invited to join in this heavenly partnership. The Holy Spirit wants to be free to think through our minds, —feel through—our hearts, —speak through—our lips, —and even weep—through our eyes—and groan—through our spirits. When A believer is therefore at the disposal of the Holy Spirit, praying in the Spirit will be A reality unlike anything else that we have ever experienced.

The contexts of these two references to praying in the Spirit in the New Testament are instructive to us. The reference in Ephesians 6– concludes that great passage on the armor of God in the believer’s warfare (6:18). The 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, in Jude, follows the exhortation to build ourselves up on our most holy faith (Jude:20). So, it is in the context of battling and building that we are exhorted to “pray in the Spirit.” These two occurrences sum up what the Christian life is all about, battling & building.

♦️Eph. 6:18 says to—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.”

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬—𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭—𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨—𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲 ?”

♦️Rom. 8:26 says—"In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness."

Why does He do this? Why do you and I need His work in our lives? Why do we need His help? And we get the answer in Romans 8, verse 26. The answer is because we are weak.

What this is saying is that we are weak when it comes to prayer. Now when it says, "we are weak", it means what the next part of the verse says ♦️"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness,”
and here is defining how we are weak.♦️V.26 says “for we do not know how to pray as we should." So that is how we are weak.

The Holy Spirit is both A receiver and transmitter, transmitting our prayers to the heart of God.
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𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭?

It should be one of surrender and alignment allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire—direct—and empower—our prayers rather than relying on personal emotions or limited understanding. It is A practice of praying in harmony with God's will and power, and is viewed as an essential discipline for spiritual warfare and deepening intimacy with God.

This means that we get into the place of prayer and begin to pray. We do not hurry. We reflect on what the Scriptures say about prayer and begin to put it into practice. We take our time. We confess our sins and look unto Christ. We reflect on what it means to have God as our Father in heaven. We express our desire to see him glorified and to see his kingdom advanced. We submit ourselves to his will.

And somewhere along the line the spirit of prayer gets ahold of us. The Lord comes to meet us. Fervor—faith—and persistence invade our souls. Our most inward being becomes engaged in a “spirit of prayer.”

The Spirit speaks God’s language and knowing the desire of our hearts, delivers the message with clarity of revelation for us on our behalf.

There was A fraternal order of ministers which met each month in London and they opened it to the public who listened to what the preachers discussed. On one occasion they were asked to discuss this question, how can men pray always. A woman humbly spoke up, In the morning, when I open my eyes, I pray, ‘Lord, open the eyes of my understanding that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.’ While I am dressing, I pray, ‘Lord, may I be clothed in the robe of righteousness, and adorned with the garment of salvation.’ As I am washing myself I pray, ‘O Lord, may I be washed in the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness!’ When kindling the fire I pray, ‘O Lord, kindle A fire of sacred love in this cold heart of mine.’ And while sweeping the room I pray, — ‘Lord, may my heart be swept clean of all its abominations.’ And so I am praying like that all day.”—Unquote

The ways in which the Holy Spirit speaks will vary with different individuals, and may even vary with the same individual on different occasions. It may be an impression or A burden in one’s spirit. He may stimulate our memories and bring back to us some incident or some need. He may speak in the quietness of our hearts or illumine some passage of Scripture to us. He may enlighten our minds concerning some matter for which He would have us intercede.

Let us expect Him to do it. Let us give Him opportunity to do it. Let us yield our minds to the Spirit that our praying may be the expression of His mind. But remember, we will need to exercise faith. Having yielded our minds, we must resist that whisper, “It’s just your mind making it up.” We must trust ourselves to the Spirit of truth, believing that we are indeed receiving His message, His burden, His impression and the confirmation will follow.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫?

Sometimes we have so much to say to God—that we tell him everything that is on our mind without any sense of shame for our sin or any conscious reliance on the Person and work of Christ. We pour out our heart without kneeling at the cross. We talk and talk without A tear on our cheek and without A sight of A crucified Advocate sitting at God’s right hand. This is not ‘praying in the Spirit’, because John 16:8-11, 14) tells us, it is the Spirit’s constant ministry to convict us of our sin, to draw attention to the Saviour and to glorify him.

🩸Matthew 6:7 says:
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

The Pharisees prayed in this manner to appear more pious than the general population.

Vain repetitions, merely uttering words out of habit or custom, is not praying. Praying in—the Spirit means being concentrated and submitted to the Spirit, so that He creates—directs—orders—and empowers praying. It means recalling that the only way into the presence of God is in Christ. Praying in the Spirit is having fellowship with God, which ends in true worship.
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We need to know how the Holy Spirit girds our minds and guides our thinking as we pray with our understanding. We have no right to expect A special leading of the Spirit if we are not submitting to His leading in other realms. In Romans 8, where we find the theme verse of this book, Paul reminds us in (8:14)—that the leading of the Spirit is A mark of sonship. The leading of the Spirit in the realm of prayer is certainly A development of this general principle.

Paul speaks at the beginning of chapter 8 of what God has done to free us from the domination of the flesh (8:3). Walking according to the Spirit is contrasted with walking according to the flesh. Walking according to the Spirit is basic and essential to praying in the Spirit. Can we really conceive of someone who walks after the flesh and yet prays in the Spirit? NO. Can carnal living and spiritual praying go together? NO.

Whatever spiritual praying this is, it is not the New Testament variety. It will always be the product of an ungrieved Holy Spirit. It is foolish to expect to be led into these deeper realms of Spirit-led intercession if we are not submissive to our Intercessor in the practical issues of daily life. 🩸(1 John 3:21–22) says—An uncondemned heart is essential.

So long as He is ungrieved, He is able to guide us in our petitions and create in us the faith that claims the answer. Our prayers will then be in substance the 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 as the intercessions of the Spirit within.

I’ll be giving you A lot of Scripture references in the next few minutes. So, I’ll SLOW DOWN)

Sometimes we find ourselves simply ‘saying our microwave prayers’, but our heart is not in it. We are cold and listless. We have no fervour. We have no faith. We have no energy. We consciously know that there is no chance of us praying with persistence. This is not ‘praying in the Spirit’, because his Word constantly shows us that when people really pray, their whole soul is in what they are doing. Their emotions are engaged📍 (Ps. 63, 📍Phil. 1:3-11); they lay hold of God’s promises📍 (Exod. 34:12-23, 📍James 1:5-8); and they pray on and on until they receive what they are asking for in accordance with God’s will 📍(Gen. 32:22-32, 📍Luke 11:5-13).

The New Testament emphasizes the need of being “filled with the knowledge of His will” 📍(Col. 1:9); it commands us to “understand what the will of the Lord is” 📍(Eph. 5:17); it exhorts us to “prove what is the will of God” 📍(Rom. 12:2). The apostle John writes in (1 John 5:14–15): ♦️And this is the confidence which we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him.

All this is but another aspect of that promise of our Lord concerning the Holy Spirit, “He shall teach you all things,” all things that you need in knowing God’s will.

The Holy Spirit is able to make up for all our deficiencies in understanding God’s will.
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When we are praying in the Spirit, we are being obedient to what the Spirit desires, and bringing those desires to God in prayer. To be obedient to what the Spirit desires involves discovering A struggle between the Spirit and what we in our sluggish and sinful natures which indeed, includes the desire to prioritize our agenda and rely on our own resources. When the Spirit is at work, he is driving us to Jesus, to his kingdom priorities, and to care about and pray for what he wants. The Spirit drives us out of ourselves, into A deepening love for Jesus, and into A world of worship and intercession. even through 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫.

Fasting and prayer combine the physical or social or environmental discipline of abstaining from anything that interferes with deep spiritual devotion. Together, they deepen our relationship with God by fostering humility, enhancing our ability to hear His voice, and breaking spiritual strongholds.

Jesus said this in Mark 9:29, after his disciples failed to cast A stubborn demon out of A boy. When they asked why they couldn't do it, He replied: ♦️”This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”

Prayer and Fasting: Jesus used this moment to show that intense spiritual discipline is required to break through stubborn spiritual strongholds. Fasting removes worldly distractions and the reliance on the flesh, while prayer strengthens A believer's connection to God and builds deep faith.

Key Spiritual and Personal Benefits of 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 praying in the Spirit: There’s:
Enhanced Spiritual Focus: By removing any daily distraction, you center your focus entirely on God rather than fleshly desires. Then There’s—
Deeper Intimacy & Humility: Fasting is A physical and spiritual demonstration of humility and dependency on God. It shows that we value His presence over any personal and fleshly desire. Then There’s—
Sharpened Discernment: Many find that such discipline quiets the noise of the world, making them more receptive to divine guidance, wisdom, and revelation. Finally There’s—
Spiritual Breakthrough & Authority: Fasting and prayer are viewed as powerful, and spiritual tools for overcoming difficult circumstances, finding inner freedom, and combating temptation victoriously.

It is necessary for us to tune in and hear what God is saying that we may know how to pray. To learn how to talk to God we must first learn how to listen to God.

This tuning in to heaven involves the 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐭 of waiting on God. David had learned how to do this, for he says in ♦️Psalm 62:1, —“Truly my soul silently waits for God.” There is A waiting on God that involves being silent in God’s presence; in other words, listening. God will speak to us by His Spirit, and when He has spoken we shall know how to pray.

At times, uncontrollable weeping will come upon us and during other times of prayer, we’ll find that God also gives us times of great joy and exhilaration.
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When we pray in the Spirit, we’re deliberately seeking to live under the lordship of Christ. We submit to his reign in our hearts. When we do that, we discover that God is at work, weaning us off our worldly desires and fixing our attention on what he wants. It is A struggle, just as we all know how hard it is to leave behind habits of thinking and behavior. This struggle, though, is one the Spirit is invested in on our behalf.

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The Westminster Confession of Faith helpfully provides the heart posture of prayer: “[Prayer] is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of His Holy Spirit, according to His will, with understanding—reverence—humility—fervency—faith—love—and perseverance. Unquote—

The desires of the heart are being moved in A particular direction. Something is happening deep down inside me which is too wonderful to fully describe. In the name of God the Son, God the Holy Spirit is talking to God the Father, and this intercession is somehow taking place inside of me!
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Ephesians 6, in context, is spiritual warfare. In praying right, we need to pray in the Spirit. So what I’m saying, is to pray in the Spirit, is to be mindful of the wickedness of the world we live in, the wicked, evil world system that opposes us, and how Satan has crafted it. We need to see it clearly, to see it for what it is—to see how evil it is—this spiritual Babylon.

This wicked world system to see it in the eyes of God. What does he think of this world in all of its wicked sin—but, for us to see it in the eyes of Judgment Day, —what will all of that sin and that wickedness look like on Judgment Day.
To pray in the Spirit, means for the Spirit to take us by the hand on a tour of the evilness of the world, that we’ll see it for what it is —and we’re like, “I hate that, I don’t want that.” It’s to see how it’ll appear on Judgment Day. To pray in the Spirit, means to see the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life, clearly as the deadly dangers they truly are.

To pray in the Spirit, means to see the World Properly, and spiritually to look at the political forces, the terroristic and military aggressions that are going on, on earth, to look at those things with spiritual eyes, to look at the economic things that are going on, to look at the stuff they sell in the stores of the mall and The stuff that’s in the cyber world, the enticing, spiritual, un-beneficial junk while you’re surfing the web, and then zero in on to see those things spiritually, to see them properly as they are in the sight of God.

It’s to peer into the invisible realm and see how Satan’s manipulated world system keeps people all over the world enslaved to lusts and false religions and false philosophies. More than that is to see how those things have made inroads into our own heart.

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There was A missionary in India, named John Hyde, he was nicknamed “Praying Hyde,” —And Wilber Chapman tells A story, there was an traveling evangelist and he was having A evangelistic service, and it wasn’t going that well. It turned out that John Hyde was in that town, heard about it, and came and wanted to pray for him.

John Hyde asked “Can I pray for you?” please do. So, they went into the room together and this is the description of what happened. “He came to my room, turned the key in the door and dropped on his knees and waited. John Hyde said “let us listen for five minutes before uttering A single sound. The evangelist said, I could hear my own heart thumping. I felt hot tears start to come down my face. I knew that I was with God and then with an upturned face, with tears streaming down his face, he said simply, oh God, and then five more minutes, nothing else was said.”
And then when he knew without A doubt he was talking to the God of Revelation 4, where we see God enthroned, the God of Isaiah 40, wherein we have the description of the majesty and power of God. The tent evangelist began praying and intercession and request came streaming out from him almost like molten lava, just pure and powerful and strong. The result was many souls were saved. UNQUOTE—

As the Holy Spirit examines us, let us observe, look at and recognize the ways that prayer can be rote and mechanical in your life and get rid of them. Don’t pray rote prayers, don’t pray machine-like prayers, don’t pray—cold prayers or microwave prayers if you and I want to have A successful prayer life.
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So, to pray in the Spirit, means being mindful of the greatness of Jesus and what he’s done for you, to enable you even to have A prayer life.🩸~Ephesians 2:18~says*, “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”* Also🩸 Romans 5:1-2, “since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

So, you and I have access, we have an opening, we have A new and living way opened for us into the throne room of God by the body of Jesus-🩸 Hebrews 10. So, to pray in the Spirit, means having A spiritual inner vision of the glory and greatness of Christ as your mediator.
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Thomas Brooks, A puritan and writer said this, “in A dead man there is no life, so in A cold prayer, there is no power, there’s no devotion, there’s no blessing. Cold prayers are arrows without heads, as swords without edges, they are as birds, without wings. So, they pierce not, they cut not, and they fly not up to Heaven. Cold prayers always freeze before they get up to Heaven,—oh, that Christians would hide themselves out of their cold prayers and chide themselves into A better warmer hotter frame of spirit before they pray.” UNQUOTE—

So you’re going to wait until you know you’re in the presence of God, lean on Christ, your mediator and be mindful that were it not for him, God would not look at you or listen to you. By the blood of Christ, you enter into the throne room, you see the greatness of God, you wait in his presence, and listen to what the Spirit tells you to pray for and then as he tells you to pray, —pray.
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We pray by means of and always in dependence on the Spirit’s help, but the Spirit is the atmosphere in which the believer lives.

So to pray in the Spirit, means to be transported, lifted up from the room where you’re praying.
That room isn’t an ordinary place, anymore. Now, you can see more things spiritually.

When we realize how fully present God is with us through His Holy Spirit, our prayers will take on A new dimension of power and effectiveness.

So, praying in the Spirit is praying along the same lines, about the same things, as the Holy Spirit desires and reveals to us.
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In 📍(Neh. 2:4–5) Nehemiah said “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.’”Before Nehemiah petitioned king Artaxerxes’, Nehemiah cried to God for wisdom to speak the right words, and to say them in the right spirit, and to prepare the heart of the king to receive the request he would make. Such a prayer took much longer than A few seconds and minutes.
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Purpose and benefits 𝗳𝗼𝗿 Praying in the Spirit: there is—

Spiritual Edification: It Strengthens the believer's faith and builds them up spiritually. Then There’s—
Divine Wisdom: It Accesses wisdom that the natural mind cannot comprehend. 📍1 Cor. 2:9-11, 16. Finally There’s—
Intercession: It Allows for spiritual-level intercession ➡️ for others that is perfectly aligned with God's will.

Here’s Some 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈: There’s

Surrendered Posture: Approach prayer by releasing control and inviting the Holy Spirit to lead. This involves A “moment-by-moment" surrender and sensitivity to the Spirit's promptings. Then There’s—

𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: True prayer in the Spirit aligns with the Word of God; it is God-motivated and God-centered" rather than driven by selfish motives. Then There’s—

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩: Recognize that we as humans are weak in prayer and often do not know what to ask for. The Spirit helps by interceding with “groanings which cannot be uttered," perfectly matching God's will. One person has said “ The Holy Spirit fixes our prayers on the way up. Finally There’s—

𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭: Approach the "throne of grace" with A heart of humble confidence, knowing that access to the Father is granted through the Spirit because of Christ's perfection, not by our personal performance.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠:

𝐓𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭, Christians are encouraged to:

Walk in the Spirit: Effective public prayer in the Spirit is often the overflow of A private life spent walking in and being sensitive to the Spirit. Then There’s—
Use of Scripture as a Guide: Place God's words in your heart and mouth to give your petitions “heaven's shape,” shaped by the Spirit's power. Finally There’s—
Maintain Persistence: Pray "at all times" and "on all occasions," including when feeling weary or wordless.📍1Thess.5:16-18

🔺By the blood of Christ, you enter into the throne room, you see the greatness and glory of God, you wait in his presence, and listen—to what the Spirit tells you to pray for and then as he tells you to pray, —pray.

To experience praying this way under the guidance and influence of the Holy Spirit is the birthright of every believer, where Christ is more precious than anything or anyone in the universe, where the Scriptures come to life in A way we could 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 have imagined, where we no longer fear our enemies, and where we seek God’s will AND love the Lord our God with all our heart—soul—strength—and mind.

𝐈𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:

If you remember nothing else from this lesson, Remember these three points:

#1-Embrace your weakness in prayer. Admit it, come to grips with it. Embrace the fact that you really cannot pray on your own.Stop trying to pray in your own power, in your own strength. It won't work. It's not possible.

#2-It should be one of surrender—and alignment, allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire—direct—and empower—our prayers, rather than relying on personal emotions or limited understanding.

#3-Praying in the Spirit is praying with the illumination and understanding and longings and wisdom that the Spirit gives to his people. Praying in the Spirit, means having A spiritual inner vision of the glory and greatness of Christ as your mediator. Praying in the Spirit means relying on and waiting upon the Spirit’s enlightening and assuring work, as we are energized and led by him to pray.
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Arthur Wallis said “As the darkness deepens and the dawn of Christ’s appearing draws steadily nearer, let us give ourselves to this vital ministry of praying in the Spirit. If our priorities need adjusting, let us adjust them. If some good and desirable things have to go, let them go.
Let us believe that the great interceding Spirit will pray through us, until the day dawns. The world has yet to see such A manifestation of the glory of God that can only come through A church, A people of God cleansed and purified, praying in the power of the Holy Spirit.” UNQUOTE—

I pray that God would enable us to correctly pray in the Spirit on all occasions.
That’s my lesson for this evening’s service.

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“But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost” (Mk. 13:11).

12/13/2025

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭

Please turn to 𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟒:𝟏-𝟔

In these verses that I’ll be covering tonight, I truly believe that Tyner Community Church is walking worthy. But sometimes we need to be reminded of these truths and have these truths refreshed in our spirit

(𝐕.𝟑) will be our main focus

V. 3 tells us to:

”𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫” to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.—

In ‭Col. 3:14‭ ‭αγαπη‭ (love) is the ‭συνδεσμος‭ (bond). But there is no peace without love. ‭{Eph. 4:2}‭

Colossians 3:14 NASBS
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

‭ 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫/𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭‭.The Greek spoudazo (present tense form) carries the emphasis of fulfilling an obligation; ‘be eagerly anxious, conscientiously diligent’ to bring about the unity of the Spirit.‭

Philippians 1:27
Only let your conduct be 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 for the faith of the gospel,

In the original Greek, vv. 1-6 are one long sentence

(the theme of these 6 verses is): The Believer Is to Walk Worthy of His Calling,

Paul’s tells us in V.1,

👉V.1–“I” therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

So, There is one thing that we must do: we must walk worthy of our calling. We must walk worthy of the honored position to which God has exalted us
(2:5-6) tells us about that exalted position it says

👉 He made us alive “together” with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up “together”, and made us sit “together” in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:5-6
God has exalted us to sit “together” in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s prayer—for the Colossians in Ch.1, V. 10
👉that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Walking requires us to be consistent. When we were born, walking was not an immediate skill we performed. It was something that had to be learned and perfected. The same is true in the spiritual realm. Walking with God is A practical skill that takes time to learn.

Once A person believes in Jesus and becomes A member of God’s people and of God’s church, what must he do to walk worthy of God’s great calling to bring honor to the name of Christ and His church?

Let’s look at some answers found in V. 2
👉V. 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

So
1. The believer must walk with all lowliness: be humble.
2. The believer must walk with all meekness: without resentment; must be submissive.
3. The believer must walk with longsuffering: be patient, and enduring.
4. The believer must walk forbearing others in love: be compassionate, self-controlled.

Application:
The attributes in verse 2 will never be ours unless we make the choice to yield to the Holy Spirit. These attributes or attitudes become ours when we give Him permission to work in our hearts.

Again (From V.1–The way to walk worthy): is found in V. 2
a. With humility & gentleness
b. With patience
c. With love

a. (Regarding V.2) The purpose for walking worthy in this manner: Is To keep the unity, the peace stated in V. 3 —which says:

👉V. 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. for what reason well, this is stated in-vv. 4-6

👉V. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
👉V. 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
👉V. 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

I’ll-break down verses 4-6 as we progress through this study.

THE PURPOSE FOR WALKING WORTHY: Again—

TO KEEP THE UNITY AND THE PEACE stated in (v. 3)

The purpose for walking worthy is onefold unity. Believers are to work at keeping the peace so that they can stay bound together in the unity of God’s Spirit. Jesus has broken down all walls and barriers existing between men. Everyone can now be saved:

⇒ all nationalities
⇒ all peoples
⇒ all languages
⇒ the poor
⇒ the rich
⇒ the black
⇒ the white
⇒ the red
⇒ the yellow

Every person is precious in the sight of God. When A person approaches God through Jesus, he comes like everyone else: on the same ground and on the same level. He is no better and no worse than anyone else: he is A man who stands in need of God’s forgiveness; and he, along with everyone else, is bowing before Christ and accepting Him as his Lord and Master.

The man, just like everyone else, is subjecting himself to become the servant of Christ. Wealth, position, social status it is all forgotten. The only thing that matters is the salvation and life which Christ offers.

The point is this: when A person comes to Christ in such A spirit, the Spirit of God enters his life and binds the person to all other believers. There is A great spiritual bond of peace wrought by the Spirit of God between all believers.

All divisiveness, differences, and prejudices are set aside; and A spirit of love, peace, and unity are to exist. And
Within the church there is A prevailing spirit of peace and love wrought by God’s Spirit.

However, note A tragic fact: not every believer walks in the Spirit not all the time. Too often, believers allow self and the old life to re-enter the picture such as their old …

• prejudices
• differences
•gossiping
• hurts
• jealousies
• complaints
• criticisms
• grumblings
• gripes
• pride
• arrogance
• comparisons
• dislikes

The result is catastrophic for the church: divisiveness all leads to
(A disturbance of the peace of the Spirit of unity).

This is the reason for this charge by Paul. Note the word “endeavor” V.3. It means being diligent, working to—take care,—doing one’s—very best,—and making haste—to do it.

The only way to walk worthy of God’s great calling is to “work at” keeping the peace and unity which Godhas given us. Nothing cuts the heart of God like divisiveness between His people, divisiveness which tears apart His church.

There are numerous reasons for church splits. Such reasons usually fall under the umbrella of A power trip and power struggle. Someone goes on A power trip and it turns into A power struggle.

Thom S. Rainer, author on church splits states “I have neverbeen associated with
A church split, however every church I have known to split was because of A power struggle.”

There’s usually two—
Underlying Factors that cause this—
* Focus Shift: When the focus moves from Christ to personal and organizational agendas, self-interest, or tradition.
* also A factor is—
* Spiritual Immaturity: Inability to handle disagreement with grace, humility, and reconciliation, often seen in “worldly" or childish behavior.

God is displeased and dishonored when A church splits. Church splits do not demonstrate the love of Christ. Church splits are A terrible testimony to the Body of Christ. Church splits do not send A Christian message to an unbelieving community.
A church is to be unified and in harmony with one another.
It is A shame when our sin and pride divide the body of Christ. What are we going to do when we get to heaven and see the very people we argued with? Or those who are
so divisive may not go to heaven. God is not the author of confusion. Satan wants to divide, deceive, and destroy.

Allow me to read this
Illustration:
Simply said, division is a wall between two sides. In the 1960’s the Berlin Wall was erected by the Communists of East Germany to prevent East Germans from uniting with West Germans. History tells us that this was no innocent barrier: many were killed trying to scale the wall that divided the East from the West. This wall of division separated friends from friends and family from family. The result of this division brought death and despair. At times, it seemed that the wall would stay up forever.

But God had another plan. The Communist world was turned upside down as the people in Communist countries were swept up in a global wave of nationalism and the desire for freedom. The Berlin Wall had no power against the forces of unity and freedom—and it fell, becoming prize souvenirs for collectors. (End of Quote)—

Types of Berlin Walls are built every day in churches and between believers. A childish example of this is in A church where the deacons had the sole authority of replacing the carpet and two deacons were in great disagreement it was reported that one deacon challenged the other to go out into the parking lot to settle their differences once for all resulting in A church split.

There is no wall worth the cost of division. The only way to keep the unity of the Spirit in the church and between believers is to remain “walking in” the Spirit.

🩸It’s Examination Time: 3 examination points—
# 1. How hard do you and I work at preserving the unity of the Spirit? You can be called by God and yet ruin everything by being an instrument of division.

# 2. What causes the division of the Spirit:
a. Instead of lowliness or (humility), there is pride.
b. Instead of meekness or (gentleness), there is arrogance.
c. Instead of longsuffering or (patience), there is impatience.
d. Instead of forbearance, there is A critical spirit.

# 3. Because we all have to battle with the old nature in us, A “working walk” is required of the believer. Humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance do not come naturally … they come supernaturally.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲:
There are simply some thingsthat are contrary to love and joy and peace that hurt and damage the body …
Such as—

• an ill spirit
• a struggle for position
• self-centered differences
• a reactionary spirit
• feeling superior
•a spirit of competition
• seeking our own way
• forming cliques
• being selfish
• being envious
• being angry

Jesus said in—
👉 John 17:21-23 - that they all may be “one”, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be “one” in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 —And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be “one”just as We are “one” :23 —I in them, and You in Me

Unity isthe accomplishment ofChrist’s reconciling work through his blood, which brought Jew and gentile together in “one”new people and brought that people to God, fully redeemed by the cross.

There’s an old story told that A researcher in Africa, placed A basket of fruit under A tree and told A group of African children, “Whoever gets there first wins the fruit.” But when he gave the signal to run, the children didn’t race against each other. They held hands and ran together. Then they sat down and shared the fruit. —𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲!

We often hear vv. 4-6 simply stated as A Scripture reference in support of various doctrinal elements without understanding the actual in-depth context for which it was written.

❗️So, we’ll let the Holy Spirit give these verses their “intended” meaning.

Again, In the original Greek, vv. 1-6 are one long sentence.

𝟒-𝟔—There are seven basic reasons why we should walk worthy and strive to keep the peace and unity of God’s Spirit “in the church”
Far too often the church is the place where the peace and unity of believers fly apart. Again, there are seven reasons why this should never happen seven reasons why believers should always walk in the peace and unity of the Spirit.

these reasons in vv. 4-6 are worthy to look into:

a. Only one body
b. Only one Spirit
c. Only one hope
d. Only one Lord
e. Only one faith
f. Only one baptism,
g. Only one God and Father of all

Let’s break down, these 7 reasons:

Reason # 1
1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 “𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲.”

There are not two bodies nor several bodies of believers. However, in this imperfect world, there are many different denominations and churches. But note what God is doing: God is creating only “one” body of people who trust and follow His dear Son.
👉1 Corinthians 12:13
For by “one” Spirit we were all baptized into “one body”—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-and have “all”been made to drink into “one Spirit.”

Such barriers previously mentioned have no place in the church, not in the new body which God is creating. There is only “one body” of true believers. This is the reason we are to strive to keep the peace and the unity of the Spirit. Only as we keep the peace and unity of the body can we walk worthy of God’s great calling.

👉(Ro. 12:5). “So we, being many, are “one body” in Christ, and every one members one of another”

Reason # 2
2. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 “𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭.”

The same Spirit that dwells within one member of the body dwells in all members of the body.
Acting independent of the body is of another spirit, for there is only “One Spirit” creating the body of Christ.

👉 1 Corinthians 12:7,11,13 says
And Take note of the word “All”

[7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of “all” : [11] 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 works all these things or (gifts), distributing to each one individually as He wills. [13] For by “one Spirit” we were “all” baptized into “one body”—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free and have “all” been made to drink into “one Spirit.”

Reason # 3
3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 “𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞.”

Every genuine believer has the same hope: the great day of redemption. It is to be A new world created perfectly for Jesus and His people. Life in the new heavens and earth will be A life of love and joy and peace a life of “oneness” and unity and brotherhood all perfected.

What God is after is for us to live as we shall live in the future. Our future lives in the new heavens and earth are to be the pattern for the way we live together NOW.

We shall be redeemed and reconciled to God and to “each other” all living together in A perfect world of love and joy and peace for ever and ever. The hope for eternity the hope that fills our hearts for such A world is to be the driving force NOW that stirs us to live “together” in peace and unity in preparation of our eternal home.

We see the hope of our calling in:

👉 Ephesians 1:18: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know “the hope” to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in His holy people"

Reason # 4
4. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 “𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝.”

Every believer has bowed before the same Lord to become His subject and to receive His orders. As His subjects, believers are “unequivocally” instructed …
• to live as He said: holy and righteous —and pure lifes—bearing the fruit of His Spirit —stated in:
👉 (Ga. 5:19–21).
And….we are—
•to carry out His orders as “ONE BODY”

👉1 Corinthians 12:5
There are differences of ministries, but the “same Lord.”

Reason # 5
5. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 “𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡.”

There is only one faith that leads into God’s presence, and that is the faith founded by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other approach to God. If A person wishes to live with God to be approved and accepted by Him that person has to approach God through the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The point is this: every believer has come to God in the very same way by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Him is the only way, the only true faith. Therefore, standing before God and having come to Him through the same faith, there is no room for any differences. We all stand on the same ground, on the same level.

👉Jude 1:3
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to “contend earnestly” for “the faith” which was once for all—delivered to—“all the saints.”

Reason # 6
6. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 “𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦”

By being publicly baptized, all believers have given public witness to their faith. Each has been identified as being A member of the same body. How? —By being initiated through the same ordinance. Therefore, having entered the church, the body of Christ through the same ordinance, we should not become divisive.

Divisiveness denies and brings shame to the meaning of baptism and to the Lord Divisiveness shows that our commitment is shallow. It shows that our sincerity in being baptized was shallow. It shows that we care little for Christ and fellow believers AND for our baptism experience, for the great ordinance which initiated us into the church the body of Christ consisting of ALL fellow believers.

👉Romans 6:3, 5
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

For if “we” have been “united together” in the likeness of His death, certainly “we” also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Reason # 7
7. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 “𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥.”

With V.6, Paul finishes the sentence he began in V.1. He encourages believers to live in accordance with their profession of faith, their unity in the Spirit, and their conviction that God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son has brought them into A reconciled relationship and “oneness “ with God and with other believers.
Here, In V. 6–Paul sums up the Jewish conviction: 👉 (from—)(Deut 6:4). “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”

As we have seen in vv.4-6, Paul also speaks in A similar way to the Corinthians, when he declares that there are A variety of gifts —but the “same” Spirit, and A variety of services but the “same” Lord, and A variety of workings but the “same” God who works all things in “all”—👉(1 Cor 12: 4–6).

Illustration:
When we have become one with each other, all of us who are Christian believers will become nourished and will grow expediently .
The article “What Good Is A Tree?” Reader’s Digest explained that when the roots of trees touch, there is A substance present that reduces competition. In fact, this unknown fungus helps link roots of different trees, even of dissimilar species. A whole forest may be linked together. If one tree has access to water, another to nutrients, and A third to sunlight, the trees have the means to share with one another and to be unified.

Like trees in A forest, Christians in the church need to be unified in supporting one another.

The point is striking: If there is only one God and Father of all believers, how then could He be leading two believers to stand toe to toe against each other? —The answer—is obvious: He could not. One or both believers are following their own fleshly, carnal ways. Someone is not following the only God and Father.

Here In V. 1-3, Paul exhorts his congregation to live out their calling in A manner that matches their “called” status before God. They are to show humility and patience, bearing with each other in love and making every effort to maintain unity. Paul’s words “make every effort” carry A sense of urgency and priority.

In Closing:

Let it be our prayer individually and as A church to endeavor in receiving A clean bill of health on God’s report card for each one of us in preserving the unity of His Spirit in the manner prescribed in these verses.