GodReflection: Conflict Zone.
The subject of prayer quickly causes us to enter the Conflict Zone. To we human-types prayer becomes quickly confusing. It may seem like we should be using a Holy Language to talk with a Holy God.
First there comes a more elementary question. “Does God even care and is he listening”? Then, followed close by, is the question of why some are healed when he hears their prayer and when we pray nothing happens. Why does God listen to others but not to us? Can’t God speak our language? Boy, are we deep within the Conflict Zone.
To converse with the Holy is not my natural language. I struggle and stammer for words. Perhaps, when we speak with The Trinity, we fail to address the right one. Is it God, Jesus, Holy Spirit—Who Can We Talk With?
One of my first challenges after college was to learn to speak Portuguese. I envision prayer somewhat as that of learning a new language. I would find my mouth and my tongue contorted in my feeble attempt to talk like a two-year-old.
As I quickly fished for words and sounds, inevitably the one to whom my small string of simple words was stammered, would begin to show a wide smile in demonstration of appreciation of my feeble attempt at conversation.
Surely, the picture of the big smile on the face of one who listened to my struggling Portuguese is the very picture of The Holy as Father, Son, Spirit listens to us pray. A giant smile must appear with warm gratefulness at our attempt. So, once again, do we pray to God, Jesus, or Spirit or do we pray to all three? Yes, Certainly, we are in the Conflict Zone.
Back to our complicated question. Is it God, Jesus, Holy Spirit—Who Can We Talk With?
The apostles, upon hearing Jesus explain his future death, resurrection, and return to the Father, were told that the Comforter—their Advocate—would take up residence inside of their body in the form of the Holy Spirit. Boy, did that go in and out of their ears without even slowing down.
Everyone knew that the Messiah could not die before he liberates his people. In other New Testament references we learn that both the Father God and Jesus God live inside of the surrendered believer through God the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul gives us a rather “heady” explanation. It’s a tad lengthy but it is worth a slow read of Romans chapter eight to help us grasp his message.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
So here I am. I find that I house the Holy Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit took up residence in my surrendered body.
Now for the clue Paul gives me that concerns how prayer works.
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 (Romans 8:9-27).
Back to my struggle to learn the Portuguese language. There were times when my broken sounds didn’t connect. There were times when I needed a translator to interpret my intended message. (How can one not understand “I want Coke”).
So, the Holy Spirit comes to our rescue when we lack words to express the groans of our hearts. Is it possible that Father God, Jesus God, and Holy Spirit, all have interest in the desires of our hearts?
Is it possible that the recipients our prayers is in fact The Holy and between the Holy Three they work out our feeble attempts at expression?
Who are we talking with anyway? It is pretty neat to get an audience with the Holy Three at once. That’s the sort of help we need.
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection: Is it God, Jesus, Holy Spirit—Who Can We Talk With?
God Reflection 