We are made up of our spirit, our soul, & our body. Many times when tragedies come we pray from our soul. Our soul is made up of our mind, our will, & our emotions.
When we first hear about a situation we feel compassion and feel empathy. Our hearts even hurt for the people evolved. We feel their pain.
Our mind starts to say, “What can I do to help”. How can I fix this situation? It rehearses the tragedy and how the outcomes could be. “What can I do to change this situation”.
Our will is what makes us decide and initiate action. We deliberately act on what our mind and emotions put forth.
There is nothing wrong with feeling compassion. Jesus was moved with compassion.
The Latin meaning of compassion is, “CO-suffering”. This compassion leads to an active desire to alleviate another’s suffering.
In 2 Cor. 1 it talks about The Father of mercies, & the God of all comfort. How we have been comforted in all our tribulations so we can comfort those who also are in trouble.
Vs 9 is the key when praying for those in need. “...that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God...” Vs 12... “not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God...”
When praying and acting towards another person’s hurt and pain we need to do it with our renewed spirit. When we are born again we have a renewed spirit. We are given the mind of Christ.
If we pray in the flesh, in our old nature, we pray our desires, our corrupt desires. We need to be renewed in our minds. Eph. 4 talks about stripping ourselves of our former nature, which characterizes our previous manner of life, because it becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring up from delusions.
We need to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude. Putting on the New nature created in the image of God. Godlike in true righteousness and holiness.
There are practical actions that we need to take, if someone is thirsty, give them a drink of water. If someone is hungry, feed them.
What I am talking about it getting to know the mind of Christ in a situation. Praying with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
We can really mess things up if we react with our fleshly nature.
I think sometimes there are people who have a God complex and rush to people’s aide because they want to control the situation. They want to influence the outcome. They want the person to look to them for their strength and to meet their need.
They do it to feel good. Or maybe even to mend a past hurt or pain of their own. Some even help others to ease their guilt.
None of these things will help the situation. It is so much deeper than our own attempts to ease someone’s sufferings.
Jesus even said, “I have not come on My own authority and of My own accord and as self-appointed, but the One Who sent Me is true (real, genuine, steadfast)...”
He was always looking to the Father, praying to the Father, & about doing the Father’s will.
We need to push past our soul (mind, will, & emotions), our flesh and yield our spirit to His Spirit, so as we pray, we will receive God’s will and react to that instead of our own will.
Rom 8:26-27 So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.
27 And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] on behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.
Letting the Holy Spirit led our prayers puts us in harmony with the will of God.
In these last days there will increased sorrow. Many will fall away because they are in the flesh. They are looking to their own strength. They see only the tragedies around them and lose sight of the One who gives strength, who gives wisdom, who can turn their situation around.
So Be:
...Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying]...
...Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus...
...be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak...
...Be on your guard [constantly alert], and watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come....
...be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer...
...be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things—...
...be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy...
...“Be careful! When you do something good, don’t do it in front of others so that they will see you. If you do that, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven...
Don’t Be:
...Don’t be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already...
...don’t be like ·those people who don’t know God [the pagans/Gentiles/heathen]. They ·continue saying things that mean nothing [babble; repeat empty phrases], thinking ·that God will hear them [L they will be heard; C the passive verb implies God as subject] because of their many words....
...not be afraid...
We could go on and on. We just have to look at the situations in our lives and in other people’s lives through the eyes and heart of God. Praying past our mind, will, & emotions and looking unto the Author and Finisher of our Faith. Pray in Faith believing and leaving the results unto Him. This does not mean we have no actions, this kind of prayer will produce the proper actions.
Father help us to see that praying in our own flesh will produce corruption and confusion. We look to you today for our loved ones, our friends, & even our enemies. We lift them up in prayer believing that you will work in their lives. That the outcomes will be according to your will and not ours. In Jesus Name...
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