Prayer: What does Johann Gerhard say? (Week 6)
Join us as Pastor Ricky Jacob explores the 400-year old writings of Johann Gerhard and his thoughts on prayer.
Start at the beginning: Week 1
Gerhard wrote: There are four immovable truths on which our confidence to pray rests. Because of these, we may be certain that our heavenly Father mercifully hears our prayers. Today we will look at the Holy Spirit's testimony.
Gerhard wrote: The fourth truth that assures us that God favorably hears our prayers is the testimony of the Holy Spirit. [The apostle Paul wrote:] "You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6). Surely God hears those groans, those wailings, those prayers, those sighs that the Holy Spirit works in us. If God did not, He would be despising and rejecting His own work. [Again Paul writes:} "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words" (Romans 8:26). The Spirit does not intercede for us with human expressions. Instead, according to His nature, the Holy Spirit pours Himself over our prayers to cover our lack of skill and forethought with His working and presence. In this way, He requests from God that which is beneficial for us.
One of the promises that Jesus reassured his disciples with was the baptism with the Holy Spirit. '[Jesus] gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”'(Acts 1:4b–5 NIV). Jesus also blesses His followers of today with this same Spirit - the Holy Spirit who counsels, encourages, and comforts all those who believe in Jesus as Savior!
Gerhard taught the following benefits of prayer:
• It is a wind that blows away evil and brings earthly benefits.
• [Prayer] is a spiritual feast and a heavenly delicacy.
I close with this thought from Johann Gerhard:
Whoever is truly a child of God through faith will, with childlike trust, address his or her heavenly Father every day in prayer. The one in whose heart the Holy Spirit has made His home will, as a spiritual priest, daily offer to God this incense of prayer.