In the 7th Grade Physical Science class, I re-discovered sound waves — how they function in order to produce the sound that we hear in our everyday interaction with our world. It did not take me long to realize a startling aspect of sound. They require a medium to produce the waves in order for sound to be heard. In different types of media, the sound can produce different waves depending on the density of the medium & the strength or frequency of the sound. The reason for this is quite elementary & at the same time the very reason for our ignorance — the very molecules in the air that are invisible to the naked eye is the reason why sound is produced or heard. In other words, the vibration from sound collide with molecules in the air forming a wave that move from the direction of the sound to our ears. Without such molecules in the air there would be no sound; only silence. Isn’t it incredible how often we take for granted the littlest things in life!
In very much the same way that sound waves are produced in order for sound to be heard, is the very real Presence of the Holy Spirit in our Prayers. Based on this illustration it is not so much that the Holy Spirit helps us in our prayers — that is true — it is the most important & only means by which we can communicate to an infinite, eternal, & omnipotent God. Thus, without His Agency, there would be no communication whatsoever — not distortion but silence. God would not be able to hear us when we pray or even what we say if the Agency & Power of the Holy Spirit is not present. This is what the Christ means when He spoke :
Luke 11:13
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him
What is the very best of Heaven that the Father can give to His Children of Light? The Holy Spirit. It seems when we pray we forget Him in our prayers. And it makes sense that we do. We do not neglect Him on purpose nor are we ignorant of His presence. No, rather, we do not ask for Him nor desire to include Him in our prayers — seeking His Agency as we pray; asking for His words that we can use; knocking for His appearing because we long to see Him. In such ways, the Holy Spirit functions as the very Intercessor that the Lord Christ promised & it is precisely this role as Intercessor that we know Him best.
And it is as Intercessor that prayer is made potent for us.
1 Timothy 2:1
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people
At first glance, it seems as though the Apostle Paul is saying the same thing four (4) times — I urge that prayers, prayers, prayers, & prayers be made for all people. You can even argue that the Apostle is saying it four times in increasing volume! The problem with that analysis however, is the word choice in the original Greek language — the four words not only mean differently but also there is a certain grammatical stress on the third word — intercessions. That word, intercessions, provides the context & strengthens the first two words — supplications & prayers. In other words, the first three words — supplications, prayers, & intercessions — must be viewed like a chain that are interwoven & interconnected with one another in such a fashion that no supplication nor prayer can be possible without intercession — without the intercession between us & God; and at the same time without their intercession between them & God. The Apostle is saying that no prayer can be possible without intercession.
There is a mystery of how all of this is worked out in our daily prayers to Him — the interweaving of our prayers with the Holy Spirit interceding before the Father. And yet, our focus should not be on how it is worked out but that it is worked out for our benefit in the way we communicate with God — we pray for people in much the same way that the Holy Spirit & Christ pray for us before the Father. As we intercede, they intercede on our behalf. This knowledge of the truth of Prayer should enliven us to better pray for others with respect to ourselves & enable us to pray even for those enemies that desire our harm.
Supplication means entreaty : we desire that God hears our prayers with fervent longing. It is a type of fervent longing — it asks the question, what is it that I desire most longingly concerning myself & the Lord God?
Prayer, in this context, means requests that only God could answer : we desire with such passion & interest in the advancement of God’s agenda because it is the foremost & best object that only God Himself can rectify — it asks the question, what is the best & foremost longing of God’s own passion that should be mine as well?
Intercession means interconnectedness between two persons or objects — in this case, the interweaving between whomever we pray for & ourselves to God as well as the interweaving of ourselves to God by the Agency of the Holy Spirit. It is the child-like aspiration of our hearts to God to desire that He listen as well as hear our prayers. And at the same time, no requests of any kind could be complete without His direct knowledge & supervision.
Thanksgiving means giving thanks to God : it answers the question, what is the most glorious & praiseworthy object that I should give Him thanks?
May our object be upon the Christ & direct all of our hearts longing for Him such that whenever we pray we will behold the Face of God in our mind’s eye. If we so forget as we so often do; due to our nature’s sin & our nature’s love toward all things physical, that the Lord Christ would communicate Himself & intrude upon our lives such that He may never be forgotten!
