Hosanna Restoration Church

Have you ever been tempted? Have you ever given in to temptation? I believe the answer is yes on both counts for most of us. Each of us has our own area where we are most prone to failure. If you love God, then you more than likely hate it when you give in to temptation and do those things that you really did not want to do and knew you should not do. Your love for God makes you want to please him. In your spirit you are willing to do the right thing, but the flesh topples way too easily.

Jesus told Peter to pray or else temptation would overpower him. When we look at Peter and consider that he traveled with Jesus and still toppled big time we sometimes wonder how in the world could I ever hope to prevail? The same way that Peter could have. Jesus told him to pray. Jesus knew that Peter would topple. He even told him that when he had recovered he should strengthen the other believers. We all know, that Peter did recover. And when the Holy Spirit came upon all the people gathered on the day of Pentecost it was Peter that informed them that this was the power that God had promised through the Prophet Joel. The Holy Spirit made a mighty man of God out of Peter. So much so, that the same man that once denied Jesus three times, later died a terrible death declaring His name.

It was the same Holy Spirit who so dramatically changed the Apostle Paul. God took a man bound by religion who was arresting and killing Christians and turned him into the voice to the gentiles. The same was true of all the other apostles and those who were in the early church. Whenever anyone came to Christ, they made sure that they understood the power of the Holy Spirit in them. They wanted them to have every advantage that they could over the persecution and the temptations of the devil.

So what made such a difference for all of them? I believe it was prayer and praying in the Spirit. We know that Paul was a great advocate of praying in the Spirit and praying with understanding. We know that the other disciples relied heavily upon the leading of the Holy Spirit. We know that power came upon believers and something changed in their lives when the Holy Spirit came. We also know that He came to everyone who asked and would receive. Remember, John said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”

In the beginning of this devotion I asked if you had ever been tempted and given in. Now let me ask if you have ever given in when you stopped to pray first? It is pretty difficult to give in to sin when we are praying. No doubt we have all prayed and then later given in! I guess that gives us all the more reason to keep praying. In our flesh at times, about all we know to say is, “God help!” The Holy Spirit on the other hand, knows exactly what to pray when we don’t. So keep praying in the Spirit. Our flesh is too weak to pray continually, but the Holy Spirit can keep going and going and going!