Sometimes when the tap is switched on in prayer your ears will listen to the words coming from your mouth and prick up in surprise at what they hear. The inner man is the connector to Heaven, and in the flow the natural mind steps aside to make way for a more direct engagement spirit to Spirit.
This is what happened to me a few weeks ago.
Paul the apostle gives insight to his private prayer life in the book of Corinthians. Among other things he says:
“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” (1 Corinthians 14:15 KJV)
I love this description of the flow from spirit prayer to praying with the understanding, from tongues to natural language, and back again. There is an ebb and flow in prayer that is dynamic in its working.
I picture it very much like a mixer tap.
We have one similar to this at home. Both hot and cold flow through one tap, mixing and flowing together.
That’s how I see and experience the flow of the living water from my inner man in prayer. The tongues tap and the Spirit inspired natural language tap are both plugged into my heart, my spirit, and connect to the same outlet, my mouth.
As I yield to the Spirit of prayer there is supernatural flow that moves in and out of praying in the spirit and praying with the understanding. Sometimes the understanding part interprets the spirit part, sometimes the spirit flow takes up where the understanding leaves off. It is spontaneous and dynamic, and full of life and variety. This is exactly how prayer should be.
Working IN…
Anyways, having said all that as a foundation, I was praying in that manner. I love to pray in tongues (a lot!) and just open my heart. I’m used to working with the Holy Ghost in this way and felt the understanding tap kick in and the move across into interpretation.
From my mouth I began to pray, “Lord, work IN me so You can work through me.”
I felt the gravity of the words as they came out of my mouth. It was an earnest invitation for God to work deeper in my life, fitting for any service He might ask of me. I am profoundly aware though that every outer work begins inwardly. The bold public man must first know private brokenness if he plans to stand the test of time and scrutiny.
Work IN me.
The verse came to mind from Philippians:
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13 KJV)
And the heart-searching context of this promise:
“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12 KJV)
There is a depth of humility and heart searching, the shaping of the inner man in holiness, that the Holy Ghost desires.
It sounds so contrary. To come boldly we must be aware of our brokenness.
I love these precious verses from Micah:
“Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:6–8 KJV)
We don’t come to impress God with our sacrifice and spirituality.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalms 51:17 KJV)
Oh, the sheer joy of His comfort, and the expansive revelation of just how merciful He is when we realize the depth of our unworthiness – yet we are worthy!
The magnificence of knowing just how sinful we are – yet we are saints!
The beauty of holiness! The beauty of holiness! Not our own!!!!! Oh, the wonder of the cross!
In the Tabernacle
Some of you may know I practice and teach something called Tabernacle Prayer.
If you re interested you can watch the free workshop here https://www.davidleemartin.net/tabernacle-prayer-school
This morning I came through a beautiful cleansing that ended up in the presence of God, right there by the ark in the holy of holies.
The amusing thing was, in the vision I was lying down, leaning on the ark, just relaxing in Papa’s refreshing presence.
Holiness delivers peace for the soul and confidence in God’s presence!
