Scripture: "Praying in the Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God."—JUDE 20, 21.
Paul began the last section of the Epistle to the Ephesians with the words: "Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might." He speaks of the whole armor of God, and closes by saying that this armor must be put on with prayer and supplication, "praying always in the Spirit." As the Christian needs to be strong in the Lord all the day, and to wear his armor against the foe the whole day, so he needs to live always praying in the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will not come to us, nor work within us, just at certain times when we think we need His aid. The Spirit comes to be our life-companion. He wants us wholly in His possession at all times, otherwise He cannot do His work in us. Many Christians do not understand this. They want the Spirit to help and to teach them, but do not grasp the truth that He must dwell in them continually, and have full possession of all their being.
When once this truth is grasped, we shall realize that it is possible to live always "praying in the Spirit." By faith we may have the assurance that the Spirit will keep us in a prayerful attitude, and make us realize God's presence, so that our prayer will be the continual exercise of fellowship with God and His great love. But as long as we regard the work of the Spirit as restricted to certain times and seasons, it will remain an unsolved mystery, and a possible stone of offence.
The Apostle Jude expresses the same thought as St. Paul when he says: "Praying in the Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God." This is what each child of God desires, and what the Spirit will do within him, keeping him in the love of God, even as I may keep in the sunlight all day long. It is this blessed nearness of God which can enable me to abide in His love at all times, praying without ceasing, in entire dependence on Him.
