Matthew 15:8
One of the primary ways to get in the spirit is to put our attention more fully on the Lord. That means setting our thoughts on Him, focusing our hearts and souls on Him. It means making Him our physical focus, ceasing the normal fidgeting and activity of our bodies (as far as the situation allows), and physically honoring Him by speaking His praises with our mouths, bowing our knees, lifting our hands, or simply sitting still and reverencing His presence.
Such things aren’t difficult. They are all relatively simple. But initially, it takes a very determined act of your will to do them.
That’s because we’re accustomed to letting our minds roam wherever they want. We’re so used to being busy with natural things all the time that we have to discipline ourselves in order to set that natural busyness aside and tune into the Lord. Even in church during times of praise and worship, I wonder how often Jesus could say about us what He said about the religious people in His day. “They draw near to Me with their mouths but their hearts and minds are far from Me!”
How many of us while we’re lifting our hands and singing the praises of God are inwardly cold and indifferent? How many times are we praying in tongues while our minds are making a grocery list and wondering where the pastor’s wife bought her dress?
We’ll never get in the spirit that way!
Instead, we must say to ourselves as David did, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” We must stop our half-hearted praise and prayers and start focusing on the Lord with all that is within us. We must bow not only our heads and our knees before Him but our minds and hearts too.
The more we do that, the more we’ll find ourselves in the spirit!
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 4:29
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”