The work of the Holy Spirit in encounterprayer
One of the joys of using encounterprayer, either for yourself or as a means of ministering to others, is the profound experience of encountering the full wonder of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To illustrate this, I often speak of three spotlights shining in turn; a spotlight on the Father’s love, another on the presence of Jesus and the final one on the power of the Holy Spirit.
In reality, of course, we cannot confine God to such images since the Trinity is not as clear-cut as we might like. It has been likened to watching a high-speed, whirling dance so that at times we are not quite sure which person we are looking at.
I am keenly aware, for example, that even when I ask a person to focus on the Father’s love, this is an act guided and prompted by the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in Romans 8:15, ‘And by him (the Holy Spirit) we cry, “Abba, Father”’. In other words, the very act of a person becoming more aware of the Father’s love is a beautiful work of the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, in John 16:14, when Jesus is looking forward to the work of the Holy Spirit, he says, ‘He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.‘ This suggests that the things Jesus longs to give us – possibly even his own presence – are brought to us by the work of the Holy Spirit.
In reality, of course, we cannot confine God to such images since the Trinity is not as clear-cut as we might like. It has been likened to watching a high-speed, whirling dance so that at times we are not quite sure which person we are looking at.
I am keenly aware, for example, that even when I ask a person to focus on the Father’s love, this is an act guided and prompted by the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in Romans 8:15, ‘And by him (the Holy Spirit) we cry, “Abba, Father”’. In other words, the very act of a person becoming more aware of the Father’s love is a beautiful work of the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, in John 16:14, when Jesus is looking forward to the work of the Holy Spirit, he says, ‘He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.‘ This suggests that the things Jesus longs to give us – possibly even his own presence – are brought to us by the work of the Holy Spirit.
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The point I am trying to make is that it can be easy for our prayers to become like a formula that we feel we need to stick to rigidly. I prefer the analogy of roads - the means by which cars can reach their destination. The driver has great freedom over speed and direction, but unless he has good reason to do otherwise, it is generally wise to stay on the road and not drive through hedges and fields.
So it is with encounterprayer. I am certainly not suggesting that it is the only way we can encounter the presence of God, but it is a road that can help to guide us to our destination. As we travel along it, we will have opportunities to meet with God and be drawn ever deeper into the full wonder of his being. With every blessing, John Ryeland |
