These are notes on the sermon, The Prayer That Removes Anxiety, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, August 27, 2023, at The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. We hope these sermon notes will be an encouragement to you!
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We live in a time when we are seeing all kinds of lawlessness, confusion, and mental oppression. It is at this time that the world needs a grace revolution, and for the gospel of grace to go out to as many as possible. The world is looking for God, for salvation, but they do not know where to go, what to do, and who to believe in.
Furthermore, many think they have to earn their salvation, to do many good works according to the law. But that is not the truth of the gospel!
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
—Ephesians 5:16–19 NKJV
So as we approach the end times, we need to make the best use of the time we have left to reach as many people as possible with the gospel. In Acts 13:39 (AMP) Paul summed up the gospel as: “and through Him everyone who believes [who acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior and follows Him] is justified and declared free of guilt from all things, from which you could not be justified and freed of guilt through the Law of Moses.”
This is the good news that the world needs to hear!
The law was given to show man they will never be able to attain righteousness by their own effort. The Lord Jesus came and gave His life for us so we can be made holy and righteous through faith in His finished work.
When we receive Jesus in our lives, not only do we receive the forgiveness of our sins, but we also receive His moral excellence in our spirits. Day by day, as we look to Him, we are being transformed from the inside out to become more like Him.
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
—Ephesians 6:17–18 NKJV
What does “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” mean? It means praying in tongues!
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.”
—1 Corinthians 14:14–15 NKJV
When we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us prays on our behalf. These days, there are still believers who choose to hold fast to the belief that if they cannot understand something, then they should not do it. Therefore, many criticize, or refrain from, praying in tongues. But praying in tongues is biblical, and it is a gift from God.
God is tripartite—Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. When we receive Jesus in our lives, He dwells in us as the Holy Spirit. This is why our bodies are the temple of God, and He dwells in the inner sanctum (1 Cor. 6:19).
God comes alongside us, as the Holy Spirit, to help us. When you ask God for the Holy Spirit, you don’t have to be afraid that He will give you an evil one. Luke 11:13 tells us, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
—Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV
In Greek, “prayer and supplication” in the verse above are the same words used in Ephesians 6:18. This tells us that Paul was referring to praying in the Spirit here!
As we pray in the Spirit, the “peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and minds.” In Greek, “guard” is a word used to describe what a military garrison does. Just imagine: this is how securely the peace of God guards your heart and mind from all fears, worries, anxieties, and evil thoughts!
“let your requests be made known to God”—In the original Greek text, this is in the present passive imperative tense. What this means is that as you pray in the Spirit, you are not the one who is bringing it up to God. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes known to God all that is going on, your cares and worries, the things that are weighing your heart down.
Romans 8:26 (KJV) tells us, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
The Holy Spirit knows what the right prayer is. Our part is to pray in the Spirit, and the Spirit will intercede for us. When we are anxious, when our hearts are filled with cares or worries, or when we are unable to sleep at night—we may not know the cause, but we can pray in tongues and allow the Holy Spirit to pray for us.
The Holy Spirit is able to pray a prayer that is precise to your needs and situation. He is also able to transcend time and space. When you pray in the Spirit, you pray for your past, present, and future. You may find that some issues go away as you pray in tongues, become better as the days pass, or you may realize that you are no longer anxious about it.
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
—Ephesians 5:18–19 NKJV
Once again, “be filled in the Spirit” in the verse above is in the present passive imperative tense. The Holy Spirit fills you and keeps filling you as you sing praises, worship, or pray in tongues throughout your day.
“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
—1 Corinthians 2:13 NKJV
The verse above tells us that when we pray in tongues, we access a wisdom that we cannot understand when we pray in our own words, a wisdom that the world doesn’t know about. For example, you may experience that as you pray in tongues, somehow the solution to the problem you have been facing comes to you. That is the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives! And the solution may be different for different people for the Lord knows each of us and our situations intimately.
When we pray in the Spirit, we are praying in a language that we do not understand so that we do not sabotage ourselves in our own minds, with our own limited knowledge. It is also a language that the enemy cannot wiretap. This is why the devil hates it when we pray in tongues because it is a language that only God can understand!
Back to Ephesians 6:18, Paul tells us that we should be “praying always (kairos) with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” As you are cooking, working, going about your day—at every opportunity you get—you can pray in the Spirit and receive His guidance.
Many people may think that the mind or body is the one in control. But when we pray in tongues, we disengage our minds, and allow the Spirit to take charge in our mind, which then takes charge of our body. In this way, when we pray in tongues, we are constantly relying on the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us, and being humbled.
“For with stammering lips and another tongue
He will speak to this people,
To whom He said, ‘This is the rest with which
You may cause the weary to rest,’
And, ‘This is the refreshing’;
Yet they would not hear.”
—Isaiah 28:11–12 NKJV
As you continue to pray in the Spirit, you will find that it energizes you. You will experience the rest and refreshing that the Lord has for you.
How do we know this prophecy in Isaiah refers to praying in tongues?
In 1 Corinthians 14:21–22, when Paul talks about praying in tongues, he quotes Isaiah 28!
“In the law it is written: ‘With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; and yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,’ says the Lord. Therefore tongues are for a sign . . .”
In a world where many things are calling for our attention all the time, where we are prone to stress and stress-induced illnesses, it is imperative that we receive this rest and refreshing that God has for us. And one way we can enter this rest is through praying in tongues!
And when we pray in tongues, when we rest, we are not being inactive. In fact, we are most tuned in to God and His wisdom, and we will be led by the Spirit to do the right thing at the right moment or situation.
What do you do when you hear of bad news or when something that bothers you happens? How do you calm yourself down when anxiety, worry, or fear creeps in and takes hold of your heart? 😨
Do you immediately reach for your phone to check on the latest news, or go online to find out more information about whatever it is that’s worrying you? 📲🖥
My friend, what if I told you that there’s a way you can free yourself from the grip of such depressive and energy-draining emotions?
Well, there is. It is a gift the Lord specially prepared for His children on the birthday of the church. 💒 It is called praying in the Spirit or tongues, and it is something you can do any time, anywhere, and at any and every opportunity you have.
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
So whenever you pray in the Spirit for your children’s safety as they leave for school, over the upcoming deadline for a major project at work, or over a loved one who is ill, you are allowing God’s peace that surpasses understanding to guard your heart and mind. 🕊️❤️
Even when you don’t know what else to do or how to pray, simply open your mouth and start speaking in tongues, and the Holy Spirit will intercede for you (Rom. 8:26 KJV). And you can be sure that His prayer will be precise to your very need or situation.
So, beloved, instead of focusing on your challenge or the situation that is making you anxious and fearful, begin to pray in tongues and see how the Holy Spirit will intercede on your behalf, move in your area of need, and guard your heart and mind!
We hope these sermon notes blessed you! If they did, we encourage you to get the sermon and allow the Lord to speak to you personally as you watch or listen to it.
© Copyright JosephPrince.com 2023
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.
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