April 9
…the Spirit of grace and supplication… Zechariah 12:10
This is one of the rare times that the Bible mentions the Spirit of prayer. It is alluded to in other verses, but here it is given this wonderful title. Ask God for the Spirit of grace and supplication, for it is the prelude to outpourings of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of prayer is marked by a consciousness of grace – that is, of God’s care and compassion, not just His holiness. If God were holy without grace, He would be a Pharisee. But though God is holy, He looks with compassion on failure and sin, longing to save and heal. It is this that is imparted in the Spirit of prayer – the consciousness that the Holy One longs to demonstrate His power to save. This longing rises in God’s heart with great intercessions that cannot find easy expression in any language. Christ intercedes; but the Father does not pray – He yearns – and it is this yearning that the Father shares with the Son, and that is imparted to us too. It is a daring thing to pray, but ask God for the Spirit of prayer.
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Hearing God’s Heart is a daily devotional written by Les Wheeldon. Bursting with encouragement and inspiration, each daily reading draws the reader into a closer walk with God, helping you reflect, meditate and move into the presence of God.