Prayer and Praise in the Spirit [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright when you're wondering whether the whole society is going to reject you. It's a revelatory word comes in and blesses you blessed are you among women.

This is no curse.

This is blessing and you blessed woman excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series higher power is presented with an older church in North Carolina.

If you're not able to stay with us throughout our entire program today to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries so as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us@pastor.org that's pastor at an.large E or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright okay what are you ready for some good ladies well your body can get weary and your mind can become confused. But if you are a born again Christian, you are a spiritual being. You have a living spirit that is always ready and wanting to rejoice in God your sake and I want to talk to you about cultivating the life in the spirit as we come to this beautiful story of Mary, who has heard the news that she's going to give birth to the Savior of the world and everything in our life has been turned upside down. Of course as she goes to visit her relative Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah and this is the account of what happens and then the song of praise erupts from her spirit.

Luke chapter 1 is where we are and where verse 39. In those days. Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town and Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary and the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb and why has this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me for the whole and the sound of your greeting came to my ears the baby and my womb leaped for joy, and blessed is she believe that there be fulfillment of what was spoken are from a large and Mary said my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior phrase looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed Sunday school class was putting on a Christmas pageant and one little boy wanted to be Joseph but another child was chosen to play the part of Joseph and the first boy was assigned the role of the innkeeper.

He was somewhat bitter over his assignment to the lesser role. So when actual pageant arose. I guess you know what bitterness can do to and so Joseph and Mary, those of Knox on the in keepers door innkeeper appears and Joseph says do you have any room in the in and the little boy said why. Sure, come on and I give you the bathroom but quick thinking Joseph put his head through the door and said no wife of mine is going to stay in a dump like this, honey, let's go to the barn is hard to wrap your mind around what Mary was feeling in those early days when an angel appears in Scripture. People are terrified because these are mighty warriors.

They are, they are raised in glorious huge and so every time someone counters an angel have to be told. Don't be afraid I will be afraid that she is afraid and she's confused and she's uncertain as she goes to visit her relative Elizabeth and their when Elizabeth, who is an old woman who is miraculously conceived a child who will be John the Baptist. When Elizabeth sees Mary she actually feels may be John the Baptist inside of her leave Bob as if John the Baptist is already beginning his prophetic ministry of same, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sound.

I believe that I believe God kicked give spiritual perception to end unborn infant of something of a spiritual reality. I believe and and when that happens then Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit we been talking for weeks now about the Holy Spirit about what it lives to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. So here we are in Christmas and this is was having the power of the most high God comes upon Elizabeth as she is filled up with the Holy Spirit and she has a prophetic work and revelatory word of profound encouragement that can only come from God and see confirms everything that has been told Mary about the baby that she is. She is very and we see and what Mary thence speaks or sings to the Lord. What we call the Magnificat based on the Latin word for magnify that Mary says my soul magnifies the Lord in my spirit rejoices in God my Savior and I want to explore that verse with you today.

A lot of theologians would say that the word for soul word for spirit here are parallel and they mean the same thing is a case to be made in the Scripture on be clear of some really smart Bible scholars would say no.

We are where we are bipartite were sold in body, but I'm convinced that an on the show you today a number scriptures that were spirit soul and body, and that there is a distinction between spirit and soul. Not that you make too much of it but there's some things it that only makes sense when you understand yourself as a spiritual being and I think that when Mary says my soul magnifies the Lord, that she is speaking of the mind's capacity to dwell upon the greatness and the goodness of God which are invited to do every day.

You can set your mind on the things of God but perhaps he speaks beyond herself and doesn't even realize the whole way to what she says when she says my spirit rejoices in God my Savior that there's something that is happening in her spiritually because she has received a prophetic word which is spiritual.

Elizabeth didn't get all that figured out, her mind is something that came in her spirit and she utters this prophetic work in and that impacts Mary's spirit and she can't help herself but to praise the Lord. So here is a young peasant Nazarene girl who is in the eyes of the world come under a scandal and has very little idea of all the implications of what's ahead of her, who gets by the grace of God, a revelatory spirit filled word that then does something to her spiritually and she burst forth in joyful praise of God, so is possible to rejoice in the Lord spiritually regardless of our circumstances. And boy, don't we need that now so Mary is young she is inexperienced. She is unmarried. She's betrothed but not yet with Joseph and so on.

She's unprepared for this and she's terrified and she asks.

First, the angel, how will this be because she's confused. Angel explains the Holy Spirit will come upon you.

This is going to supernatural conception of a child and in the midst of all of this.

I just imagine what Mary was thinking and feeling. She needs to talk to somebody you know you just need to talk somebody.

And when you're going through a time like this. You need some some people in your life that are wise and spiritual and love you. You really need some people like that and she needed that this is a time in which Mary would probably find it difficult to talk to her own parents because of the strain would be on the family Talon right will have more teaching moment from today's important series which is the better marriage need more good advice.

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When you get today we look for special offer. We are happy for Misty thanks from Alan Wright Ministries, 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor and data like today's teaching now continues your once again is what she has. This relative Elizabeth Pratt to cousin Pratt and aunt is the wife of a priest, so it's a ministry family and they she knows them that their spiritual people she knows that these are the kind of people could maybe help her make sense of all. All of that when the and I were first in the ministry, especially but really all throughout our lives. The firm imagine often her uncle Stanley who is in heaven now and her aunt Joella is very much alive and they were ministry couple David and all kinds of ministries they were the pastor to the Graham family in Montreat missionaries in Brazil fashion a large church in in Los Angeles pastors in small mountain churches in North Carolina all kinds of ministry experience.

Stanley was was full of wisdom and joy. The Lord very first time that I met and she said you just I can't wait to meet my aunt Joella and so I can't tell you how many times early in our ministry that we would load up the kids and head up to the mountains just go spend a couple days with Stanley and Joella because we needed to talk and we needed to have some sounding board when needed some essay help me make sense of this.

What's going on in this situation is difficult ministry situation that we have whatever you say. So this is what Mary is doing.

She is traveled about 75 to 80 miles retaken her several days to get to Elizabeth's house and when she arrives she gives this normal greeting. The text says probably an honorific sort of showing of honor to Elizabeth and then shalom, peace be with you anything and and it's I am not totally sure about imagine that Mary is starting to think about.

I'm gonna tell Elizabeth all about what's happening with me. We don't really get the indication that Elizabeth even knew of Mary's pregnancy. Not totally sure. Not totally sure whether Mary knew that Elizabeth was pregnant and this is that we didn't have didn't have email it to Skibo #lighthouse and so what happens is a very supernatural thing which is come in to find someone to confide in and say I'm terrified.

And yet I'm excited and yet I mixed and I'm not getting married and what is it we must think and I do believe that this is from God, but I'm struggling with all of this is all of this of these of these emotions. She comes to her beloved relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth is godly woman just has a word just spills is like God just interrupted the scene and said I am going to speak before you can and this prophetic revelation speaks a mighty confirmation but it also is a blessing to Mary when you're wondering whether the whole society is going to reject you. It's a powerful thing. When a prophetic revelatory word comes in, and less is blessed are you among this is no curse. This is blessing you are blessed and perhaps for the first time since the angel had brought these troubling words to Mary. Perhaps for the first time she experiences sure why at the thought of it. She has been troubled.

She had been confused. She is been weary with the three-day journey she has been pensive. She's been thoughtful and she has been submissive to the Lord.

But now she is joyful. The whole of the song where the praise of Mary.

We didn't read, but she speaks about God who is looked upon the humble estate of his servants. She speaks of the one who is mighty was done great things for me exalting those of humble estate filled the hungry with good things and this helped us in remembrance of his own mercy. It is an expression of her awareness and appreciation of the grace of God, of being a recipient of what she could not have deserved.

Which means that in this revelation she hasn't deeply apprehended the truth that this is of God.

And it's good and she's gonna need that in days to come. So what she says in verse 46 my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior sold the Greek word psyche you recognize like psychology.

It means mind. We usually think of the soul is in encompassing the whole of the personality and the will and the emotion, thoughts of a person your mind, but spirit is a different word. It is new mom and there are a lot of scriptural examples where distinction is made between spirit and soul. First Thessalonians, Paul wants to bless us and bless the Thessalonians and he says it verse 23 first Thessalonians 5. May God, the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even I think more noteworthy. The writer of Hebrews after four verse 12 says the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow just it just seems to me that's important what he what he saying is soul and spirit, really, spirit, soul and body are so closely knit you where we are where we are one were not a tripartite be in the since it would just going around disconnected like we have these three different elements or something on your person your whole person, but though very close. There's something in the supernatural spirit filled word of God that is like a razor that even knows between spirit and soul so intimately connected. Paul as something very important to say in first Corinthians 2. I can spend a long time on but I'm I really need to show this to you.

This is the sort of thing. I wish I had understood very early in my Christian life adverse first met his 212 Paul says we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God. So when you become a Christian, you receive the Holy Spirit that we might understand the things freely given us by God. So he is clearly saying here.

The Holy Spirit has a role of helping the Christian to understand who we are and what we have in Christ that just because you become a Christian, you do not automatically understand everything you have in Christ and what it means to be an air of God the Holy Spirit is there beginning to teach you and show you all these things and freely given my impulses and we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit, and then he says this interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. Is he talking about here. The natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God for their folly to him and is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. You have people in your life right now that are not Christian and are not spiritual people in our society has all this mumbo-jumbo stuff they thought about being spiritual and what they really mean is that they are mystically and emotionally trying to be more aware in all and in touch with with things whenever but spiritual in the Bible sense is more of a technical term Allen writing good news message rearing freeze in the spirit from the series higher power. They with his pastor Alan is back here in the studio shearing is sporting good news thought for the day. In just a moment being filled with the Holy Spirit shutting off your mind hearing for a wonderful surprise God's word and spirit were never meant to be separated spirit always belonged to gather the key to abundant life in Christ knowing your Bible. The secret of being filled with the spirit, the answer is the spirit and subjugation in studying scripture in some traditions, emphasize the spirit of Christian growth is both word and spirit as someone once said all spirit you dry all spirit. No word both word and spirit umbrella. You make a gift of support this night will send you Alan Wright's newest album on CD and digital download word and spirit clients embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit can grow like never before. Word and spirit realm. Helping someone else grow as well.

Remember when you partner with ministries to be broadcasting the love of God to thousands every day. The gospel is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanked him Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor and got a work blessing your life. Grace filled for grace and encouragement. Alan writes a daily blessing is free. Pastor I got away but now pastor at Freer in praise in the spirit what's reporting the news. Thought today will Mary said if we remember from the Christmas story. My soul magnifies the Lord in my spirit rejoices in God my Savior and I think there's a difference between soul and spirit to know writer of Hebrews says that the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, able to separate even soul and spirit, and so there is a distinction between what's happening in the mind.

That's the soul Sue K.

And what happens in the new mother spirit is a what's happening here with Mary is something that we can learn a lot about what is it mean to pray. Praise God in the spirit what what is that mean is is is distinct from merely praising him with our mind and we're going to be learning about that from this famous Magnificat prayer in which she is rejoicing in God in a spiritual way. We been learning about the Holy Spirit would be learning about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and now were praying and praising God in the spirit. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online@pastor.org or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860 if you only caught part of today's teaching. Not only can you listen again online but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free.

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