DANNY TILLMAN's Site

PRAYING IN THE *SPIRIT 

(This was originally an email response 

to Micah's Top 40 Philosophy Podcast 17)

- by dady

Most of the following text 

was first copied to this web page 

on Dec. 7, 2016.

[Note: a new section (#17. In the Holy of Holies) 

was added on December 9, 2016]

[Note: words & 2 extra bars were added to 

#16. A new song, part B  on December 14, 2016, beginning at 9:18 p.m. EST.]

* NOTE ADDED ON FEBRUARY 13, 2018: 

WHEN YOU SEE THE WORD “SPIRIT” BY ITSELF (INSTEAD OF “HOLY SPIRIT”) ANYWHERE IN THE FOLLOWING TEXT OR BIBLE VERSES, IT MAY BE REFERRING TO “HOLY SPIRIT” [RUACH KODESH IN HEBREW (RUACH = SPIRIT; KODESH = HOLY)]   OR “SPIRIT” (I.E. THE SPIRIT THAT EACH OF US REALLY IS--WE ARE EACH A SPIRIT WHO LIVES IN OUR OWN BODY, RIGHT?) SO IF YOU SEE “SPIRIT” SPELLED “Sspirit,” IT MEANS THAT I DON’T KNOW IF THAT PARTICULAR WORD MEANS “HOLY SPIRIT,” OR "HUMAN SPIRIT,” OR--IN THE ACTION OF PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT--MAY MEAN “BOTH HOLY SPIRIT AND HUMAN SPIRIT,” BECAUSE “PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT (OR HOLY SPIRIT)” PROBABLY MEANS THAT “HOLY SPIRIT IS HELPING HUMAN SPIRIT TO PRAY.” AND IF YOU DO NOT SEE "Spirit" SPELLED "Sspirit," IT MAY BE BECAUSE I JUST FORGOT TO SPELL IT THAT WAY. SPEAKING OF THE TERM “THE HOLY SPIRIT,” I HAVE BEGUN TO THINK THAT MAYBE I SHOULD DROP THE “THE” OUT OF “THE HOLY SPIRIT” AS OFTEN AS I AM ABLE, AS IN THE PHRASE PRAYING IN HOLY SPIRIT (INSTEAD OF “PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT”).

CONTENTS

My email to Micah, October 28, 2016:

1. Intro

2. Some random, rambling, & often confused thoughts about yesteryear & up-to-today

3. *Synchronized with salvation

4. Crying & Psalm 34:9-20

5. Praying in the Sspirit (practicing the presence of God?); Romans 8:22-27

6. Worrying; Philippians 4:6,7.

7. Songs in the mind; praying & singing in the Sspirit

8. Praying, singing, prophesying, speaking, blessing, edifying, in unknown tongues & with understanding: 1 Corinthians 14:1-19 

9. Praying in the Sspirit in action: riding bike; John Yandell; Soul House; Soda Cans Only, etc.; Colossians 1:9

10. Happiness in the wrong place

12. The Gospel of John, Bob Dylan, & me

13. My angels

14. How I pray in or with the Sspirit 

__________________________

*I originally titled this section “Reconciled to Salvation”; then I decided to look up the definition of “reconciled” just to be sure it made sense in the phrase; one of the definitions was “syncretize,” noted as a rare definition. That made me think of “synchronized.”

1. Intro

Funny intro, Micah! and, also, I heard it said that no man is an Ireland. But since we have so much Irish & Scottish blood in us, we actually are an Ireland...and a Scotland too.

2.  Some random, rambling, & often confused thoughts from yesteryear up to today

Yeah, early in life (~ 0-6 years), I don't remember feeling guilty about being mean to my family, which I was regularly; but I worried about how I was treated by some of the other kids at school. 

Then, from about late 6 years old to 1969, I worried constantly about all the times I treated other people badly, which I often did. 

Then I started drinking regularly in about 1970 & didn't worry much about anything until about 1979. Since then, all I've done is worry about how badly I've treated people all my life. I will never forgive myself, I told your Aunt Jane (on one of my visits to Micanopy since I retired). She said, "You have to." I replied, "No, I can't. I believe Jesus died for my sins and offers forgiveness, but can't accept that forgiveness because I feel so bad about my sins that I can never forgive myself. Therefore, I will have to go to hell."  That's the way I've felt for most of my life. 

3. Synchronized with salvation

Then, earlier this year, completely at loss and exhausted at all this sin & it's consequences, & not being able to deal with it anymore, I just simply gave up, threw myself at the feet of Jesus as it were (while washing my hands in the downstairs bathroom), & thanked him for dying for me, & told him something like this, "I still can't forgive myself, & I will always detest & regret my sins, & therefore will gladly go to hell for them--even tho' an eternity of punishment in hell will never be able to pay for all those sins; but since you went to all that trouble to take all those sins upon yourself on the cross & die for me, then I acknowledge that you've done so, & despite all my feelings of shame & guilt, I will deny my stupid pride, and just simply accept what you've done for me (& all the people of the entire federal world, of course); I owe you (much?) more than my life." That last phrase is a line spoken by Richard Burton (playing Marcellus the centurion) in reference to his slave Demetrius, in the movie, The Robe.

4. Crying & Psalm 34:9-20

The constant feeling of doom eased up a bit after that. But I still experienced periods of crying, especially, for some strange reason, just after eating. (Ezra said it’s probably because after eating --the only time I get to just do nothing during the day--I then have to go back to work (chores & projects).

But maybe the crying is a good thing, because it puts you in a sympathetic mood with the down-trodden hopeless people in the world, and hence--if one could only seize the moment--to pray for them:

O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, & suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, & loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, & thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, & do good; seek peace, & pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, & his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, & the LORD heareth, & delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is night unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken (A Psalm of David 34:9-20 KJV).

5. Praying in the Sspirit (practicing the presence of God?); Romans 8:22-27

 (I didn’t think about this till later, Micah, but maybe the following happening is a step on the path toward practicing the presence of God.) Then, on October 10 or 11, I decided to begin praying in the Sspirit continually, when possible, without ceasing, from morning when waking, till night till sleeping (and even maybe while sleeping?):

For we know that the whole creation groaneth & travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:22-27 KJV).  

6. Worrying; Philippians 4:6,7

When worry came as it usually does for me at all hours of day & night, I decided to try praying in the Sspirit, which I did. In just a little while, I suddenly remembered this verse: 

Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer & supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts & minds thru Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6,7 KJV).

7. Songs in the mind; praying & singing in the Sspirit; Ephesians 5:14-21

Also, when I'm not praying, there's one of our Songs to Us songs going on in my head (there are others at times, but this is my main, favorite song, & a great comfort to me), which it has done for many years: "Jesus You're My/Our God," the only recording of which was done by all of us at your Uncle Wil & Aunt Patty's in 1988 or '89; you might remember it, as you sing "Lah, lah, lah, lah, lah" between phrases; other songs, at times come to me which I begin singing in my head; when a person comes to mind, I mention their name & pray for them in the Sspirit:

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, & arise from the dead, & Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, singing & making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God & the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:14-21 KJV).

8. Praying, singing, prophesying, speaking, blessing, edifying, in unknown tongues & with understanding: 1 Corinthians 14:1-19 

Follow after charity, & desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.  For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, & exhortation, & comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prohesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, many kinds of voices in the world, & none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, & he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, & I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, & I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak 5 words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue (1 Corinthians 14:1-19).

Oh, by the way, Micah, is speaking in unknown tongues the same as praying (speaking) in the Sspirit? I was led to believe that in our old Charismatic days, and accept that they are. But I could be wrong.

9. Praying in the Sspirit in action: riding bike; John Yandell; Soul House; Soda Cans Only, etc.; Colossians 1:9

On October 13, Wednesday, 2016, I was riding my bike & picking up trash along the roadside, as I do at least twice a week, weather permitting. I was on 273, headed toward Newark, approaching the junction of Brick Meetinghouse Road. A flat-bed construction-type truck pulled over & stopped on the shoulder. A big, tall, tanned, young man in cut-offs (in his 20s, I would guess) got out & walked back toward me. He continued walking until he stopped & stood towering over me. He (his name was John Yandell) said the LORD had told him to stop & pray for me (tho’ John said he didn’t really want to do it, but the LORD kept insisting, so he did), but that he didn’t know what for. John asked if I needed prayer or anything. [I'm pretty sure John said "The LORD told me to stop and pray for you," but he might have said, "The LORD told me to stop and talk to you." But, again, I'm pretty sure it was the former phrase--with the word pray in it.]  I said, as a matter of fact I had been praying in the Sspirit all during my bike ride that day (some of it actually for the motorists on 273), and that I had, only 2 or 3 days before, began to pray constantly, when possible, in the Sspirit; and then I asked him if he knew about praying in the Sspirit. He was amazed, & said that he had only recently began to read in the Bible about praying in the Sspirit! It was now my turn to be amazed too! I said that I also sang songs at times during the praying, and that we had recorded, and were continuing to re-record (“cover”) them, and I briefly told him about the Songs to Us songs. John told me he attended a church fellowship which was meeting in a building located on Bridge Street, Elkton, just over the bridge on the left, as you head to Main Street. He said the name of another church group that used to meet there (I can’t recall the name, but know it well, & you do too, as you will see in a minute, Micah). He said that group of people doesn’t meet there anymore, or that they still do, but changed the name, as the fellowship John meets with there now goes by the name of “United Redeemed.” When he had said the original name of the group that met there, I had recognized the name right away; so now, I said, “Hey, my son Micah and their band, Soda Cans Only (& later, Bragdon Wood?), used to play there in the 90s!” (I guess that’s when y’all mainly played there, huh?) Now it was John’s turn to be amazed again: He said, “Oh, that was Soul House! (which I then remembered, but hadn’t tho’t of in many years) and we’ve just recently started it up again!” He then asked me if Soda Cans was still playing, and that it would be great if y’all could play at Soul House again. I told him no, but that you were still into music, & did the Podcasts. We talked about some other stuff, and I told him I used to be a construction worker & that the most recent type of construction work I had done before we moved up North was for a company that did block, brick, & stone masonry. I asked him what he did, and he said he worked for a landscaper who also does stone masonry as part of his landscaping work (building walls & things on lawns I guess)! Oh, yeah, I just remembered something else: I told John that you now lived in Notre Dame, Indiana, what your work is now, and that Ruth worked in the library at UND. John said that some of his friends also work (or are students?--can’t remember which) at the university there.

Finally, John prayed for me, and I prayed for him. Then, he walked back to his truck, got in, & drove away: turning right onto Brick Meeting House Road, heading back toward 272.

For this cause [your love in the Spirit (from the verse before)] we also...do not cease to pray for you, & to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom & spiritual understanding; (Colossians 1:9).- All verses in this essay are courtesy of KJV by way of eliyah dot com (for looking up scripture addresses), & library dot timeless truths dot org (for transcribing the verses).

10. Happiness in the wrong place

We moved from suburban city life in Chester, PA to “32” to the country setting of North East MD in Summer, 1996. But even tho' our surroundings were more pleasant in Cecil County, I could spend less time with our family due to increased work hours to acquire 2 1/2 times more money for rent than our monthly house payment was in Chester. It took me several years maybe to look back & see that even tho' Chester was a dangerous place, and some bad things happened there, our best family-together times were the six years we lived on Keystone Road in Buckman Village.