Activity 2
FOLLOWING THE MAZE PT 2 – THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION
You can read what Ephesians 6:18 says from the New King James Version by clicking the link below:
Using the same format that we used in Activity 1 to pick apart what the Apostle Paul told us about prayer, we are now going to answer the following questions based on the New King James Version:
How are we supposed to pray?
When are we supposed to pray?
What are we supposed to pray?
In order to understand this version, I found that I had to look up the definition of supplication.
You see, we are presented (taught) that supplication is a “type” of prayer, but that is not how the New King James Version reads. It says, “…and supplication in the Spirit.”
Supplication
Having done the research about what it means to be “in the Spirit”, we now know that supplication in this case is not a type but a manner that comes from the intimacy of a relationship.
In order to grasp ahold of the depth of what the New King James Version was revealing, I found myself turning back to the dictionary to look for more insight into what it means to supplicate in the Spirit. Visually, what I picture is a child begging a parent for permission for something to happen or to receive something. How close was I to what the definition is?
The Oxford Dictionary lets us know that supplication, as I suspected, is more than a “type” of prayer. In the definition, it is “an action of asking or begging.”
A few of the synonyms provided for the word “supplication” are pleading, appeal, petition, solicitation, and application. Because I knew what it means to plead, solicit, or even apply for something I decided to not look up those words but instead to look up the words appeal and petition although I believe I knew the meaning of those words too. What I found lit a huge fire inside my spirit and had me praising God.
(I want to encourage you to look up the definition of all of the words if you are not for certain that you understand what they mean.)
Petition
A petition is a formal written request. That’s right. When you write in a prayer journal you are petitioning God in prayer. Many times, a person would fill out a petition (which looks like an application) because there is a matter that they need the Judge to decide on (prayerfully on their behalf). When a petition is granted, this means that the Judge approved it, but sometimes petitions are denied. (We mentioned that sometimes a parent will tell a child no.)
This also reminds me of what we read earlier in Romans 8:26-27 where we were told that “the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Then we are told that “He who searches the hearts (this would be the Judge) knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
In other words, what you are looking at here is our Lawyer in the Heavenly Courtroom interceding before the JUDGE on our behalf. Glory be to GOD.
Jesus Christ is our private attorney and our public defender. He is our GREAT High Priest who intercedes for us.
The entire book of Hebrews shows us, King Jesus, right now, in His role of Great High Priest where He intercedes on our behalf so that no matter what the issue is that we face, we can take it to the Judge, through Jesus Christ our Lawyer in the Heavenly Courtroom which is the Highest Court.
In 2022, I had the privilege of attending, via Marco Polo (which is a video messaging app), the graduation and installation ceremony of my youngest daughter who passed her Bar Exam to become a lawyer. It was a very special occasion that prepared me to recognize what I was reading in Hebrews chapters 7 and 8 – the Installation of Jesus Christ as our Lawyer in the Heavenly Courtroom.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I have a few matters that I need legal representation for in the Heavenly Courtroom. So, in prayer, I am going to put in my request for representation. As you continue with the lessons in this module, you will learn what that request for representation is called. But if you know what that request is called, please share your answer in the comments area below.
Read Hebrews 9:23-28
The Spirit helps us because “we don’t know how to pray as we ought.”
We should know HOW to pray. Prayer is more than just speaking a bunch of words or repeating words over and over. Jesus actually told us not to do that. He said that the hypocrites think that they would be heard for their many words. Basically, our prayers need to come from our hearts and not from our heads.
As we have seen, through a consideration of the NIV, there is a difference between going to court to stand before a Judge or a KING, and running humbly, yet boldly into the throne room of mercy and grace because we are a child running to our DADDY for help, in the name of Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us.
This is so powerful. Yet, there is more.
I want to encourage you to take a short break here because there is even more power that is getting ready to pass through to you as we consider the definition of appeal.
Let’s continuing with searching for understanding by looking at definitions, I now considered what it means to appeal.
Appeal
An appeal is when you apply to a higher court for a reversal of a decision in a lower court.
Here on earth, the wisdom of man says that the Supreme Court is the higher court, but the children of God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all that encompasses, know that this is not true. There is a court that sits Higher than the Supreme Court that has been placed in its position here on earth.
Romans 13:1 New King James Version
Submit to Government
13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
The Supreme Authorities here on earth have been “appointed by God”. This means that they have to answer to an authority higher than they are because they sit as a representation of God who is the supreme authority.
Hebrews 9:23-24 New International Version
23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
So, when we supplicate God in prayer, in the Spirit, we are able to approach our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, in reference to the things that are happening here on earth that we do not like and would like a reversal of. Humbly, yet boldly, we are able to approach the throne of mercy and grace, in the name of Jesus Christ, to request a reversal of what is happening here on earth and Jesus Christ said that whatever we ask for, in His Name, is yes and Amen. He said that He would do it.
Read John 14:13-14
Confirmation of this truth is found in the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus Christ told us to pray. Let’s briefly look at it:
The Lord’s Instruction on How to Pray
Our Father
That is relational. Remember our praying “in the Spirit” is our ability, by the Spirit, to cry out ABBA, Father (DADDY) because the Spirit has borne witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. This is relational.
Who art in heaven
This is humbling. We are reminded that God is a Spirit. Jesus said that we who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Hallowed be Thy Name
This is also humbling. We are made to acknowledge that God is true. Everything He has ever told us was the truth. We have suffered throughout the years because of our disobedience and rebellion. God never withheld anything good from us. What he was trying to hold back from us was evil. But we are the ones who ran headlong into evil like a child running into glass mirrors.
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven
This is our appeal. We are asking for a reconsideration, a re-examination, and a retrial. We are begging for this in the Spirit, in faith. You see, in order to make this type of request, we must first believe that God can, that God is able, and that God rewards those who diligently seek HIM. In Hebrews 11:6, we are told that in addition to our believing in God, we must also believe that God is a rewarder if we are to please God well.
This is powerful, and this power is found in HOW we are to pray, not what we are to pray.
As a reminder, the New King James Version adds even more weight to what we have learned from the New International Version by telling us
HOW: “supplication” in the Spirit (meaning we are to petition and appeal)
WHEN: Always praying
WHAT: ALL prayer
We are now ready to consider the last comparison translation/version – the 1599 Geneva Bible. I pray that this is blessing you as much as it is blessing me.
Please Proceed to Module 8 Activity 3
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