Have you ever been working on a project and found yourself with a drill or hammer in one hand and a curtain rod or shelf in the other all the while balancing on a ladder as you think to yourself, “I could use a little help here!” Or “Can I get a second hand please?” I know for myself this is a common occurrence when trying to hang or build anything as it’s not my expertise, but God always places those friends nearby that are quick to respond.
I sense in my heart, for many of us that there is a cry for help, a need for a second hand for the juggling and balancing act of life. I mean even the Beatles sang a song entitled “Help!” This cry of the human condition, apart from Jesus, is unanswered. We all need support mentally, physically, emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually.
Jesus, understanding our makeup, spoke to His disciples in John 14:26 saying, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things I said to you.” In fact, as children of God, Jesus emphatically ensured us that He would not leave us orphans, but by the Holy Spirit would dwell in us for this exact purpose.
Thank God we are no longer waiting on the Helper, as He broke the envelope of the atmosphere those many years ago in Jerusalem in the upper room. The Holy Spirit came to each of those 120 folks and filled them with the much needed help for the assignment at hand. This is why understanding your righteousness is so important—it is the prerequisite for being filled with the Helper. As God has redeemed us from the grip of the enemy through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross, we are released into right standing with Him.
We have been made one with Him and are encouraged in Galatians 5:16 to walk (or live) in the Spirit. What does this mean? It means that by faith we are to live a life that is completely and steadily saturated with the awareness of the One who lives in us. The One who was purposefully sent to help us in every call, endeavor, and occupation that God has set us in as representatives of Him and His kingdom. We are not alone nor expected to accomplish anything on our own strength or ability. Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”
This help that God has so graciously provided for us is brought to the forefront of our lives when we turn from complaining and wondering about how it will all work out and begin to pray. I know it seems all too simple and even redundant to mention prayer as the solution, but I want to encourage you in your prayer life to fan the flame of intimacy with the Father. Prayer is a mighty tool that God has placed in our arsenal against the enemy. It’s mighty because we are not praying alone about the needed help, but in complete oneness with the Father and the Holy Spirit accomplishing great feats. God continues to call me to prayer. He says, “Dustin, this is where I want you—in prayer and communion with Me.”
You see it’s in times of prayer that we position ourselves to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. It’s where our help comes from and direction is given. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps [Takes hold together with us against] 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. “This is where the Helper, the Holy Spirit thrives in our lives.
When we come and sit at His feet and say, “I’m at a loss and I don’t know what to do next,” the Father through His word and by His Spirit says, “I’m right here son and daughter. In this weakness I will be strong. I will show Myself faithful in your life and I will assist you. I will cause My favor to shine on you and continue to give you wisdom and spiritual understanding in the knowledge of who I am. In this you will find new success and flourish in your place. All that has set itself against you is removed as I lead you to lie down in pastures of tender grass and waters of rest.”
This communion is the language of love, the love that has been poured out in our hearts by the Helper Himself. There is no greater way to regroup and recover than to stop, and place your hand on your chest and say, “Father I love you, and I thank you for not leaving me alone in this, but giving me the Helper to make my way easy and straight. Give me now the words to say and the what to do.” This will bring the help you need and the peace that passes all understanding.
Before we go I want to encourage you in this last verse, which to be honest is another topic all on its own. Jude 20-21 says, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Praying in tongues pushes the “easy button” that charges your spirit and places you in the awareness of God’s limitless love for you.
Remember this: “Prayer is not about time, it’s about access.”