Since we sometimes pray outside of God's will, part of the Holy Spirit's job is to change our minds—not convince God to give us what we want. That's why the Spirit "searches our hearts" in prayer. Sometimes words are inadequate; you don't always know what someone's really thinking or wants based on what they say. But if you could see inside their heart you'd know exactly how to interpret their words. That's what the Spirit does when He searches our hearts and interprets our requests to the Father. But if the Holy Spirit is going to intercede for us (appeal to God on our behalf) we'd better learn what God's will is for our life. Where do we learn that? In His Word. Before we can pray in the will of God two things have to happen. First, we must have a regular intake of Scripture. God's mind is revealed in His Word, so when you read the Bible you learn how to pray the way you should. Second, if our prayers are going to hit the mark we need to practice meditating on the Scriptures. Just as a good cook allows a stew to simmer in order to bring out all the flavors, we need to "marinate" our minds in Scripture and allow it to become part of us. When that happens, we'll start to see things change in our prayer lives because the Spirit's intercession is tied to God's will, which is tied to His Word. In the final analysis you may think you know what you want, but God knows what you need!
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