By Charles Stanley

      John 16:5-15

      As Jesus neared the time of His death, He frequently referred to the Helper He would be sending. The Holy Spirit was promised to enable and instruct believers. Often called the Comforter, or Parakletos in Greek, He is the one who comes to stand by us and assist in whatever God calls us to do.

      One of the Holy Spirit's most significant responsibilities is to be our Helper in prayer. The burden we feel to pray comes from Him. He knows about temptations lurking ahead or harsh experiences that may befall us, so He prompts us to talk to our Father. When you sense a need to pray, the last thing you should do is ignore it. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, we are told not to "quench the Spirit"; in other words, to ignore that divine prodding is actually a sin.

      By burdening us to pray for someone else, the Holy Spirit frequently offers Christians the opportunity to participate in God's work. On many occasions, I have received calls asking if I was going through a tough time. Invariably, my caller had been praying for me at the behest of the Holy Spirit.

      This burdening of our hearts to pray for ourselves or for others is a special demonstration of God's love. By calling us to prayer, He can begin the delicate work of sensitizing us to our surrounding circumstances or preparing us for a battle that He knows is coming. Listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and allowing ourselves to be prepared is how we display our love in return.