Prayer is an act of communion. Through it we discourse with God. He speaks to us when we study His word; we speak to Him when we respond in prayer. Thus prayer is always linked with the Word. The lamps were tendered in the Holy Place, at the time when the incense was burned upon the golden altar. When prayer and the word are our daily delight, we experience, in measure, what Moses experienced in the Tabernacle. "And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with God, then he heard the voice of One speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spake unto Him" (Num. 7:8,9).

Moses directly conversed with God. What a tremendous act of condescension on the part of God; what a great privilege to hear His Voice. We can do this when the study of the Word is joined with Prayer. One helps the other. "Thanksgiving," wrote Paul, "is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (1 Tim. 4:5). Christ declared: "True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).

The Word will enable us to look at life, including our own problems, from the standpoint of God, and thus will assist us to pray as we ought. Ponder the prayers of the Bible. Notice the way in which the Father is addressed by men and women of faith: "He that keepeth covenant and mercy with those that put their trust in Him;" "The Father of mercies;" "The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;" "The God of all comfort;" "The God of love and peace;" "The God of patience;" "Our Father Who art in heaven." Notice how the prayers of the ancients ascribe glory unto the Lord, present their petitions unto Him, speak of His past acts of deliverance and power, submit to His direction and guidance.

A study of prayers will help us to pray with greater power.
Paul wrote: "The Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26).

Again, in this context, the Spirit refers to a mind generated by the Truth. Such will guide us in prayer, reveal to us our needs, clearly define our failings, cause us to recognise our dependence upon God, induce in us "groanings" as we recall personal failures, which we find impossible to express in words.

When Paul wrote that "the Spirit helpeth our infirmities," he referred to the weakness of flesh to approach God aright. The word "infirmities" is astheneia and signifies want of strength, weakness. The Spirit-truth will help our natural weaknesses, and enable us to acceptably pray unto the Father. Moreover, in the Greek, the definite article is attached to what making it the what, and expressing: "We know not the what we should pray for as we ought." Unless the mind is prepared by the Word, we do not know the particular thing, or failing, for which we should be praying as we ought. The Word, however, enlivens the mind in spiritual matters, and revealing to us our true state before God, induces in us the wisdom to pray for help where it is
needed.

Thus the Truth filters prayer:
"Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father!" (Gal. 4:6). Our approach to God in that way testifies to the reality of our claim that we are sons of God. No proper approach, no real son-ship, is possible without that "spirit."

We have seen that the Spirit-word is an advocate on earth, helping to prepare our case for preparation in heaven. However, that case, when prepared, must be presented through our heavenly advocate: the Lord Jesus Christ. "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25). "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Heb. 9:24).

Prayer, therefore, should be directed to the Father through the Son. "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14). "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).

No attempt should be made to separate the Father from the Son, for there is complete unity between them both (John 17:21). To speak directly to the Son, in the manner of some churches, is not honouring to him, because he has instructed that we should approach the Father. To ignore the Son in our approach to God is not honouring to the Father, because it is recorded that "he that honoureth the Son honoureth the Father also." We should respect the instruction of the Lord to direct our prayers to God in his name.