But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
I notice this morning that we are to "pray in the Holy Spirit".
John Piper in a sermon entitled "Learning to Pray in the Spirit and the Word, Part 1" has these thoughts on this verse:
"Notice in verses 20-21 that prayer is one of the ways we are to keep ourselves in the love of God. "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God." Shortened down, it says, "By praying, keep yourselves in the love of God." So the effort to "keep ourselves in the love of God" (verse 21 is the means God uses to keep us safe for eternal life. And praying is one way we keep ourselves in the love of God ("praying, keep yourselves in the love of God"). Therefore, prayer is a crucial and essential means of grace that God ordains to keep us safe for eternal life.
So don't ever think, Since God is the decisive keeper of my soul, and I am eternally secure (Which is true! Romans 8:30; John 10:29; Philippians 1:6), therefore I don't need to be vigilant to pray for perseverance. That would be like saying, Since God is the decisive giver and sustainer of life, I don't need to breathe. I can spend as much time underwater as above water and it won't make any difference. Yes it will. God's means of sustaining life is not only the gift of life, but the gift of breath to sustain it (Acts 17:25).
So don't think, Since God is the decisive keeper of my soul, I can spend as much time in prayerless sinning as in prayerful serving, and it won't make any difference. Yes it will. God's means of keeping your soul is not only the gift of life, but also the gift of prayer to sustain it. If you don't receive and use the gift of life-sustaining prayer, there is little reason to think that you receive and cherish the gift of life. If you don't treasure the gift of breath, you don't cherish the gift of life.
Prayer is utterly crucial to your life. Jesus said in Luke 21:36, "Keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Pray that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man at the Last Day. Prayer is a means of persevering to the end in faith and standing with joy before the King of the universe."
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