Years ago, a young student wrote me for prayer concerning an exam that she was preparing to take. She said, "Please pray that the Holy Spirit will bring to my remembrance the things I need to know during my exam." It was a simple request, but one that would radically change my prayer life. I was familiar with Jesus' words in John 14:26 (NIV)--"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you"--but I was always under the impression that this kind of supernatural "recall" was limited to spiritual things. I was wrong.

Nowadays, I count on the Spirit of God for all kinds of things, both large and small. If I'm doing laundry and I have to be out of earshot of my machines, I ask the Holy Spirit to remind me to check them before our clothes are ruined. If I'm in the shower and I notice that the bar of soap is getting small, I ask Him to remind me to replace it as soon as I get out of the tub. Occasionally, when I want to wake up earlier than usual, but I don't need to set my alarm, I pray, "Holy Spirit, please wake me up at just the right time in the morning." Since it pleases the Lord for us to exercise our faith, I believe that it delights His heart when we practice using our "faith muscles" in this way. As our faith grows, we will find it easier to use it for bigger things, and under tougher circumstances. The truth is, there simply isn't anything that's too small or insignificant for us to pray about. Jesus said: "I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything." (Mark 11:24 MSG) This kind of all-inclusive prayer will not only increase our level of blessings, but it will increase our intimacy with God. As far as I'm concerned, that alone is a good enough reason to pray about everything.

Did you know that you could ask the Holy Spirit to help you to memorize the Word of God? It's true. I'm so grateful that the Lord led me to hear a teaching on this subject many years ago, so that I could take advantage of this divine gift. Sometimes people ask me how I've managed to memorize so many Scriptures. I have to confess that I rely heavily on the Spirit of God's help in this area. Lately, we've all been hearing about how memorization can keep the human brain healthy and young. I can't think of anything that's better for us to memorize than the Holy Scriptures. As we plant--or "deposit"--God's Word in our hearts and minds in this way, we will be able to make the necessary "withdrawals" when we need to pray for ourselves or others. Praying the Word of God is powerful. And the Holy Spirit will bring to mind the exact Scriptures we need to pray for each person at the proper time. Do you ever tell people that you're going to pray for them, but then you forget? Well, you can ask the Spirit of God to bring those people to your remembrance often, so that you won't neglect to keep them covered in prayer.

Sometimes, when my husband I and are shopping at a large store and we get separated, I pray, "Holy Spirit, please lead me to Joe." I've also asked Him to help me locate something that I've misplaced. And I'm always amazed at how He shows that He cares by answering these little petitions. Scripture says, "By our faith--the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying." (Romans 8:26 TLB) If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, and have made Him the Lord of your life, you have a divine "Helper" living on the inside of you right now. Ask Him to help you with your "daily problems" and "in your praying," and take full advantage of the privileges and rights that belong to you in Christ!

Prayer: Lord, help me to become more sensitive to Your Spirit's leading through prayer and the study of Your Word. Teach me how to rely more heavily upon Your Spirit as I go about my daily routine. Thank You that as I invite and involve You in everything I do, I will experience Your presence and Your power like never before!

- J. M. Farro