Praying in the Spirit is praying with divine help. It is trusting in faith and depending on God to listen, understand and act. Praying in the Spirit is a gift that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Scripture on Praying in the Spirit
- “And pray in the Spirit on every occasion with all kinds of prayers and petitions. With this in mind, be vigilant and keep praying always for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18).
- “But you, dear friends, building yourselves up on your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,” (Jude 1:20).
- “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. What we should ask we do not know, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with mute groans” (Romans 8:26).
Meaning of praying in the Spirit
According to John Gill’s commentary, prayer, “when done right, is done ‘in the Spirit’; with the heart, soul and spirit committed to it. It endures with a sincere heart, and an upright spirit, and without hypocrisy; spiritually, and earnestly, and under the influence and with the assistance of the Spirit of God.”
Praying in the Spirit is different from praying in tongues.
Some teach that praying in the Spirit is synonymous with praying in tongues. But since tongues are a gift of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-11), not a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not all Christians can speak in tongues. However, Paul instructs Christians to “pray in the Spirit on every occasion” (Ephesians 6:18). Therefore, we can know that praying in the Spirit is different from praying in tongues.
Praying in the Spirit is trusting the Spirit in prayer.
“The beginning of understanding what it means to pray in the Spirit is to accept Paul’s words: ‘We do not know why we should pray…’ (Romans 8:26),” said Alan Wright.
The context around this verse describes an intimate relationship with God through prayer, patiently trusting that God will hear, understand, and act:
“But if we wait for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we should pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with silent groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people according to God’s will. And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:25-28).
Prayer “is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 16-18), not to burden his people with rules and rituals, but for relationship with him. And although “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 16-18) is a command from God, the Spirit of God Himself enables and empowers His people to pray.
Praying the Spirit is praying secure in your position as God’s heir.
In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus describes religious hypocrites who prayed in public places to be seen by other people, instead of praying in the Spirit before them. God. He speaks of the pagans who also pray, but in a ritual way with specific and repeated words. Jesus told his disciples to pray differently, trusting that God sees them and knows what they need even before they ask.
“Only to the extent that they know that God is their Father, can they pray with intimacy instead of with religious rite. Part of what it means to pray in the Spirit, therefore, is to pray with the help of the Holy Spirit, who constantly reminds you of your position as God’s heir. You are a child of God and, as such, you are joint heir with Christ. You can pray with the power of a child of God to a perfect Father,” Wright said.
Praying in the Spirit is valuable and possible for all Christians.
Dr. Michael Milton talked about praying in the Spirit in her Crosswalk article.
“Praying in the Spirit is an indispensable part of the Christian life,” he said. “It is true that opinions vary about the exact meaning of praying in the Spirit. There are a variety of theological claims about how to ‘achieve’ praying in the Spirit as if admonition were a skill to be acquired. It is not. It is a gift to be received, a life to be lived… Praying with divine help is praying in the Spirit.”
He then explained:
“’Praying in the Spirit’ is wholly a divine activity appropriated through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross… Praying in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, and worshiping in the Spirit (“ in Spirit and in truth”, John 4:24) is to appear before the Lord according to the means appointed by Him, that is, through Him whom the Spirit magnifies, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:26-27), depending of His revealed Word and pleading as a lesser creature. to our glorious Creator.”
Save this PDF as a guide at Living by the Power of the Holy Spirit – A Prayer and Scripture Guide