Lifeway Church in Dacula, GA | Sundays 10 AM

Praying In The Spirit - Day 6

Today’s focus verse is Ephesians 6:18 from the amplified Bible “Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding on behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).”

In this verse we encounter the phrase PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT. What exactly does that mean? Does it automatically mean praying in an unknown tongue? Or does it have a deeper meaning?

Most certainly we believe that praying in the Spirit means that God wants us to pray in an unknown language…and when we are praying in an unknown language it is praying in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the words and we speak them out. And that those words that we are speaking are in a language unknown to us. The Holy Spirit knows those words and the angels and heavenly forces are activated as God’s will is unfolding and moving forward.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:14 - “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

 At times, praying in the spirit in an unknown language keeps our mind free to focus on God and not worry about what we are praying about. It is a way to eliminate our reasoning from the equation.

I like the Passion translation of Romans 8:26 - “And in a similar way, the Holy Spirit takes hold of us in our human frailty to empower us in our weakness. For example, at times we don’t even know how to pray, or know the best things to ask for. But the Holy Spirit rises up within us to super-intercede on our behalf, pleading to God with emotional sighs too deep for words.”

 Paul taught about praying in the spirit and practiced it. He said “I thank my God that I speak with tongues more than you all.” He was never against praying or speaking in tongues. In fact, he said DO NOT forbid speaking or praying in tongues or other languages.

We should pray in our heavenly language or other tongues because that is our spirit joined to the Holy Spirit praying. But we can’t forget that at the same time the Holy Spirit knows our language…which is English…and there is a prayer in the spirit that can also be in English. Where He is leading us to pray for something or someone that we were not even thinking about and it had not even entered into our mind. It came directly from the Holy Spirit.

So whether we are praying in English or in an unknown language we are praying in the power of the Holy Spirit and speaking out those things that line up with His word and are in agreement with His Spirit.

 His will is begin done on this earth as it is and proceeds from heaven. This is where God gets the glory.

We supply the “conduit” and He supplies the power.

Praying in the Spirit is possible as we stay filled with His Spirit and yield to His Spirit. We are giving ourselves to Him to be used by Him and controlled by Him.

1 Comment


Maria Vann - September 10th, 2022 at 7:59pm

Amen!!!!

Love it!!

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