What Does It Mean to Pray In the Spirit?
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
The Word of God is clear—we are expected to pray. And we are also told to pray in the Spirit. But what does this actually mean? If we have the Holy Spirit in us, don't we always pray in the Spirit?
FLESH VS. SPIRIT – WHERE’S OUR MIND WHEN WE PRAY?
Let’s start by looking at what praying in the Spirit isn’t, which is praying according to our flesh. Since our flesh is weak and fights against the Spirit, when we pray in the flesh, we want to fulfill our own wants and desires—not the will of God.
For example, if we’re praying in the flesh about a job change, we might say, “God, please help me get this new job at XYZ Corporation. It means a lot more money for my family.” That sounds pretty innocent, right? But is that where God wants us? Have we asked that question? Maybe God’s will for us is to stay in our current job for a specific reason.
The difference between praying in the flesh and praying in the spirit is like the difference between a regular and an electric bike. When you ride a regular bike up a steep hill, it’s difficult because that bike is powered only by your own strength. That’s like praying in the flesh. We struggle for words, perhaps get distracted, and don’t pray as we should.
But when we ride an electric bike up that steep hill, our strength plus the battery power easily gets us to the top. That’s like praying in the Spirit! We’re more focused on God’s will, prayers flow easily, and time doesn’t seem to exist. We fly effortlessly beyond what we could ever do with just our own strength. It’s amazing!
WHAT EXACTLY IS PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT?
Pastor Tim explains that praying in the Spirit means aligning our prayers with the will of God.
“We cast aside our fleshly desires and submit ourselves and our prayers to God’s plan. We seek God’s presence and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and empower our prayers.”
But how do we know what God’s will is? Well, we can find God’s will for everyone in the Bible. For example, praying for someone’s salvation is aligned with God’s will since we know that he wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
But God also has a will for each of us individually, and that’s not as easy to find in scripture. Decisions like where we should work or whether we should marry someone aren’t as clear, but whenever we have a question about God’s will, we can ask Him!
“If we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.”
If you’re waiting for an answer to your prayer but aren’t sure you know God’s voice, read our recent post, “How Do You Know If You’re Hearing God’s Voice?”
Now let’s return to our previous prayer example about getting a new job. This prayer in the Spirit would be quite different if we aligned our will with God’s. It might sound like, “God, I feel led to find a new job. If that is not your will for my life, tell me or close all the doors. If it is your will, open the doors and show me where to go.”
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO PRAY IN THE SPIRIT?
One of the reasons the Holy Spirit is given to us is to help us pray, because we don’t know how to pray as we should. According to Vera Paquin, Parkway’s Community Prayer Coordinator, praying in the Spirit “recharges our spiritual batteries.” It changes us and makes us ready to do God’s will.
Also, the Spirit makes “intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27).
The word “intercession” means to place oneself in between or to petition in favor of another. Can you think of anyone else you would rather have pleading your case?
FIGHTING AGAINST THE ENEMY REQUIRES PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
The enemy and his followers are at war against the church. Scripture tells us:
“Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ”
That isn’t a war we can fight alone, which is why we are told in 2 Corinthians:
“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal [physical], but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.”
Praying in the Spirit gives us access to these powerful weapons of God!
SO, HOW DO WE PRAY IN THE SPIRIT?
The first step toward praying in the Spirit is to take some time to repent of any unconfessed sin. Praying Psalm 51, the psalm David wrote after being confronted about his affair with Bathsheba, can be very helpful.
Next, if you don’t understand praying in the Spirit, tell God. He will be faithful to help you! If you don’t begin to feel God’s presence, praise God for who He is and worship Him. Play worship music and sing or read aloud psalms praising God.
When you enter God’s presence, begin to pray; and the Holy Spirit will guide your prayers. You might pray in your known language or in tongues, but don't focus on finding the perfect words. Don't focus on the amount of time spent in prayer. Just follow God’s leading.
DON’T GET DISCOURAGED!
Remember that, like any skill, praying in the Spirit takes practice. It might take some time to enter God’s presence as we first get to know Him. But as our relationship with our Father grows, we enter into His presence more quickly. It is then easier to express our most private needs and boldly pray for His will.
Let this quote from Samuel Chadwick inspire you:
“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”