According to surveys, there’s something that more Americans will do this week than will drive a car or go to work. It’s an activity that almost all Americans say they believe in and most claim it to be very important.
Prayer.
According to Barna research, prayer is the most common faith practice in America. 94% of Americans have prayed in the last three months.
But, if so many people think that prayer is so important, why do so few people report feeling good about their prayer lives? Why does prayer seem to be a struggle? I’ve never spoken to a parishioner who thinks prayer is unimportant, but I’ve spent time with hundreds who want a more powerful, passionate, effective prayer life.
Why do so many feel their prayers are powerless?
Paul’s answer is simple, compelling and direct: “praying at all times in the Spirit….” (Ephesians 6:18) The invitation to “pray in the Spirit” is part of the famous exhortation to put on the whole armor of God. Alongside of donning the helmet of salvation and utilized the shield of faith, we must learn to “pray in the Spirit.” But how?
Many Christians assert that “praying in the Spirit” is one and the same as praying in tongues. I thank God for the gift of tongues – it’s a powerful means of connecting to God in the Spirit. Unlike the day of Pentecost (when the early disciples spoke foreign languages supernaturally) and unlike the prophetic message in tongues (which is for the church’s edification and requires an interpretation), praying in tongues is a personal form of intercession and communion with God. Unfortunately, the gift of tongues has, at times, been so overemphasized that it has become a point of conflict and, in other circles, it has been so maligned that many Christians have shunned it without knowing the gift’s real nature. Clearly, from the perspective of the New Testament, it is a good gift that we should desire.
Does ”praying in the Spirit” refer only to the gift of tongues? If so, does that mean that a Christian who doesn’t have the gift of tongues can’t obey the Ephesians 6 exhortation to “pray in the Spirit at all times”?
The message of the New Testament about gifts of the Spirit is beautiful and clear—we have different gifts because we are like a body. We don’t need everyone to be a foot or an eye – we need the diversity of gifts. Some people have Spirit-led discernment but aren’t apt to teach. Others can teach with Spirit-inspired clarity but might not have great faith in praying for the sick. God designed the body of Christ to be a multi-faceted expression of redeemed humanity manifesting a diversity of spiritual gifts so that, together, we can be powerful and effective in the ministry of the kingdom of God.
I think every Christian should ask for the spiritual gifts. Paul says plainly “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts” (1 Cor. 14:1). Ask the Lord for prophetic gifts. Ask the Lord for the gift of tongues. Ask the Lord for gifts of mercy, teaching, healing – whatever ministry gift your heart longs for, ask Him. But remember, all gifts “are empowered by … the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:11). God gives the gifts. We can ask Him for His gifts, but we can’t demand them or make them happen by our will.
Tongues is a form of “praying in the Spirit.” But not everyone has the gift. So, if Paul says to “pray in the Spirit,” there must be other ways of “praying in the Spirit.”
In the coming weeks, I want to share five ways to pray in the Spirit that will energize and fuel a powerful life of petition and intercession. These ways of praying in the Spirit are available to every Christian. Here’s a sneak preview.
A Sneak Preview of the Five Ways to Pray in the Spirit
1) Praying God’s Word
God’s Word is full of His Spirit. When we pray God’s Word, we are praying Spirit-inspired revelation.
2) Listening to God and Praying
Every Christian is a sheep in the fold of the best Shepherd ever, and sheep can recognize the voice of the shepherd (John 10:4). When we attune our hearts to the Lord’s promptings, we are praying “in the Spirit.”
3) Partnering in Prayer with Christ, Your Intercessor
We never have to pray alone because the “Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:27) and we are assured “the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27). We can discover Jesus as the best prayer partner ever and, when we partner with Christ in prayer, we are praying in the Spirit.
4) Praying the God-given Desires of Your Heart
The scripture promises, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). It doesn’t mean that the Lord gives you everything your flesh craves. But the heart, the deepest internal place of motivation and affection in your being can come to a place of delight in God wherein He plants desires in you, and when you pray those desires to God, you are praying in the Spirit.
5) Praying with Divine Love
God is love and all love comes from God. When we find our intercession fueled with mercy and love we can be sure that we are connecting with God’s own heart. Thus, praying with God’s love is praying in the Spirit.
I look forward to sharing more fully about each of the five ways to pray in the Spirit. May your prayer life be filled with Spirit-infused power!
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