I’ve never met a Christian who didn’t think prayer was important. 72% of evangelical Christians pray every day. Over two thirds of all Americans say they pray at least somewhat regularly.

The problem isn’t that people aren’t praying—the problem is that few people feel like their prayers are very effective.

Parishioners report things like:
My mind wanders.
I run out of things to say.
I feel like I’m just going over the same old list.
I don’t feel very connected to God when I pray.

What’s the problem?

Part of the answer may be that we often think of prayer as a mental exercise. We formulate requests, organize thoughts, and present them to God. There is certainly a place for thoughtful prayer. God welcomes every sincere prayer. But prayer was never intended to be merely intellectual. It was meant to be spiritual.

The apostle Paul gives us a glimpse into God's design when he writes:

Ephesians 6:18 (ESV) — "Pray at all times in the Spirit."

Notice that Paul doesn't merely tell us to pray. He tells us to pray in the Spirit.

Prayer comes alive when it is energized by the Holy Spirit. It becomes more than a conversation generated by our own thoughts. It becomes participation in the life of God.

Many Christians hear the phrase "praying in the Spirit" and immediately think of praying in tongues. Speaking in tongues is indeed a beautiful gift and one expression of Spirit-led prayer. But Paul must have meant something broader than that. After all, he commands all believers to pray in the Spirit at all times.

Over the years, through Scripture and experience, I've become convinced that there are many ways the Holy Spirit helps us pray. In my previous blog series and my book Five Ways to Pray in the Spirit, I explore five different modes of praying in the Spirit. For our purposes here, I'd like to highlight three of them—praying God’s Word, praying and listening, and praying in partnership with Jesus.

These three simple practices can transform prayer from a duty into a delight and from a discipline into a living communion with God.

Prayer comes alive when it is energized by the Holy Spirit.

Pray God's Word

Though it may seem like a childlike exercise, place the back of your hand near your mouth and say aloud, "Let there be light."

What did you feel?

Breath.

Your words are full of your breath.

The Bible tells us that Scripture is the same way.

2 Timothy 3:16 — "All Scripture is breathed out by God."

Just as your words are carried by your breath, God's Word is carried by His Spirit. Scripture is not merely information about God; it is revelation from God. It is Spirit-breathed.

This means that when you pray God's Word, you are returning to Him what He has already spoken. You are praying words infused with His own Spirit.

Nothing has strengthened my prayer life more than learning to pray the promises of God.

Every child understands the power of a promise.

Last week, we spent a delightful week at the beach in which I primarily played with our three-year old granddaughter Mia. We dug holes in the sand, built drip castles, jumped waves, kayaked, and drew pictures. While her parents went out one night, I helped with her bath.

Alas, there were no toys in the tub!

I promised her that the next night, we’d get some of the beach toys that were outside in a plastic inflatable kiddie pool and put them in the tub for her to play with.

It’s amazing what a three-year old can remember!

The next night, we started running the water in the tub and she said, “But Dabba, you said that we would get some toys this time.”

I was tired, sore, and reluctant to slow down the bed time ritual. But she was right. I had promised. And though she weighs in at a mere thirty pounds, she had great power to move me to keep my promise. I shut the water off. Went out into the dark, found a little boat and a wind-up turtle to bring into the tub. Soon, Mia was showing me how the boat was submerging beneath the waterfall (the tub faucet) and how the turtle could swim with its mechanical legs.

I’m utterly human and born in sin, but it feels extremely important to me to keep my word. Extremely important. Especially if my word has been given to my granddaughter.

It almost seems mystical, this power of a promise made, that can move a man to keep his word. I can feel it in me, like an invisible force, “But Dabba, you said….” When Mia hearkened unto the words that had come out of my mouth, I felt oddly bound and almost chuckled at the power of a thirty pound three year-old to move me into action.

I wonder, if I, a sinful and flawed man, am moved by an inward need to keep my word, how much more so is a perfect, flawless God motivated to remain consistent to His word?!

When a child reminds a parent of a promise, it is a completely different sort of request. It shifts the focus from the child’s self-interest to the parent’s integrity and nobility.

That’s why a promised child asks differently than an uncertain child. The child no longer wonders whether the father wants to give the gift. The father has already revealed his desire.

Prayer works much the same way.

It is one thing to pray, "Lord, please be with me today."

It is another thing to pray, "Lord, You promised that You would never leave me nor forsake me. Therefore I thank You that Your presence is with me wherever I go."

It is one thing to pray, "Lord, please provide for my needs."

It is another thing to pray, "Father, You care for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. You have promised to supply all my needs according to Your riches in glory. Let it be unto me according to Your Word."

When we pray God's promises, we are praying God's will.

One of the most beautiful examples in Scripture is Mary, the mother of Jesus.

When Gabriel announced that she would bear the Messiah, she could hardly comprehend what she was hearing. The promise seemed impossible. Yet her response remains one of the greatest prayers ever uttered:

Luke 1:38 — "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

What a marvelous way to pray.

When you encounter a promise in Scripture, you can pray:

"Lord, I might never have thought to ask for something this wonderful. But since You have spoken it, let it be unto me according to Your Word."

Every promise of God can become a prayer.

When you pray God’s Word, your mind has an anchor, your heart has fresh fuel, and your prayers are tethered to the promises of a gracious Father whose words never fall empty to the ground. When you pray God-breathed Scripture, you are praying in the Spirit.

Every promise of God can become a prayer.

Listen to God and Pray

Many years ago, when Anne and I were still in college, we were part of a small group studying the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. The idea that God might communicate with us throughout the day was relatively new to me, but I was eager to learn.

During Christmas break, while staying at her childhood home, Anne awoke suddenly in the middle of the night with a strong impression that she should pray for an elderly neighbor. She didn't know why. She simply felt prompted by the Lord. So she sat up in bed and prayed until a deep sense of peace settled over her heart.

The next day she learned that the man had passed away peacefully during the night.

I remember being fascinated by the story. More than anything, it awakened a desire in me. I wanted a prayer life that was directed by God Himself. I wanted to experience the joy of joining what God was already doing.

Imagine how exciting prayer becomes when you know that God is leading it.

Jesus said:

John 10:27 — "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

Notice that He didn't say a few especially gifted believers hear His voice. He said His sheep hear His voice.

Recognizing God's voice isn't reserved for spiritual superstars. It is part of normal Christian life.

A shepherd doesn't merely rescue sheep; he leads them. He guides them to fresh pasture and still waters. He protects them from danger. The sheep learn to recognize the shepherd's voice because they live in relationship with him.

The same is true of us.

As we walk with Christ, we begin to recognize His gentle promptings. We become aware of nudges, impressions, convictions, burdens, and reminders that seem to arise from somewhere deeper than our own thoughts.

Paul writes:

Romans 8:26 — "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought..."

We aren’t sure how to pray in accord with God’s own heart and will. But the Spirit knows.

Many of us approach prayer as if God is silent and our responsibility is to keep talking. We fill every moment with words.

But relationships flourish through both speaking and listening.

A healthy marriage requires both.

A meaningful friendship requires both.

Why would our relationship with God be any different?

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do in prayer is become quiet enough to listen.

You don't need to manufacture mystical experiences. You don't need to strain for supernatural revelations. Simply make room for God to speak.

Open the Scriptures and ask:

"Lord, what are You saying to me?"

Sit quietly before Him and ask:

"Lord, what is on Your heart today?"

As names come to mind, pray for them.

As Scriptures come to mind, pray them.

As burdens arise, carry them before the Lord.

As compassion stirs within you, follow it into intercession.

Over time, something beautiful begins to happen. Instead of merely bringing your agenda to God, you begin receiving His. Instead of praying only about what concerns you, you begin praying about what concerns Him. Instead of striving to generate powerful prayers, you find yourself responding to the Spirit's leadership.

One simple practice has helped me enormously over the years.

Before I begin praying, I pause and pray something like this:

"Lord, I don't merely want to pray my thoughts. I want to pray Your heart. Guide me by Your Spirit. Show me what You want me to see. Lead me into the prayers that are on Your mind."

What a difference that simple prayer can make.

Because the goal of prayer is not merely to get God’s attention. The goal is communion with God Himself.

And when we learn to listen as well as speak, we discover that the Spirit has been waiting all along to guide our prayers.

That is praying in the Spirit.

Partner with Christ in Prayer

Dane Ortlund poses an intriguing question: What if you could hear Jesus praying for you in the next room?¹

Imagine it! Tomorrow morning you sit down with a cup of coffee and your prayer list. You begin your usual routine—praying for your family, your church, your work, and the concerns weighing on your heart.

Then you hear a voice in the next room. You step around the corner and discover that Jesus Himself is there, praying.

Praying for you. Praying for your loved ones. Praying for the very matters that concern you most.

Can you imagine how much it would strengthen and energize your prayer life to sense Christ’s partnership with you in prayer?

The astonishing truth of Scripture is that this isn't imagination.

It is reality.

The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus "always lives to make intercession" for us (Hebrews 7:25).

Paul writes that Christ is at the right hand of God "interceding for us" (Romans 8:34).

At this very moment, Jesus is praying. The risen Christ is actively engaged in intercession for His people.

And that changes everything.

Before you ever begin to pray, Jesus is already praying.

Before you ask, He already knows.

Before you seek, He is already seeking your good.

Before you intercede, He is already interceding.

Prayer is not persuading God to become interested in our concerns. Prayer is joining God in what He is already doing.

Jesus is already praying.

Jesus is already advocating.

The apostle John gives us a beautiful description of Christ when he says:

1 John 2:1 — "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

An advocate is someone who comes alongside to help. Someone who represents your interests. Someone who speaks on your behalf.

Jesus is not reluctantly pleading your case before an unwilling Father. The Father and the Son are perfectly united in love for you. Jesus is continually applying the benefits of His finished work to your life.

He died for you. He rose for you. He reigns for you.

And now He intercedes for you.

When your faith feels weak, Jesus is praying.

When your words fail, Jesus is praying.

When you don't know what to ask, Jesus is praying.

When life becomes overwhelming, Jesus is praying.

Have you ever been so exhausted, discouraged, or overwhelmed that someone else's prayer carried you?

I certainly have.

There have been seasons when Anne's faith strengthened mine. Times when trusted friends prayed with such confidence that my own heart rose in hope.

But as wonderful as human prayer partners are, none compares to Jesus.

His faith never wavers.

His wisdom never falters.

His love never diminishes.

His prayers are always perfectly aligned with the Father's will. And He invites us to join Him.

That's why prayer becomes so much more joyful when we stop seeing it as striving and begin seeing it as agreement.

Instead of laboring under the pressure of praying correctly, we learn to agree with the One who is praying perfectly.

Sometimes my simplest prayer is:

"Jesus, be my prayer partner."

The pressure gives way to partnership.

The striving gives way to grace.

And prayer becomes what it was always meant to be—a participation in the ongoing ministry of Christ Himself.

We are not merely praying to Jesus.

By the Spirit, we are praying with Him.

When Jesus is your prayer partner, you are praying in the Spirit!

Before you ever begin to pray, Jesus is already praying.

Conclusion

If prayer is merely our listing of personal requests to God, the whole practice will feel empty. But prayer was never meant to be merely a religious exercise or a recitation of a mental checklist. Prayer is spiritual—it flows from a deep connection of our hearts with the Spirit of God.

Praying God’s Word, listening and praying, and praying with Jesus as our partner are three ways we can pray in the Spirit, but there are more. In my previous blogs on Five Ways to Pray in the Spirit, (and the book by that same title) I explore all five forms of spiritual prayer much more fully.

But these three practices are enough to begin.

Open God's Word and pray His promises.

Quiet your heart and listen for His voice.

Envision Jesus as your prayer partner and think of joining Him in His intercession.

As you do, prayer will become less of a duty and more of a delight. Less of a performance and more of a relationship. Less of an obligation and more of a communion. Prayer will become a gateway of grace through which you discover, again and again, that God is nearer than you imagined and kinder than you dared hope.

Footnotes

¹ Dane C. Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 86.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.