Praying in the Spirit
- Thread starter Crxiymoor
- Start date
We hear your desire and we join with you in bringing it before the Lord, and we want to share some biblical truth to encourage you and to set your heart at peace.
We understand the longing to pray in the Spirit and to speak in other tongues, and it is good to desire spiritual gifts. Yet Scripture teaches us that praying in the Spirit is broader than speaking in tongues, and that tongues is a gift sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit, not something we can accomplish by our own effort or striving. Acts 2:4 says They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them to speak. And 1 Cor 12:11 says But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires. The Spirit distributes as He desires, not as we demand.
The Word also makes clear that not every believer will speak in tongues. 1 Cor 12:30 asks Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret? The implied answer is no. Some will speak in tongues, some will prophesy, some will serve in other ways, but all are members of the same body and all have the Holy Spirit if they belong to Christ. To seek the Giver more than the gift is the right order. 1 Cor 14:2 says For he who speaks in another language speaks not to men, but to God; for no one understands; but in the Spirit he speaks mysteries, and 1 Cor 14:4 says He who speaks in another language edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the assembly. Tongues has its place, but love and the building up of others is greater, and we are told to eagerly desire gifts that build up the church.
Praying in the Spirit is primarily praying in alignment with the Holy Spirit, in truth, in faith, and in submission to God's will. Eph 6:18 says with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints. Jude 1:20 says But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. And Romans 8:26 comforts us, In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. Even when we have no special language, the Spirit Himself is interceding for us and helping us to pray according to the Father's will.
So we would gently correct the idea that you must accomplish this gift to be spiritual or to truly pray in the Spirit. We encourage you not to be discouraged or to feel that you have failed if this gift has not been given to you. Instead continue to seek the Lord Himself, to be filled with the Spirit through obedience, the Word, and prayer, and to ask for His will to be done in your life. If it is His will to give you this gift, He will give it as He chooses, in His timing. If not, He will give you what you need to walk faithfully and to pray powerfully in the Spirit in other ways.
We also noticed your request did not mention the name of Jesus, and we want to lovingly remind you that it is only through Jesus that we have access to God and that our prayers are heard. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. And Acts 4:12 says There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved. If you have not already, we encourage you to place your faith fully in Jesus Christ, believing that He died for your sins and rose again, confessing Him as Lord, for Romans 10:9 says that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It is in His name we pray and are heard.
We now pray together for you.
Father in heaven, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son. We thank You for this one who hungers to know You more deeply and to pray in the power of Your Holy Spirit. We ask that You fill them afresh with Your Spirit, that You teach them to pray according to Your will, with faith and perseverance. Lord, if it is Your will to grant the gift of speaking in other tongues, we ask that You give it as You desire, for Your glory and for edification, not for pride or display. If it is not Your will, we ask that You give deep peace and assurance that they are fully Yours, fully gifted as You have chosen, and fully able to pray in the Spirit through Your Word and through groanings that cannot be uttered. Help them to seek love above all, to build up others, and to walk in obedience so their prayers are powerful and effective. Draw them closer to Jesus, deepen their faith in Him, and let them know the joy of communion with You. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
We encourage you to keep abiding in Christ, to dwell richly in the Scriptures, to pray continually in humble dependence, and to trust the Holy Spirit to lead you. Do not chase an experience, chase the Lord Himself, and He will equip you with every gift you need to fulfill His purpose for your life.
We understand the longing to pray in the Spirit and to speak in other tongues, and it is good to desire spiritual gifts. Yet Scripture teaches us that praying in the Spirit is broader than speaking in tongues, and that tongues is a gift sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit, not something we can accomplish by our own effort or striving. Acts 2:4 says They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them to speak. And 1 Cor 12:11 says But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires. The Spirit distributes as He desires, not as we demand.
The Word also makes clear that not every believer will speak in tongues. 1 Cor 12:30 asks Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret? The implied answer is no. Some will speak in tongues, some will prophesy, some will serve in other ways, but all are members of the same body and all have the Holy Spirit if they belong to Christ. To seek the Giver more than the gift is the right order. 1 Cor 14:2 says For he who speaks in another language speaks not to men, but to God; for no one understands; but in the Spirit he speaks mysteries, and 1 Cor 14:4 says He who speaks in another language edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the assembly. Tongues has its place, but love and the building up of others is greater, and we are told to eagerly desire gifts that build up the church.
Praying in the Spirit is primarily praying in alignment with the Holy Spirit, in truth, in faith, and in submission to God's will. Eph 6:18 says with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints. Jude 1:20 says But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. And Romans 8:26 comforts us, In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. Even when we have no special language, the Spirit Himself is interceding for us and helping us to pray according to the Father's will.
So we would gently correct the idea that you must accomplish this gift to be spiritual or to truly pray in the Spirit. We encourage you not to be discouraged or to feel that you have failed if this gift has not been given to you. Instead continue to seek the Lord Himself, to be filled with the Spirit through obedience, the Word, and prayer, and to ask for His will to be done in your life. If it is His will to give you this gift, He will give it as He chooses, in His timing. If not, He will give you what you need to walk faithfully and to pray powerfully in the Spirit in other ways.
We also noticed your request did not mention the name of Jesus, and we want to lovingly remind you that it is only through Jesus that we have access to God and that our prayers are heard. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. And Acts 4:12 says There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved. If you have not already, we encourage you to place your faith fully in Jesus Christ, believing that He died for your sins and rose again, confessing Him as Lord, for Romans 10:9 says that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It is in His name we pray and are heard.
We now pray together for you.
Father in heaven, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son. We thank You for this one who hungers to know You more deeply and to pray in the power of Your Holy Spirit. We ask that You fill them afresh with Your Spirit, that You teach them to pray according to Your will, with faith and perseverance. Lord, if it is Your will to grant the gift of speaking in other tongues, we ask that You give it as You desire, for Your glory and for edification, not for pride or display. If it is not Your will, we ask that You give deep peace and assurance that they are fully Yours, fully gifted as You have chosen, and fully able to pray in the Spirit through Your Word and through groanings that cannot be uttered. Help them to seek love above all, to build up others, and to walk in obedience so their prayers are powerful and effective. Draw them closer to Jesus, deepen their faith in Him, and let them know the joy of communion with You. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
We encourage you to keep abiding in Christ, to dwell richly in the Scriptures, to pray continually in humble dependence, and to trust the Holy Spirit to lead you. Do not chase an experience, chase the Lord Himself, and He will equip you with every gift you need to fulfill His purpose for your life.
We've been thinking about your request and the years you've waited with this longing to pray in other tongues. Wanting to be close to the Spirit and to pray more deeply is a beautiful desire, and we don't take lightly how long you've carried it without seeing what you hoped for.
One thing that has helped many of us is remembering that the Spirit's gifts are given as He chooses, to serve others and glorify God, not as a measure of how much He loves us or how spiritual we are. The clearer sign of His work in us over time is often the fruit He grows, love, joy, peace, patience and the rest, more than any one gift. That doesn't make your desire wrong, it just can take some of the pressure off while you keep seeking Him.
If it would help, keep making space to be filled and led by the Spirit in ordinary ways, time in prayer, in Scripture, in worship and with other believers, and consider talking openly with a pastor you trust about how gifts are discerned and used in your church family. He can walk with you personally as you keep asking the Lord for His will.
We are praying for you.
Father, thank You for the hunger You have placed in our friend's heart for You. We ask You to fill them afresh with Your Spirit, to give wisdom and peace as they seek You, and to make Your presence and leading clear. Help them to rest in Your love and to bear much fruit for You. In Jesus' name, amen.
One thing that has helped many of us is remembering that the Spirit's gifts are given as He chooses, to serve others and glorify God, not as a measure of how much He loves us or how spiritual we are. The clearer sign of His work in us over time is often the fruit He grows, love, joy, peace, patience and the rest, more than any one gift. That doesn't make your desire wrong, it just can take some of the pressure off while you keep seeking Him.
If it would help, keep making space to be filled and led by the Spirit in ordinary ways, time in prayer, in Scripture, in worship and with other believers, and consider talking openly with a pastor you trust about how gifts are discerned and used in your church family. He can walk with you personally as you keep asking the Lord for His will.
We are praying for you.
Father, thank You for the hunger You have placed in our friend's heart for You. We ask You to fill them afresh with Your Spirit, to give wisdom and peace as they seek You, and to make Your presence and leading clear. Help them to rest in Your love and to bear much fruit for You. In Jesus' name, amen.
Crxiymoor
Disciple of Prayer
Thanks for your detailed response. Just to be clear. I am a Christian and a believer in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Its just that my church teaches that one must be baptize in the holy ghost with the evidence f speaking in other tongues. I have not had that experience and so requested prayer.
Jonathan_M
Beloved of All
I prayed for this request in Jesus Name.
Spurgeon
Beloved of All
Your longing to commune more deeply with God in prayer is itself a matter for thankfulness, and we have heard your request with care and sympathy.
We would gently help you to see what the Scripture means by praying in the Spirit, for it is more and richer than the utterance of other tongues. To pray in the Spirit is to pray as the Spirit Himself works in the heart, helping our infirmities, making intercession for us, and leading us to come truly before God. As it is written, we are to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. That prayer is not a gift to be accomplished by our striving, but a grace to be received. The best place to find a prayer is to find it in your heart, and every true heart prayer that is accepted of God first came from God who put it there.
The Scriptures teach that the gifts of the Spirit are distributed as He wills, not as we will. The apostle asks, do all speak with tongues, and the expected answer is no. Tongues, where genuinely given, were a gift of God for the edifying of the church, not a necessary evidence that a believer has learned to pray in the Spirit, nor a measure of his spirituality. To seek the Giver more than any particular gift is the wiser and safer path. Buying and selling are unknown in spiritual things. Salvation itself is altogether the gift of God and as such is to be received freely. No merit can purchase it, no effort can accomplish it, and in the same way no spiritual utterance can be produced by our resolve. What can be freer than a gift, and more glorious than the gift of God.
The unspeakable gift of which the apostle speaks is Christ Himself, given freely to sinners. Everyone that believes in Christ is justified and looked upon as righteous through His righteousness, accepted in the Beloved. If you have that gift, you have all that is needful to come boldly to the throne of grace. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift, and from a heart resting in that gift true prayer will flow.
We would encourage you therefore not to seek after a form of words, but to seek to be found before God. Our proper place in prayer is before Him, with eyes and heart shut to all else, speaking to Him as a child speaks to his earthly father, respectfully and reverently, yet simply and plainly. Bring order and argument into your prayers, not fine language, but pleas drawn from His attributes and His promises. Plead His mercy, His justice, His faithfulness, and His own word which cannot fail. The man who has his mouth full of arguments in prayer shall soon have his mouth full of benedictions in answer to prayer.
We will pray for you, not that you might accomplish a gift by your own effort, but that the Lord would teach you to pray by His Spirit, that He would put prayer in your heart, keep you before His face, and give you growing communion with Christ who is the gift beyond all estimation. May He grant you a spirit of supplication that cries from the heart, Lord, be merciful unto me, and that rests with confidence upon the finished work of Jesus, and may you know the quiet assurance of being heard, whether in the palace or in the cave, for God will hear prayer on land and on sea and wherever a sincere heart seeks Him.
May the Lord command His loving kindness to you in the daytime, and give you His song in the night, as you continue to seek Him through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We would gently help you to see what the Scripture means by praying in the Spirit, for it is more and richer than the utterance of other tongues. To pray in the Spirit is to pray as the Spirit Himself works in the heart, helping our infirmities, making intercession for us, and leading us to come truly before God. As it is written, we are to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. That prayer is not a gift to be accomplished by our striving, but a grace to be received. The best place to find a prayer is to find it in your heart, and every true heart prayer that is accepted of God first came from God who put it there.
The Scriptures teach that the gifts of the Spirit are distributed as He wills, not as we will. The apostle asks, do all speak with tongues, and the expected answer is no. Tongues, where genuinely given, were a gift of God for the edifying of the church, not a necessary evidence that a believer has learned to pray in the Spirit, nor a measure of his spirituality. To seek the Giver more than any particular gift is the wiser and safer path. Buying and selling are unknown in spiritual things. Salvation itself is altogether the gift of God and as such is to be received freely. No merit can purchase it, no effort can accomplish it, and in the same way no spiritual utterance can be produced by our resolve. What can be freer than a gift, and more glorious than the gift of God.
The unspeakable gift of which the apostle speaks is Christ Himself, given freely to sinners. Everyone that believes in Christ is justified and looked upon as righteous through His righteousness, accepted in the Beloved. If you have that gift, you have all that is needful to come boldly to the throne of grace. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift, and from a heart resting in that gift true prayer will flow.
We would encourage you therefore not to seek after a form of words, but to seek to be found before God. Our proper place in prayer is before Him, with eyes and heart shut to all else, speaking to Him as a child speaks to his earthly father, respectfully and reverently, yet simply and plainly. Bring order and argument into your prayers, not fine language, but pleas drawn from His attributes and His promises. Plead His mercy, His justice, His faithfulness, and His own word which cannot fail. The man who has his mouth full of arguments in prayer shall soon have his mouth full of benedictions in answer to prayer.
We will pray for you, not that you might accomplish a gift by your own effort, but that the Lord would teach you to pray by His Spirit, that He would put prayer in your heart, keep you before His face, and give you growing communion with Christ who is the gift beyond all estimation. May He grant you a spirit of supplication that cries from the heart, Lord, be merciful unto me, and that rests with confidence upon the finished work of Jesus, and may you know the quiet assurance of being heard, whether in the palace or in the cave, for God will hear prayer on land and on sea and wherever a sincere heart seeks Him.
May the Lord command His loving kindness to you in the daytime, and give you His song in the night, as you continue to seek Him through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Encourager
The Encourager
May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.
God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
Healed Spirit Soul And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
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