Sunday, 7/20/2025

How to Pray in the Spirit: The Only Real Praying

Ephesians 6:18 “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…”

Jude 20–21 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Romans 8:26–27 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Prayer is Our Greatest Christian Privilege and Blessing

Prayer is our Greatest Christian Service

The truth is that you are serving God when you pray. 

Prayer is our Greatest Christian Failure

Proverbs 1:28–29 “Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. ²⁹ Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,” and in Isaiah 1:15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; “

The truth of God is “All true prayer is exercised in the sphere of the Holy Spirit, motivated and empowered by Him. 

If the Believer expects to really pray, he or she must be Spirit-filled or Spirit-controlled. 

The fullness of the Holy Spirit is the prerequisite to effectual praying. 

The Holy Spirit gives us strength where we do not have strength to pray.

Romans 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

When the Bible uses the word flesh, it means our old unredeemed nature. 

Romans 8:6–7 “For to be carnally (fleshly)minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”

Galatians 5:17 “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

There is Weakness in Us

8:26  ^“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.^”

The Bible speaks of our weakness, the weakness of our flesh and the Spirit helps our infirmities.

Your weakness is really an asset. 

2 Corinthians 12:9  ^“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 

2 Corinthians 12:10"... for when I am weak, then am I strong".

You see, there are two ways to pray. 

One in the flesh.

The other way to pray is in the Spirit.

Indifference: We have a spiritual laziness. 

We find time to do what we really want to do. 

Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Abba literally means daddy, father—daddy, father.

It is the Spirit of God in you that is crying out, "Abba, Father."

Galatians 4:6 “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Lack of knowledge

Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

The Holy Spirit of God knows what you ought to pray for.

“Not only do we know not what we ought to pray for, but we don't know how to pray for what we ought to pray for when we find out what we ought to pray for.”

Romans 8:27"And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God".

Powerlessness or Inability

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Distractions: devilish, Satanic distractions.

The devil tries to stop us when we pray.

There's only one way that you're going to overcome the devil and it is to pray in the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:11–18 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“

The battle is won or lost by our prayers.

Inexpressibility: we're not able to say what we ought to say, what we need to say, what we want to say. 

It's really the Holy Spirit within us who is groaning.

This word groaning here is a word that expresses sounds that are uttered at childbirth.

Ineffectiveness: we just feel that our prayers are not getting through. 

Ephesians 2:18 "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father"

Romans 8:34 "Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us".

God wants to raise up a Church that knows how to intercede.