First Corinthians 14:15 teaches us that we can pray both with our understanding (our mind) and out of our spirit; “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (NKJV).
There are several great reasons why you need to pray in the Spirit:
- It builds you up spiritually (see 1 Corinthians 14:4; Jude 1:20).
- It enables you to pray the will of God when you don’t know what to pray or how to pray for a particular situation (see Romans 8:26-27).
- It refreshes and brings rest (see Isaiah 28:11-12).
One of the greatest benefits of praying in the Spirit is that by doing so we can obtain wisdom from God about how to pray even as we’re praying. “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth Him; howbeit in the spirit He speaketh mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2 KJV).
First Corinthians 2:6-7 explains this even further: “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery [or in the Spirit], the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory” (NKJV).
This hidden wisdom translates into God’s perfect will. It may not have been known to your understanding when you first began to pray, but the Holy Spirit through you and in you is helping you to pray it to the Father.
As you pray in the Spirit, you may not have immediate understanding of what you are saying; but when you pray in faith in the Spirit, the wisdom will come.
Take advantage of this powerful gift God has given you and spend time daily praying in the Spirit.
Confession: As I pray in the Spirit, I am praying God’s perfect will for my life, and I believe I receive wisdom, revelation, and insight.
Author: Jerry Savelle