Prayer XXVI

In the first article, I wrote on definitions on prayer, when prayer starts and some of the components of prayer. While in the second article I finished my brief exegesis on components of prayer. The third article is centered on those who should pray. The fourth is on some of the reasons why talk (pray) to our heavenly father. The fifth article is on places of prayer while the sixth and seventh centered on occasions that move men to pray unto God. The eight article is on period (time) that men can pray. The ninth article focuses on how we should be praying. In the tenth article I write on a type of prayer, which is the prayer of thanksgiving.

While in the eleventh article I talked about three types of prayers which are, prayer of praise, prayer of worship and prayer of dedication (consecration). In the twelfth article I have talked about the following types of prayer: prayer of supplication, prayer of agreement, corporate prayer, prayer of commitment and prayer of imprecation. And in the thirteenth article I talked about prayer of vengeance, prayer of restoration, prayer of forgiveness, prayer of repentance and silent prayer. Article fourteen focuses on prayer of binding and loosing. In article fifteen I write on the prayer of contemplation. In the sixteenth article I start writing on the intercessory prayer and capped this up with some of the essentials of this prayer in article seventeen. Articles eighteen to twenty talk about prayer of faith.

In article twenty-one, I wrote on prayer of faith and then proceed to another type of prayer which is called eyes opening prayer. In article twenty-two I wrote on prayer of difference. In article twenty-three I write on prayer of authority and in article twenty-four and twenty-five are on Praying in the Spirit. I shall continue with Praying in the Spirit in this article.

In the last article I have talked that the spirit would lead us in ways we should pray. However, in this article I shall be talking about the type of Spirit which shall lead us.

It would interest us to know that there are two types of Spirit, which are spirit of Devil (or Satan) and Spirit of God (or Holy Ghost). But the spirit that I am referring to here is the Spirit of God. (Rm 8:9, 26ff)

Believers have been promised this Spirit and they need to possess the spirit to show that they are indeed children of God.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Rom 8:9)

(a) Praying in Another Tongue: Praying in the spirit could also mean praying with another tongue as the Lord has given you the grace. This speaking in another tongue is the heavenly kind of tongue that God has given you as a sign of the Holy Ghost baptism. Today, some are learning this kind of tongue, but we have not read that the apostles learnt the language in the book of Acts when such manifested in their lives.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

“And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,” (Act 2:4; 10:44 – 46)

Learning how to speak in tongues is new method introduced by weaklings in faith which is not good. When anyone thinks he wants to learn new language he should contact those who are teaching such languages instead of hiding under lies that they want to receive Holy Ghost by learning new language. This shows they do not trust in the power and the enablement of God to bestow such unto them. They are really not helping God, but they are mixed seedlings among the original seedlings of faith. (I Cor. 14:14-19)

(b) Praying with Understanding: This also means praying with understanding. (I Cor. 14:15ff)

“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” (1 Co 14:14-15)

When we pray like this, the understanding would come by the impressions laid on the person’s spiritual man, and the impressions are the understandings of what he was talking to God about, which he again could reiterate in his or her known language while speaking to the Lord.

Outside praying with the impressions (or interpretation of what you are speaking to God in your heart) one could really speak to God in the language one understands when he is praying to his father. Speaking to God in the known language is praying in understanding so that you would know when the manifestation of what you are asking from God happens and would be able to glorify the Lord.

Having known that we have the Spirit of God in us, we can pray in the Spirit by speaking in tongues and with the understanding as above stated. The apostles have employed the use of both, and it is encouraged that we employ the use of both while praying to our heavenly father.

While praying in another tongue or praying with our understanding we should note that we talk to God in mysteries, speaking deeper things of the Kingdom with God, but our knowledge of this would be shallow because we do not know what we are saying except we have the impression on our hearts or we have the gift of interpretation.

“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.” (I Cor. 14: 2)

When we speak with understanding while praying in the spirit too, we speak mysteries, we speak of deeper things that we do not know before. Though we are hearing and understanding what we are saying, but when an outsider hears what we say it may be related to things that have happened or happening. Thence, they would marvel that you who have not left a region how do you know of things that is happening in their country or street or state. This happens because you are praying in the spirit and the spirit is linking you up with things that are deep which you can in no way have knowledge about except by the spirit.

I will be talking about the importance of praying in the Spirit (of God) in the next article.