DAILY READING
Praying in the Spirit
by Kim Starr
What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? At its core, it means to pray according to the will of God. If we pray according to God’s will, we are assured that he not only hears our prayers, but that he will also answer them in his own way and in his own time.
It has been suggested that there are at least five ways to pray in the Spirit:
1. Praying God’s Word
2. Listening to God and praying
3. Partnering in prayer with Jesus as our intercessor
4. Praying the God-given desires of our heart
5. Praying with divine love
Prayer is powerful because it is us putting our trust in God; it is our lifeline and our connection to God. When we pray in the Spirit, we are a vessel ready to hear and receive from God. It makes us open to whatever God wants and needs to communicate with us. Prayer is not a monologue; rather, it is a dialogue between us and God. When we pray in the Spirit, we should anticipate hearing from God.
Jesus showed us examples of praying in the Spirit every time he got away by himself and prayed. It was just him and his father. His deep and sincere prayers show us how we can pray with a heart of intimacy and a desire to draw near to the heart of God. In those times, we are assured that the Spirit is praying with us, helping us when our prayers are too deep for words, and interceding for us according to the will of God.
Praying is hard. I encourage you to go to a quiet place by yourself and practice praying in the Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and help you. Ask him to intercede for you. Open your heart and mind and share with God what you want from him. Ask him what he wants from you. Praise and thank him. Ask him to speak to you. Turn to your Bible and pray God’s word. Wait and listen to him speak.
PRAYER
Holy Spirit come. Fill our hearts and minds with your presence. Intercede for us. Help us to learn to have a dialogue with our Heavenly Father. Help us to listen for him and follow what he tells us. Make our prayer life personal, rich, and deep. Help us to pray in the Spirit. Amen.
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