First Principles

I find myself compelled to discuss Paul’s pregnant phrase: “Pray in the Spirit.”

There are times in my own life, as I am sure there are in yours, when I struggle in prayer and find it difficult to concentrate, only to discover that suddenly I am taken out of myself and given a freedom that transforms my prayer time from that point on. When this happens, I know I have been praying in the Spirit. This is the kind of thing about which the apostle Paul is exhorting us in Ephesians 6:18. Formal prayer is fine and has its place, but oh, how we need to experience more times of praying in the Spirit.

But how do we attain these times? Is it the Spirit’s responsibility to bring us there, or do we have some responsibility in the matter, too? I believe we can learn to pray in the Spirit.

Some first principles are these: (1) Come to God in an attitude of dependence. This means recognizing that your greatest need in prayer is not an ability to put words together or form fine phrases, but the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. (2) Yield yourself totally to the Spirit, letting Him guide and direct your praying. Be continually aware that He wants to have the bigger part in your prayer life. Start with these two principles, learning to depend less and less on your own experience or ability and more and more on the Spirit’s enabling. Once you experience what it means to pray in the Spirit, you will long to experience it more and more.

Further Study

Jn 3:22-27; 2Ch 20:12; 2Co 3:3-5

What was John’s declaration?

How did Paul express his dependence on God?