Pray in the Spirit and in Understanding
ICS Daily Devotions

Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.

All believers have the Holy Spirit as a seal of our salvation when we receive Jesus Christ into our lives. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts to bring conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgement. This is the first experience of the Holy Spirit. The second experience is the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance. However, the Holy Spirit is often described as a gentleman because He will not impose Himself on us unless we welcome Him. Nonetheless, there is a spiritual and supernatural empowerment that comes with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are encouraged to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily.

Jude 1:20 (NKJV) But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

One way to build up our faith is to pray in the Holy Spirit, and every believer can pray in the Spirit because it is a prayer language God has given to each of us. It is a good spiritual discipline for us to pray in the Spirit, as well as in understanding daily.

1 Corinthians 14: 2,4,14-15,18 (NKJV) For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries…. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church….For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 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.…I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.

Praying in a known language is praying in understanding, and praying in the spirit is praying in tongues. Praying in a known language requires forming sentences in the mind, whereas praying in the spirit comes from the belly, with the help of the Holy Spirit, bypassing the mind. Our prayer life is a form of stress relief, especially when we pray in the Spirit and in understanding. We can articulate what we feel towards the Lord and cover the rest in tongues with the help of the Holy Spirit.

There are two kinds of tongues. One is the gift of tongues. While not everyone has the gift of tongues, all of us can speak in tongues as a prayer language (Mark 16:17). That’s why the Apostle Paul says we should not speak in tongues in public unless there is an interpretation of the tongue during a manifestation of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:28).

As believers, we should aspire to experience God as we pray and watch Him answer our prayers; to grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord as we pray; and to be even more sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He leads us to pray when we yield to Him and partner with Him.

Reflection: How is the Holy Spirit leading you to yield to Him and to partner with Him in prayer? How will you respond?

Sermon Series: The Holy Spirit is our best stress release valve