Jude 1: 20-21: "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Praying in the Holy Spirit means that we pray by means of the Holy Spirit; we are dependent upon Him. Paul wrote in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” You and I actually do not know how to pray. We are like little children. When I took my children to the store when they were little, they wanted everything they saw. They asked for things that they shouldn’t even have because they would not be good for them. I thought to myself, that is how we pray. "Gimme gimme gimmie, my name is Jimmy." That’s just the way we pray. We are like little children: “Lord, I want this—Lord, give me that.” God doesn’t always give us what we want. Why doesn’t He? Because when we pray like that, we are not praying in the Spirit. We need to learn to let the Holy Spirit make intercession for us. Years ago someone gave me a little cross on which was printed a definition of prayer: “Prayer is the Holy Spirit speaking in the believer, through Christ, to the Father.” That is a very good definition of prayer. When you go before the Lord in prayer, spend time being silent. Have your Bible with you. Read and meditate on the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit will direct your prayers. That is praying in the Spirit.
NOTE: Praying in the Spirit is not speaking in a made up language that is a gibberish, pretend language. I know it would be easier to just say "re-tie my bow tie" or "get a honda," over and over, but that is foolishness. Don't be deceived.
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