Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert with every kind of effort and request for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18
What is praying in the Spirit?
Above all else prayer should be εν Πνευματι, [en pneumati] – in or through the Spirit. There are two levels of meaning: that the heart or our whole being should be engaged in it and that we allow Him to pray through us. On one level it works the same way that worshipping in Spirit and truth works. In the sense that worship is true and deep when it is in truth and birthed by the Spirit of God, the same is true of prayer. But there is an added dimension of the degree to which He, the Spirit of God prays for us or on our behalf. It is He in us, as the Spirit of adoption, who prays, and enables us to pray (Rom 8:26, 27). Look back at Gems 197 and 198 where I dealt with the verses in Romans 8 on this topic.
In Gem 438 and 439 I took an anecdotal look at “praying in Spirit”. If nothing else, whatever you believe “praying in the Spirit” to mean given that so many are spread out on a continuum on this issue, you have to know that the Holy Spirit was given as a Helper. He helps you to pray; that much is clear. Whatever you do, strive to “pray in the Spirit”. I do believe deep down inside that my prayer language, “tongues” helps immensely in those times when I don’t know what to pray. It is like Paul says in Romans 8:26, He intercedes for me with sighs and groan and in ways that I don’t understand. But also more than that I find when I pray for someone in tongues that God can pray through me and intercede for them at a deeper level than ever I can know with my human mind. Somehow the Holy Spirit is touching things in them and about their life that I know nothing about. Furthermore I am sure there is a degree of confidentiality about it. Ian doesn’t need to know. Suffice to say that God is using me to touch something deep within them and pray for them in way that is confidential. That is quite remarkable. How like God to work within us to that degree of depth.
On another level it is like what is spoken of Epaphras:
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He is always wrestling in his prayers for you, so that you may stand mature and completely convinced of the entire will of God.
Colossians 4:2
Wrestling in prayer is the word agonidzomai: To agonize in prayer for someone. To wrestle at a deeper level and pour out your heart in intercession for them. We all need people like that on our team and we need to be prepared to be people like that for someone else.
Now that you know these things, how blessed you will be if you put them into practice!
John 13:17
God understands our prayers even when we can’t find the words to say them.
Scott R Jones
Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the Spirit of God.
Edwin Keith
Prayer is not eloquence, but earnestness; not the definition of helplessness, but the feeling of it; not figures of speech, but earnestness of soul.
Hannah More
The power of prayer does not depend on the one who says the prayer but the One who hears the prayer.
Max Lucado