And pray in the Spirit …
Summary: If we are to pray in the Holy Spirit, we need to have the Holy Spirit in us. How that happens is a simple process, but “simple” is not always easy.
Praying in the Spirit (capital “S,” meaning Holy Spirit) is not the same as praying in our personal spirit. Our personal spirit is, by nature, sinful. Because of sin, Jesus tells us that we need to be “born again” (John 3:3). When we accept Jesus as Lord and believe God raised him from the dead, Paul assures us we will be saved (Romans 10:9).
Jesus meets us where we are. There is no requirement that we become “good enough” to get into heaven before we can be saved. Salvation does not require that we know how to “pray in the Spirit.”
But what if we want to? What if we want to pray in the Spirit? How do we do that?
Jesus promised he would send us the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). Obviously, if we are going to pray in the Holy Spirit, we need to have the Holy Spirit in us. However, the Holy Spirit does not force his way in. What if we are hanging on to our old sinful ways when the Holy Spirit arrives?
This question of sin is an important one because it is true for everyone who accepts Jesus. Paul assures us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). So what are we to do?
There is a process the Bible calls “sanctification,” which means the Holy Spirit teaches us to live a holy life. God himself leads us from our ungodly behaviors to godly ones. He cleanses our hearts and our desires. We change. (John 14:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, John 17: 13-19)
This change doesn’t happen automatically. We have to cooperate. We have to be willing to change as the Spirit leads us. We have to learn to do what is right.
The Bible calls doing what is right “righteousness” (1 John 3:7). This is not the kind of righteousness the Pharisees claimed for themselves in Jesus’ day. It is not a legalistic form of righteousness. Instead, it is simply doing what is right by God’s Holy Spirit and his Word. The prophet Micah summed it up this way:
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
If we want to pray in the Spirit we have to let the Spirit in. We have to submit to God’s will and his guidance. We have to learn to hear the Spirit of God when he speaks to us. The more we obey the Spirit of God, the more we have the Holy Spirit in us. The more we do what is right, the more we will be heard by God (James 5:16, 1 Peter 3:12)
Application: Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey.
Food for Thought: What is life like for one who is full of the Holy Spirit?
What is life like for one who is full of the Holy Spirit?
Amazing, Blessed, Meaningful, Honorable, Lovely, Beautiful, Fruitful. And so much more. It’s a life that never truly ends, one that lives eternally and helps others to do the same. It’s a life full of fights and battles for souls. One that carries a message for all to hear.
Well said, Mr. T!
It is good to be reminded of how wonderful our life in the Spirit is. 🙂
Very insightful….Let us Pray as the Spirit guides us! Come Lord Jesus!🙏
Amen, Jim.
We depend on the Spirit’s guidance for everything as we seek to live as our Lord and King wants us to.
11-08-2023, What is life like for one who is full of the Holy Spirit?
A life bearing fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Thanks, Ron!
These are signs that the Spirit is active in a person’s life. I see that in my own life and the lives of all our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Very thought-provoking question. Scripture uses the words “full” and “filled” in many instances, and some translations use those words interchangeably. Without going into a long description of the original Greek text, it is safe to say one describes empowerment by the Spirit, and the other a permanent change of character by the Spirit.
As believers and followers of Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us both. In what measure is dependent on our submission.
Back to the question: “What is life like for one who is full of the Holy Spirit?”
In empowerment: To turn from sin daily. To make decisions in peace and not fear. To have communion with the Holy Spirit, Christ, and our Heavenly Father. To live in grace, understanding, wisdom, and to interact with others in the same manner.
In transformation: To be firmly rooted in God’s truth, and to know the person we are, in measure, is the person God created us to be. The thing about transformation is it never stops. Life more abundantly, and more abundantly. As our character becomes more like Christ we discard the shame and condemnation of our past, and find hope in our future.
Chris,
Thank you for the “deep dive” into this topic. I appreciate your explanation of the distinction between “full” and “filled”:
“one describes empowerment by the Spirit, and the other a permanent change of character by the Spirit.”
These are two very interesting aspects of God’s work in us through his Spirit.
You will likely roll your eyes at the response, because I gave it just yesterday. But my response is the same and it was already covered by R2T2. But isn’t a life that is full of the fruit of the Spirit a great life? Who doesn’t want to be filled with love, joy, peace, etc.
In today’s world joy and peace alone are priceless.
Fortunately, eye-rolling is not a fruit of the Spirit. (It’s more a fruit of the cornball kind.)
🙂