Praying in the Spirit is another way of reinforcing our prayer. In Mark 14, before His crucifixion, Jesus took His disciples up to a garden to pray. He left them and went a little farther to pray. When He came back, He found them sleeping and said to them,

“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak”. Mark 14:38

The forces against us are spiritual, so we have to confront them from the spirit realm, as the flesh hasn’t enough force to handle them. That is why Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Helper, to help us transcend the physical realm into the heavenly. Until you are able to engage the help of the Holy Spirit in prayer, you may never experience true breakthrough in your Christian life.

“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. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God”. Romans 8:26-27

There are forces beyond the natural, which are out to tear down your destiny; therefore, you need to engage spiritual forces to undo them. Praying in the Spirit is the most effective way of subduing such forces. That is why Apostle Paul said,

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” Ephesians 6:12-13, 18

Since these forces of opposition operate from the spirit realm, which most times are beyond our human comprehension, God has also given us a weapon that grants us access to the throne room of heaven, which they also do not understand.

“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries”. 1 Corinthians 14:2

When you pray in the Spirit, no one, including the devil, knows what you are saying, as you are speaking to God alone in mysteries. When you engage the Spirit in prayer, He takes you into heaven’s frequency, enabling you to pray with precision and the express will of God for that situation (1 Corinthians 2:11). The Holy Spirit Himself intercedes on your behalf. He picks up what is in your heart, presents it to God and in turn delivers the answer from God to you.

“…for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God”. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

“…When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him”. Isaiah 59:19

If the enemy is coming against you like a flood, you cannot expect to resist him as a stream. But when you switch over to the Spirit, the Holy Spirit helps you to raise a standard against the enemy. What happens when you switch over to the Spirit is that you are releasing the rivers of living water that flows in you as a Spirit-filled believer.

“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” John 7:38-39

Your mouth is the outlet for the rivers of God within you. So, when you burst out in tongues, you are releasing that river, which is able to swallow up every flood of the enemy and deliver you out of every predicament. When your spirit prays, you are praying the will of God. So, you can be confident that your prayers are heard, and when God hears, the victory is sure (1 John 5:14-15).

“… with my spirit within me will I seek thee early…” Isaiah 26:9

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”. John 4:24

Effectual communication is the one done in the spirit, as God is a Spirit. Praying in the spirit is a spirit-to-Spirit communication, and thus is our surest way of connecting heaven for earthly interventions. We can therefore approach the throne room of God boldly, communicating in our heavenly language that guarantees victory in prayer. This prayer booster is for the benefit of every believer.

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost”. Jude 20

Praying in the spirit is a God-ordained programme for your spiritual build-up. Remember Romans 8:26 says that the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities in prayer. There is a limit to which your physical strength can take you in prayer. That is why many fails in prayer.

A man starts to pray and in less than five minutes he dozes off. By the time he opens his eyes one hour has passed. Then he says, ‘In Jesus name’, and that is it for the day.

It is time to lean on the help of the Spirit, to kindle an unquenchable fire on your prayer altar. Call on Him to help you. ‘Spirit of God, Helper of the Church, help me! Put a new fire on my prayer altar. Help me to maintain a winning prayer life’. Until you realize your helplessness without the Holy Spirit, you may die in struggles. But when you lean on the Spirit, you keep on leaping through life.

There are times when you pray and you know your prayer is not going beyond the ceiling. It is as if the heaven is locked up and you cannot get through. Switch over to the Spirit. Let Him clear the way and create a thoroughfare to heaven for you, so you can enjoy sweet communion with your heavenly Father.

The Holy Spirit not only boosts our access in communication, but also help us overcome every prayer weakness, in order to sustain the fire of God on our prayer altar….

This text is an extract from the book “WINNING PRAYER” written by David O. Oyedepo. 
We invite you to read the following article “OBEDIENCE“.