Episode notes
The Power of Praying with the Holy Spirit
One important way to mature in your prayer life is by inviting the Holy Spirit to guide you when you pray.
The apostle Paul explained the importance of this in Ephesians 6:18: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (niv).
To “pray in the Spirit” is to be fully present in your prayer, to open yourself to God’s presence and power, and to let the Spirit lead your thoughts and words. It’s hard to think of anything more powerful!
Inviting the Holy Spirit into our prayers means we don’t have to try to figure out the right words by ourselves. The Holy Spirit is interceding, reminding, and guiding. Paul painted an incredible picture of this:
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans .. .because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Rom. 8:26–27, niv).
When we run out of words, when we’re too sad, too tired, too confused, the Spirit steps in and speaks for us.
And when you invite the Holy Spirit into your prayer time, He will show up! Sometimes in a whisper, like “Call that person.” Other times it can feel like getting hit over the head with a two-by-four of truth. No matter how the Spirit shows up,
He is always drawing you back to the Father. Remember the lines from that old worship song that say, “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here”?That’s the posture of empowered prayer. When we invite the Holy Spirit into our prayers, He helps us listen, respond, and grow.
Response:
- Do you ever find yourself struggling to find the right words when you pray? How could you intentionally make space for the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf?
- When have you most recently experienced the prompting of the Holy Spirit? What did that look or feel like to you?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, You are welcome here. I invite You to guide me in prayer today, shaping my words and aligning my heart with the Father’s.