“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,”    

praying in the Holy Spirit,

Now we come to the second prerogative of the believer to strengthen his Christian life. The Holy Spirit jealously guards our prayer life.

Praying in the Holy Spirit is praying under the control of the Spirit. This is prayer under the guidance of the Spirit. This is not mechanical prayer but prayer engaged with the Spirit. Prayer and the Word of God go together (Ac 6:4).

The Holy Spirit joins our prayer life (Ro 8:26-28) to direct our prayers more accurately. He is the Spirit of supplications.

And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. Zec 12:10

PRINCIPLE:

The Holy Spirit enables us to pray properly.

APPLICATION:

Christians who pray in the Spirit allow the Holy Spirit to influence the direction of their prayers.

Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. Ps 55:17

O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come. Ps 65:2

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Mt 7:7

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. Mt 21:22

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart… Lk 18:1

… but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. Ac 6:4

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. Ac 12:5

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers… Ro 1:9

… praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints… Eph 6:18

… pray without ceasing… 1 Th 5:17

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:16

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Jas 5:16