“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”
1 Corinthians 14:14-15
When we receive Jesus as our Lord and savior we are “born again” and receive the Holy Spirit. We become in essence a “new creature” because our spirits are recreated and we are no longer separated from God. He now dwells on the inside of us. This is what the disciples experienced in John 20:21-22. At this time Jesus had already been resurrected from the dead and had appeared to the disciples multiple times. “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost…” John 20:21-22 This is called the “The New Birth” and we are now children of God and made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. However, even after the disciples received the Holy Spirit, Jesus let them know that there was going to be a Baptism with the Holy Spirit that they would need to receive as well. Acts 1:4 &8: “And (Jesus) being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jersualem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, he have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the holy Ghost not many days hence…But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 2:1-4: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
It wasn’t just the disciples in the room that day. It was about 120 people, including women and most likely children (see Acts 1:15) When we receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, we also receive our heavenly language and are instructed to pray in the spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:2,4,14&15 “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…He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself…for if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”
Most Christians understand the importance of prayer and will take time every day to pray. However, often they forget that they need to do as the Holy Spirit instructed Paul in 1 Corinthians 14, to pray in the spirit as well as in the understanding. We are to pray in BOTH languages; our earthly language and our heavenly language. When we pray in our heavenly language, we are praying perfect prayers from the Holy Spirit through us, directly to God. We pray out God’s perfect will for our lives. Romans 8:26 explained it beautifully: “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.” Isn’t that wonderful to know? That the Spirit prays for us, through us, perfect prayers we didn’t even know needed to be prayed. Since God knows everything, He knows what is coming up in the future and what attacks the enemy has planned for us and even for our loved ones. When we pray in the spirit, we are able to pray over future events so that we have the victory before we ever even encounter the attacks. As an added benefit, praying in the spirit actually edifies our own spirit. It’s like weightlifting for our spirit, making us stronger. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost…” Jude 1:20
In addition, since we are praying in our heavenly language that we don’t understand, we are instructed in 1 Corinthians 14 to pray that we may interpret so that our understanding is not unfruitful. As we pray, we can ask the Lord what we are praying about. I have found that often He will show me the essence of what is being prayed so that I can pray in the understanding as well and gain more insight.
It is so important to take time every day to pray in the Holy Spirit. This strengthens our spirit and prays out the perfect will of God for our lives and for the lives of others that God puts on our heart. Let us choose to spend more time praying in the spirit for ourselves and others and watch the rough paths made smooth, the crooked ways made straight and the mountains removed, so that our way is made like a highway!
Further reading: Acts 1 and 2, 1 Corinthians 13 and 14, John 20, Joel 2:28-29
