The Biblical phrase “praying in the spirit” is often defined different ways by different people. For Charismatic Christians—people who believe the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12 are still in operation today—this term is usually synonymous with praying in tongues. They believe that Christians can have a sort of “prayer language” where their spirit is praying in an unknown language, bypassing their natural understanding, and their spirit communicates directly with God’s Spirit. For cessationists—people who believe gifts of the spirit, including tongues, have passed away—praying in the spirit tends to be defined as heartfelt prayer or praying under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Here’s the thing: we don’t get to define what praying in the spirit is—scripture does. So let’s look at the three times this phrase is used in scripture, beginning with the first instance, and let the text define it for us.
Paul coins the phrase “pray in the spirit” in his first letter to the Corinthians, written sometime between 53-57 AD. Leading up to the inaugural usage of this phrase, Paul expounds on spiritual gifts in chapter 12, explains that love is the fuel that drives these gifts in chapter 13, and then in chapter 14 begins to correct the specific mistakes the Corinthian church is making regarding spiritual gifts. This entire chapter is about how to utilize spiritual gifts while maintaining order and serving one another in our church services. Paul points out that the church is overemphasizing the gift of tongues at the expense of the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is better, he says, because its more helpful since people understand it. Tongues –or, unknown languages—must be translated into the hearer’s spoken language for others to be edified. Once translated and understood, tongues then become prophecy.
Quick note: “pray in the spirit” can also be translated “pray with the spirit” since the preposition in the phrase is not always present in the Greek. Either word works here, and it could also have been translated “spirit-pray.”
Let’s look at Paul’s first use of the phrase:
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” 1 Cor. 14:14-15 ESV
Verse 14 clearly says that when someone prays in tongues, they are praying with their spirit and bypassing their mind. Praying with/in the spirit is then juxtaposed against praying with the mind (or understanding). Because of this, praying in the spirit cannot be heartfelt prayer or Spirit-directed prayer because those types of prayer are done with one’s mind and understanding. The text itself has defined the term for us. Praying with or in the spirit is praying in another language (tongue) and without understanding. Any other definition of praying in the spirit is substituting tradition for text.
Paul uses this phrase a second time in his letter to the Ephesians written several years later, around 60-62 AD. This time, he is talking about putting on the armor of God and drawing a parallel between how Roman soldiers dress for battle and how Christians are to prepare for spiritual warfare. Paul concludes his solider metaphor with instruction to pray in the spirit as part of putting on the full armor of God: “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:18a ESV.
In order to properly read scripture, we must utilize a principle called the law of first mention: our understanding of the first instance of a word, phrase or concept in the Bible should be carried into future mentions, unless specifically changed. Paul’s earlier usage of “praying in the spirit” should guide our understanding of this usage: praying in the spirit is praying in an unknown language without understanding. This means we must conclude that Paul was giving instructions to believers to pray in tongues as a part of our preparation for spiritual warfare. By this time, several years after it was first used, the phrase had probably caught on in Christian circles and the Ephesians would have know what Paul meant by it.
The final time “pray in the spirit” is used in scripture is by a different author, Jude. Jude was written in the late first century, after the aforementioned Pauline epistles. Here the author says, ”But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God…” Jude 20-21a NASB
This time, the word “holy” is added to the phrase “praying in the Spirit.” We also see a direct correlation with praying in the spirit and “building yourselves up.” This echoes Paul’s original explanation that “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself.” 1 Corinthians 14:4a ESV
So, according to scripture alone, what is praying in the Spirit? It is praying in an unknown language, bypassing your understanding, for the purpose of private worship and building yourself up. This biblical definition supports the use of the oft-used Charismatic term “prayer language” even though it is not specifically found in scripture.
A common mistake
Please note, this whole time I have been talking about praying in the spirit, not speaking in tongues. These are two different things done for two different purposes. Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:10) that allows the church to reach unbelievers who speak a different language (Acts 2:11; 1 Cor. 14:22), or—along with the gift of interpretation of tongues—is used to strengthen the church through prophecy (1 Cor. 14:5). Praying in the spirit, however, is praying in tongues privately to God and strengthens the individual. Although both involve unknown languages, one is spoken, the other is prayed. One is public, the other is private. One helps others, the other helps the person doing it. There has been a lot of confusion in church circles because this delineation in scripture has not been taught well.
How does someone pray in the Spirit?
This should make us ask the question, how does one get the ability to pray in the spirit? Scripture gives no explicit instructions on how to do it, just instructions that we can and should do it. Since scripture interprets scripture, we can look at other passages to give us a better chance at understanding this.
Throughout the Book of Acts, anything having to do with tongues is connected to a person being filled with the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Spirit coming upon them. Check out these verses:
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:4 ESV
“And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.” Acts 10:45-46 ESV
“And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.” Acts 19:6 ESV
So, it seems that tongues are connected to an encounter with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:8 Jesus said we, His disciples, would receive power when the Holy Spirit “comes upon” us. John the Baptist told his disciples in Mark 1:8 “I have baptized you with water, but he [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
If you would like to pray in the spirit and have your own private prayer language with the Lord, just ask Jesus to fill you with and baptize you in His Holy Spirit. He is a good Father who gives good gifts to His children. We often see the gift of the Holy Spirit given to others through the laying on of hands. (Acts 8:17; Acts 19:6) Find a friend, family member, or minister who already prays in the spirit and ask them to lay hands on you and pray that you be filled with the Holy Spirit, too.
Let’s honor God by adopting what His written word says even if we’ve been taught something different. Praying in the spirit, or with your spirit is praying in tongues. No other definition is given or even implied in scripture.
