In the Spirit

Popular theology uses the phrase "in the Spirit" to give an appearance of spirituality; however, many Christians cannot even explain what the phrase means nor give instructions on how to do it. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ... This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ... But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law" (Galatians 5:25, 16, 18). To walk in the Spirit is to be led by the Spirit of God to walk in the ways of the Lord. Walking in the ways of the Lord entails living by his Word—obeying his Word:

After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 18:3-5)

Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess. (Deuteronomy 5:32-33)

For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. (Jeremiah 7:22-23)

Walking or living in the Spirit starts with denying ourselves (Mark 8:34), studying God's Word, believing his Word, living his Word through obedience, and, hearing and obeying God's voice: thus, allowing the Spirit of God to lead us. We cannot "Walk in the Spirit," the Spirit of truth, unless we are in agreement with the truth (John 17:17) in our hearts: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed" (Amos 3:3)? The Holy Ghost enables us "to walk in [the Lord's] statutes, and ye shall keep [his] judgments, and do them" (Ezekiel 36:27). In other words, the Holy Ghost enables us to obey the Word of God; however, we have to learn obedience by the things we suffer in Christ (Hebrews 5:8): suffering to transform us from taking pleasure in unrighteousness to pleasure in righteousness. Left to ourselves, we will follow our flesh: "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:5-7). "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways" (Psalm 119:1-3). Thus, to walk or live in the Spirit is to do righteousness because "the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10). And righteousness is to "do always those things that please" (John 8:29) God the Father.

The very definition of a spiritually mature Christian rests on his or her ability to hear and to be led by the Holy Ghost. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14); and "strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14). Being led by the Spirit of God—being spiritual—requires that our hearts be purified through the process of renewing our minds and obeying the truth. A spiritual person is "one who is filled with and governed by the Spirit of God."⁸⁹ "It is a fallacy to think that we can be spiritual or have a meaningful relationship with God without being concerned about the specifics of doctrine. Our belief system shapes, in a definitive way, our relationship with God. ... An authentic 'Christian' spirituality is one that binds us to Christ and leads us through the power of the Holy [Ghost] to God the Father."⁹⁰ In short, the Spirit of truth does not function in a heart that remains deceitful above all things for "true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23). To be led by the Spirit of God, a Christian's heart must be in agreement with the Spirit of God and with the truth of God—the Word of God. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). In agreement in this context goes beyond just mental assent, it requires faith and obedience. It requires the lesser—the Christian—to be subject unto the greater—God—in everything. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). For "can two walk together, except they be agreed" (Amos 3:3)? "Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes" (Deuteronomy 27:10). A paraphrase from Jesus' statement in John 5:30 will help solidify this: I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I do: and my obedience is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Spirit of God which leads me.

Hearing God's voice, whether from his Word or directly from him, and not obeying him puts us back into the exploits of Adam or even King Saul who heard God's will but chose to heed the people's will. Another example of hearing and not obeying is given in the book of 1 Kings:

Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. 20And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. (1 Kings 13:15-22)

To hear the voice of God is to know his complete and comprehensive will for our lives—his perfect will. Short of this we need a prophet (or someone with the gift of prophecy) who can relay it to us. The Lord's complete and comprehensive will starts with his Word plus the knowledge of who should do what, where should they do it, when should they do it, and, possibly, how it should be done. This knowledge comes by hearing his voice. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2). Notice in the temptations of Jesus in the desert (Luke 4), he tells Satan twice that "it is written"; however, on the third temptation, Satan now tries to use the written word against him.

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Luke 4:9-12)

Jesus, however, switches and tells him "it is said." Jesus understood not only the will of God the Father, but even better, the perfect will of God the Father. Thus we too must move past just reading about God's will to hearing his voice, by his Spirit, in order to know his perfect will (which always aligns with his Word). "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12). We "walk in the Spirit" when we push past a simple knowledge of the Word of God to unwavering faith in the Word of God coupled with obedience, which engenders deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment. This is all made possible by the shed blood of Jesus: "because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5). God communes with us where his Word is written: in our hearts (see "The Sign of the New Covenant"). "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked" (1 John 2:6). The children of Israel rejected the ability to hear directly from God: "And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die" (Exodus 20:19). In addition, the Holy Ghost was not yet given under the Old Covenant:

And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. (Deuteronomy 29:2-4)

Moses had to give them the Word of God, and also teach them and guide them—he in essence represented both the Word and the Holy Ghost. Under the New Covenant, we have direct access to the Word of God (Jesus) and the Holy Ghost, who can bring all things to our remembrance, whatsoever Jesus (the Word of God) has said to us. "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven" (Hebrews 12:24-25). "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand" (John 3:34-35). When we study the Word of God, Jesus "speaks" to us. The Holy Ghost guides us into all truth—the Word of God—and teaches us all things that God has prepared for us (see "By Faith"). Of course, this necessitates the ability to hear—hear that still small voice of God (see "My Sheep Hear My Voice"). "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18): "praying in the Holy Ghost" (Jude 1:20). Praying in the Spirit, or praying in the Holy Ghost, is often equated to praying in an unknown tongue. This, however, is incorrect. Praying in an unknown tongue is better equated to praying in my spirit (spirit of mankind). As we have already shown in the "God Bearing Witness" section before, when my spirit prays, the Spirit of God is not involved; that is, I am not being led by the Spirit of God. When the Spirit—the Holy Ghost—prays it is not audible: "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" (Romans 8:26). Scripture clearly does not recommend praying in an unknown tongue unless there is understanding.

Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 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. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? (1 Corinthians 14:13-16)

When my spirit prays, I speak mysteries unto God, but my understanding is unfruitful unless I also have the gift of interpretation. Without the gift of interpretation, praying in an unknown tongue becomes a form of escape: a supernatural drug; a "spiritual" high. If my understanding is unfruitful, how then can my prayer be effectual? "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). Speaking or praying in an unknown tongue is to be used in the church only when there is an interpreter:

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:26-33)

Praying in the Spirit or praying in the Holy Ghost is simply this: being led by the Spirit of God to intercede for others as the Spirit of God reveals certain people/situations to me and also to pray for myself as the Spirit of God reveals areas of darkness in me. "Intercession means that we rouse ourselves up to get the mind of Christ about the one for whom we pray."⁹¹ After all, as noted earlier, "we know not what we should pray for as we ought." Therefore, it takes the Holy Ghost to "guide you into all truth" (John 16:13) that we may know what to pray for as we ought. "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits" (Proverbs 16:2). "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14). If we are truly led by the Spirit of God, then we may speak in other tongues (not unknown tongues) or "speak" in the Spirit, as the Spirit, not ourselves, gives utterance.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)

And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. (Matthew 10:18-20)

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he did not teach them to pray in tongues, nor did he pray in tongues as can be seen in the following two passages:

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. (Luke 11:1-4)

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)

"Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for the glorifying of His Father"⁹² "When the Son of God prays, He has only one consciousness, and that consciousness is of His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God is formed in me the Father will always hear my prayers. I have to see that the Son of God is manifested in my mortal flesh. 'Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost,' i.e., the Bethlehem of the Son of God. Is the Son of God getting His chance in me? Is the direct simplicity of the life of God's Son being worked out exactly as it was worked out in His historic life? When I come in contact with the occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is the prayer of God's Eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? 'In that day ye shall ask in My name' What day? The day when the Holy Ghost has come to me and made me effectually one with my Lord."⁹³

Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee. For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever. (1 Chronicles 17:23-27)

Prayer builds our spiritual house: "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 1:20-21). Each time we pray, another stone is laid, another rafter is hung, another beam is raised: "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:20-22). "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked" (2 Corinthians 5:1-3).

Pray without Ceasing

Due to the aforementioned confusion about praying in tongues, popular theology also equates "pray without ceasing" to "praying in tongues." This is also incorrect. It is not possible to speak always, without ceasing, in an unknown tongue, else how do we speak with others? What's more, when offering individual prayer, we are commanded to "enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:6). Thus, we have to develop the ability to pray in silence—in our heads. There will come a time in the near future in which prayer will be outlawed by the Antichrist (Daniel 8:11); Christians that cannot communicate (dialog) with God in silence will suffer (see "The Principality of Antichrist"). It should be noted at this point that the belief that praying in an unknown tongue is akin to praying in a secret language which Satan cannot understand is foolishness. Again, as we have already shown in the "God Bearing Witness" section before, the gift of unknown tongues is the ability to speak in the language of angels. Heavenly angels, however, do not have a separate language from fallen angels (Jude 1:9); speaking in unknown tongues is not necessarily a "heavenly" language.

Praying without ceasing is more about being in constant communion with God, with the focus on hearing, more than talking to, God. "We think rightly or wrongly about prayer according to the conception we have in our minds of prayer. If we think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts, we think rightly. The blood flows ceaselessly, and breathing continues ceaselessly; we are not conscious of it, but it is always going on. We are not always conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect joint with God, but if we are obeying Him, He always is. Prayer is not an exercise, it is the life."⁹⁴ "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19). Notice we are commanded to quench not the Spirit: quench not the flame of fire (Hebrews 1:7; Revelation 4:5). We are to be led by the Spirit of God, not to smother or suppress him by talking over him—ignoring him (Matthew 6:7), not to disagree with him because we lack wisdom or because we are not rightly related with him through unrighteousness, or not to disdain him by blaspheming him.

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-3)

We have to be in the position of a supplicant seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth. "Before God, each one of us is 'poor.' Thus the recognition of our real poverty, in which, we see ourselves as God see us, is the basis for authenticity in prayer."⁹⁵ A supplicant fears the Lord and seeks to serve him (John 4:34; John 6:38). A supplicant seeks to honor the Lord; as such, a supplicant does "those things that are pleasing in his sight" (1 John 3:22). A supplicant is more interested in what the Lord has to say than in speaking to the Lord. An example of this is shown in 1 Samuel: "And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth" (1 Samuel 3:10). The child Samuel was more keen to hear from the Lord than he was to speak. "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20). Finally, a supplicant is the one asking not demanding. When we do speak, we retain our position as supplicant and we ask our petitions earnestly and humbly. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). Our petitions should be those things that are in alignment with his will—his Word. Those things necessary for life eternal: wisdom, righteousness and sanctification. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" (1 John 5:14-15).

Prayer and supplication can be seen analogously to two-way radio functionality. There is a primary transmitter—base station—and many possible receivers—radios. Radios that can also transmit information are known as two-way radios or as transceivers. The base station—the Lord—transmits wisdom (Proverbs 2:6) which can only be received if each radio is actively listening and is tuned to the same transmitting frequency—righteousness—as the base station. Similarly, in order for the radio to transmit—supplication, the radio must transmit on a frequency that the base station is listening on. The transmission from the radio comes in two forms: praise and petitions. Thus, prayer inherently requires that we be rightly related to God; we cannot expect that he will hear us irrespective of our relationship to Him. It is no use praying unless we are rightly related to God—unless we are living as children of God. "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination" (Proverbs 28:9); for "The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous" (Proverbs 15:29). Notice the order of receiving from the throne of grace as stipulated in Hebrews chapter 4: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). First obtain mercy through repentance for returning to death through sin and then, find grace to help solve your problem. "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 1:21); "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). In other words, seek life—the things of God—not death—the things of the world. "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Luke 11:9). Ask for life eternal—the wisdom of God, seek after life eternal and knock to obtain access to life eternal. "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:10-11).

The destiny of my spiritual life is such identification with Jesus Christ that I always hear God, and I know that God always hears me (John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God, by the devotion of hearing all the time. A lily, or a tree, or a servant of God, may convey God's message to me. What hinders me from hearing is that I am taken up with other things. It is not that I will not hear God, but I am not devoted in the right place. I am devoted to things, to service, to convictions, and God may say what He likes but I do not hear Him. The child attitude is always, 'Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.' If I have not cultivated this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God's voice at certain times; at other times I am taken up with things—things which I say I must do, and I become deaf to Him, I am not living the life of a child. Have I heard God's voice to-day?⁹⁶

The life of a disciple of Jesus Christ, a soldier of Jesus Christ, is to be spent constantly on the look out for the enemy (watch) and constantly growing in strength (prayer). "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:38). Therefore, to enable the ability to pray without ceasing you have to remove anything that impedes—sins, strong holds and devils—your ability to hear from God: to actively listen for that still small voice. "And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12). For "blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him" (James 1:12). "Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears" (Ezekiel 3:10). Therefore pray without ceasing: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).

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