How to Pray in the Holy Spirit

Prayer is one of the most intimate expressions of our relationship with God. And yet, for many believers, it can feel mysterious especially when Scripture calls us to “pray in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20). What does that mean, practically? Can we unknowingly pray outside of the Spirit? And how can we know when we’re truly being led by the Holy Spirit in prayer?

These are questions that go to the heart of our daily walk with God. Thankfully, Scripture offers both clarity and encouragement for those who want to pray in alignment with the Spirit of God.

Prayer Is Not a Solo Effort

First, it’s important to understand that praying in the Spirit is not some isolated spiritual activity reserved for super-Christians. In fact, praying in the Spirit is part of the entire Christian life, which is to be lived in the Spirit. Just as we are called to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), worship in the Spirit (Philippians 3:3), and love by the Spirit (Romans 5:5), so we also pray in the Spirit.

This isn’t about technique. It’s about posture. We don’t approach prayer as a performance, but as an act of dependence. The Holy Spirit is not a silent observer in our prayers. He is the initiator, sustainer, and finisher of them.

Not Merely Tongues

For some, “praying in the Spirit” immediately conjures up images of praying in tongues. While the Bible does speak of that spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 14), it would be a mistake to assume that Paul meant only tongues when he commanded believers to pray in the Spirit “at all times” (Ephesians 6:18). Paul’s instruction encompasses all of our praying not just specific moments of charismatic experience.

In fact, reducing this command to speaking in tongues risks missing the deeper truth: the Spirit of God is meant to animate every prayer, in every moment, with every word, whether spoken, whispered, or groaned.

Spirit-Guided, Spirit-Empowered

To pray in the Spirit means that our prayers are both moved and guided by the Holy Spirit. We don’t pray to impress God or to inform Him. We pray because the Spirit is stirring in us the desires and words that reflect God’s will.

Romans 8:26–27 beautifully illustrates this truth. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Sometimes, our burdens are too heavy for words. Our hearts cry out with nothing more than a groan and even that groan is Spirit-assisted. This passage teaches that the Spirit doesn’t just help us speak to God; He helps us know how to speak to Him.

Similarly, Romans 8:15 reminds us that the Spirit stirs our hearts to cry out, “Abba! Father!” The very impulse to call on God as our Father is a gift of the Spirit working within us. Prayer, then, is not primarily about eloquence, but about dependence. It begins with the Spirit and is carried by Him.

Avoiding Fleshly Prayer

If praying in the Spirit means being guided by the Holy Spirit, then praying in the flesh means praying in self-reliance. James 4:3 warns us. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

The Spirit does not prompt selfish prayers rooted in worldly desires. He leads us to pray for God’s will, not our wants. Jesus modeled this in the Lord’s Prayer, placing “Hallowed be your name” and “Your kingdom come” at the forefront (Matthew 6:9–10).

Praying in the Spirit aligns us with heaven’s priorities. It moves us beyond surface-level requests into deeper surrender.

How Do We Actually Do This?

So how do we pray in the Spirit in real time? Galatians 2:20 holds a key insight. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live... I live by faith in the Son of God.”

This means that our prayers like the rest of our Christian life must be lived out by faith. Praying in the Spirit requires trusting that the Spirit is present, active, and willing to help. This is not about conjuring emotion or working harder to be spiritual. It’s about believing the promise that God helps us when we pray.

Galatians 3:5 confirms this. “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you... do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?”

The Spirit is supplied through faith specifically, faith in God’s promises. We hear the promises of God (such as “I will help you,” “I will give you words,” “I will be with you”) and we respond by trusting them in prayer. That trust opens the way for the Spirit to move through our petitions.

Prayer as a Miracle

All of this underscores a simple yet profound reality: prayer is a miracle. We act we speak, we groan, we ask but it is the Spirit who carries the prayer, who aligns it with the will of God, and who strengthens us to keep coming back to the throne of grace.

That’s why prayer should never be a performance. It's not something we “get right” or master. It’s a space where we lean fully into our weakness and invite the Holy Spirit to lead.

Whether you are praying in joy, in grief, or in desperation, the Spirit is ready to help. Even your imperfect prayers are precious when guided by faith in a perfect Helper.

So if you want to pray in the Spirit, begin by believing that He is already at work in you. Stand on the promises. Trust His leading. And let your prayers every groan, whisper, and plea be carried by the One who knows the Father’s heart better than we ever could.

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