What is praying in the Spirit?
Question Q04013
The phrase “praying in the Spirit” appears in two places in the New Testament: Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 20. It has generated considerable discussion, particularly in Pentecostal and charismatic circles where it is often associated with speaking in tongues. Understanding what the phrase actually means requires attending carefully to what these texts say and the broader context of the Spirit’s role in Christian prayer.
The Phrase in Its Context
In Ephesians 6:18, Paul concludes his description of the spiritual armour with this: “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” The phrase “in the Spirit” functions here as a modifier describing the manner or sphere of prayer rather than a specific technique within prayer. Paul is not introducing a new category of prayer alongside other kinds; he is describing the quality and orientation that all prayer should have.
Jude 20 uses similar language in a similar way: “praying in the Holy Spirit.” The context is an exhortation to perseverance and faithfulness in the face of false teaching. Jude is not describing a particular prayer method but a quality of prayerfulness that keeps believers grounded in God whilst dangers surround them.
What “In the Spirit” Actually Means
The Greek preposition en in these phrases can indicate sphere, means, or instrument. To pray “in the Spirit” is to pray within the sphere that the Spirit creates and sustains, through the means the Spirit provides, by the power the Spirit gives. It stands in contrast with prayer that is merely formal, habitual, or self-generated: prayer offered out of duty or social expectation without genuine engagement with God.
This understanding is supported by Paul’s broader teaching on the Spirit and prayer in Romans 8:26-27, where the Spirit intercedes for believers and aligns their praying with the will of God. Spirit-directed prayer is prayer that the Spirit prompts, that moves in the direction the Spirit is moving, and that relies on the Spirit’s understanding of what is needed rather than only the believer’s own perception of their circumstances.
The Question of Tongues
Many in Pentecostal and charismatic traditions understand “praying in the Spirit” to mean praying in tongues specifically. The support for this reading comes partly from 1 Corinthians 14:14-15, where Paul writes: “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, and I will pray with my mind also; I will sing with my spirit, and I will sing with my mind also.”
Paul does present tongues as a form of prayer directed towards God rather than towards people (1 Corinthians 14:2), and he values this form of prayer in his own devotional life (14:18). Tongues is therefore one dimension of what praying in the Spirit may include for those who exercise that gift. However, it would be a mistake to reduce the phrase entirely to tongues. Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 6:18 is addressed to all believers without qualification, not only those with the gift of tongues. Jude 20 similarly applies universally. Tongues may be one expression of Spirit-prompted prayer, but it is not its only form or its defining characteristic.
Prayer That Is and Is Not “In the Spirit”
Recognising this raises a searching question: is all prayer “in the Spirit”? The honest answer is that not all prayer that is called prayer operates within the Spirit’s prompting. Prayer offered to maintain appearances, to perform a religious duty without genuine address to God, or that arises from the flesh’s agenda rather than the Spirit’s direction is not what the New Testament means by praying in the Spirit.
The Spirit prompts prayer that corresponds to the will of God. He opens Scripture passages that become the content of prayer. He creates in believers a sense of urgency about specific people or situations. He enables the intimacy of Abba prayer described in Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6. Prayer that arises from these promptings is prayer in the Spirit, and it may be as quiet as a whispered confession of need or as sustained as a night of intercession.
So, Now What?
The practical question is not “have I prayed in tongues?” but “am I praying in dependence on the Spirit?” This means approaching prayer not as a self-generated performance of piety but as an activity in which the Spirit is genuinely invited to direct, prompt, and sustain. It means being attentive to what Scripture, conscience, and circumstance are surfacing as genuine prayer concerns rather than simply reciting familiar requests. And it means trusting that even the inarticulate longing that brings someone to their knees is itself Spirit-prompted, the beginning of prayer in the Spirit even before a single word is formed.
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 20-21
