There is great power that comes through praying in the Holy Spirit.
A lot has been said regarding these particular verses in Jude. Some contend the necessity of the Spirit enabling us in all types of prayer, while others say this as a mandate for praying in tongues. While I'm not here to settle theological debates, I am here to encourage you to learn what it means to pray "in" the Holy Spirit. I will also share with you my personal belief on the matter (I mean that's why you are here...right?).
First of all, let's discover other instances within the Bible that teach about praying in the Spirit.
Romans 8:26, "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."
Ephesians 6:18, "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."
I don't know about you, but it seems to me that praying in the power of the Holy Spirit is a crucial part of our lives. The Spirit of God is committed to helping us in our weakness - because we don't always know how to pray. He is willing to pray through us and for us. Paul also directed the Ephesians to pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. The fact of the matter is that every follower of Jesus Christ has the ability to pray in the Spirit and each of us should seek to be empowered by Him to pray. It is the Spirit of God that motivates us to pray, enables us to pray, and also energizes our prayers. To pray "in the Spirit" is to pray in the moving and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Another aspect of praying in the Spirit is the ability to pray in tongues. Tongues (of course) are one of the gifts of the Spirit that we find listed in 1 Corinthians. For centuries the ability to speak or pray in tongues has been debated. Questions have come up over whether or not speaking in tongues is the same as praying in tongues. Once again I want to state that I'm not here to clear up theological arguments, but I am going to share my personal opinion on the matter.
1) It is my belief that the ability to speak in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit
2) It is my belief that when a message is given in tongues (in a church setting) that the message needs to be interpreted
3) It is my belief that this is a valid and active gift for the church of today
4) It is also my belief that the ability to pray in tongues is different from the gift of speaking in tongues
5) Praying in tongues (or in the Spirit) is actually our spirit empowered by the Holy Spirit engaged in prayer
6) It is my belief that every follower of Christ can pray in tongues (in the Spirit)
7) It is my belief that praying in tongues builds up the individual believer
How did I come to this understanding?
Allow me to summarize: In 1 Corinthians 14:14 Paul described praying in tongues as something he did through his own spirit. He said that it was his spirit praying. Jesus also spoke about our spirits being engaged with God when He said that the Father was seeking those who would worship Him in spirit and in truth. In both of these instances we discover the same Greek word for spirit and it refers to the spirit that is within man rather than the Holy Spirit. I also looked back at Romans 8:26 and found that when the Spirit of God intercedes for us that He does so with groanings too deep for words. What I believe happens is that the spirit of man becomes engaged in prayer through the Holy Spirit and gives utterance to those things that are too deep for words. In this way, although our understanding is unfruitful we are being edified (1 Corinthians 14:4). When you consider that it is the spirit of man that has been redeemed (that which was made after the image of God) then it seems to me that each and every one of us can engage God in our own spirit. Praying in tongues isn't something that is just for those who have been given the gift of speaking but is available to every believer who is ready to give voice to his own spirit. Paul's conclusion on the matter is found in verse 15, "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." Regardless of how Paul is praying...with or without understanding...he was going to pray in the Spirit.
I realize that this may seem to be a poor explanation to what I am trying to say but it is a quick summary of what took me years to discover. The link between Jude 20 and praying in tongues comes from the fact that Paul spoke of the believer being edified in 1 Corinthians and that in Jude we are told to build ourselves up on the most holy faith. That is why praying in tongues is always referred to as building up the believers. Praying in the Spirit is also a VERY POWERFUL tool against shame and condemnation. It's powerful because it operates completely opposite of those two destructive forces. Shame and condemnation are used by the enemy to keep us pressed down. Praying in the Spirit is used to build us up. Which one of these things would you rather operate in?
How do I pray in the Spirit (or in tongues)?
You have to pay attention to what is going on in your spirit. The greatest battle we face is in our mind. Too often we lose in these moments because we trust our logic rather than what is happening in the spirit. It is actually up to us to give voice to all that God is doing in us. And when you and I begin to release the prayers of the Spirit, we will be strengthened in a way that is beyond compare.
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