Be devoted to prayer is the exhortation in Colossians 4:2.  You will find this a very simple thing do to as you walk and live in the leading of the Holy Spirit.  As with many things Spiritual, we have believed lies that it was either a concentrating strained effort or else a drudgery. On the contrary, praying in the Spirit is as natural to a born again Spirit filled believer as being joyful and awake.  In our own fleshly effort it would be a poor excuse for effective prayer.

Scripture encourages us to pray constantly, (Acts 1:4, Thess. 1:11).  This is done as we listen to the Spirit in our heart and offer:

– thanksgiving,

– confession,

– petition,

– supplication,

– praise,

– adoration,

– intercession, (and more, in no particular order).  Yeshua was in frequent prayer and prayed regularly with His disciples, who asked Him to teach them how to pray.  I believe there are those who excel in prayer, just as there are those who excel in praise and worship.  It may simply be a preference we have, but these are both fundamental to the believers way of life.

Living in the Spirit, being controlled and led by the Spirit reminds me that there is one critically important fact about Spiritual gifts — they are for others.  The gifts of the Spirit are not for us, but to be used in the service and edification of others.  Just as the gift of evangelism is for the enlightenment of others to salvation, so also are the other gifts.  This is the tragedy of a scripted performance based church.  Scripture says when you come together each one has something for the body of believers (1 Cor. 14:26-33).  Relegating the body to an audience quenches the exercise of the gifts that are critical to each member as a recipient and benefactor of another’s gifting.  Yes, there should be teaching, but not to the exclusion of everything else.  This can not be regulated or structured by mental reason, it can only be accomplished by and through the Spirit, who is Lord of all.  The Spirit leads His congregation in all that is needed and in perfect order, a supernatural variety of life abundant.

In prayer we have Yeshua’s teaching in Matt. 6: 6-13, and instruction as how to carry it out.  “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Rom. 8: 26-27).  This is the promise of the Spirit’s leading in prayer.

I have from time to time written down these prayers as I prayed and found it very helpful to focus my mind in writing without restricting the Spirit.  The record was good for reference later and becomes an encouragement.  I can’t imagine coming before God with mere human reasoning and rational thought, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Ps. 100: 1-4).

In prayer both the deep things of God and our hearts are revealed by the Spirit when we submit ourselves completely in spirit and truth.  If and when God joins you with other believers to pray, do not miss the opportunity, even  two or three spirit filled believers praying in unity according to the will of God will bring forth tremendous blessing, protection, deliverance, redemption, love, mercy, release from bondage, healing, and untold miracles and compassion of God’s loving kindness.