Day 4 :: Praying In The Spirit 
(Excerpt taken and modified from How to Pray: What the Bible Tells Us About Genuine, Effective Prayer by R.A. Torrey)

Over and over again, in what has already been said, we have seen our dependence upon the Holy Spirit in prayer. This comes out very definitely in Ephesians 6:18: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and in Jude 20: praying in the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the whole secret of prayer is found in these three words: in the Spirit. God the Father answers the prayer that God the Holy Spirit inspires. The disciples did not know how to pray as they should, so they came to Jesus and said, Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1).

We do not know how to pray as we should, but we have another Teacher and Guide nearby to help us. I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him, or know him; but ye know him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you (John 14:16-17). The Spirit helps our weakness (Romans 8:26). He teaches us how to pray. True prayer is prayer in the Spirit. True prayer is prayer that the Holy Spirit inspires and directs. When we come into God’s presence, we should recognize our weakness and our ignorance of what we should pray for and how we should pray for it. In the awareness of our utter inability to pray properly, we should look to the Holy Spirit, casting ourselves utterly upon Him to direct our prayers, to lead our desires, and to guide the words of our prayers.

Often when we come to God in prayer, we do not feel like praying. What should we do in such a situation? Should we stop praying until we feel like it? Not at all. The time when we most need to pray is when we least feel like praying. We should wait quietly before God and tell Him how cold and prayerless our hearts are. We should look up to Him and trust Him and expect the Holy Spirit to warm our hearts and draw them out in prayer. It will not be long before the glow of the Spirit’s presence will fill our hearts and we will begin to pray with freedom, directness, earnestness, and power. Many of the most blessed times of prayer I have ever known have begun with a feeling of utter deadness and prayerlessness; but in my helplessness and coldness I have cast myself upon God and looked to Him to send His Holy Spirit to teach me to pray, and He has done it. When we pray in the Spirit, we will pray for the right things in the right way. There will be joy and power in our prayer.

If we are to pray with power, we must pray with faith. In Mark 11:24, Jesus says, Therefore I say unto you that everything that ye ask for, praying, believe that ye receive it, and it shall come upon you. No matter how positive any promise of God’s Word may be, we will not enjoy it in actual experience unless we confidently expect its fulfillment in answer to our prayer. If any of you lacks wisdom, says James, let them ask of God (who gives abundantly to all, and without reproach), and it shall be given them. That promise is as positive as a promise can be, but the next verses add, But ask in faith, not doubting anything. For he that doubts is like the wave of the sea which is driven of the wind and is tossed from one side to another. For let not such a man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord (James 1:6-7).

There must then be confident, unwavering expectation. There is a faith that goes beyond expectation and believes that the prayer is heard and that the promise is granted. This is seen in Mark 11:24: Therefore I say unto you that everything that ye ask for, praying, believe that ye receive it, and it shall come upon you. But how can we get this faith? Let us say with all emphasis that we cannot produce this faith on our own by trying to convince ourselves that we have it. Many people read this promise about the prayer of faith and then ask for things they desire, trying to make themselves believe that God has heard the prayer. This ends only in disappointment, for it is not real faith, and the thing is not granted. It is at this point that many people have a breakdown of faith altogether by trying to work up faith by an effort of their will, and since the thing they made themselves believe they expected to get is not given, the very foundation of their faith is often weakened.

Consider concluding your devotional time by praying through the following passages: Luke 11 and Mark 11,