Pray With the Spirit and With the Understanding

When one is born again, he or she has the privilege to pray in the name of Jesus to our heavenly Father with any language they have learned with their mind (intellect). When Jesus baptizes one in the Holy Spirit, he or she has the privilege to pray in the Spirit with a language or languages not learned by the intellect. Those languages may include known earthly languages, but also heavenly languages not known on earth. Paul said that the conclusion is to pray with your spirit and with your intellect. If anointed, both can be considered as praying in the Spirit.

This and many other things are easy to understand when one studies under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The problem is that Christians often listen first to private interpretations espoused by many seminaries, churches, relatives, etc. They then read those interpretations into Scripture rather than studying Scripture and allowing the Holy Spirit to read truth into their minds and hearts. Once on this path, it can last a lifetime. They are sanctified by man’s traditions and interpretations rather than by truth. Whenever and wherever this is predominant, there is always division with its accompanying problems. It will never be corrected by earthly principles, such as agreeing to disagree, etc. Things like that often sound good but always bring people to the lowest common denominator. It ends up trampling not only on truth but on real agape love.

This problem is compounded because there is usually truth mixed with error; we must learn that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. This is the prime reason that most of the Church is divided rather than united in faith. Because of this division, we are, at the moment, not doing a great job at being salt and light to the world. There are some successes, but we are far from reaching the maturity and potential that our Lord Jesus Christ desires and envisions for the Church that He is building and praying for.

The Church (Christians) must humble herself and repent. But Christians often place the blame and the need for repentance on others. For example, how often do you hear Christians saying that America needs to repent? It is the Church in America and throughout other nations that must repent! The Spirit of God is continually calling for repentance, holiness, unity, and maturity of Christians, and at some point in the future, there will be a faithful remnant Church that heeds His call! May it be sooner rather than later because there will be a cost to pay for delay. Actually, to the discerning eye, we are already paying a heavy cost. Pray with the spirit and pray with the understanding that Restoration, Revival, and Great Awakening will come forth to the Church and come forth speedily!