“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” (Jude 1:20)
What is praying in the Holy Ghost? Does it mean praying in tongues? First and foremost, praying in the Holy Ghost is praying a prayer that comes from God’s Will and purpose. We pray lots of things, but we must ask ourselves, is it in God’s Will? How do we know if our prayer is in God’s Will? These are legitimate questions. Many times, we don’t know. And we are praying in doubt. That is not a prayer that God will answer. If our petition is in line with God’s Word, we know that it’s in God’s Will. So, we can pray with confidence believing that God hears us and that we will have the petition we are asking. “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us:” (1John 5:14)
Is what we’re asking already promised? If it’s a promise in His Word, God is not a liar Who makes promises and doesn’t deliver. Paul in writing about Abraham said, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:20-21) What God promised is already ours. It’s God’s Will and He will not fail “to perform” it. There is no need to ask for what God has already promised. But we do need to acknowledge that we’re in need of that promise. So, we pray accordingly. Praising and thanking the Lord like Abraham did, “giving glory to God,” that He has provided beforehand what we need. We thank Him that He is a covenant keeper Who is faithful to His Word.
Praying in the Holy Ghost may or may not be praying in tongues. It’s a fervent prayer as James wrote: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16) It’s a passionate and intense prayer. We will know it’s a prayer coming from the Holy Spirit because in our humanness, we don’t know how to pray or how to ask, but the Holy Spirit is praying with “groans” what we can’t express. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27) God the Holy Spirit Himself prays through us what we cannot express. Whether it’s in tongues or not, the Holy Spirit prays. How can God not answer His own prayer, His own Will, His own pleading through us?
And there is praying in tongues. This is also praying in the Holy Ghost. Paul spoke in tongues. “I thank my God; I speak with tongues more than ye all:” (1Corinthians 14:18) It’s a gift given by the Holy Spirit. This gift may be just for prayer and speaking to God or it may be a gift given to the church in which a person will speak in tongues to the church and God uses an interpreter to interpret the tongues. Paul wrote: “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.” (1Corinthians 14:2) It’s a mystery because not even the speaker knows what he is saying unless God gives him the interpretation. This is truly a prayer of faith. Paul called it an unknown tongue meaning that the words were unknown to them. But in my experience, it’s always been a language known in some part of the world, just unknown to the speaker and hearer. There are many accounts supporting this. I have also witnessed people praying in Spanish, which is a language I understand, but not by the speaker. So, it serves as a witness to them that they were actually praying to God, if there was any doubt. Paul also had this to say about tongues: “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interprets, that the church may receive edifying.” (1Corinthians 14:4-5) What Paul was saying was that the gift of speaking divinely from God would be better if spoken so everyone could understand what God is saying unless there is an interpreter to interpret tongues. When we are praying in tongues then, we are only edifying or building ourselves up and not the church.
Why tongues? Why would God want prayers in tongues? It’s a gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s God controlling that little member no man can control. “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8) Our words can heal or destroy. Words do hurt. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21) In tongues, God controls the words that are spoken. We can be sure that these are legitimate words in a language unknown to us that God uses to pray through us. And although we may not know what we are saying, God can give us the interpretation.
Praying in the Holy Ghost is praying a prayer that will be answered whether we pray with the understanding or pray in tongues because it’s a prayer coming from God’s Will, not man’s desire. Nothing that is earthly and fleshly is acceptable to God. So, it’s with humbleness that we come to God, praying His Will and Purposes, whether in tongues or not, but fervently and passionately, persevering in prayer until all the devil’s obstacles and hinderances are torn down.
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