PRAY MORE IN THE SPIRIT!
“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also” (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).
Here, we find the Spirit of God, through the Apostle Paul juxtaposing for us two kinds of prayer: “praying with the spirit” and “praying with the understanding.” However, His call to us is that we pray more in the Spirit. That’s why Paul said, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also,” letting us know that praying with the spirit takes preeminence over praying with the understanding.
When you pray in the spirit, your understanding is unfruitful, meaning your mind doesn’t get what you’re saying, because it’s coming from your spirit. But when you pray with the understanding, you’re praying in a language you understand, through your mind. The proper order and priority in our prayer as revealed in the scripture is to “pray with the spirit, and then pray with the understanding also.” Praying with the understanding is the “also” part of the equation. So you ought to pray more with the spirit, by speaking in other tongues.
If you have it in the reverse order, you’ll be short-changing yourself. Sadly, many Christians start out by praying in their understanding and interject the prayer with a little praying in the spirit. That’s not the right order! The Spirit’s admonition is for you to pray more in other tongues than in your understanding. When you pray in this manner, your life will be dominated by the Spirit and not the senses. Your responses to situations will always be from the standpoint of the Spirit!
So, make it a conscious practice to pray more in other tongues. Let praying in the spirit take the most part of your prayer time. Remember, the Bible says we don’t even know how best to pray concerning anything due to the limitation of our minds (Romans 8:26); but through praying in the spirit, you pray the will of God.
Further Study:
Romans 8:26;
1 Corinthians 14:14-15