We are going to continue talking about change; to change is to become less of who we are and more of who Jesus is. Our desire is for all the people we come in contact with to experience Jesus when they are with us. We talked about being hungry for God as the basis for change then the Scriptures which is God’s Truth which sets us free. Now we will look into several Scriptures that show us how praying in the Spirit can produce change in us.

After Jesus rose from the dead He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:49, I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.) About 120 disciples spent ten days in prayer and waiting for the Promise of the Father. Acts chapter two recalls what happened when the Spirit came upon the disciples. (Acts 2:1-4, When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.) One of the effects of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was that they all spoke in tongues or they prayed in the Spirit. The total value of the infilling of the Spirit is another subject. Peter preached to the onlookers that the Holy Spirit was “for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39).

Paul encouraged others to pray in tongues. (I Cor. 14:18, I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.) The first thing we need to know is that when a disciple prays in tongues he or she is speaking to God not to other people. (I Cor. 14:2, For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.) In that same verse Paul says tongues is speaking mysteries to God. Those mysteries are revelation knowledge that has been withheld by God up to that point. When we are praying in the Spirit we may be praying our future into existance, we may be praying for our pastor to preach the right messages. Often when I am reading the Bible I will come to a passage that I do not understand. At that point I pray in the Spirit so that my understanding will be enlightened to the meaning of those verses.

Another purpose of praying in the Spirit is personal upbuilding. (I Cor. 14:4, He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.) (Jude 20, But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.) This type of prayer charges up our spirits like you would charge a battery. Life is very draining, and we all need to be recharged all the time. Praying in tongues does just that, it refills us so that we can continue doing all the Lord has asked us to do. And to do it with His strength not our own. The stronger we are as leaders the greater value we will be to those we lead.

The last result of praying in the Spirit is found in Romans 8:26,27, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. The Spirit knows God’s perfect will and we often do not. When we pray in tongues we are praying the mind of the Father or the perfect will of God for our lives or the lives of the people we are praying for.

When you pray in the Spirit for your national leaders you are praying God’s best for them. A disciple of Jesus never wants to pray his or her own will into the prayer. To pray in the Spirit removes our will and replaces it with the will of God. It is a perfect prayer. Add your love and your faith to praying in tongues and you will see beautiful results.

If you have any questions about this teaching letter, please be free to ask.

All of us at AGM wish you a joy-filled Christmas season.

Dr. Jim Burbank