{"id":5134,"date":"2019-07-15T19:36:34","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T00:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=5134"},"modified":"2019-08-20T14:15:38","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T19:15:38","slug":"praying-in-the-spirit-pt-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2019\/07\/15\/praying-in-the-spirit-pt-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Praying in the Spirit Pt. One"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Prayer is one of the spiritual disciplines. Jesus practiced this discipline and instructed his disciples to do the same. He even gave them guidance on how and what to pray. (See Luke 11:1-13). In this passage, the disciples had asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus ended this lesson on prayer by asking the disciples a rhetorical question: \u201cHow much more will the Heavenly Father give (the) Holy Spirit to those who ask Him\u201d (v. 13b). The answer to the disciples\u2019 original question involves the Holy Spirit. They asked, \u201cTeach us how to pray\u201d; Jesus answered, \u201cAsk for the Holy Spirit!\u201d Jesus implies that the Holy Spirit will teach one how to pray. What, then, is the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer? This article is presented in two parts. Part one seeks to offer a biblical answer to this question by giving attention to the language aspect of prayer and the conversational nature of prayer; part two explores the Holy Spirit\u2019s promptings in prayer including, but not limited to, \u201cpraying in tongues.\u201d In order to accomplish these tasks, the articles focus on three representative passages (Ephesians 6:18, Jude 20, and 1 Corinthians 14:13-15) where the authors use the phrase \u201cpraying in the Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The phrase \u201cpraying in the Spirit\u201d proves more difficult to interpret than one might presume, especially from Pentecostal or Charismatic perspectives. Some Pentecostals and most Charismatics presume this phrase means \u201cpraying in tongues.\u201d But does it? In the three passages above, the Greek grammar helps us understand the correct meaning. Simply stated, this grammatical construction indicates \u201csphere.\u201d Thus, to pray in the Spirit means to pray in the sphere of the Spirit or within the bounds of the Spirit or in the realm of the Spirit. W.R. Nicoll acknowledges \u201c\u2026the Holy Spirit being the sphere or element in which alone true prayer of all different kinds can proceed and from which it draws its inspiration\u201d (pp. 388-389). The Greek highlights the person of the Holy Spirit rather than the person praying.<\/p>\n

While this Greek construct does not exclude the element of praying in tongues, it emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit and His boundaries rather than the \u201clanguage\u201d of the person praying. Praying in the Spirit accentuates the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ocumenius, Bishop of Tricca in Thessaly (d. circa 990 A.D.), writes in his commentary on Jude 20 that praying in the Spirit means \u201c\u2026forever reforming themselves, according to the Holy Spirit\u2019s guidance\u2026.\u201d (Commentary on Jude). John Wesley comments that this phrase means \u201c\u2026by the influence of the Holy Spirit\u201d (Wesley\u2019s Explanatory Notes, Ephesians 6:18). A practical way to incorporate this vital facet of prayer is praying the Scriptures or joining in the Lord\u2019s Prayer. Noted Jewish theologian, Abraham Heschel notes, \u201cIt is more inspiring to let the heart echo the music of the ages than to play upon the broken flutes of our own hearts\u201d (p. 33) If we are praying Holy Scripture, then we are praying in the sphere of the Spirit! This kind of praying in the Spirit directs the Church and us to learn how to converse in prayer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tPraying in the Spirit involves listening as much as, nay, more than speaking. Moreover, even silence is a wonderful way to pray in the Spirit! How many Psalms say, \u201cWait on the Lord?\u201d\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Praying in the Spirit not only involves the guidance or influence of the Spirit but also includes communication; however, this communication surpasses merely communicating with the Spirit, talking with God, the way we converse with humans. Heschel, contends, \u201cIt is incorrect to describe prayer by analogy with human conversation; we do not communicate with God. We only make ourselves communicable to Him\u201d (p. 10). This assertion reminds us that the Spirit is the \u201cHoly\u201d Spirit; accordingly, humankind must acknowledge the transcendence of God before it demands or expects the immanence of God. We must first acknowledge the person and presence of Yahweh before we attempt speaking. One might refer to this as \u201ctop-down praying\u201d or \u201cpraying from above\u201d as opposed to \u201cbottom-up praying\u201d or \u201cpraying from below.\u201d Heschel continues, \u201cThere is more promise in proceeding from above inward, from the spirit to the soul, than vice versa\u201d (p. 33) This is truly praying in the Spirit. We may, indeed should, wait after greeting the Lord in prayer. This interlude is not to await the Lord\u2019s attention; rather, it is to call ourselves to the awareness of the Spirit. Knowing that the Holy God, even before being summoned, is already attentive to us, initiates a moment of pause and awe.<\/p>\n

Observe the opening of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples: \u201cOur Father, the One in the heavens\u201d (Matthew 9b, author\u2019s translation); this phrase addresses both immanence (\u201cOur Father\u201d) and transcendence (\u201cthe One in the heavens\u201d). The work of Christ offers humans the immanence of God but not to the detriment of God\u2019s transcendence. Praying in the Spirit includes both, but transcendence always precedes immanence. His posture of prayer entails waiting; simultaneously, it integrates listening. The conversational nature of prayer presumes that when we are finished speaking to the Lord, then we are not through praying; now, we listen to what the Lord has to say. Praying in the Spirit involves listening as much as, nay, more than speaking. Moreover, even silence is a wonderful way to pray in the Spirit! How many Psalms say, \u201cWait on the Lord?\u201d<\/p>\n

I hope you meditate on these thoughts, and I trust that the remarks will assist your prayer discipline. This first article explored the language aspect of prayer with its emphasis first and foremost on the person of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit\u2019s guidance and influence in our praying. Practice praying Scripture out loud to gain a better understanding of what the biblical context and content of praying in the Spirit mean. I also suggest that you pause before you pray and at the beginning of your prayers to \u201crelocate\u201d yourself in the sphere of the Spirit and to acknowledge the awesomeness of our Lord. Lastly, I encourage you to wait and listen before, during, and after praying. When praying in the Spirit, \u201cBe still and know God.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":5135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[940,16,1138,1124,1122],"class_list":{"0":"post-5134","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-discipleship-ministries","8":"category-general","9":"tag-940","10":"tag-discipleship","11":"tag-ken-young","12":"tag-quarter-3","13":"tag-steadfast-in-prayer","14":"entry"},"title_es":"Orando en el esp\u00edritu pt. Uno","content_es":"La oraci\u00f3n es una de las disciplinas espirituales. Jes\u00fas practic\u00f3 esta disciplina e instruy\u00f3 a sus disc\u00edpulos a hacer lo mismo. Incluso les dio orientaci\u00f3n sobre c\u00f3mo y qu\u00e9 orar. (Vea Lucas 11: 1-13). En este pasaje, los disc\u00edpulos le pidieron a Jes\u00fas que les ense\u00f1ara a orar. Jes\u00fas termin\u00f3 esta lecci\u00f3n sobre la oraci\u00f3n haci\u00e9ndoles a los disc\u00edpulos una pregunta ret\u00f3rica: "\u00bfCu\u00e1nto m\u00e1s dar\u00e1 el Padre Celestial (el) Esp\u00edritu Santo a los que le preguntan" (v. 13b)? La respuesta a la pregunta original de los disc\u00edpulos involucra al Esp\u00edritu Santo. Ellos preguntaron: "Ens\u00e9\u00f1anos a orar"; Jes\u00fas respondi\u00f3: \u201c\u00a1Pide el Esp\u00edritu Santo!\u201d Jes\u00fas implica que el Esp\u00edritu Santo le ense\u00f1ar\u00e1 a uno c\u00f3mo orar. \u00bfCu\u00e1l, entonces, es el papel del Esp\u00edritu Santo en la oraci\u00f3n? Este art\u00edculo se presenta en dos partes. La primera parte busca ofrecer una respuesta b\u00edblica a esta pregunta prestando atenci\u00f3n al aspecto del lenguaje de la oraci\u00f3n y la naturaleza conversacional de la oraci\u00f3n; la segunda parte explora los impulsos del Esp\u00edritu Santo en la oraci\u00f3n, que incluyen, entre otros, \u201corar en lenguas\u201d. Para cumplir estas tareas, los art\u00edculos se centran en tres pasajes representativos (Efesios 6:18, Judas 20 y 1 Corintios 14: 13-15) donde los autores usan la frase "orar en el Esp\u00edritu". La frase "orar en el Esp\u00edritu" resulta m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil de interpretar de lo que uno podr\u00eda suponer, especialmente desde las perspectivas pentecostales o carism\u00e1ticas. Algunos pentecostales y la mayor\u00eda de los carism\u00e1ticos presumen que esta frase significa "orar en lenguas". \u00bfPero es as\u00ed? En los tres pasajes anteriores, la gram\u00e1tica griega ayuda a entender el significado correcto. En pocas palabras, esta construcci\u00f3n gramatical indica "esfera". Por lo tanto, orar en el Esp\u00edritu significa orar en la esfera del Esp\u00edritu o dentro de los l\u00edmites del Esp\u00edritu o en la esfera del Esp\u00edritu. WR Nicoll reconoce que "... el Esp\u00edritu Santo es la esfera o el elemento en el cual solo la verdadera oraci\u00f3n de todos los tipos puede proceder y de la cual se inspira" (p\u00e1gs. 388-389). El griego destaca a la persona del Esp\u00edritu Santo en lugar de la persona que ora. Si bien esta construcci\u00f3n griega no excluye el elemento de orar en lenguas, enfatiza el papel del Esp\u00edritu Santo y sus l\u00edmites en lugar del "lenguaje" de quien est\u00e1 orando. Orar en el Esp\u00edritu acent\u00faa la gu\u00eda del Esp\u00edritu Santo. Ocumenio, obispo de Tricca en Tesalia (m. Alrededor del a\u00f1o 990 dC), escribe en su comentario sobre Judas 20 que orar en el Esp\u00edritu significa "... reform\u00e1ndose para siempre, de acuerdo con la gu\u00eda del Esp\u00edritu Santo ..." (Comentario sobre Judas). Y John Wesley comenta que esta frase significa "... por la influencia del Esp\u00edritu Santo" (Notas explicativas de Wesley, Efesios 6:18). Una forma pr\u00e1ctica de incorporar esta faceta vital de la oraci\u00f3n es orar las Escrituras o unirse a la Oraci\u00f3n del Se\u00f1or. El c\u00e9lebre te\u00f3logo jud\u00edo, Abraham Heschel se\u00f1ala: "Es m\u00e1s inspirador dejar que el coraz\u00f3n haga eco de la m\u00fasica de las edades que tocar las flautas rotas de nuestros corazones" (p. 33). Si uno est\u00e1 rezando la Sagrada Escritura, entonces uno es \u00a1Orando en la esfera del Esp\u00edritu! Este tipo de oraci\u00f3n en el Esp\u00edritu dirige a uno y a la Iglesia a aprender c\u00f3mo conversar en oraci\u00f3n. Orar en el Esp\u00edritu no solo implica la gu\u00eda o influencia del Esp\u00edritu, sino que tambi\u00e9n incluye la comunicaci\u00f3n; sin embargo, esta comunicaci\u00f3n supera simplemente la comunicaci\u00f3n con el Esp\u00edritu, hablando con Dios, la forma en que conversamos con los humanos. Heschel, sostiene, \u201ces incorrecto describir la oraci\u00f3n por analog\u00eda con la conversaci\u00f3n humana; No nos comunicamos con Dios. Solo nos hacemos comunicables a \u00c9l \u201d(p. 10). Esta afirmaci\u00f3n nos recuerda que el Esp\u00edritu es el Esp\u00edritu \u201cSanto\u201d; en consecuencia, la humanidad debe reconocer la trascendencia de Dios antes de que exija o espere la inmanencia de Dios. Primero hay que reconocer la persona y la presencia de Yahv\u00e9 antes de intentar hablar. Uno podr\u00eda referirse a esto como "rezar de arriba hacia abajo" u "rezar desde arriba" en lugar de "rezar de abajo hacia arriba" u "rezar desde abajo". Heschel contin\u00faa: "Hay m\u00e1s promesa al proceder desde arriba hacia adentro, desde el esp\u00edritu hasta el alma, y viceversa \u201d(p. 33) Esto es verdaderamente orar en el Esp\u00edritu. Uno puede, de hecho deber\u00eda, esperar despu\u00e9s de saludar al Se\u00f1or en oraci\u00f3n. Este interludio no es esperar la atenci\u00f3n del Se\u00f1or; m\u00e1s bien, es llamar al que ora a la conciencia del Esp\u00edritu. Sabiendo que el Dios Santo, incluso antes de ser convocado, ya est\u00e1 atento a uno, inicia un momento de pausa, una prueba de asombro. Observe la apertura de la oraci\u00f3n que Jes\u00fas ense\u00f1\u00f3 a sus disc\u00edpulos: \u201cPadre nuestro, el que est\u00e1 en los cielos\u201d (Mateo 9b, traducci\u00f3n del autor); esta frase se dirige tanto a la inmanencia ("Padre Nuestro") como a la trascendencia ("El que est\u00e1 en los cielos"). La obra de Cristo ofrece a los humanos la inmanencia de Dios, pero no en detrimento de la trascendencia de Dios. Rezar en el Esp\u00edritu incluye a ambos, pero la trascendencia siempre precede a la inmanencia. Su postura de oraci\u00f3n conlleva esperar; A la vez, integra la escucha. La naturaleza conversacional de la oraci\u00f3n presume que cuando uno termina de hablarle al Se\u00f1or, entonces uno no es a trav\u00e9s de la oraci\u00f3n; ahora, uno escucha lo que el Se\u00f1or tiene que decir. Orar en el Esp\u00edritu implica escuchar tanto como, no, m\u00e1s que hablar. Adem\u00e1s, \u00a1hasta el silencio es una manera maravillosa de orar en el Esp\u00edritu! \u00bfCu\u00e1ntos Salmos dicen: \u201cEspera en el Se\u00f1or?\u201d Espero que medites en estos pensamientos y conf\u00edo en que los comentarios te ayudar\u00e1n a disciplinar tu oraci\u00f3n. Este primer art\u00edculo explor\u00f3 el aspecto del lenguaje de la oraci\u00f3n con su \u00e9nfasis primero y principal en la persona del Esp\u00edritu Santo y la gu\u00eda e influencia del Esp\u00edritu en nuestra oraci\u00f3n. Practique orar las Escrituras en voz alta para obtener una mejor comprensi\u00f3n de lo que realmente significa el contexto b\u00edblico y el contenido de orar en el Esp\u00edritu. Tambi\u00e9n te sugiero que hagas una pausa antes de orar y al comienzo de tus oraciones para \u201creubicarte\u201d en la esfera del Esp\u00edritu y reconocer la maravilla de nuestro Se\u00f1or. Por \u00faltimo, lo aliento a que espere y escuche antes, durante y despu\u00e9s de orar. Al orar en el Esp\u00edritu, \u201cqu\u00e9date quieto y conoce a Dios\u201d.","author_name":"Ken Young","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/DM-Q3.1-Article2-Graphic-Young-e1563223898543.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-1kO","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5134"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5134\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}