What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? What does that phrase “in the Spirit” even mean? John was caught up in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and we can have joy in the Spirit and pray in the Spirit.
Simply put, “in the Spirit” means under the leadership of, and in co-union with, the Holy Spirit. So to pray in the Spirit means to pray under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and in co-union with Him.
There’s an incorrect doctrinal teaching that praying in the Spirit IS praying in tongues, but that just isn’t true. You can pray in tongues while in the Spirit, but it doesn’t define praying in the Spirit. There’s so much more to praying in the Spirit than just praying in tongues. Tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and Paul himself says we don’t all have the same gifts. So if someone isn’t gifted with tongues, but they are clearly baptized in the Holy Spirit and operating in other gifts, how do you think they’d feel if they believed they could never pray in the Spirit unless they prayed in tongues?
In Ephesians 6:18 Paul says, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…”
He didn’t say praying at all times in the Spirit in tongues. Instead he said with all prayer and supplication. All prayer and supplication is every prayer in whatever language you speak…and sometimes that includes tongues.
Many believe Jude 20 is saying to pray in tongues when it says “and praying in the Holy Spirit”, but if you go back to Paul’s teaching praying in the Spirit includes all prayer and supplication.

There are many things as believers that we do in the Spirit. We connect with the Father in the Spirit. We rejoice in the Spirit. We love in the Spirit. We walk in the comfort of the Spirit, and so much more. Everything we do as believers should be in the Spirit.
We are to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh (Galatians 5:16). If we are to walk in the Spirit so we don’t gratify the deeds of the flesh then praying in the Spirit is praying the will of God and not praying selfish, fleshly prayers. If a believer is surrendered to God as a living sacrifice his/her prayers won’t be selfish, fleshly prayers, but will be prayers in the Spirit…prayers in the will of God.
We can all pray God’s will in our own language if we are praying under the leadership of, and in co-union with, the Holy Spirit. Praying with Him is praying in the Spirit. I for one am very thankful I can pray with Him and commune with Jesus and my Father in my own language that I understand. Understanding what’s being said is the only way you can build a relationship with God. Communion is a two-way street, and the Bible says I have access to my Father through Jesus by the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). If I’m not in the Spirit I’m not able to commune with Him in my own language.

Now, I’m not knocking tongues. If you are truly gifted in tongues it is beautiful to hear, and it’s a beautiful gift just like every other gift of the Holy Spirit. Just like any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, though, there is a counterfeit. Yes, there are counterfeit tongues. There are demonic tongues, and there are fleshly tongues where people try to speak in tongues because they feel the pressure to have the gift of tongues, but it’s not real. Neither of these are done in the Spirit.
That pressure comes in large part because there are churches that teach that speaking in tongues is the sign that you have the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If that were the case Paul wouldn’t have taught the opposite…that not all have the same gifts, and he includes tongues as one of those gifts.

Is it true when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost that they all spoke in different tongues? Yes, but it wasn’t an unknown Heavenly prayer language. It was languages of other ethnic groups that were in the city of Jerusalem that day so they could hear the Gospel. I believe that is a very different scenario altogether than having a Heavenly prayer language, and the Scriptures are clear that these were other ethnic languages and not a Heavenly prayer language. I believe they all spoke in different ethnic tongues that day for the sake of the Gospel.
I believe at any given moment a believer baptized in the Holy Spirit could start speaking in a different ethnic tongue as needed as the Holy Spirit gives utterance. You may speak it once and never speak it again, but someone who didn’t understand your language would’ve heard the Gospel or received a message from God through you in that moment.
Whether you speak in a different ethnic tongue at the Holy Spirit’s leadership, or you pray in a Heavenly tongue, or you pray in your own language may it all be “in the Spirit”. Prayer and intercession in any language is a must. Prayer is a weapon against the enemy, and we need to pray without ceasing.

I did not start out writing with the plan to write about tongues, but this is what the Holy Spirit does…He writes what He wants instead of what I thought I would write. Prayer and intercession is a passion of mine. We need Communion with Him. It’s vital to our survival and the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.