The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Praying in the Spirit

Offering message: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. Our souls should be prospering (3 John 2). Be cheerful when you give. Grace is God’s ability and empowerment on your behalf. God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. God want to bless you so you can excel in every good work. He will supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruit of your righteousness. Generosity causes thanksgiving through us to God. Sermon: 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14. Praying in the Spirit is not the same as the gift of tongues. The Corinthians were using the spiritual gifts. You cannot say and mean, “Jesus is Lord!” except by the Spirit of God. We need to desire the gifts of the Spirit coming through us. God works it, we do not. It is as He wills, supernaturally, to minister to someone. People, who are ministered to by the gifts of the Spirit, will magnify and glorify God. We allow our comfort zone and fear to stop us from operating in the gifts of the Spirit. Do not discount that God can use you. Earnestly desire the best gifts, which are the ones that are needed at the time. You do not get the gift if you do not earnestly desire it. The better way of walking in the gifts is love. Faith works through love. Perfect love casts out all fear. It takes courage to stand out and use the gift, when you might possibly miss it. Paul exhorts us to desire spiritual gifts and above all that we may prophesy. We speak to God in an unknown (to us) language. He speaks mysteries in the Spirit. When we pray in the Spirit, it is in a tongue to the Lord, not for or to people. When a person prophesies, it is to edify, exhort, and comfort. Praying in tongues is prayer to God alone and edifies and builds up the praying individual. In a public setting, speaking out in tongues, which is for men to hear, must be interpreted and equals prophecy. The tongue may be interpreted by the same person or someone else. If you pray in tongues, not to be heard in a public setting, your spirit prays, but your understanding is unfruitful, so you can pray for the Spirit to give the understanding (in English). Praying in the Spirit means praying in tongues. When you do not know what to pray for, praying in the Spirit goes past your wisdom and understanding (1 Corinthians 2:6-12). The gift of tongues must be interpreted [not translated]. God may give several the interpretation for a given tongue. Jude 20 tells us to build our spirits up. How do you strengthen your spirit? You do not listen to the flesh. You get the Word into you, and you pray in tongues. Your soul follows after your spirit-man or your flesh. Which one are you going to feed? If you feed the Spirit, the soul follows. If you feed the flesh, the body follows. Attach a new habit, like praying in the Spirit, with an already established one. Pray in the Spirit often.