Praying in the Spirit
A Sermon on Praying in the Spirit from Ephesians 6:18
Originally preached July 1, 1962
Scripture
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Sermon Description
Nothing is more fatal than beginning the Christian life thinking trouble and problems are finished. In this sermon on praying in the Spirit from Ephesians 6:18, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the New Testament actually indicates the opposite of this. Rather, Christians should expect attacks as never before. What is the connection between “praying always” and the “armor of God”? Prayer is something Christians do in addition to putting on the armor. The armor provided by God cannot be used except in communion with God. Prayer is essential to the Christian life, for without it the Christian is faint. The apostle Paul speaks of “all prayer,” then “supplication.” First, he means all kinds of prayer in general — private, public, with or without words, orderly prayer, groans, etc. Then he specifies a certain kind of prayer: supplication, which is petition. The secret of true prayer is “in the Spirit.” Vain repetitions, merely uttering words out of habit or custom, is not praying. Praying in the Spirit means being concentrated and submitted to the Spirit, so that He creates, directs, orders, and empowers praying. It means recalling that the only way into the presence of God is in Christ. Praying in the Spirit is having fellowship with God, which ends in true worship.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul instructs Christians to pray always in Ephesians 6:18.
- Paul provides detailed teaching on prayer to supplement his instruction.
- There are two types of prayer: all prayer (general) and supplication (petition). We should pray in all forms and bring our requests to God.
- The secret to true prayer is praying in the Spirit. This means prayer directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
- Praying in the Spirit is the opposite of vain repetition, reliance on form or ritual, or cold and heartless prayer.
- Praying in the Spirit requires being in the Spirit yourself, realizing your access is through Christ, realizing the presence of God, and results in worship, freedom, and boldness.
- Examples of praying in the Spirit include times when prayer becomes eloquent, freedom is experienced, and you lose sense of time. This is needed today.
- We must pray without ceasing, watching diligently and persevering in prayer. Prayer should be constant, not sporadic.
- Knowledge of doctrine and the whole armor of God is essential, but prayer brings these to life and allows us to experience God.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.