Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
All believers have the Holy Spirit as a seal of our salvation when we receive Jesus Christ into our lives. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts to bring conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgement. This is the first experience of the Holy Spirit. The second experience is the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance. However, the Holy Spirit is often described as a gentleman because He will not impose Himself on us unless we welcome Him. Nonetheless, there is a spiritual and supernatural empowerment that comes with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are encouraged to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily.
Jude 1:20 (NKJV) But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
One way to build up our faith is to pray in the Holy Spirit, and every believer can pray in the Spirit because it is a prayer language God has given to each of us. It is a good spiritual discipline for us to pray in the Spirit, as well as in understanding daily.
1 Corinthians 14: 2,4,14-15,18 (NKJV) For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries…. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church….For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.…I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.
Praying in a known language is praying in understanding, and praying in the spirit is praying in tongues. Praying in a known language requires forming sentences in the mind, whereas praying in the spirit comes from the belly, with the help of the Holy Spirit, bypassing the mind. Our prayer life is a form of stress relief, especially when we pray in the Spirit and in understanding. We can articulate what we feel towards the Lord and cover the rest in tongues with the help of the Holy Spirit.
There are two kinds of tongues. One is the gift of tongues. While not everyone has the gift of tongues, all of us can speak in tongues as a prayer language (Mark 16:17). That’s why the Apostle Paul says we should not speak in tongues in public unless there is an interpretation of the tongue during a manifestation of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:28).
As believers, we should aspire to experience God as we pray and watch Him answer our prayers; to grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord as we pray; and to be even more sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He leads us to pray when we yield to Him and partner with Him.
Reflection: How is the Holy Spirit leading you to yield to Him and to partner with Him in prayer? How will you respond?
Sermon Series: The Holy Spirit is our best stress release valve
在灵里祷告，也用悟性祷告
以弗所书 5:18 “不要醉酒，酒能使人放荡；却要让圣灵充满你们。”
当我们接受耶稣基督进入生命时，所有信徒都领受了圣灵作为得救的印记。圣灵在我们心中运行，使我们为罪、为义、为审判，自己责备自己。这是我们经历圣灵的第一个层面。第二个层面则是圣灵所赐下的能力，其外在表现之一就是照着圣灵所赐的口才说方言。圣灵常被形容为一位温柔的绅士，因为祂不会强行介入我们的生命，除非我们愿意欢迎祂、向祂敞开。然而，圣灵的洗所带来的，确实是一种属灵且超自然的能力。因此，圣经鼓励我们每天都被圣灵充满。
犹大书 1:20 亲爱的弟兄啊，你们却要在至圣的真道上造就自己，在圣灵里祷告，
建立信心的一个重要方式，就是在圣灵里祷告。每一位信徒都可以在灵里祷告，因为这是神赐给我们的祷告语言。因此，每天操练用灵祷告，也用悟性祷告，是非常宝贵的属灵操练。
哥林多前书 14:2、4、14-15、18 因为那说方言的，不是对人说，而是对神说，因为没有人听得懂；他是在灵里讲说奥秘……说方言的是造就自己，作先知讲道的却是造就教会……如果我用方言祷告，是我的灵在祷告，但我的悟性得不着果效。那么该怎么办呢？我要用灵祷告，也要用悟性祷告；我要用灵歌唱，也要用悟性歌唱……我感谢神，我说方言比你们众人还多。”
用我们所明白的语言祷告，就是用悟性祷告；而用方言祷告，就是在灵里祷告。用悟性祷告时，我们需要在思想中组织语言和句子；而在灵里祷告，则是在圣灵的帮助下，从灵的深处发出，超越理性的限制。祷告本身就是一种属灵的“减压方式”，尤其当我们同时用悟性和灵来祷告时，更能经历释放与安息。我们可以把自己能够表达的心声向主倾诉，而那些无法用言语表达的部分，则可以借着圣灵的帮助，用方言来祷告。
方言可分为两种。第一种是“方言的恩赐”。虽然不是每个人都领受方言的恩赐，但每位信徒都可以拥有方言作为个人祷告的语言（马可福音 16:17）。因此，使徒保罗教导我们，在公开聚会中若没有翻方言的人，就不应公开说方言，因为那属于圣灵恩赐的运作（哥林多前书 14:28）。
作为信徒，我们应当渴慕在祷告中经历神，亲眼看见祂回应祷告；在祷告中不断深化与主的关系；并且在顺服圣灵、与祂同工的过程中，越来越敏锐地察觉祂的带领，学习照着祂的引导来祷告。
默想：
圣灵正在怎样带领你更深地顺服祂，并在祷告中与祂同工？你将如何回应祂的带领？
讲章系列：圣灵是我们最好的“减压阀”