Praying in the Spirit: Understanding Prayer in Tongues

Devotional

Day 1: From Sham Faith to High-Level Faith: Walking in Authentic Belief

True faith isn’t performative ritual but dynamic trust that reshapes daily life. Like upgrading from a dim flashlight to stadium lights, authentic belief illuminates our steps and transforms our capacity to receive God’s promises. This journey requires surrendering hollow routines for surrendered obedience, where Scripture becomes living truth rather than memorized theory. Lasting faith grows when we stop negotiating with doubt and start acting on God’s word without reservation. The shift happens not in grand gestures but in small, consistent choices to walk out what we profess. [46:56]

“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
(James 2:26, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you settled for “sham faith” – affirming truths without acting on them? What one step can you take today to align your actions with your beliefs?

Day 2: I Am a Doer: Living the Word Beyond Hearing

Declaring “I’m a doer” isn’t self-help rhetoric but a prophetic act of alignment with God’s design. Just as seeds only bear fruit when planted, Scripture transforms when embodied through obedience. This isn’t about perfection but progression – daily choosing to speak God’s promises over situations, forgive when hurt, and love when offended. The proof of hearing isn’t agreement but incarnation, where the Word becomes flesh in our decisions. Every act of obedience, however small, rewires our spiritual DNA. [48:01]

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
(James 1:22, ESV)

Reflection: What specific teaching have you “heard” repeatedly but struggle to “do”? How can you practically incarnate that truth in a relationship or situation this week?

Day 3: Staying in the Middle of the Road: Balanced Prayer Beyond Ditches

Prayer isn’t a monologue of demands or passive resignation but a dialogue anchored in God’s character. Like keeping a car on pavement rather than swerving into ditches of presumption or fatalism, balanced prayer holds petition and surrender in tension. It acknowledges God’s power to intervene while embracing His wisdom to refine us through waiting. This middle ground avoids treating prayer as either a magic formula or empty ritual, instead cultivating holy expectancy. [50:03]

“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
(Philippians 4:5-7, ESV)

Reflection: Which “ditch” do you tend toward – trying to control outcomes through prayer or passively accepting circumstances? How can you recenter your prayers on God’s character today?

Day 4: Prayers That Change You: Transformation Over Transaction

Some prayers move mountains; others move the pray-er. Intercessory prayers engage spiritual warfare, while devotional prayers reshape the heart’s capacity to receive. Like a tree growing roots during drought, these inward-focused prayers build resilience and Christlikeness when external circumstances remain unchanged. They teach us to worship beyond outcomes, finding God’s presence more precious than His presents. Lasting transformation often begins here. [49:37]

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
(Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: When have you experienced God changing you through a situation He didn’t change? How can you embrace His transformative work in your current struggle?

Day 5: Praying in the Spirit: Tongues as Divine Dialogue

Heavenly language bypasses human limitations, aligning our spirit with God’s purposes. Like a child’s wordless cry that moves a parent’s heart, tongues express depths beyond vocabulary. This gift isn’t about eloquence but intimacy – surrendering control to let the Spirit pray through us. It builds spiritual muscles we didn’t know we had, interceding for needs beyond our awareness. Every syllable partners with eternity’s agenda. [46:02]

“For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”
(1 Corinthians 14:2, ESV)

Reflection: How might embracing prayer in the Spirit expand your communion with God beyond intellectual understanding? What hesitations or desires do you need to bring Him about this gift?

Sermon Summary

Prayer calls for understanding, not rigid labels. Praying in the Spirit, or praying in tongues, belongs within a broader consideration of the different kinds of prayer. No particular kind needs to be treated as more important than another, and believers do not need to get legalistic about naming every prayer. The point is to understand prayer well enough to make adjustments and stay in the middle of the road.

Some prayers change things. Some prayers change the person praying. That distinction matters. A demand that every prayer produce an outward change can lead to a wrong judgment about faith. The absence of a changed circumstance does not, by itself, prove that a person has failed to pray in faith or according to God’s will. The kind of prayer matters.

The opposite ditch is the assumption that whatever happens must be the will of God. Leaving a matter in God’s hands does not mean that everything that follows expresses his will. Understanding the different kinds of prayer helps believers navigate their prayer life without getting stuck in one area or turning one approach into a rule for every situation.

God’s Word gives light for that kind of understanding. Believers are called to receive grace, revelation, and insight, but not to stop at hearing. The Word is to be put into practice, lived, and spoken in faith. The justified live by faith, and a growing prayer life belongs within that daily obedience. Like a car made for the road rather than the ditch, prayer is meant to proceed with understanding rather than veer into either extreme.

Key Takeaways

1. Different Prayers Require Understanding, Not Labels. Understanding the kinds of prayer is meant to help believers pray, not burden them with a naming system. No single kind needs to crowd out the others or become the measure of every prayer. The useful question is whether that understanding helps a believer make the right adjustment in prayer. [48:38]
2. Changed Circumstances Are Not Every Prayer’s Measure. Some prayers change things, while others change the person praying. An unchanged situation is therefore not enough evidence to declare that faith is absent. Recognizing the difference guards against judging every prayer by an outward result it was never meant to produce. [49:00]
3. God’s Will Is Not Whatever Happens. Leaving a matter in God’s hands does not make every outcome an expression of his will. That assumption can become another ditch, just as surely as insisting that every prayer must change a circumstance. A balanced prayer life requires understanding the differences rather than turning either approach into a rule for everything. [49:37]
4. The Word Calls For Daily Practice. Receiving light from God’s Word is meant to lead to action. Believers are called to become doers who put the Word into practice, rather than hearers who stop at understanding. Living by faith gives that response a daily shape through what is lived and spoken. [48:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[45:39] - Praying in the Spirit and Tongues
[46:20] - Receiving Light From God’s Word
[48:01] - Doing the Word and Living by Faith
[48:38] - Understanding the Different Kinds of Prayer
[49:00] - Prayers That Change Things or People
[49:37] - Not Everything Is God’s Will
[50:03] - Staying in the Middle of the Road

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 1:17
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.” [48:09]

James 1:22
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” [47:49]

Psalm 119:130
“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” [46:28]

Observation questions

In connection with Psalm 119:130, what kinds of help are sought from God as believers open his Word? What is expected to change beyond their understanding? [46:28]
James 1:22 calls for more than hearing. What actions are described as part of receiving and putting God’s Word into practice? [47:13]
Alongside the call to live by faith in Romans 1:17, what distinction is made between prayer that changes circumstances and prayer that changes the person praying? [49:22]

Interpretation questions

How does the light described in Psalm 119:130 help believers understand prayer without becoming rigid about labeling every kind of prayer? [48:39]
In light of Romans 1:17, why is an unchanged circumstance not enough evidence to conclude that someone has failed to pray in faith? What might that judgment overlook? [49:22]
What is the difference between a believer trusting God with a situation and assuming that everything that happens must be God’s will? How might those two attitudes affect continued prayer? [49:45]
How does James 1:22 help explain the difference between knowing about different kinds of prayer and actually making useful adjustments in a prayer life? [50:03]

Application questions

Have you ever felt pressure to pray in a particular way or to find the right label for your prayer? What would help you seek understanding without making prayer feel like a test you have to pass? [48:48]
If you feel comfortable sharing, describe a time when you prayed and the situation stayed the same. How did that affect your view of your faith? Looking back, did you notice any change in yourself? [49:22]
Is there a situation you are praying about now where you could ask both for an outward change and for God to change something in you? What might you ask him to develop in your heart or actions? [49:37]
Have you ever used “it must be God’s will” to explain a difficult outcome? How could you acknowledge what you do not understand while continuing to trust God and seek guidance from his Word? [49:45]
What is one truth from God’s Word that you understand but find difficult to practice in your prayer life? What small step could you take this week to act on it, and how could this group encourage you? [47:13]

Sermon Clips

37s

#PrayerChangesYou

“You know, we don't wanna get over on one side and label every kind of prayer a certain thing or just get stuck in one area because, for example, glory to god, people will get stuck in one area and say, well, you know, if you pray, you have to you have to pray to change things. You have to use your faith and believe God for something to change. And if nothing happens, well, you're not praying in faith. You're not praying according to the will of God. Well, it depends on the kind of prayer you're praying. Because some prayers don't change things. Some prayers change you.”

21s

#GodsWill

“Glory to god. And so, as I say, well, all the time I say, well, you know, if you pray, you just have to say, I'm just gonna pray, and I'm just gonna leave it in God's hands, and whatever happens is the will of God. Well, we know that not everything that happens is the will of God. You follow me? Amen.”

39s

#PrayerLife

“And so so we've got to kinda... We... We've got to understand the different kinds of prayers so we can navigate and maneuver in our prayer life and make adjustments. Amen? Amen. Hallelujah. Because sometimes, you know, people can can go into error in one ditch or they'll go into error in another ditch. I like to stay in the middle of the road. Glory to god. Amen. It's kinda hard to drive your car if you're driving in a ditch. It's not made for the ditch. It's made for the road. The nice, smooth, paved service. Amen. Hallelujah. And so, it's always good to stay in the middle of the road. Glory to god. Amen?”

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Faith Life Family Church - Godwin Azeke This sermon · AI assistant

Why do some prayers change us rather than circumstances?

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