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.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Prayer in Spiritual Warfare?
What is the context of Ephesians 6:18 in relation to spiritual warfare?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Ephesians 6:18 ("Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication") comes as the final instruction after Paul has outlined the whole armor of God. This verse is not an additional piece of armor but rather an instruction about how we are to use all the pieces of armor. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "This is something that we have to do and to go on doing in connection with the whole of the armor." The hymn he quotes captures this well: "Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer." Prayer is essential for making the armor of God effective in our spiritual battle against "the devil and the principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world."
Why does Lloyd-Jones say that orthodoxy alone is not enough in spiritual warfare?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "even orthodoxy is not enough" in spiritual warfare. He warns about "dead orthodoxy," explaining that it's possible for Christians to be "perfectly orthodox and yet to be defeated, and to be living a defeated and a useless life." The problem occurs when believers rely on their intellectual understanding of the truth without maintaining vital spiritual communion with God. He states: "A mere intellectual acquaintance with the truth, though it is absolutely essential, is not sufficient." The armor of God cannot be used "except in fellowship and communion with God." Lloyd-Jones warns against a "mechanical" or "magical" view of the armor, where people assume that simply having correct doctrine automatically protects them without the necessity of prayer.
What does it mean to pray "in the Spirit" according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Praying "in the Spirit" means much more than merely saying prayers or engaging in formal religious exercises. Lloyd-Jones explains that it means:
- The Holy Spirit "directs the prayer, creates the prayer within us, and empowers us to offer it"
- Being in a spiritually-minded state, not just rushing into prayer without preparation
- Consciously approaching God through Christ alone
- Having a real, living realization of the presence of God
- Experiencing warmth, freedom, and liberty in prayer
He distinguishes this from the ecstatic prayer in 1 Corinthians 14, focusing instead on prayer that is "indicted and inspired and led by the Holy Spirit himself." Lloyd-Jones shares personal experiences of prayer meetings where ordinary people were transformed when praying in the Spirit, noting how "the whole man was transformed" and "we were in the spirit and in the realm of the spirit."
What practical instruction does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about perseverance in prayer?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the importance of persistence in prayer with several key points:
- Pray "always" - "at every time, on every occasion, at all seasons"
- "Watch thereunto" - remain alert, vigilant, and attentive in prayer
- Pray "with all perseverance" - don't pray in fits and starts or have merely "spasms of praying"
- "Never quit, never cease praying" - as Jesus taught that "men should always pray and not faint"
Lloyd-Jones warns against neglecting prayer or becoming slack in this discipline. He suggests that if we find ourselves neglecting prayer, we should "take yourself to test." This perseverance in prayer is essential for maintaining our spiritual vitality and effectiveness in spiritual warfare.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones measure spiritual maturity in relation to prayer?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents a striking measure of spiritual maturity when he says: "Our ultimate position as Christians is tested by the character of our prayer life." He goes on to state that "the ultimate test of my understanding of the scriptural teaching is the amount of time I spend in prayer." This presents a challenging metric that goes beyond theological knowledge. Lloyd-Jones argues that true knowledge of God should naturally drive believers to prayer: "The more I know theology, the more it ought to drive me to seek to know God, not to know about Him, but to know Him." He distinguishes between intellectual knowledge about God and personal communion with God, suggesting that if our theological knowledge doesn't lead to deeper prayer, "there's something wrong somewhere" in how we're handling that knowledge.
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.