I was just reading the scriptural readings for Mass tomorrow. The reading that caught my eye was from the letter of St. Jude 17: 20b-25. In it, the audience is exported to pray in the spirit. How does one pray in the Spirit? I don't know.
Jude1:19 It is these who set up divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. rosebud1, I think v.19 is important when considering the meaning of v. 20 because a contrast between "devoid of the Spirit" and "in the Spirit" is highlighted. In this comparison I think similiarly of pride vs. humility. If we are humble and in the spirit we are setting our will and desires aside, seeking what God wants. In contrast, pride tends to put self first and such ambition is worldly, leading to strife and division. So to pray in the Spirit is for us as children to place our Father first: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven! One other valid meaning, in my opinion, ties in with my experience in the Charismatic Renewal. If I'm restless and trying to settle down to pray, I might pray using my gift of tongues, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead my heart to a place of attentiveness before God. This has sometimes been referred to as praying in the spirit, though it focuses on a gift not all possess. Romans 8: 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. 27 And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
