Text: Romans 8:26-27
Memory verse:
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬
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If you only pray in your understanding without praying in tongues, you are operating below God’s standard for you. In fact, you are shortchanging yourself. Your prayer of understanding can never meet your needs of prayer. This is because, sometimes you don’t know what you should pray for or how you ought to present it rightly. “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words..” ‭‭(Rom‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬ NLT‬‬)
Some years ago, as a teenager far away in school, I suddenly got a heavy burden to pray but I didn’t know why and what I should pray for. Then, having prayed in my understanding, I decided to switch over to praying in tongues, which I did for quite some times. Afterwards, I had remarkable calm in my spirit, even though I still didn’t know what I prayed for. At that time, it was barely a year after I got the baptism of the Holy Spirit. About two weeks after that prayer experience, I travelled home on vacation and I got to know that my dad had a ghastly car accident and was miraculously delivered without a scratch. With further enquiry, I discovered that the accident happened on that same day and at that very hour that I was praying in tongues in a far away town. Apparently, the Holy Spirit saw it coming, put the burden of prayer in me and interceded for him through me. There was no way I could have known and prayed for that specific situation if not for the Holy Spirit. “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding…”
(‭‭I Cor‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬)‭
Friends, don’t waste this grace that you have. Regularly pray in your understanding and pray in the Holy Spirit.

Prayer points
1. Father, please baptise me afresh with the Holy Spirit.
2. Father, please help me dedicate time to pray in the spirit today and always.

Today’s declarations
1. I live below God’s expectation of me and I shortchange myself when I don’t pray often in tongues.
2. There is no way I can know mysteries if I only pray in my understanding.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng