JUNE 1973

THE WORD OF FAITH

praying

in

t h e spirit
by Kenneth Hagin

Praying always with all prayer and suppli

cation in the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for
all saints,
-Ephesians 6:18

What is praying in the Spirit?

What does that phrase mean
here in this verse, "Praying...
in the Spirit" ?
I faced this question many
years ago as a Baptist pastor.
I somehow knew inside me that
whatever it was, I wasn't doing
it. I wanted to know. I asked
people.- I wanted to find out.
Do you know what most people
thought "praying in the Spirit*
was?
They thought that it
meant praying with just a little
more vim, vigor, and vitality.
Then, too, there was Jude's
statement in the 20th verse
that puzzled me.
He said,
writing to Christians, to Believ
ers, "But ye beloved building up
yourselves on your most holy
faith,
praying in the Holy
Ghost."
I asked myself the question,
"What is praying in the Holy
Ghost?"
Whatever it was, I
felt somehow I wasn't doing it.
Now our heads told us that we
were "praying in the Spirit"
and "praying in the Holy Ghost."
But my heart told me, "You
are not."
So I set out to find out for
sure what those expressions
meant.
I thought, "Paul is doing the
writing here in Ephesians where
he speaks of 'praying in the
Spirit'. Did he ever say any

K E N N E T H

E H A G I N

"praying in the spirit" in Ephe

sians 6:18, he meant the same
thing.

thing anywhere else about pray

ing in the Spirit? If he did,
then he is talking about the
same thing whenever he speaks
of it." So I began to run r e f e r
ences on this in Paul's writings.
Now when you begin to follow
these references, they will lead
you over to the 14th chapter of
First Corinthians.
Now, we
hadn't gotten into the 14th chap
ter of First Corinthians, too
much.
The first Sunday of each quar ter I would preach from the 11th
chapter just before we took the
Lord's Supper.
I would skip
over the 12th chapter and preach
about love in the 13th chapter.
And then I would skip over the
14th chapter and preach about
the resurrection in the 15th
chapter. You were just almost
afraid of the 12th and 14th
chapters of First Corinthians.
But I could see that if you
were going to find out about
praying in the spirit, you had
to get there, because it is there
that Paul said something about
it.
I found out that he said:

Now

14 F o r if I pray in an unknown tongue,

my spirit prayeth, but my understanding
is unfruitful,
15 What is it then? I will pray with the
spirit, and I will pray with the under
standing also: I will sing with the spirit
and I will sing with the understanding.
- I Corinthians 14:14-15

Let's read those same two

verses from the Amplified New
Testament:
14 F o r if I pray in an unknown tongue, my
spirit by the Holy Spirit within me prays,
but ray mind is unproductive--bears no
fruit and helps nobody.
15 Then what am I to do? I will pray with
my spiritby the Holy Spirit that is
within me; but I will also pray intelli
gentlywith my mind and understanding;
I will sing with my spiritby the Holy
Spirit that is within me; but I will sing
(intelligently with my mind and under
standing) also.
- I Corinthians 14:14-15

Paul said, 'Twill pray with my

spirit.._J_ will pray with my
understanding."
He said he
would do it. He is encouraging
the church at Corinth to do it.
Now, if speaking in tongues
is not for us today, as some
think, then there is not a way
in the world we can pray "in
the spirit" today. And yet, you
are a spirit being. You need
to pray out of your spirit, and
not just out of your head.
Notice that Paul is talking
about two kinds of praying,

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue

speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for
no man understandeth him; howbeit in the
spirit he speaketh mysteries. - I C o r . 14:2

".. .in the spirit.. .in the spirit...

in the spirit he speaketh myste
ries." There it was!
Well, if speaking with tongues
was praying in the spirit in the
14th chapter of First Corinthi
ans, then when Paul wrote of

E V A N G E L I S T I C

A S S O C I A T I O N *

B O X 5 0 1 2 6

T U L S A ,

O K

notice something here:

7 4 1 5 0

( 9 1 8 ) 5 8 2 - 7 1 6 1

(1) mental praying, and (2) spir

itual praying.
Mental praying is "with the
understanding," with the mind.
The church world, as a whole,
has tried too long to get by
only on one kind of praying
mental praying. You can never
do it.
Why couldn't we?
God's Word tells us why in
Romans 8:26, "...for we know
not what we should pray for as
we ought
" There are times
when we do not know how to pray.
It would be impossible in these
situations for mental praying
alone to get the job done. Spiri
tual praying is required. Spiri
tual praying is praying out of
your spirit in utterances, in a
tongue that is unknown to you
and groanings that escape your
lips.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our in
firmities; for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself
maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered.
-Romans 8:26

We do not always under

stand the entire situation sur
rounding the matter we are
praying about. But the Holy
Spirit does. And when we allow
Him to pray through us, to help
us in our prayer life, we will
see amazing answers to our
prayers.
PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
THE PRAYER OF
INTERCESSION
Look at Romans 8:26 again.
It says, "...the Spirit itself
maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be ut
tered."
The prayer of intercession is
not for yourself. An intercessor
is one who takes the place of
another. You are interceding
for another.
Every Spirit-filled believer
can expect the Holy Spirit to
help him in making interces
sion.

This intercession can be in

the area of salvation, healing,
or praying for things about
which we do not even know, but
the Holy Spirit has knowledge
of them.
After a time of praying in the
Spirit, we will know whether
we are praying in tongues as a
means of building ourselves up
spiritually and worshiping God,
as we will discuss next, or
whether
it is a prayer of
intercession.
On occasion, and sometimes
over a period of time, I have had
a burden of intercession before
I even knew for whom I was
praying. I do know when I am
in intercession or travail for
someone who is lost. If you are
taking the place of a lost one,
you will have that same lost
feeling in your own spirit.
PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
MAGNIFYING GOD
For they heard them speak with tongues,
and magnify God....
-Acts 10:46

Praying in the Spirit, with

tongues, is a way in which we
can magnify God.
For years, as a minister, I
prayed and had wonderful times
in prayer. I used to go down to
the barn and get up in the hay
to pray where I had wonderful
times in prayer. But, I went
away from those times disap
pointed though I was blessed.
I would try to tell God how much
I loved Him. I would use all the
descriptive adjectives at my
disposal to tell God how wonder
ful He is. I would exhaust my
vocabulary and leave that place
of prayer with my spirit feeling
that I had not said what I wanted
to say. My spirit felt cheated.
Although my head did not realize
it, my spirit wanted to pray too,
apart from the understanding.
But now, one of the things I
appreciate most about being
filled with the Holy Ghost is
praying with tongues. From that

day to this I have worshiped

and communicated with God,
praying and singing in tongues,
every single day. And I have
never left that place of prayer
feeling that I didn't say what I
wanted to say, because my spirit
was enabled by the Holy Spirit
who indwells me to say what it
wanted to say.
If you are not doing so al
ready, I want to invite you to
come on in and communicate
with God supernaturally. God
wants to do so much more for
you. He wants to communicate
with you in a better way. Know
the joy of fellowshiping with
the Lord in the Spirit. The Holy
Spirit can help you with your
praying, "...my spirit, by the
Holy Spirit within me,prays..."
(I Corinthians 14:14 AMP N . T . )
PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
TO EDIFY YOURSELF
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves
on your most holy faith, praying in the
Holy Ghost.
-Jude 1:20

He that speaketh in an unknown tongue

edifieth himself.,.,
- I Cor. 14:4

There is one phase of speak

ing with tongues in our prayer
life that is not praying for some
one else, it is not interceding
for anyone else. It is purely a
means of personal spiritual edi
fication. It aids us spiritually
and edifies us (builds us up).
We all need this kind of pray
ing. We cannot help others,
we cannot edify others unless
we ourselves have been edified.
Take time to build yourTHE WORD OF FAITH published monthly
by Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Ass'n.
P.O. Box 50126,1029 N . U t i c a , Tulsa, Ok.
Doyle (Buddy) Harrison
Editor
Billye Brim
Managing Editor
Karrel Hughes
Copy Editor
Douglas Brown
Art Director
Subscription rates: $1.00/yr U.S. and
Canada instituted by payment of regular
rate (or) first $1.00 of your donation to
Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Ass'n.
Volume VI
Number Six

self up by praying much in

the Holy Ghost, or with other
tongues.
Spiritual things are
similar to natural things. Jesus
used natural things to explain
spiritual things. No one is going
to be expert and keen in any area
without working at it. In sports,
for instance, an individual who
is known for his hitting ability
did not get into his position with
out batting practice. Things of
the spirit don't fall on us like
ripe cherries off a tree. We are
not going to be expert in spiri
tual things unless we take time.
Praying in the spirit, and
speaking in tongues is a rest.
11 For with stammering lips and another
tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest
wherewith ye may cause the weary to
rest; and this is the refreshing....
-Isaiah 28:11-12

Speaking in tongues is not

only an initial evidence of the
Holy Spirit's indwelling, but
it is a continual experience
for the rest of one's life. It
is to assist in the worship
of God. It is a flowing stream
that should never dry up. It
will enrich your life spiritually.

ALL FAITHS CRUSADES

FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS
June 10-13
Ramada Inn
5101 Towson Ave.
Sunday Service
2:30 pm
Mon. thru Wed
10:00 am & 7:30 pm
C O F F E Y V I L L E , KANSAS . . June 29-July 1
First Assembly of God Church
1504 West 8th Street
Fri. and Sat
10:00 am & 7:30 pm
Sunday Service
7:30 pm

Brother Hagin will also be in the following

cities on various dates for one night
RADIO RALLIES. Please watch the news
papers in your area. We will also be
advising those on our mailing list by
mail of the Radio Rallies in your area.
Hot Springs, Ark.
Baton Rouge, L a .
Kansas City, Mo.
Beaumont, Tex.
Miami, Okla.
Corpus Christi, Tex.
Muskogee, Okla,
Houston, Tex.
Norman, Okla.
Joplin, Mo.
San Antonio, Tex.

FAITH SEMINAR OF THE AIR

Consult the new radio listings below to see if the teaching
ministry of Kenneth Hagin can now be heard Monday through
Friday in your listening area.
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Los Angeles, California
Atlanta, Georgia
Louisville, Kentucky
Kansas City, Missouri
Port Neches, Texas
(Beaumont-Port Arthur)
Menomonie, Wisconsin

KFDF
KFSG-FM
WGUN
WFIA
KCCV
KPNG

1580
96.3
1010
900
1510
1150

WDMW-FM

92.1

1:15
6:45
4:45
6:45
11:00
8:45

pm
pm
pm
am
am
am

6:15 pm

My dear Brother in Christ,

You do not know me but I picked up the Word of Faith for March 1973 and the large
letters POSSESS THE LAND...memories of yesteryear came tumbling in my old mind.
If God spares me until May 29th I will have reached my 92nd birthday. I was born again
a little over 76 years ago... I lived in Canada and heard many talking about entering and
possessing the land of Canaan, not a type of heaven as you say... I saw through the Word
and the leadings of the Spirit that the promised land was truly a land that flowed with
milk and honey and that it was not a land that eateth up its inhabitants...
Keep preaching and urging people to close their ears to the enemy and go up and
possess the land and revel in God's great provision for His saints, to enjoy the figs
and pomegranates, the honey and the wine....
A brother in New York
Dear Brother and Sister Hagin,
My husband was saved and filledwiththe Holy Ghost...at Westside Baptist Church...
I praise God that He had you stay that extra night as it was the only meeting my husband
attended and you answered the biggest question he's had on his heart....
-Florida

STEWARDSHIP
Much is being said about Stewardship these
days. Why is this so important? Many of us
have found that it is an additional way in
which we can advance God's Kingdom here
on earth. We all know the importance of
tithes and offerings. They have been the
means of supporting the Lord's work.
Stewardship makes it possible for you
to do more NOW. Your savings funds
can be used in God's work NOW. It is
very simple.
A portion of a person's
savings would be well invested in a good
Stewardship Program. In most cases, your
interest dividend will be even greater than
with your bank or savings and loan associa
tion.
This ministry has such a Stewardship
Division. There are a number of ways in
which you can invest with us. Your funds
will be used entirely for assets or for
inventory. This makes your investment
safe.
Let us place in your hands a brochure
which we have prepared. It will give you
full details.
Write us in care of the
Stewardship Division.

FAITH SEMINAR
AND
INDOOR CAMP MEETING
Remember the seven-day camp
meeting to be held in Tulsa,
July 22-29.
Guest speakers,
along with Brother Hagin, will
be ministering in three services
a day.
We hope you can be with us.
Please write for details.

MONTHLY LESSON
Understanding The New Birth
A clear insight into what the
new birth actually iswhat it
means and what it gives will
cause faith to grow in the
believer. Write for your free
copy of this month's lesson.

!<

<

NEW

CASSETTE:

POSSESS THE LAND - God's Word

teaches of the Promised Land. His
Word also maps the way for believ
ers to possess that land of pro
vision for His children in this life.

This new cassette will be sent

postpaid for an offering of at least
$4.00. Portions of POSSESS THE
LAND appeared in the March 1973
issue of "The Word of Faith."

<

;v
V/::
KENNETH

<

E. HAGIN

EVANGELISTIC
ASS'N, INC.
P. 0. Box 50126
TULSA, OKLAHOMA
74150

SECOND-CLASS POSTAGE
PAID
AT T U L S A , OKLAHOMA

Enclosed is my offering of $_
Please send my gift cassette POSSESS THE LAND.
Please send the free monthly lesson "Understanding The New Birth".