“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” — Ephesians 6:18

The Atmosphere of New Covenant Communion

The expression praying in the Spirit appears only a few times in the New Testament, yet it has often been surrounded by misunderstanding. Some identify praying in the Spirit exclusively with speaking in tongues. Others associate it with emotional intensity or heightened spiritual experiences. While these may accompany certain moments of prayer, they do not sufficiently explain the broader testimony of Scripture. To understand the phrase correctly, we must first allow Jesus Himself to define the atmosphere of New Covenant communion. Long before Paul instructed believers to pray in the Spirit, Jesus announced an entirely new order of worship.

Speaking to the Samaritan woman, He declared, “The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). Jesus was not merely settling a debate about whether worship belonged on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem. He was announcing that the age of localized communion was coming to an end. Under the Old Covenant, God’s presence was associated with the tabernacle and later the temple. These were sacred places where heaven met earth, where sacrifices were offered, and where God communed with His covenant people.

With the coming of Christ, however, the administration of God’s presence changed. Communion would no longer be defined by geography but by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus immediately explained why: “God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Because God’s nature is Spirit, communion with Him must also be spiritual. The believer no longer comes occasionally into God’s presence; through the Holy Spirit, he now lives continually within the sphere of God’s presence.

This truth provides the foundation for the apostolic teaching.

Paul exhorts believers to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18), while Jude similarly commands us to be “praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20). Neither apostle introduces a new technique of prayer. Rather, they explain the reality Jesus promised. The Holy Spirit has become the atmosphere in which every aspect of the believer’s communion with the Father now takes place. Prayer, worship, obedience, fellowship, and service all flow from life in the Spirit.

This understanding also harmonizes with Paul’s teaching throughout Romans 8. Paul consistently contrasts two realms of existence: life according to the flesh and life according to the Spirit. The distinction is not primarily emotional but covenantal. One belongs to Adam’s fallen order; the other belongs to Christ’s new creation. Consequently, the believer prays in the Spirit because he now lives in the Spirit. His communion is no longer sustained by external ceremonies but by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit within him.

This also explains why Scripture repeatedly commands believers to pray continually. Jesus declared that men ought always to pray, and Paul instructed believers to pray without ceasing. Such commands would be impossible if prayer referred only to spoken words. They become perfectly understandable when prayer is recognized as continual fellowship with God through the indwelling Spirit. Just as breathing belongs to physical life, communion belongs to spiritual life. Prayer is not merely an activity but the atmosphere in which the believer now lives.

Understanding this distinction prepares us for the next important question in our study. If praying in the Spirit describes the atmosphere of New Covenant communion, what then does Paul mean by praying with the spirit in 1 Corinthians 14? Are these expressions identical, or do they describe different realities? Likewise, what relationship does the gift of tongues have to either of them? These questions deserve careful attention if we are to build a theology of prayer that remains faithful to the whole counsel of God.

Further Reading: John 4:19–24; Romans 8:1–17, 26–27; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20–21; Galatians 5:16–25; 1 Corinthians 14:14–15