Scripture
“…and praying in the Holy Spirit…” — Jude 20
Reflection
Prayer can easily become a list of requests. We tell God what is wrong, what needs to change, who needs help, and how we hope things will turn out. There is nothing wrong with bringing those things to God. Jesus himself taught us to ask.
But Jude describes prayer as something deeper: praying in the Holy Spirit.
That means prayer is not only about bringing our agenda to God. It is also about allowing God to reshape our agenda. Prayer opens us to the possibility that the Spirit may want to change something within us before changing anything around us.
Sometimes we enter prayer wanting God to make another person different. The Spirit begins showing us where we need patience. We ask God to remove a difficult situation, and the Spirit gives us courage to walk through it. We ask for certainty, and the Spirit teaches us trust.
Prayer is one of the places where sanctifying grace continues its work. We come to God honestly as we are, and over time the Spirit makes us more capable of loving as Christ loves.
Application
Spend five quiet minutes in prayer without asking God for anything. Begin with this simple sentence: “Holy Spirit, what do you want to form in me today?” Then listen.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, teach me to pray beyond my fears and preferences. Help me listen as well as speak. When I ask you to change my circumstances, make me willing to be changed within them. Shape my desires, my reactions, and my relationships until they more fully reflect Jesus Christ. Amen.
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