WIthout the Holy Spirit. Only Dead Religion

  Imagine you are sitting in front of the television. You have the remote control next to you. Then the enemy sneaks in, takes the remote control and changes the channel. 

If you passively accept this, you no longer control your thoughts, because what you see before your eyes will direct and distract your thoughts.

What we see or read on the internet influences our thoughts. 

How can we know what is true and what is not?
How can we understand what is important and what is trivial?

The apostle Paul gives us an important instruction.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom 12:2 NIV

How can we purify our minds from the deceitful influences around us?
We must truly pray and hold fast to God's Word.

But there is another danger. We can turn away from worldliness, but then become narrow-minded and religious....

 for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6 

Prayer and God's Word are our shield and weapons, and also our medicine.

But without the Holy Spirit, prayer is like a car without petrol.
Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible is a dry religious textbook.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Rom 8:26 NIV


But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 1:20 NIV

I often pray in tongues. To some, this seems like a charismatic aberration. 
But let me ask you a question. If you don't pray in tongues, how do you pray ‘in the Holy Spirit’? 

We can pray in a known language with a strong anointing and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In my experience, praying in tongues increases my ability to receive inspiration to pray in my own language with palpable blessing and power. Clearly, Paul did this.

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 1 Co 14:14–15 NIV

The context of these verses clearly indicates that when Paul speaks of praying in the Spirit, he means praying in an unknown tongue.

If prayer in the Holy Spirit is not a reality in your life, you can ask God to lead you into a deeper experience of the Holy Spirit.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Rom 8:26 NIV