How to Pray in the Spirit

David Diga Hernandez teaches you practical yet powerful keys on how to pray in the spirit. Praying in the Holy Spirit will forever transform your prayer life.

I pray that you will experienced God’s strength and presence in a
whole new way this month. That you will conquer your battles, achieve your goals and find joy in the simplest of things. Amen.

You’re watching Encounter TV, featuring the evangelistic healing ministry of David Deger Hernandez, an emerging voice of healing.
David has taken the saving and healing power of God to this generation and the nations of the world, a world is being reached.
A generation is being inspired. As you watch Encounter TV, you’ll encounter the Holy Spirit’s presence, the healing power of God, the truth of the word, the love of Christ and freedom through the miraculous.
You’re watching Encounter TV. Hello, David Diego Hernandez. Here you are watching Encounter TV.
And today we’re going to Los Angeles, California where I’m ministering on the Holy Spirit and prayer.
I believe that there’s somebody watching right now and it’s by no accident that you’ve tuned in today.
There’s somebody watching right now where your prayer life hasn’t been what it used to be and it’s not where you want it to be, but it’s time today to reclaim your prayer life.
And the Holy Spirit is the one who’s going to help to do it.
Jesus promised that when he left, he wouldn’t leave us alone to live the Christian life, but that he would send us an able and willing helper, an advocate, a spiritual assistant, if you will, that’s his humble nature.
He takes on the role of the assistant in your spiritual life.
The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, as we connect with him, as we come to know him, his ways and his nature, we begin to develop an understanding that takes us into the deeper places of prayer.
And that’s what I’m ministering on today from Los Angeles, California. I hope this blesses you.
I hope you’re encouraged by it. Let’s go now and hear this message on the Holy Spirit and prayer.
It is the Holy Spirit who enables prayer. Let me tell you something.
Not only can you not pray without the power of the Holy Spirit, you couldn’t even desire to pray without the Holy Spirit.
It’s not a matter of discipline though, that’s part of it. It’s not a matter of the will though.
That’s part of it. It’s not a matter of emotion though that can be affected by prayer.
It is by the Holy Spirit that we are led into the depths of the presence of God.
It is by the Holy Spirit that we are led to the place. We are granted audiences with our father.
Prayer is by the spirit. You cannot enter the spirit in the flesh, you cannot enter the spirit by will or aggression.
When I first began to pray, I was 11 years old.
And I remember the Holy Spirit just beginning to deal with my heart.
And he began to speak to me about dedicating myself more to prayer, dedicating my heart more to him.
And what happened was interesting.
It was a very, you know what I’m talking about those very sweet seasons in your life.
And there’s just, that’s the word I used to describe it.
There’s just a sweetness to the presence that abides on your prayer life during certain seasons.
Do you know what I’m talking about?
And so I remember I had come to one of those seasons when I was 11 years old and I like many of you came to God with somewhat of an ultimatum.
And I was desperate. I was hungry. I was passionate.
I said, Lord, I want to know Jesus more.
Father, I want to step into everything that you have for me.
And I remember coming into my room, I closed my door, I locked it.
I stepped into the room and I said, Jesus, I am not leaving this place until I have an experience with the Holy Spirit because I had heard that the Holy Spirit could be my friend.
And that notion intrigued me. I used to think that it was somewhat of a, a spiritual misdemeanor to talk to the Holy Spirit or misdemeanor idolatry to pray to the Holy Spirit instead of Jesus.
I used to wonder Jesus, do you get offended when I address the Holy Spirit?
And for that matter, why do they call him the Holy Spirit if he’s a person?
But I reconcile that because we call him the father, the son, the Holy Spirit.
Thou has nothing to do with it.
All I knew is that I wanted to connect to this reality, this spiritual helper, this advocate, this comforter, this one who would come alongside me and assist me into the depths of the spirit.
And I wanted to know that one. And I said, Holy Spirit, I want to know you.
And I’m not leaving this room until you touch my life, until I experience the overwhelming presence.
Until I experience the manifested glory of the sun. Right here in my room.
I said, Lord, I want my room to become a little piece of heaven on earth.
And I said, Lord, I’m not gonna leave here.
And I remember I started my prayer with emotion. I reached for every melancholy emotion.
You can imagine there was frustration. I even did that whole thing where I said, Lord, are you ignoring me?
God? Do you hear me? You know, we’re trying to guilt God into a response as if he can be manipulated.
God, don’t you hear me? But I often use this analogy using emotion to pray or to try to find that place of prayer is like yelling at someone on the cell phone.
When there’s a bad connection. The issue is not the volume. The issue is the connection with the network.
So you can yell, you can scream. Power is not noise.
I worked myself into frenzy. And I said, Lord, I want to touch you.
I want to know you. I want to see your face. I want your glory to descend in this place.
And I began to reach for all those emotions and I’m pulling on all those emotions and I’m praying and I’m praying and I’m praying and I’m praying one hour had passed and nothing happened.
I said, OK, that didn’t work.
And then I reached for my aggressive side.
I thought if I, if I can’t cry my way and I’ll declare, I’ll decree, I’ll rebuke demons my way into the presence of God.
I started rebuking and imagining demons in every corner.
You get out of here, you spirit of this and you spirit of that. Every adjective I could think of.
I attached it to a demonic being and rebuked it.
And I got aggressive and I got angry and I got stirred.
I remember I used to attend prayer class which really helped me.
And I reached for every prayer technique, every prayer formula, every strategy I started to think back. OK.
Was it something when I was seven?
But you know, all of these things that of your mind, what’s blocking this?
And I thought what is going on?
And I reached for that aggression and I began to try to pummel my way through that wall that seemed to be obstructing my one spiritual movement and I tried to break through that wall with aggression and I stand before you God’s honest truth.
One more hour passed and nothing happened.
We’re going to go back to Los Angeles, California where I’m going to continue that message on the Holy Spirit and prayer in just a moment.
But first, it’s time for our Mark 16 miracle segment.
This is where we take your footage of you praying for the sick, evangelizing, prophesying outside the four walls of the church.
Many have sent in their footage to us.
Here’s one such example, Eileen. What’s your pain level?
One through 10? Ten’s the worst. OK? She says that her pain levels at 10.
So we’re gonna pray for you and Jesus is gonna take all your pain away. OK? Here we go.
Right now. I come to you and I command this pain to go in your name, Jesus, I command no pain left.
Then he has no victory in this lady right now. God, I command this pain to flee. Flee God.
I command it to go in your name. This pain will not be there. There’s no more pain.
God in your name, Jesus. We command this pain to go go. We’re not asking we’re commanding it.
You must leave this lady right now. You have no victory here. This is God’s vessel.
I want you to check yourself out and see if you can find the pain anymore. Right?
It’s better What’s your pain level right now?
Move around a little bit about a six. There’s no problem.
We’re gonna pray for you again and get the six to come to a zero. Ok?
I command this pain to grow. Not any more pain from a six to a zero. God.
And you’re a power. God. I command this pain to go no more pain.
God, you gotta walk over to here. Right. Let’s do it and you can test yourself out.
Oh Yeah. It’s a lot better. What is it now? What’s your level about?
A two? Beautiful. Hey guys, it’s a two. Now. It was a 10.
We’re going to get rid of the two. Go ahead. I command this pain to go in your name, Jesus.
You’re a powerful name. God, I command it to go in jesus’ name. We pray God.
All right. Now, you really honest, Marlene. Test it out. Move your legs around.
There’s no pain, there’s no pain. What do you say about that?
Amen. And God can do the same with you. Here’s my challenge to you.
Now, as I do at the end of every March 16 marle segment, get out on the streets, get out of the four walls of the church, prophesy, evangelize, lay hands on the sick, captured on footage, send it into us and we may feature it here on Encounter TV S Mark 16 miracle segment.
For more information on how you can get your footage to us stick around until the end of the program.
We’re going to give you some basic contact information.
Let’s go now back to Los Angeles, California where I’m continuing this message on the Holy Spirit and prayer.
He said, Lord, I’m gonna use my will. I’m gonna use my persistence.
I’m gonna use my faithfulness. And I stood there just praying. I couldn’t even tell you what I was praying.
And I tried to say, Lord, here I am being faithful here.
I am being consistent here. I am being persistent. Maybe if I just wait this out, something will happen.
And I kid you not one more hour past of that and still nothing happened.
But now I was just, I had it and I began to be, get discouraged.
I even got a little embarrassed in front of the Lord.
I thought maybe it was, maybe I shouldn’t have said that I’ll stay here until, until I starve or die or because what if I do?
And now I begin to analyze.
That’s that for me, I have a tendency to analyze. That’s what I always fall back on.
I said, OK, maybe that’s why God put that in me.
And so I began to analyze and assess and plan and plot and reason.
And I began to go through all the various scenarios of that man.
I, I remember I, I started to remember all of the books I had read all of the sermons.
I had heard all of the sermon, the seminars I had attended and I began to try to apply with reason.
I’m gonna be honest with you.
If it were possible to enter the presence of God by human effort.
At that moment, I would have been in intellect.
Failed willpower, fails, aggression, failed emotion, failed, emotion is a good indication of your thought life.
But it fails. Willpower is commendable, but it failed, intellect is useful, but it fails, love never fails.
And I remember I was crying, I had tears just streaming down my face.
And I said, I can’t find you.
I don’t know how to get in. I I’ve done everything I can, Lord.
And then I remember in a, in a very good way, I gave up, I said, Holy Spirit, I don’t know how to pray, teach me how to pray, show me what to do.
What should my posture be? What exact words should I speak? What emotion should I be feeling?
What physical sensations should I have?
And the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance, be still and know that I am God.
There is no man or woman on earth. I don’t care how anointed they are.
There is no man or woman on earth who knows the way into the presence of God.
Only the Holy Spirit knows the way into the presence of God.
And if you will quiet yourself to listen, he will gently tell the way I said, Lord I give up, you have to show me now.
And I remember I became very still that scripture be still, be still be still and know that I am.
God. King David said in quietness.
Does he lead me the first?
And the only entryway into true prayer is the gateway of silence and stillness.
I know this is counterintuitive because human, human, the human will, the human intellect wants to try to find its way in.
But silence is very practical.
Jesus said, when you pray, go, go aside by yourself, go into your room, shut the door, lock it and, and find that privacy because private prayer is revealed in public power.
There’s no public power on some believers lives because there’s no private prayer.
They want to pray last minute before they minister and expect the move of the holy ghost.
And I’m not here to, I’m not here to tear you down. I’m here to wake you up.
OK? The silence is very practical. Jesus said, just go and, and, and, and shut everything out.
That means turn your cell phone off, shut the computer down, stop watching TV. Just turn it off.
For an hour. Jesus said, could you not pray with me?
But for one hour, put away the distraction. Put away the noise.
Silence takes discipline. Silence takes your will. It takes action and it’s the easy part.
Silence is the putting away of outer distraction. But stillness is the quieting of the soul.
Now, that is the hard part because when you go to pray, isn’t it amazing that the first thoughts that come to your mind aren’t positive ones?
Isn’t it interesting that all day you go without stressing?
But the moment you get on your knees, bow your head, close your eyes or whatever it is that you do to pray.
Guilt enters, anger, enters frustration, enters, you start to think of all the relationship issues that you’re having.
You begin to think of all the financial trouble that you’re having.
You begin to think of all the responsibilities that you have to tend to throughout the rest of the day.
And you wonder if perhaps you might need to cut your prayer time short.
But see, it’s not that those issues, those internal issues arise when we begin to pray, it’s that they’re revealed when we begin to pray.
Those issues are always like that within you.
When you go and find your stillness, a prayer, that’s a good measure of what the chaos is like inside of your life.
Because if you, if when you go to pray, there is this chaos, there is this clutter, there is this clamor, then that is always there.
You’re just never quiet enough to hear it.
We’re going to return to Los Angeles, California in just a moment where I’ll be finishing up that teaching on the Holy Spirit and prayer.
But now it’s time for our moment of truth segment.
Is where I take your questions and do my very best to present a biblical answer to them.
Today’s question, how do I know that what I’m receiving is of God and not of another spirit.
This concern arises typically when referencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit impart through laying on our hands, receiving prayer from other people.
People have watched this program and they see that when I lay hands on people, sometimes they’re touched with the power of God in such a way where they fall out onto the floor, their body begins to tremble.
They feel this physical sensation of the Holy Spirit’s power like currents of electricity moving through their body.
And some people watch that and uh they become uncomfortable with the idea or they become concerned with perhaps, maybe those people who are receiving prayer, are receiving of another spirit or of another even worse demonic spirit or maybe of the flesh.
You know, people have looked at the slain in the spirit, they call it uh condo.
They say, oh, it can be traced back to here or there.
But really, it comes down to being able to trust in the goodness of God when it comes to wondering whether or not we’ve received of the Holy Spirit for of another source.
This is what Jesus said. He actually simplified the issue in Luke chapter 11 verse nine and he is specifically talking about receiving of the Holy Spirit.
So this is what he says, beginning in verse nine.
And so I tell you, keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for, keep on seeking and you will find, keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives everyone who seeks finds and to everyone who knocks the door will be open.
Your fathers. If your Children ask you for a fish, do you give them a snake instead or if they ask for an egg?
Do you give them a scorpion? Of course not.
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your Children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
See, the question is not whether or not I know how to pray or to receive good things from God.
The question is whether or not we give me something good or whether He’ll give me something evil and God is a good God.
His nature is good. His nature is loving, his nature is generous.
The scripture says every good and perfect thing comes from above.
Everything that we experience of goodness in life comes from the father.
I’ll never forget when I had a conversation with a critic who was not too happy with the way my service were going.
They had observed some manifestations of the Holy Spirit in those services and they began to mention some criticisms to me and they came to me with a heavy barrage of questions and they didn’t even pause for an answer.
But they were where it was almost like they went right for the jugular and they were trying to come to the very core, the fundamental, the foundation of my faith and wanted to attack.
And they just began to ask questions in a condescending barrage and would say things like, well, how do you know that it’s the Holy Spirit these people are receiving, how do you know that you’re not imparting something demonic?
How do you know that it’s not just psychological. How do you know that it’s not demonic?
How do you know that you’re not leading a whole mass of people astray into the depths of hell?
And though that was very dramatic, it was a good question because it’s not blasphemous to ask questions of God.
It’s blasphemous to make accusations and call things that are demonic or the things that are the Holy Spirit, demonic.
And so my answer to my critic was simple and it’s what I’m telling you.
It’s not that I trust in my ability to discern though.
It’s important that we discern as First Corinthians chapter 12 verse three, tells us any spirit that calls Christ Lord is of God and any spirit that says Jesus be a curse cannot be from God.
So really, that’s the core of it, but that’s not even the issue.
The issue is not even a matter of discernment. The issue is that I trust the intrinsic nature of God.
And I told this person, it’s not that I trust my ability to pray.
It’s not that I trust my ability to discern. It’s not that I trust my ability to properly receive.
It’s that I trust God that he’s a good God.
And that if I ask to receive of his Holy spirit, he won’t give me a stone.
And that is your moment of truth.
Let’s go now back to Los Angeles, California where I’m finishing up this message on the Holy Spirit and prayer.
So there I was in my room, four hours had passed and I was crying.
I said, Jesus, I just, I don’t know what to do.
You have to teach me to pray.
I had my Bible open, I had my worship music on, I had my light on so I can see the Bible and I had the fans spinning so that it wouldn’t get too hot so that I wouldn’t become distracted.
The Holy Spirit spoke very gently because he is a gentleman. He’s classy.
The spirit doesn’t make you senseless and silly. He makes you sharp.
He said, some of you will see this is heresy, but this is what he told me to close the Bible.
I closed the Bible said, turn off the light, I turned off the light switch off the fan.
I switched off the fan. He said, turn off the music.
I said, but you can’t move without the music. I, I literally hesitated.
That’s, that’s how programmed I was said, switch off the music, switched off the music.
He said, just wait and expect.
In essence, he was telling me to be still and have faith. That’s what it is.
So if expecting could be a verb or an action and that’s all I did.
I just expected they, that weighed upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
David said in quietness, does he lead me?
So I stood there, I closed my eyes and I remember there was this silence, this calm that had entered around the room.
I was just expecting, I was waiting anticipating God to do something.
But there was that inner turmoil inside of me still going that all the thoughts, the analysis, everything and the Holy Spirit said, look at me and immediately I knew what he meant by that he meant.
Look at Jesus, look to the word and everything I had ever learned in this scripture.
Up to that point, everything that I had known of Jesus that I had read of Jesus, all that I had read in the Bible.
I began to visualize, I begin to meditate on Jesus.
You know, worldly meditation is emptying your mind. Godly meditation is filling your mind with the word.
So I began to fill my mind with the word and I began to see the image of Jesus.
I don’t I’m not saying he came in physical form. Please don’t hear what I’m not saying.
I’m saying that the Son of God became an intense and vivid reality in my room.
I remember the moment I looked to Jesus, I, I, I was almost a gasp and I was struck with awe.
I had my eyes closed. The tears were now beginning to dry up on my face.
My hand was lifted. This was the fourth, past the fourth hour now.
And when I look to Jesus, I saw that glory and in my heart, I was inspired to respond with accolades and adoration and praise and compliments.
I said, wow, you’re just beautiful. And that’s true worship.
I pray that that sermon got you thinking and I pray that you were blessed by that message on the Holy Spirit and prayer.
I’m going to pray with you in a moment here and let me prepare your heart for what I’m about to pray.
Maybe you’re someone you’re watching this program.
And you’ve never had a prayer life like I’m talking about and you’re listening to the message and you’re saying, I so desire that the Holy Spirit would come alongside me and help me find the depths of God because here’s the reality, here’s the truth.
The truth is that I don’t know how to find the presence of God.
The truth is that no preacher you ever watch on television?
No teacher you ever hear in seminary and no minister you ever hear in person.
None of them know how to find the presence of God.
Only the Holy Spirit knows how to find the presence of God.
And if we will humble ourselves, if we will quiet the soul, if we will steal the mind and the emotions, if we will experience that inner calm, and we will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and we will be open to his voice and he’ll show us the way.
He’ll tell us how to find those depths. He’ll teach us to pray.
He is not some hesitant, resistant, impatient teacher. He doesn’t come to your side reluctantly.
No, the Holy Spirit joyfully comes to your side.
He patiently stands to your aid and he humbly instructs us in the ways of prayer.
He humbly guides us into the depths of the heart of God. And he teaches us to know God.
He teaches us to know his nature and he speaks to our hearts.
He speaks to our spirits and he helps us find our way into the places of prayer.
Now, maybe you’re someone, you know what it’s like to pray, you know what it’s like to have that place of prayer.
But man, the enemy has robbed you. You’ve allowed yourself to retreat back and surrender your, surrender to God.
You’ve allowed yourself to retreat and surrender your quiet place, surrender your secret place.
Perhaps your secret place now belongs to sin. Perhaps your secret place now belongs to things that are shameful.
It’s time to reclaim that secret place and the Holy Spirit will help you do it.
I’m going to pray with you now.
And we’re gonna ask God’s Holy Spirit to come upon you fresh and to come to your side and begin to speak to you.
I bind guilt, I bind condemnation, I bind confusion. All of that has to go.
God welcomes you again to the throne room. Let’s pray.
Father in Jesus name, I pray for that one watching right now.
That one who’s asking to receive of the Holy Spirit, who’s asking for guidance in their prayer life.
I pray right now. Father, that the very divine essence of your spirit would begin to invade and flood that room.
Father, I ask for an experience to come upon that person watching.
Now let the anointing flow right through my hands right through that camera and right to that one watching and father, I speak the healing power of God.
Somebody is watching me. Um You’re very young but you have diabetes and the Holy Spirit’s power just came on you right now.
You feel a heat going through your body just as I mentioned that you felt the heat goes through your body.
That’s the power of the Holy Spirit touching you. There’s somebody else watching me. There’s a problem with your knee.
Something with the tendon in your knee, you injured it doing some type of sporting activity.
God is healing you right now. Someone else, Deborah, there’s a Deborah watching.
There’s a problem with your heart and with your ear, specifically the problem with your heart and with your ear, God is healing you in jesus’ name, Father.
We thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit now flowing through this place and we thank you that your presence is touching that one and that your Holy Spirit is coming to their aid in Jesus name.
We boldly pray. And those of you watching said, amen. That’s right. God’s touching your life.
It’s time to take back the prayer of life. Don’t be discouraged anymore.
Well, that’s it for this edition of Encounter TV.
Thank you so much for watching this program and letting me join you wherever you are in your home, at your school.
However, you’re watching this and I’m so blessed to be able to do it right into us.
Stick around to the end of the program.
We’re going to give you some general contact information log on right into us. Let us know you’re watching.
I’d love to hear from you. Well, like I said, that’s it for this edition of Encounter TV.
Remember until next time, nothing is impossible with God. Thank you for watching Encounter TV.
If you would like more information about this ministry, you can visit our website at W W W dot Encounter TV dot com.
There you can submit your moment of truth.
Questions as well as your mark 16 miracle videos of you on the streets praying for people prophesying and releasing in the kingdom of God.
In addition to the website, you can also download our free app, David Hernandez Ministries in the Apple or Google Store.