Paul the apostle talked about praying with the Spirit and praying with understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15). When you pray with the Spirit, you use the language of the Spirit or what we call speaking in tongues. Praying with the Spirit involves only your spirit and the Spirit of God. The Holy Sprit prays through you in perfect harmony with the will of God (Romans 8:27). However, since your mind isn’t involved, you don’t understand what you are praying for. Although you are quite sure the Holy Spirit is doing a great job, you cannot specify the areas you are praying for.

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. – 1 Corinthians 14:14 KJV

Praying with understanding involves praying in a language you understand and you’re in control of the requests you make to God. According to the Apostle Paul, it is good to pray with the Spirit, but it is better to pray with understanding, especially at a public gathering.(1 Corinthians 14:19). This is because many people in the congregation won’t understand or benefit from prayers made in tongues.

Tongues are good when you’re praying alone. But it is not proper to pray in tongues during public prayers, especially when you pray on behalf of the congregation. Many people don’t understand the language of the Spirit. It takes the gift of interpretation of tongues to understand what you say in prayer. So you can pray in tongues when you are alone but you will need to interpret for the edification of the people of God if you’re in a church meeting. 

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. – 1 Corinthians 14:28 KJV

Benefits of Praying With Understanding

Praying with understanding has amazing benefits to you and to others. When you pray with the Spirit, you pray well but you have no idea what you say during and after prayer. The Holy Spirit prays through you in a language few or none understands. However, you are not edified, neither does anyone who hears you. Praying in a language you and other people understand gives you an insight into what you pray for and what answers to expect from God. The aim of prayer or anything we do in church is edification. Nothing we do should look or sound selfish.

I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. – 1 Corinthians 14:5 KJV

Areas to Pray With Your Understanding

Praying with understanding involves praying in a language you understand and for things you can consciously identify. There are many things to pray for with understanding. While you may want to leave a lot of things in the hands of the able Spirit of God, it is good to spend quality time praying with understanding. When you pray in this way, it helps your mind to direct your prayers to areas of need. Here are areas to pray with understanding: 

1. Praying for your spiritual life, ministry and grace to overcome temptations and live right always.

2. Praying for family, marriage, health, long life, success, unity and achieving family goals.

3. Praying for your finances, monthly or yearly target, and any financial plans you have.

4. Praying for your friends and neighbors, their marriages, children and future.

5. Praying for the community, security and for God’s love to go round

6. Praying for the church, ministers, congregation, the elderly members, young people and the success of gospel missions.

7. Praying for peace in the country, right government policies, good governance, absence of war and economic recession.

When you pray in these areas, you understand what you pray for. You also know the answers or signs to expect from God. Praying with the Spirit doesn’t give you any clue, except the Holy Spirit chooses to give you a feeling or an interpretation of what you pray for. Otherwise, you will never have the knowledge of what you say in prayer.

The bottom line is this: pray with the Spirit and pray with understanding. Decide when to use any or both during prayers. God hears all prayers made with faith in the name of Jesus. He will hear when you pray with understanding for the needs in your life and in the lives of those you care for.