If there is one answered prayer that would radically
change and eradicate the spiritual limbo of the typical Christian it is “Lord
increase my faith”. Everything, right up to and including pleasing God, falls
in this basket. We all want more faith...
right! The Bible speaks of four ways faith comes: First, we are given a
measure of faith (Rom. 12:3). Second, faith comes by hearing the rhema word of
God (Rom. 10:17). Third, our faith is increased as we move from “unprofitable
servants” to “faithful servants” (Lk. 17:5-10; Matt. 25:14-30). Fourth, our
faith is increased from praying in tongues. WHOA! You mean the very substance
of our hope... the evidence of the unseen Kingdom... our faith, will increase
when we speak in tongues? Yes! Jude understood this:
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most
holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20). Jude had just chided the
apostates, ones “not having the spirit” (verse 19). When he opens verse 20 with
“But you”, the implied sense is you who have the Spirit, “beloved”, the “divinely
loved ones”. “Building” is the Greek word epoikodomeo which means “to build
upon, to erect a superstructure”, with the implication this is a spiritual
structure. “Building” and “praying” are both in the present participle,
denoting continuous action. “Faith” is anarthrius, lacking the definite
article, which means it is not referring to “faith” as a system of beliefs, but
rather the quality, character, and nature of our personal faith in God. “Most
holy” qualifies the faith as coming to us from God and revealing God to us, the
means by which we are made righteous and enabled to overcome the world. “In the
Holy Spirit” is both locative of sphere – “within” – and instrumental of means – “by the means of”. Simply put, this
phrase means “prayer within and by the means of the Holy Spirit” – literally originating
within and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The word picture painted by Jude is of
a superstructure, like the metal girding of a skyscraper, being built up by our
supernatural “Tongue” prayers. This is a spiritual superstructure of faith,
reaching heaven... supporting our spiritual life. It is though provoking, this
picture of building up a superstructure of faith to support our spiritual
building, when one considers we are referred to as “living stones being built
into a spiritual house” by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:5).
“PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT”
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