A quick reminder: This month, our devotions are taken from Stephen’s book “Growing in Prayer”, published by Matthias Media. If you don’t have the book, you might like to consider buying it to support the ministry of Matthias Media – Stephen doesn’t get any royalties, but he can get you a good price if you let him know you’d like one. Also, please don’t share these devotions with anyone outside St Barnabas – Matthias Media are letting us do this as a special favour.Today we will reflect on two ways that the New Testament tells us we should pray. The first is in Jesus’ name, as Jesus himself instructed his disciples:“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:23-24)To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray as someone who belongs to Jesus. It is to pray:as someone who trusts in Jesusby Jesus’ merits, not by my own meritsas a loved child of God through Jesus.The other way – which sounds more mysterious – is praying in the Spirit, as the apostle Paul instructed:And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Eph 6:18a)What does it mean to “pray in the Spirit”? In fact, it is exactly the same as praying in Jesus’ name! If you pray in the name of Jesus, you are praying in the Spirit. The reason is that the Spirit is the one who unites us to Jesus, who is God’s beloved eternal Son. The Father always listens to Jesus (John 11:42), and we have been given the Spirit of Jesus himself! Remember again what Paul says in Galatians 4:Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” (Gal 4:6)To pray in the Spirit is simply to pray as a child of God in Christ. And because of that, all of our prayers are “in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18a). In a few days, we will start exploring how to pray according to God’s will. But for now, take a moment to reflect on Jesus’ amazing promise we read above in John 16: “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (v. 23)For your time of prayer today, bring to your Father any concerns that are important to you – not just for yourself, but also for your family or your brothers and sisters at church. Finish your prayer in this way:“I don’t ask these things because I deserve an answer from you. I ask because, by your love, I belong to your precious Son Jesus. So I ask in his name.”Verses for further prayer: Jude 20-21