To be in the Spirit means that your attention is more sensitive to the things of the Spirit than the natural things around you.
This is what was happening to the apostle John as he was praying in the book of Revelation.
“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet…” (Revelation 1:9-10)
When John said that he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” he is essentially saying that he was in deep prayer on a sabbath day. In fact, he was in such deep prayer that one of the greatest visions of all time was given to him.
Granted, God planned to give this vision to the apostle John so that he could write it down for us, so just cause we might dive deep into prayer doesn’t mean we are going to receive a vision, but the truth is still the same: John’s prayer life positioned him to receive this awesome vision and prophecy.
Note: This is not to be confused with praying in the Spirit, which is speaking in tongues. John never said that he was praying in the Spirit, he just said that he was in the Spirit which denotes a position, not an action. Of course, he could have been praying in the Spirit but that was never mentioned. (Related article: Praying in the Spirit: What it is & How to do it).
How to know if you are in the Spirit
You will know that you are in the Spirit because your attention on the things of the world will begin to slowly fade away, and your focus will shift and will be solely focused on being with God. Also, when one is in the Spirit they will often feel God’s presence in a greater way than before, although this may happen, it is not a requirement.
In fact, feeling the presence of God is often not a prerequisite, but rather a result of someone coming to God, by faith, apart from feelings, just willing to sit at the feet of Jesus. If we can do this with the sole desire to just be with Him, we will be “in the Spirit”.
It’s important to understand that the term “in the Spirit” is not meant to be some super-spiritual term. It really just means that you are more conscious of God, and the things of God, than the things of this world.
For example, the Bible tells us to walk in the Spirit.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
Now although the term “walk in the Spirit” may sound pretty spiritual it really just means that we should set our minds on things above and not things of this earth. Paul actually goes on to explain this in the fifth verse of Romans chapter 8.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6)
You see, we are all called to live and walk in the Spirit at all times of our day. And the only way to do this is to keep our mind stayed on God throughout our day by communing with Him and studying His Word. [Related article: How to Walk/Live in the Spirit (Complete Guide)].
How to be in the Spirit at all times
As mentioned earlier, to be in the Spirit simply means that you are more conscience of God, and the things of God, than the things of this world. So to be in the Spirit at all times takes deliberate practice to consistently shift your focus back onto the things of God.
Another term for “being in the Spirit at all times” is walking in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is to live out this life with all of your attention on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We can do this in a few ways.
Consuming the Word of God
The first and most obvious way is to consume the word of God.
Jesus said “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)
So if His word is Spirit then when we read and meditate on the word that is a form of walking in the Spirit because His word is the book of spiritual truths.
Spending time in prayer & worship
When we spend time communing with God through prayer and worshipping through song and thanksgiving this would be considered as being in the Spirit because our focus would be on the One we are meeting with.
The amazing thing is we can do this wherever we are. Prayer and worship are such simple things that it does need to be done in a dark closet, but we can do it wherever we are and whenever we want to.
However, to get the full benefit out of this spiritual privilege we should have both private prayer that is done when no one is around, and as we go throughout our day. We need both to have a healthy relationship with God. (Related article: Dwelling in the Secret Place: What it is & How to do it)
Walking in Love
Another important aspect of being in the Spirit at all times is learning to have the heart of the Spirit at all times. The Bible reveals that “God is Love.” Which means that the Spirit of God is love as well.
So as we have love in our hearts, in our words, and in our deeds, God is with us in this.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)
“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)
You see, to walk in love toward others we need to fix our eyes on the God of love and think about how we can express that love to people around us. This is another way of walking in the Spirit, for what could be more spiritual than love? (Related article: How to walk in Love according to the Bible)
I hope this article assisted you in your walk with the Lord. If you enjoyed this article, please consider giving a donation of any amount by clicking the button below. The support we receive from you enables The Biblical Foundation to keep all of the resources free and to reach more people with the teachings of the Word of God.
