The Big "In"

Today, I had two awesome opportunities to pray with a friend. I have always enjoyed one on one prayer. When I am on my own, I find myself easily distracted and when praying with a large group, the same thing seems to happen. But there is something about one on one that keeps engaged. Anyways, from the prayer and from some discussion I had today with a couple of different people, I began to consider our approach to prayer. What does it mean to really pray? Jude 1:20 exhorts us to pray in the Holy Spirit. So what does that mean? According to the Life Application Study Bible it means to pray with the power of the Holy Spirit and with the help of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27). So what is the power of the Holy Spirit? We can see examples of it throughout Scripture. Basically every time God did something miraculous through a man in the Old Testament it says that he was first filled with the holy spirit. An example of this is when Sampson tears a lion apart with his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6). The power of the Holy Spirit is also what caused all of the Apostles to be understood by many different people in their native tongues on Pentecost (Acts 2). We are also told in Corinthians that spiritual gifts all come as a result of the Holy Spirit. So, it's obvious that the Holy Spirit has the power to accomplish whatever needs doing. As Christians, we have received the Holy Spirit to help us. So, why don't we pray in the Holy Spirit more often. I find that my prayers are often half-hearted wishlists of "safe" things to pray for, things that won't rock my faith if they don't happen. I think I might be afraid to pray big because I am afraid of what I'll do if it doesn't happen. And since Jesus tells us that we need faith to make things happen (Matthew 17:20) it seems that I am at an impasse. What can I do? We are told in Matthew 7:7-11 that anything we ask for will be given to us. So why am I so afraid to ask? Maybe I'm scared that God will ask me to do something, that He will require action, and that would mean I would have to work. Whatever the reason, it's irrational rationalization, I'm sure. So what do I do? My only idea is to start asking God for the things I think are His will, and not just mine. Asking for the big things, trusting that God loves me enough to give me what I need (Matthew 7:9-11). If you have any wisdom concerning this or any thoughts about what it means to pray in the Holy Spirit, I would love to hear from you. I have certainly not "arrived" on this one. Let's grow together!