This is a big topic ... spiritual language, praying in the Spirit or speaking in tongues! We're not talking about crazy people flapping like a chicken saying "yabadabadoo." We are talking about the real, supernatural, language of the Holy Spirit given to every believer who is filled with the Spirit and willing to yield to Him!

Yes, there are many benefits of being filled with the Spirit. Believers who are filled with the Spirit notice that the Word comes alive in a fresh way; they seem to receive more and more light and revelation as they study God's Word. They experience a new boldness and power in their witness for Christ. The Presence of God in their hearts and their freedom in praise and worship takes on a whole new dimension.

Being filled with the Spirit is really the "gateway" to the realm of the Spirit. It's the escape route from "Christianity as usual." In addition to the things we just listed, one of the initial evidences of being filled with the Spirit is the ability to speak in other tongues, to speak and pray in a language given to us by the Spirit. This is not the only evidence of being filled with the Spirit, but it is the initial manifestation of being filled with the Spirit.

In this article, because there is so much misunderstanding and confusion on spiritual language and speaking in tongues, we are going to concentrate our study on the initial evidence of being filled with the Spirit, which is to speak in other tongues. Let’s see what the Bible has to say about this subject.

It’s so important to rightly divide the Word of God on every Bible subject. It’s very possible to "wrongly divide" the Word, which is why we are instructed to study the Word! Second Timothy 2:15 says, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." To divide it according to God’s character and according to other passages of Scripture. Anyone can take one isolated verse from the Bible and make it say whatever they want.

Let’s take some time to rightly divide the Word.

The Book of Acts: What Happened When Believers Were Filled With the Spirit?

Let’s look at accounts in the book of Acts that describe believers being filled with the Spirit. What do these verses say happened when the New Testament believer received the Holy Spirit? We can see that in every account of people being filled with the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts the initial evidence of the Spirit’s infilling was the gift of speaking in tongues.

1. Acts 2:4 NKJV: They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

2. Acts 10:44-46 NKJV: They were filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

3. Acts 19:6 NKJV: They were filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues.
And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

4. Acts 9:1-18 NKJV: He was filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues.
To read Acts 9:1-18, (add link here) In 1 Corinthians 14:18, we see the result of Paul being filled with the Spirit, "I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all ...."

The apostle Paul (known as Saul), had the dramatic salvation experience on the road to Damascas. He was blinded by the light and was taken to the house of Ananias. When Ananias laid hands on Paul, scales fell from his eyes and he was filled with the Spirit. We see in 1 Corinthians 14 that Paul’s own testimony is that he spoke with tongues, more than all those in Corinth!

5. Acts 8:14-22 – they were filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues.
To read Acts 8:14-22, (add link here) In this account, Philip the evangelist preached to the city and they got saved. Peter and John came to Samaria to help these believers get filled with the Spirit. As they laid their hands on the believers, we see that when they were filled with the Spirit something miraculous happened—so unusual was this manifestation that Simon the sorcerer asked for the power to lay hands on people and have "this thing" happen to others.

Get this! Peter gives us a clue as to what happened to these believers in Acts 8 when they were filled with the Spirit when he told Simon that he had neither "part nor portion in this matter." The word "matter" is the Greek Word "logos" which is normally translated as the word: word. In other words, we see Peter saying "... you have neither part nor portion in this word ..." indicating that indeed Simon had seen people speak in tongues when they were filled with the Spirit and he wanted the power to lay hands on people and have this happen. His heart was not right with God and his motives were exposed. However, in this passage we see that when the Holy Spirit came on these believers they did something very unusual—spoke in tongues.

In every account in the Book of Acts when the believers were filled with the Spirit they spoke in tongues; sometimes they magnified God; sometimes they prophesied, but in each account the did speak in tongues.

Notice that the believers were speaking in tongues after they were filled with the Spirit. When you receive the Holy Spirit you will have the supernatural ability to speak in other tongues. Sometimes, Christians have misunderstandings concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the evidence of speaking in tongues. Many people have mistakenly interpreted the Word of God in this area by using their own understanding rather than leaning on God’s Word and on His understanding.

To read Part Two, click here.