Have you ever wanted to praise the Lord from your innermost being? Have you ever wanted to thank God for all He has done for you? Have you ever wanted to talk to God "heart to heart," but you couldn't seem to find the right words? Sometimes our English language is so limited when we want to praise, thank or talk to the Lord.
At these times, speaking in tongues is of great benefit. The Holy Spirit helps us talk to God from our heart of hearts, through speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is also called "a prayer language," or "praying or speaking in the Spirit." When we exercise this prayer language, we are literally by-passing our mind and intellect, and we are praying straight from our spirit to God.
Speaking to God in our prayer language or spiritual language is like having a direct hotline to God, and our prayer, or speech, is not clouded by our thoughts, emotions or feelings. As we pray in the Spirit in tongues, we receive a great spiritual blessing.
1. You Can Pray Out Mysteries From Your Heart To God's Heart
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. (1 Corinthians 14:2 NKJV)
Who are we speaking to when we pray in tongues? When we pray in tongues, we have a direct hotline ... straight to God!
2. You Can Edify Your Spirit
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church ... (1 Corinthians 14:4 NKJV)
What happens to someone who prays in tongues?
EDIFY: "To charge up." Just like charging up a battery, our spirit will be charged or built up with strength and power as we pray in tongues.
3. You Can Build Up Your Faith
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit ... (Jude 20 NKJV)
How do we build ourselves up on our most holy faith?
PRAYER IN THE HOLY GHOST: One of the best habits you can get into early in your Christian life is that of praying in the Holy Ghost. Pray in tongues, not as a mindless exercise but with the awareness that as you pray in tongues you are literally charging up your spirit and building yourself up on your most holy faith.
Your mind may not understand it and, for that reason, you may be tempted to avoid praying in tongues. But if you will determine to pray in tongues by faith, whether you understand it or not, you will find yourself receiving great spiritual edification and blessing.
4. You Can Pray Effectively About Things You Don't Know How To Pray About
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:26-29 NKJV)
Have you ever needed to pray about something, but you didn't know how to pray? This passage tells us that when we yield to the Spirit and pray in "groanings which cannot be uttered" the Holy Spirit helps us to pray out God's perfect will! Notice that verse 28, which is often quoted by believers is on the tail of Romans 8:26-27 ... that is yielding to God in prayer in this fashion. Once we have done that, then we can know that all things will work together for good for those that love God and are called according to His purpose.
GROANINGS WHICH CANNOT BE UTTERED: One meaning of this phrase, according to P. C. Nelson, noted linquist and Bible doctrine scholar and author, is "groanings that cannot be uttered in articulate speech." In other words, the groanings can be in a language which our intellect doesn't comprehend; that is, other tongues.
Copyright © 2007 Beth Jones Ministries All rights reserved.
