WHEN YOU PRAY IN TONGUES, YOUR SPIRIT PRAYS.
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” 1 Corinthians 14: 14-15
The term “spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 12: 1) is the Greek word "pneumatikos." It can be translated "spirituals," meaning “that which is spirit by nature and which operates in the realm of spirit.” Tongues is included in this list. Jude 1: 20 speaks of praying “in the Holy Spirit,” and 1 Corinthians 14:14 speaks of praying “with the spirit” (meaning our own human spirit). Praying in tongues, therefore, is Holy Spirit’s working through the human spirit rather than through the mind.
Praying in tongues is just one aspect of praying in the Holy Spirit. All genuine prayer is in the Holy Spirit, but Paul’s reference in 1 Corinthian 14:14 speaks specifically of praying in tongues as opposed to his own language. He said, “My spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.”
SUBSTITUTING INTELLECT FOR SPIRIT
The prayer life of so many Christians is shallow because they pray only from their head and not from their heart. They have not experienced that release of the spirit that allows them to pour out their soul before the Lord (John 7:37-38). They stay in the realm of the mind and intellect in their Christian walk; and this is reflected in the superficial nature of their prayers.
This type of person tends to be afraid of tongues because they see it as an emotional extreme. My own observation, however, is that the shallow complacency of intellect devoid of Spirit is a greater problem in western Christianity than is emotionalism. For every Christian who has fallen into emotional extremes there are significantly more who sit with minimal spiritual life going through religious rote and empty ritual.
Churches and Christians who lack real spiritual depth tend to err in one of two directions. One group tends to keep everything at an intellectual level substituting intellect for spirit, while another group tends to be very emotional equating emotion with spirituality. Both can quench the Holy Spirit. [A third, but non-Christian, alternative is the “spirit of the world” 1 Corinthians 2: 12; Ephesians 2:2) which is demonic and characterizes the new age and occult movements.]
Intellectualism is offended by tongues because tongues is a work of the Holy Spirit through the human spirit causing the mind and intellect to take a backseat. Emotionalism can accept tongues but hijacks it and turns it into a soulish experience that actually quenches the human spirit and Holy Spirit.
PRAYING IN TONGUES IS NOT EMOTIONAL GIBBERISH, NOR IS IT EMOTIONALISM.
“If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays…” 1 Corinthians 14:13
“And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” 1 Corinthians 14: 32
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14: 40
Tongues is not "ecstatic speech" as some have mistakenly translated it. A person can pray in tongues calmly and quietly and in the same manner as he prays in his own language. He can pray quietly under his breath in a whisper, in a normal conversational tone, or he can shout with great volume and intensity. When you pray in tongues, your spirit prays, and your spirit is subject to you.
Emotionalism occurs when people unwisely wait for some outside force to "take over." People should be in control of themselves when they pray in tongues or move in any of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12: 7-11). Paul told the Corinthians that prophets were not to interrupt each other. The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet (1 Corinthians 14: 30-33). Therefore, when he gets a word, he can wait and give it at the appropriate time. The Holy Spirit may at times move very strongly upon a person, but will not “take over’ and force anyone to stand up and speak uncontrollably. The same principle applies to praying in tongues.
The Bible and history show us that there have been and will be times of special revival and visitation when God does unusual and extraordinary things accompanied by emotion, great joy, and unusual physical manifestations. But still, while emotional reactions may accompany the workings of the Spirit, emotions should not be confused with the Spirit nor seen as a requirement. Emotionalism (when emotions become the goal and focus) actually tends over time to quench the working of the Holy Spirit.
Emotion is a God-given aspect of human nature. It can be a response to God’s presence and an instrument through which we express worship and praise. But we should not confuse emotions with the Holy Spirit. After times of unusual manifestations of the Spirit during extraordinary revivals there is a danger of ritualizing the unusual experiences and perpetuating them artificially. Substituting emotions for the Spirit rings shallow and hollow.
Tongues is meant to be a spiritual experience. It is not primarily intellectual or emotional. Praying in tongues (the supernatural ability to pray in an unknown language by the Holy Spirit) is God's way of delivering Himself from man's limitedness and finiteness of language and intellect. Tongues allows the Holy Spirit to by-pass our natural minds and to pray directly through our spirits in behalf of those issues, events, and purposes which are beyond the realm of our comprehension or which are beyond the bounds of our need to know.
“If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays.” 1 Corinthians 14: 14
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Tongues: A Deeper Level of Serving God in Prayer
PRAYING IN TONGUES ENABLES US TO PARTICIPATE AT A DEEPER LEVEL IN INTERCESSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF GOD AROUND THE WORLD.
“…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…” Ephesians 6: 18
“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 groaning 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.” Romans 8: 26-27
For he who prays 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
“…how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” 2 Corinthians 12: 4
“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8
Christians often fail to realize the real importance and necessity of prayer. Many remain at a shallow level in their prayer experience not realizing the depths that can be attained as they enter the presence of God. One of the mysteries of prayer is that people think they know what it is while in fact real prayer is probably one of the least understood of spiritual experiences. So many Christians have walked into the foyer and think they have experienced the whole house. Not only do they fail to actually enter the house itself, but they also fail to realize there are things to do in the house.
What God does on earth He accomplishes through the prayers of the saints. This is evident in all the Biblical exhortations to prayer. God has chosen us to be involved in His plan and has called us to work together with Him in His program for the earth. In the same way that the responsibility for the proclamation of the Gospel lies with the Church (rather than with angels), so also is the responsibility and privilege God has given the Church to help Him accomplish His purposes on earth through prayer. We can not say, "God will do what He wants to without me." We cannot say, "Whatever will be will be." This attitude fails to recognize our part in the process. It fails to recognize that God moves upon us through prayer, intercession, praise, and proclamation to help fulfill His plan. Whatever God does on earth is preceded by prayer somewhere. He shows us what He plans to do, and we pray it into its fulfillment.
In Daniel 9: 1-3, 16-19 God revealed to Daniel, through the writings of Jeremiah, that Israel would be delivered after seventy years of captivity. Daniel was among the captives when he received this revelation of God's will. He did not sit back and say, "Well, God is going to deliver us in a few years. So I can just relax and wait." On the contrary, once he saw God's plan and knew God's will, he began to fast and pray and seek God for its fulfillment. He worked together with God to help bring it about. Daniel 10 gives us a glimpse of the warfare in the heavenlies and shows us how our prayers help "give ammunition" to the heavenly hosts who fight with spirit-rulers or principalities and powers. (See also Ephesians 6:10-19).
Once we understand the principles just stated above, we can begin to realize the importance of praying in the Spirit. God wants to use us to pray and intercede for many things that He is doing around the world. He cannot inform us intellectually of everything He is doing, and He cannot let us know every detail of those wonders and mysteries He is accomplishing around the world. He does not even inform us of most of the details around our own lives. We would not be able to handle it. Therefore, tongues (the supernatural ability to pray in an unknown language by the Holy Spirit) is God's way of delivering Himself from man's limitedness and finiteness of language and intellect. Tongues allows the Holy Spirit to by-pass our natural minds and to pray directly through our spirits in behalf of those issues, events, and purposes which are beyond the realm of our comprehension or which are beyond the bounds of our need to know.
“If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays.” 1 Corinthians 14: 14
“…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…” Ephesians 6: 18
“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 groaning 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.” Romans 8: 26-27
For he who prays 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
“…how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” 2 Corinthians 12: 4
“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8
Christians often fail to realize the real importance and necessity of prayer. Many remain at a shallow level in their prayer experience not realizing the depths that can be attained as they enter the presence of God. One of the mysteries of prayer is that people think they know what it is while in fact real prayer is probably one of the least understood of spiritual experiences. So many Christians have walked into the foyer and think they have experienced the whole house. Not only do they fail to actually enter the house itself, but they also fail to realize there are things to do in the house.
What God does on earth He accomplishes through the prayers of the saints. This is evident in all the Biblical exhortations to prayer. God has chosen us to be involved in His plan and has called us to work together with Him in His program for the earth. In the same way that the responsibility for the proclamation of the Gospel lies with the Church (rather than with angels), so also is the responsibility and privilege God has given the Church to help Him accomplish His purposes on earth through prayer. We can not say, "God will do what He wants to without me." We cannot say, "Whatever will be will be." This attitude fails to recognize our part in the process. It fails to recognize that God moves upon us through prayer, intercession, praise, and proclamation to help fulfill His plan. Whatever God does on earth is preceded by prayer somewhere. He shows us what He plans to do, and we pray it into its fulfillment.
In Daniel 9: 1-3, 16-19 God revealed to Daniel, through the writings of Jeremiah, that Israel would be delivered after seventy years of captivity. Daniel was among the captives when he received this revelation of God's will. He did not sit back and say, "Well, God is going to deliver us in a few years. So I can just relax and wait." On the contrary, once he saw God's plan and knew God's will, he began to fast and pray and seek God for its fulfillment. He worked together with God to help bring it about. Daniel 10 gives us a glimpse of the warfare in the heavenlies and shows us how our prayers help "give ammunition" to the heavenly hosts who fight with spirit-rulers or principalities and powers. (See also Ephesians 6:10-19).
Once we understand the principles just stated above, we can begin to realize the importance of praying in the Spirit. God wants to use us to pray and intercede for many things that He is doing around the world. He cannot inform us intellectually of everything He is doing, and He cannot let us know every detail of those wonders and mysteries He is accomplishing around the world. He does not even inform us of most of the details around our own lives. We would not be able to handle it. Therefore, tongues (the supernatural ability to pray in an unknown language by the Holy Spirit) is God's way of delivering Himself from man's limitedness and finiteness of language and intellect. Tongues allows the Holy Spirit to by-pass our natural minds and to pray directly through our spirits in behalf of those issues, events, and purposes which are beyond the realm of our comprehension or which are beyond the bounds of our need to know.
“If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays.” 1 Corinthians 14: 14
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Presence of Tongues in the New Testament Church
"Tongues" is the King James word for "languages". It is the supernatural ability to pray in another language (either earthly or heavenly) by means of the Holy Spirit. It is a working tool, an instrument of prayer, intercession, praise and worship. The Bible references below show us how pervasive was the presence of tongues in the early Christian church.
Tongues were present in the following settings:
Pentecost
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance.” ACTS 2:1-4
Samaria. ACTS 8: 14-19
We cannot be dogmatic here, but when these people received the Holy Spirit, Simon saw something beyond the joy, miracles, healings, and deliverance from demons that accompanied the salvation experiences in verses 5-8. He witnessed something that was new, real, and evident; otherwise, he would not have offered money to buy the power to distribute it. My personal opinion is that these people (following the pattern of Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10: 44-48, Acts 19:1-7) prayed in tongues, prophesied, and began themselves to move in the supernatural power and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Cornelius' household
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word…for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” ACTS 10: 44-48
The Church at Ephesus
“And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” ACTS 19: 1-7
The Apostle Paul
“I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.” 1 CORINTHIANS 14: 18
It is interesting to note that the book of Acts makes no reference at all to Paul's praying in tongues, yet from his writings it is evident that praying in tongues was a vital part of his Christian walk.
The Church at Corinth
“…Whenever you come together, each of you…has a tongue…” 1 CORINTHIANS 14: 26
The Book of Acts makes no mention of the Corinthians praying in tongues; yet it is obvious from the book of 1 Corinthians that they did pray in tongues and move in the gifts of the Spirit.
Praying in Tongues is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
1 CORINTHIANS 12: 7-11.
The Holy Spirit was at work among all the churches of the New Testament. Tongues is listed among the manifestations of the Spirit and, as such, was present wherever the Spirit of God was at work in the early church.
1 CORINTHIANS 14: 26; HEBREWS 2:1-4, GALATIANS 3:1-5
Praying in tongues is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit set in the church by God Himself and was a common practice among early Christians. In future postings we will discuss in more detail the nature and purpose of this practical and positive tool the Lord has given to aid us in our spiritual walk.
Tongues were present in the following settings:
Pentecost
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance.” ACTS 2:1-4
Samaria. ACTS 8: 14-19
We cannot be dogmatic here, but when these people received the Holy Spirit, Simon saw something beyond the joy, miracles, healings, and deliverance from demons that accompanied the salvation experiences in verses 5-8. He witnessed something that was new, real, and evident; otherwise, he would not have offered money to buy the power to distribute it. My personal opinion is that these people (following the pattern of Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10: 44-48, Acts 19:1-7) prayed in tongues, prophesied, and began themselves to move in the supernatural power and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Cornelius' household
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word…for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” ACTS 10: 44-48
The Church at Ephesus
“And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” ACTS 19: 1-7
The Apostle Paul
“I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.” 1 CORINTHIANS 14: 18
It is interesting to note that the book of Acts makes no reference at all to Paul's praying in tongues, yet from his writings it is evident that praying in tongues was a vital part of his Christian walk.
The Church at Corinth
“…Whenever you come together, each of you…has a tongue…” 1 CORINTHIANS 14: 26
The Book of Acts makes no mention of the Corinthians praying in tongues; yet it is obvious from the book of 1 Corinthians that they did pray in tongues and move in the gifts of the Spirit.
Praying in Tongues is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
1 CORINTHIANS 12: 7-11.
The Holy Spirit was at work among all the churches of the New Testament. Tongues is listed among the manifestations of the Spirit and, as such, was present wherever the Spirit of God was at work in the early church.
1 CORINTHIANS 14: 26; HEBREWS 2:1-4, GALATIANS 3:1-5
Praying in tongues is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit set in the church by God Himself and was a common practice among early Christians. In future postings we will discuss in more detail the nature and purpose of this practical and positive tool the Lord has given to aid us in our spiritual walk.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Praying In The Holy Spirit
INTRODUCTION
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all….to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, …” 1 Corinthians 12: 10.
1 Corinthians 12-14 makes it very clear that praying in tongues is one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit and not some strange and useless phenomenon that the Corinthians contrived and sneaked into the church when God wasn’t looking. God placed this gift in the church as a practical and useful tool in the believer’s prayer life. Therefore, we must ask the question, “What does this mean for me?” This question should be answered in the articles that will be posted to this site in the days ahead.
In contemporary Christianity praying in tongues is often misrepresented, abused, ignored, and misunderstood. The traditional Pentecostal churches have tended to practice it only during an emotional high during worship services while failing to recognize it as a regular part of their daily and normal prayer life. Traditional denominational and evangelical churches have avoided the subject altogether or spoken harshly against the gift as a reaction to what they consider strange behavior in those who practice it. It is important, therefore, that we form our understanding based on principles expressed in the Bible verses themselves rather than forming our beliefs as a reaction to abuses. To form a doctrine on any subject, one must look at everything the Bible has to say on that subject and formulate a position that encompasses all the related scripture verses without excluding any. We err when we accept verses that support our position while ignoring or rejecting the verses we don’t like. This study will take into consideration all the related verses both positive and negative. Our goal is to understand what the New Testament Christians experienced and make that experience our own.
My objective is not to argue with or prove anything to those who disagree, but rather to encourage those who are already favorably disposed and to give them a clearer understanding of the very practical, useful, and spiritual purposes God intended when He set this manifestation of the Holy Spirit into the church. This study will help us understand its role in helping the believer to grow in spirit and enter the presence of God in a deeper experience of intercessory prayer and praise. We will see that praying in the Spirit is a positive and wonderful tool placed in the church by God Himself. We will discuss the nature and purpose of tongues and will attempt to answer many of the typical questions that are usually asked.
I will present this subject in a number of installments. I hope you will follow with me to the end of the series.
Billy Long
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all….to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, …” 1 Corinthians 12: 10.
1 Corinthians 12-14 makes it very clear that praying in tongues is one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit and not some strange and useless phenomenon that the Corinthians contrived and sneaked into the church when God wasn’t looking. God placed this gift in the church as a practical and useful tool in the believer’s prayer life. Therefore, we must ask the question, “What does this mean for me?” This question should be answered in the articles that will be posted to this site in the days ahead.
In contemporary Christianity praying in tongues is often misrepresented, abused, ignored, and misunderstood. The traditional Pentecostal churches have tended to practice it only during an emotional high during worship services while failing to recognize it as a regular part of their daily and normal prayer life. Traditional denominational and evangelical churches have avoided the subject altogether or spoken harshly against the gift as a reaction to what they consider strange behavior in those who practice it. It is important, therefore, that we form our understanding based on principles expressed in the Bible verses themselves rather than forming our beliefs as a reaction to abuses. To form a doctrine on any subject, one must look at everything the Bible has to say on that subject and formulate a position that encompasses all the related scripture verses without excluding any. We err when we accept verses that support our position while ignoring or rejecting the verses we don’t like. This study will take into consideration all the related verses both positive and negative. Our goal is to understand what the New Testament Christians experienced and make that experience our own.
My objective is not to argue with or prove anything to those who disagree, but rather to encourage those who are already favorably disposed and to give them a clearer understanding of the very practical, useful, and spiritual purposes God intended when He set this manifestation of the Holy Spirit into the church. This study will help us understand its role in helping the believer to grow in spirit and enter the presence of God in a deeper experience of intercessory prayer and praise. We will see that praying in the Spirit is a positive and wonderful tool placed in the church by God Himself. We will discuss the nature and purpose of tongues and will attempt to answer many of the typical questions that are usually asked.
I will present this subject in a number of installments. I hope you will follow with me to the end of the series.
Billy Long
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
A question to the reader
The fact that you have come to this site probably means you have a certain hunger for spiritual things. I wonder how many of you would be interested in an in-depth study on the subject of "Praying in the Spirit" or "Praying in Tongues?" The emphasis here would not be on cold doctrine, but rather with a view to helping us understand the vital role of this supernatural means of prayer in the daily practice of the New Testament church. The subject is misunderstood by so many Christians today, and a healthy understanding would be beneficial to those of you who would like to enter into the presence of God in a deeper experience of intercessory prayer and praise.
God wants to use us to pray and interceed for many things that He is doing around the world. He can not inform us intellectually of everything He is doing, and He can not let us know every detail of those wonders and mysteries He is accomplishing around the world. He can not even inform us of most of the details around our own lives. We would not be able to handle it. Therefore, praying in the Spirit is God's way of delivering Himself from man's limitedness and finiteness of language and intellect. Tongues allows the Holy Spirit to by-pass our natural minds and to pray directly through our spirits in behalf of those issues, events, and purposes which are beyond the realm of our comprehension or which are beyond the bounds of our need to know.
In an attempt to have a more contemporary atmosphere many traditional denominational churches have become more relaxed and informal in their worship style and more lively in their praise songs, while many Charismatic churches, in an attempt to be more seeker sensitive,have become less demonstrative in the gifts and supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The result is that there are many churches around the country that have a lot of life and joy, but are still lacking in expression of God's presence in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
This is especially true in the arena of praying in the spirit.
I am considering beginning a series of articles with some very practical teaching on the subject. If you are interested, either click "comment" below and share your thoughts, or send me an email at blong8@sccoast.net.
Thanks,
Billy Long
God wants to use us to pray and interceed for many things that He is doing around the world. He can not inform us intellectually of everything He is doing, and He can not let us know every detail of those wonders and mysteries He is accomplishing around the world. He can not even inform us of most of the details around our own lives. We would not be able to handle it. Therefore, praying in the Spirit is God's way of delivering Himself from man's limitedness and finiteness of language and intellect. Tongues allows the Holy Spirit to by-pass our natural minds and to pray directly through our spirits in behalf of those issues, events, and purposes which are beyond the realm of our comprehension or which are beyond the bounds of our need to know.
In an attempt to have a more contemporary atmosphere many traditional denominational churches have become more relaxed and informal in their worship style and more lively in their praise songs, while many Charismatic churches, in an attempt to be more seeker sensitive,have become less demonstrative in the gifts and supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The result is that there are many churches around the country that have a lot of life and joy, but are still lacking in expression of God's presence in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
This is especially true in the arena of praying in the spirit.
I am considering beginning a series of articles with some very practical teaching on the subject. If you are interested, either click "comment" below and share your thoughts, or send me an email at blong8@sccoast.net.
Thanks,
Billy Long
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