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