Why Tongues? Even more benefits

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 20 NKJV

We've been in an extended series answering the question of why tongues? That is why speak with tongues? Why pray in the Spirit? What's the point in praying with words you can't even understand? 

 Again, traditional religion and mindsets rooted in unbelief dismiss praying in other tongues as mere gibberish. That it is an act of emotional babble. It serves no purpose and has no power or benefit to the believer in Christ. The Word reveals clearly that this is an untruth. 

 So far in this study, we have seen eleven amazing benefits of praying in other tongues or praying in the Spirit. With so many benefits how can anyone conclude tongues are mere emotional babble? That it offers no benefit for the Christian?

 With that let's continue examining even more benefits of the powerful prayer language God grants to those who desire the fullness of the Spirit.

12. Praying in the Spirit offers us a powerful way to offer praise and worship to the Lord.

 Paul's instruction reveals we can pray in the Spirit as well as sing in the Spirit. Praise and worship in the Spirit bring our devotion to a much higher level. Tradition mistakenly assigns the definition of singing in the Spirit as singing with just a little more energy, gusto, and vigor. The Scripture is clear singing in the Spirit is to sing in tongues. Paul references singing spiritual songs and hymns and making melody in our hearts towards the Lord.

 As we shared in our last study, our praise, our worship, our thanksgiving is given total expression spirit, soul, and body when we lift up prayers in the Spirit. This benefit takes our praise to higher heights. Not suggesting that those who aren't filled with the Spirit and pray in other tongues can't offer praise to God. Just stating that praise and worship in the Spirit is a powerful method to express our thanksgiving and adoration to God. 

 Prayer and praise in the Spirit capture our heart's expression of love and honor and devotion to Jesus. Again it finds its full expression of praise. This benefit takes our praise to deeper depths and opens the door to the supernatural and flow of the Spirit in our midst.

 13. Tongues act as a doorway to the supernatural, flowing in the gifts of the Spirit and operating in signs and wonders. 

 Mark 16 reveals Jesus' plan for the ministry of the Church to operate in signs and wonders. He includes speaking in tongues as one of these signs. Throughout the book of Acts, we see many miracles and mighty signs and wonders manifested by the Church. None of these began to happen until the believers had received the Baptism in the Spirit and spoken in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. As we just mentioned about praise and worship in the Spirit, tongues are the open door of all the supernatural power of God. 

 The supernatural begins with being made a new creation in Christ, passing from death to life. Having all sins forgiven, past and present, and future. Being made the Righteousness of God in Christ, eternally secure in Him. It continues as one receives the fullness of the Spirit, being immersed into the Spirit Himself and speaking out a heavenly language. It culminates when we continue regularly praying or speaking forth this heavenly tongue and the Spirit begins manifesting Himself through us to bless and transform and bring wholeness to others. 

   14. Praying in the Spirit enables us to bypass our natural mind and our own thoughts and agendas or ideas and pray God's plan.

 It is clear from Paul's Epistle when we pray in the Spirit our understanding is unfruitful. In other words, tongues eliminate the potential selfish or self-seeking motives in prayer. We are able to bypass natural thinking and tap into Heaven's wisdom when we pray in the Spirit.

 So often our desires and wants can scream louder than what God is saying or doing at the moment. For example, you hear of a job offer that may pay more but at what cost? More time away from family. Relocation away from all family. Removing you out of a fellowship of believers that has helped in your spiritual growth and brought restoration and wholeness to your family. 

 The natural mind may only be focusing on a larger paycheck. Praying in the Spirit helps bypass that natural mindset and looks to God for His wisdom in the situation. In the natural, a bypass diverts us around and away from traffic congestion, and slower travel times stuck in big city traffic. Prayers in the Spirit bypass our own traffic congestion of natural wisdom, emotions, and the sensory realm and takes us straight into the Father's heart and mind on the situation. There is so much benefit to this Grace gift of praying in other tongues.

15. Tongues are God's plan and will for all believers. 

Mark's Gospel reveals the words of Jesus. This is His best and will for all His Church. Tongues? Blame Jesus! Paul's Epistle echoes the same sentiment. It's always been the Father's highest and best for His Church to operate in the power of God. When we receive this free gift we are fulfilling His plan and desire for the Church. This is not to say God is disappointed or looks down on those who have yet to receive. The Finished Work is what completes our identity, not any Spiritual gift.

 In summation, in these studies, we have listed fifteen benefits of praying in the Spirit. Don't allow the enemy or religious tradition or negative experience deter you from receiving all God has for you. This gift of the Holy Spirit infilling and accompanying prayer language belongs to you in Christ. Simply desire it and ask for it and you will receive it. This power and these benefits are for you.               

  

Image by michel kwan from Pixabay