PRAYING IN TONGUES
I have no doubt that every Believer thanks God that in His sovereign timing, men like Calvin and Luther arose in the Church and were used by God to bring about the Reformation. We also thank God for the Anabaptists and many others God used to restore New Testament truth to the Church.
In 1906 the Church was thoroughly shaken up when thousands of believers began to speak in tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability. This ushered in a movement that has changed the face of the Christian Church, and it appears statistically more Christians are aligned (at least Theologically) with the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement than any other movement within the Church) around the world.
I have written the above to say that recently I read an article that indicated that in the largest Pentecostal movement in the U.S. only 40% of the membership speak in tongues. Surveys and statistics can be very confusing and even misleading, but I have no doubt from my own Ministry experience there is a great measure of truth in this survey.
I am sure there are many reasons why this has happened, I will only highlight a couple of reasons from my perspective in this blog.
- THE LACK OF TEACHING
Sadly, I think there is more emphasis on “speaking in tongues” than on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the “in” thing is to join the “tongues club” and not on all the reasons why God has made this available to His people. Through the lack of teaching there is little or no encouragement to pray in tongues as a daily regular practice.
2.THE DECEPTION OF THE EVIL ONE
Our enemy recognises the power of praying in tongues, and knows it is a weapon of warfare against him, so he is very happy that little emphasis is given to its importance.
May I remind you that John the Baptist prophesied in Matt.3:11 NKJV He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Jesus declares in Acts 1:5 NKJV John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
In Acts 1:8 NKJV Jesus tells us But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
We see the glorious fulfilment in Acts 2:4 NKJV And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
During the 10 days of seeking God in the upper room, the Holy Spirit who was already resident in their lives, BECAME THE PRESIDENT and filled their lives and they began to speak in tongues. Continued surrender is an important truth we must learn.
Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit and when you have the4 Holy Spirit in your life, you have the privilege of letting His gifts flow in your life.
For us personally, regularly (daily) we can edify (build ourselves up) Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 14:4 NKJV He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.
N.I.V. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally.
AMP. N.T. He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself.
PASSION Bible The one who speaks in tongues advances his own spiritual progress,
Every Believer needs to be involved in Intercession, and at times we don’t know how to pray. Rom. 8:26 NKJV 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.
Through the finished work of Jesus on the Cross (and His unfished work of ever living to make intercession for us), and the person and work of the Holy Spirit God has given us a great set of weapons, to deal with every attack of the evil one, including speaking in tongues.
The Bible clearly tells us God has no favourites, and I personally believe with all my heart EVERY BELIEVER CAN AND SHOULD (DAILY) SING AND PRAY IN TONGUES.
I have not referred to speaking in tongues for many months, but the article I read, the lack of teaching and the evil day in which we live, Believers USE YOUR PRAYER LANGUAGE DAILY
