GODtalks The Beauty of the Spiritual Language

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

                              Ephesians 6:17,18

At its core, the purpose of tongues is a matter of prayer, worship and praise. The very first time I spoke in tongues I was 8 years old. It came in response to the call of God on my life. I heard either internally or externally the voice of God say: I have called you to be a pastor. My response was to praise God and that led me to spiritual language that poured out of me, though I did not understand what was being said it was clear that it was worship and praise to God.

 Paul the Apostle, saw speaking with tongues as desirable and worthy of respect in devotional exercise.

 Paul in I Corinthians 14:18 states “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all”… He goes on in that same chapter vs. 39 to admonish the church at Corinth…

 “Do not forbid (others) to speak with tongues.”

 Between those two statements in I Corinthians 14 Paul addresses the Corinth church with these words regarding speaking in tongues…

Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

                         -I Cor. 14:19-

It appears this new outpouring on the church that led to speaking in tongues was out of balance in the church at Corinth. A picture of a church focused on only one expression in worship and losing its interest in the overall mission is a church losing its purpose. We understand the mission God has given his church here at Grace Place…Say it with me church…to take

ALL THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE PEOPLE

 The central mission of the church must always remain at the center of all that is done. Keeping the Mission central to our existence is a challenge for every believer. There is so much that we see in our world that needs to be addressed:

  •  INJUSTICE

  • HOMELESSNESS

  • POVERTY

  • DRUG ADDICTION

  • WORLD HUNGER 

Add to this that as we gather and grow as a church, we might be tempted to…

  •  DESIRE ENTERTAINMENT OVER DISCIPLINE

  • SEEKING THE GIFT OVER THE GIVER

  • STOP SEEKING THE LOST AND SPEND ALL OUR TIME WITH THE SAVED

 The Holy Spirit works in the heart of every believer to

“keep the main thing, the main thing.”

 

Into that understanding Paul tells the Ephesians to put on the armor of the Lord as you set out in mission and do not forget an intracule part of that armor is praying in the spirit.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit”

 

Prayer is an essential lifeline to our commander and chief. We are daily in a spiritual battlefield and our success is dependent upon our connection for vital instructions from our commander and chief. The mission field is the landscape for the battle. In Ephesians 6 Paul instructs the church to put on the armor of God each day as we go into battle.

  •  Helmet of Salvation

  • Breastplate of Righteousness

 You remember, right? Every battlefield commander wants his unit equipped and protected for the battlefield.

 Every battlefield commander also wants clear communication lines between his troops in the field and the supply chain and commanders behind him.

 Paul wants the church to understand the importance of not only the armor but the communication lines.

PRAY IN THE SPIRIT.

 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”

 

The Day of Pentecost, the day the church was born, commissioned, and empowered for mission, Believers begin to speak in tongues. Jesus is baptizing His church in the Holy Spirit.

 There is some confusion among some in the church community along the lines of praying in tongues and one of the gifts of the spirit which is referred to in scripture as “The gift of tongues or prophecy.”

 

What is the difference if anything? Is it important that I ask God for one or both?

 

 “Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.”

                                                -I Corinthians 14:1-5-

 

TONGUES AS A PRAYER LANGUAGE

 “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God” (I Cor 14:2)

 Here in this passage, and in Ephesians 6 and other places in scripture we see the Holy Spirit praying through the believer.

 “for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit”

 I love talking to God in prayer. I am capable but limited in my human expression.

  •  Limited in vocabulary

  • Limited in my understanding

  • Limited in my time

  • Limited in strength

 The Holy Spirit praying through the believer is not limited, by vocabulary, understanding, time, or strength.

 Second, we are told that this prayer language does an edification work in the one speaking in tongues.

 “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself”

 

The Greek words oikodomeo, "to build," "the act of building," Building up morally, intellectually, spiritually. The idea is, that this work is personal to that believer. It is a work of the Holy Spirit upon that individual.

 A lifting of their spirit, encouragement, help, a refocus of purpose. That is why Paul wanted the church at Corinth to understand while the individual believer would be personally encouraged the unbeliever may just be confused and left out.

 

GIFT OF PROPHECY:

 “On the other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”

 The gift of Prophesy builds up the believer and the unbeliever, brings encouragement, and comfort.

 “but he who prophesies edifies the church”

Paul goes on to explain that the person exercising the gift of prophecy, or another believer in the congregation, will give the interpretation of the prophecy in tongues so that all in attendance may be encouraged, comforted, and built up in their faith. So the prophecy in tongues is then interpreted for the entire congregation so that everyone can understand and be encouraged.

 

We have answered the question is there a difference between speaking in tongues as it relates to baptism in the Holy Spirit and the Gift of tongues or prophecy. Now the second question:

 IS IT IMPORTANT THAT I ASK GOD FOR BOTH?

 Yes, I believe it is and I believe now more than ever we need to be people who are praying in the Spirit.

  •  We need the Holy Spirit to pray through us

  • We need to speak in tongues for personal edification

  • We need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit so that we may be successful in the mission field.

 We need the Gift of Prophecy in operation in our church.

  •  So, the body of Christ is encouraged and comforted.

  • The unbeliever can experience the power and wonder of God as His people gather to worship Him

 HOW CAN I RECEIVE SINCE I HAVE BELIEVED?

 John said Jesus would baptize us in the Holy Spirit.


I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

-Mark 1:8-

 

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer. How can you receive? Ask. You may be asking for the first time; you may be asking for the tenth time. Our role is to ask God for everything we need. 

 You did nothing to earn your salvation and you can do nothing to earn the baptism in the Holy Spirit. God loves us all the same.

 WHAT ABOUT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY?

 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

                                    -I Corinthians 12:7-11-

 

You may or may not in your lifetime be used by the Holy Spirit in all these gifts. The gifts belong to the Holy Spirit not to the person He chooses to use.

 

I was listening to John Piper in an interview recently and he talked about asking the Holy Spirit to use him in the gift of tongues/prophecy in his life. He said it is something he asks for in his life not daily but periodically in his prayer time. The Holy Spirit has used John in the gift of teaching and preaching and in other gifts, but he has not yet used him in the gift of tongues/prophecy.

  •  We should regularly invite the Holy Spirit to use us in the gifts of the Spirit.

  • We should not be jealous of others who may exercise these gifts.

  • We should receive and exercise gifts from the Holy Spirit in humility and order.

 

 

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