WHAT IS THE MEANING OF SPEAKING OR PRAYING IN TONGUES?

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF PRAYING OR SPEAKING IN TONGUES?

What is speaking in tongues

When we speak or pray in tongues, the Bible says, the utterance is given to us by the Holy Spirit. The language or the words comes from the Holy Spirit who gives that utterance to our spirits. All we do is just connect our vocal organs to our human spirit and the flow takes place., you've got to learn how to look within yourself and contact your own spirit, connect your vocal organs to your spirit and you just flow. That means when you pray in tongues, it’s your spirit that prays, even though the Holy Spirit is the One who grants you the language or utterance.

Speaking in tongues is direct communication between your spirit and God. You are speaking a language that only God understands.

"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit, he speaketh mysteries" (1 Corinthians 14:2).

Praying in tongues transcends the realm of the mind or human understanding because the language is divine. All you do is connect your vocal organs to your human spirit and the flow takes place. Speaking in tongues isn’t something you force out of your mouth or try to do; it’s the Holy Spirit that enables you to do it.

“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.” (1 Corinthians 14:14)

The Holy Spirit gives you the ability, you’re the one who has to open your mouth in faith and speak the words He generates in your spirit.

He who speaks in a [spiritual] tongue edifies and improves himself… (1 Corinthians 14:4).

Our opening verse says, “He who speaks in a [spiritual] tongue edifies and improves himself….” The question is, do you want to improve yourself? Do you want to operate at a new level of spiritual maturity and efficiency this incoming year? Do you desire to make tremendous progress and take giant strides in all affairs of life? Speaking in tongues will help. The Bible says, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20 AMPC).

Praying in tongues

Praying in tongues will help you make progress, and cause you to rise like an edifice, higher and higher. The more you pray in tongues, the more sensitive you are to the Spirit, to receive and follow His guidance in all you do.

For example, maybe you don’t yet know the precise steps to take to expand or advance your ministry, business, or career in the coming year; take some time to speak in tongues. You’ll have spiritual insight and foresight.

Another important advantage of speaking in tongues is that it charges you up, like a battery. And when a battery is fully charged, it works effectively and lasts longer. Satan may throw darts at you, to distract you, but praying in the Holy Ghost makes you formidable; you’ll be able to withstand anything and resist every evil.

Any time you face challenges in your life, get into your closet, and speak in tongues; charge yourself. When you’re done, you’ll be filled with the wisdom to prevail and excel. Keep yourself perpetually “high” on God’s power by speaking in tongues always!

The importance of praying in tongues can never be overemphasized. As a Christian, to significantly improve your spiritual growth and comprehension, praying in tongues is an extremely vital element. But sadly, there’re those who say, “Well, our church doesn’t believe in speaking in tongues.” Understand that speaking in tongues isn’t a denominational phenomenon. Every Christian ought to speak in tongues! That’s where the secret of power is.

Bible tells us that the one who prays in an unknown tongue or actually, the one who speaks in an unknown tongue builds himself up. And speaking in tongues will include whether you are bringing forth a message in tongues or you are praying to God in tongues.

Speaking or praying in tongues

Now, there is a slight difference between the two and I want to read to you from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 14:2 “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto God for no man understandeth him: howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries”. He says the one who speaks in an unknown tongue speaks to God. Now, in Vs 3 “But he that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to and exhortation, and comfort. Vs 4 “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue, edifieth himself: but he that prophesieth, edifieth the Church”.

Then notice what he says here, Vs 5 “I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interprets, that the church may receive edifying”. Now, that means that when you speak in tongues it says you are speaking to God because nobody understands you, only God understands you. And so, when you speak to God, you are speaking mysteries.

These are things unknown to the natural mind and to the ordinary man when you are speaking to God. Then he says the one who prophecy speaks to men to edification, exhortation, and comfort. They are edifying the church because; they bring forth prophecy in the understanding of the hearers. Then he says the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues except he interprets, which means when you speak in tongues and interpret both with equal prophecy. That suggests to us that those tongues had a message for the people and so they had something to learn.

They were blessed by it which means you were not just speaking to God; you were bringing forth a message to the people. So, in speaking in tongues or speaking with tongues, there are two things one is talking to God, and one is bringing forth a message to the people. And when you bring forth a message to the people in tongues it will necessarily have to be the operation of the gift of interpretation.
Otherwise, you are talking to God and if you are talking to God, that’s prayer. And that’s why later on, in the same book several verses down 1 Corinthians 14:13 “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue, pray that he may interpret

See; "let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret" because when you interpret, you may find that you are bringing forth a message because speaking with tongues and interpreting those tongues will equal prophecy. And other people can learn, so you will not only be building yourself up, you will be building other people up through that operation of the spirit that equals prophecy.

Praying in an unknown tongue

Then he says in verse 14 “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. Vs 15 “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also. Vs 16 “Else, when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned, say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?”.

So, you get it here that there is talking to God in tongues and there is talking for the benefit of the people in tongues. This will require interpretation. So, when you want to pray for someone, it’s important that you realize that you could actually be inspired to pray in other tongues, and apart from the fact that that will build you, you might be inspired to pray in tongues, and it will be a real prayer. So, the one that builds you really is when you speak in those tongues and you are speaking between you and God.

So, that is for you, if it’s got to do with someone else then there is an interpretation required. For example, sometimes, we found the operation of the spirit while we are speaking in tongues and then we bring forth the interpretation, and that interpretation may be words to this effect. You have been healed, it’s prophetic.

You spoke in tongues and you interpreted those tongues and then it was a prophecy to the sick and he got healed. You could be speaking in tongues and interceding for someone and the words will come from the spirit of God letting you know what is going on, and you can share that word with that person. So, these are not things that you form or try to make happen, but if you would let the spirit of God work through you, you would find these differences.