Praying in Tonguesনমুনা

Day 4: Benefits of Praying in Tongues

When you pray in tongues, some extraordinary things can take place. The apostle Paul talks about these benefits in his first letter to the believers at Corinth.

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

Notice Paul uses the word “speaketh” three times in this verse. “Speaketh” is a translation of the Greek word laleo, which means to talk, to speak, or to converse. It carries the idea of using words in order to declare one’s mind and disclose one’s thoughts. Its repeated use establishes the fact that tongues are a real language.

If you have a King James Version of the Bible, you will see that the word “unknown” is italicized in First Corinthians 14:2, which means it was added by the translators — it’s not in the original text. The purpose of adding the word “unknown” was to show that this “tongue” is a language that isn’t naturally known to you. It is a spiritual language. When you read it with the meaning of the word “speaketh” in mind, you could translate First Corinthians 14:2 to say:

For he that talks or converses in an unknown tongue, talks and converses not to men, but to God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks and declares mysteries.

This brings us to the word “mysteries,” which is the Greek word musterion, and it describes something hidden, a secret, or a mystery. It includes the secret counsels, purpose, and will of God. Interestingly, one of the number one prayer requests among believers is to know the will of God for their lives, which is often a mystery as people journey through life. But it doesn’t have to be!

As we previously learned, the very moment you are saved the Holy Spirit enters your life and takes up permanent residence inside your heart. In addition to placing His tamper-proof spiritual seal on you, He brings the fullness of God into your life in divine “Seed” form (see 1 John 3:9). Therefore, the Holy Spirit brings the very mind of God into you, which includes the will of God for your life. In other words, He has every answer to every question you will ever ask because the Holy Spirit knows it all!

The answers you need are not floating somewhere in the atmosphere! They are inside of you because the Holy Spirit is in you. First Corinthians 14:2 tells us that when you begin to pray in tongues, you literally begin to release those mysteries from deep within your spirit. And as you continue to pray in tongues, you begin to dredge your human spirit, and the Spirit of God begins to bring every answer to your mind — giving you the understanding you desire to know.

There are many Christians who want to know the will of God for their lives, and while God certainly has a specific calling and will for each of our lives, there is also a general will that applies to all believers. This general will of God for believers can be found throughout Scripture, including instructions much like we find in Ephesians 5 of today’s Bible reading.

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

— Ephesians 5:17-21

Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul admonished us to be wise and understand the will of God for our lives. Paul said that rather than go the route of getting drunk to alter your state of mind, there is a far better alternative Paul wrote about in verse 18, “...Be filled with Spirit.” When you are filled with the Spirit, the Spirit will change you, but the influence you come under will also have positive, divine, and long-lasting effects.

Instead of being in an angry rage or in a silly stupor during which you say and do things you will later regret, going with the Spirit results in a positive effect because you are speaking to yourself in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs according to First Corinthians 14:2. When you are filled with the Spirit of God, you come under the inebriating effect of the Holy Spirit, and His presence and power operating in and through you will produce great change in your life.

Questions to Consider:

1. When you have had a particularly hard day or find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of everyday life, what do you normally reach for to find comfort and strength? If it’s anything other than God, pray:

Father, please forgive me for allowing other things to become a substitute for You. Help me to seek You first and receive true strength and restoration from Your Holy Spirit. I need You, Lord. Thank You for filling me with Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.