The Holy Spirit TodaySample

DAY FOUR: THE BENEFITS OF PRAYING IN TONGUES

Praying in tongues is an incredible benefit of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. It’s a God-given prayer language that enables you to communicate directly with God in a special way. It’s given for the benefit of the believer, to “super-charge” your life and relationship with him. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most misunderstood aspects of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. If this is something that you have had confusion or apprehension about, it’s important to look directly at what God’s Word says with fresh eyes and let it shape your thoughts about praying in tongues. Here are three foundational truths from the Bible that can help us better understand speaking in tongues: 

1. It’s a language. (Acts 2:3-8) Speaking in tongues may sound unfamiliar to us, but it’s not gibberish. It’s a language. When the Holy Spirit was poured out in Acts 2, one of the distinctions made in scripture is that these men were clearly speaking in another language. 
2. It’s a language of the spirit. (1 Corinthians 14:14-15) When we pray only with our own understanding, we are limited to what we know, or think we know, about a situation. When we pray in the Spirit, we have the ability to pray with greater effectiveness. The Holy Spirit always has far more knowledge about the situation than we ever could.
3. It’s a prayer language. (Ephesians 6:18, Jude 20) As Paul concludes his writing on the armor of God, he makes sure to give a final encouragement to pray in the Spirit, because it is a powerful spiritual weapon. God gave it to us because he knew we’d need it to help us stay strong and come through life’s battles victoriously. 

Key Thought: Praying in tongues is one of my greatest spiritual resources as a believer.

Questions to Reflect On: 

• What are some of the benefits of praying in tongues? 
• According to Romans 8:26-27, what does the Holy Spirit do for us?
• In 1 Corinthians 14:2, Paul tells us that when we pray in the Spirit, we are speaking mysteries. In the original language, the word “mysteries” means hidden or unrevealed truth. What are some situations when this kind of prayer could be particularly powerful or helpful? 

Prayer: God, thank You for the incredible benefits that come into my life through the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the ability to pray in a spiritual language. Help me to grow in this gift and be able to experience the fullness of the benefits it can bring. Amen.