Praying in Tongues

2 October 2011

1. Introduction

The outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.
Acts 2:1-4 “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance”
Jesus made a promise to His disciples – promise of the Holy Spirit, promise of power.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit – entrance experience to realm of the spirit.
Example: visit to India – everything different – culture, language, streets, traffic. Needed an interpreter – someone familiar with the language and culture of India.
Holy Spirit is familiar with the culture and language and ways of the Father, of the Kingdom.
First experience – speak (whatever has your tongue has your life – Jam.3:4).

2. Functions and Purpose of Speaking in Tongues

(i) Speaking in Tongues: Activates your spirit man

1 Cor 14:14 “If I pray in a tongue my spirit prays.
You are a spirit being living in a body – you have spiritual senses and activities.
Speaking in a tongue = your spirit is active, is functioning and operating.
Your spirit has a voice, has a mind.
When you activate your spirit you are exercising your spirit man.

(ii) Speaking in Tongues: Opens a direct flow of communication with the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:4 “..began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance.”
Holy Spirit creates the language.
Language = way of expressing thoughts, ideas.
Holy Spirit knows the will of God – he creates the language of prayer to speak.
Holy Spirit transfers – imparts this language directly into your spirit.
This language overflows from your spirit into your mind for you to speak.
E.g. Pray strongly in tongues then stop – the language keeps flowing into your mind.
This is the same channel the Holy Spirit speaks to you in your natural language.
Practice getting used to this flow of thoughts from the Holy Spirit.

(iii) Speaking in Tongues: Energises your spirit man

Body becomes quickened with energy and life.

Soul – your mind clears and you become sinsitised to voice of the Holy Spirit. (Prov. 20:27)

(iv) Speaking in Tongues: Brings forth the purposes of God

e.g. Mt. 13:11 Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

e.g. 1Cor. 4:1 Stewards of the mysteries of God.

V2 “speak to God’ = this is a prayer to be answered.
V28 “speak to self” = teach yourself – impart revelation into spirit as you speak.
As you speak in tongues you are also teaching and imparting to your own spirit.

e.g. 1 Cor.14:19 Teach others also = also teach self.

(v) Speaking in Tongues: Initiates flows of revelation

1 Cor. 2:11-12 Received – the Spirit that is from God that might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
Revelation flows into our mind the same way the language of tongues does.
Language of the heart/spirit is not reasoning and logic.

- Flows – spontaneous, flow of thoughts and ideas

- Pictures, visions

- Thoughts

- Inner knowings

- Ideas and inspiration - Insights to Word of God

- Insights to own life - Gifts of the Spirit

- Warnings. cautions

(vi) Speaking in Tongues: builds and edifies your spirit

1 Cor. 14:4 “..edifies himself”.
Edify = to build up a house piece by piece.
You are responsible to build up your own inner life your spirit man.
Unless you strengthen and develop your spirit your spiritual capacity is limited.
Jude 20 “..but you beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith praying the Holy Ghost”.
Praying in Tongues:

- strengthens (Eph 3:16) - Sensitises the spirit

- develops capacity - surfaces fleshy limitations

(vii) Speaking in Tongues: Fills you with the Holy Ghost

Eph. 5:18-19 “Be not drunk with wine – be filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking to yourselves.”
Drunk = Methuo = to be under the influence of alcohol, spirit.
Filled with the Holy Ghost = overflow, free, generous, joyful.