WHY SPEAK IN TONGUES? Part 2 of 4.
The Christian's Three-fold Ministry in Tongues.
The purpose of this study is to enable those who have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit to understand why they should continue to pray in the Spirit regularly each day. Many Spirit-filled believers do not continue to pray in tongues because they have never been informed that they should, thinking that speaking in tongues was merely the evidence that they had been baptized in the Spirit. Because of this they have not only missed many spiritual blessings which accompany the glorious release of the spirit that praying in tongues gives, but they have also failed to fulfill the ministry that God has provided them through their baptism in the Spirit.
Every Spirit-filled believer, as a consequence of his baptism in the Holy Spirit and his ability to pray in tongues, has been supernaturally endowed with a three-fold charismatic ministry of prayer in the Spirit. This ministry involves: personal ministry for oneself, devotional ministry to God, and an extended ministry on behalf of others.
1. Personal ministry in tongues for oneself.
The importance of personal ministry to oneself through prayer in the Spirit cannot be overemphasized, inasmuch as God has, by this means, provided us with the supernatural ability to minister to ourselves spiritually as often as we desire. Through praying in tongues the believer is able to minister divine strength and rest to his own spirit, increase his faith, and intercede in the Spirit on his own behalf. In fact, there are three specific areas where prayer in the Spirit enables the charismatic believer to minister to himself.
A. Self-edification.
He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself I Corinthians 14:4.
Self-edification is an essential ministry which God has provided for the Spirit-filled Christian through his ability to pray in the Spirit. Certainly he can also be edified through reading God's Word and by prayer with the understanding, but the personal ministry in tongues has been ordained by God to accomplish a spiritual work in the Christian which is impossible by any other means.
Some Christians without the charismatic experience, and because of erroneous teaching on the subject, will occasionally raise the objection that Paul seems to emphasize the value of prophecy over speaking in tongues in I Corinthians 14. On the contrary, with regard to personal ministry to oneself, the Scriptures show that speaking in tongues is more essential to the believer's edification than prophecy (I Corinthians 14:2,4,14-15,18; Jude 20).
It is only with reference to our ministry to the church that the Apostle stresses the obvious advantage of prophesying over speaking in tongues without interpretation, because of the need for the Body of Christ to understand what is being said by the Spirit (note I Corinthians 14:4-5,19,28, "in the church"). However, the Apostle carefully points out that if the tongues which are spoken are also interpreted, then tongues are equivalent to prophecy and serve the same function (14:5,13,27).
As any unprejudiced reader can see, the Scriptures clearly show that prophecy edifies the church, and through tongues the believer edifies himself. With regard to personal ministry to oneself, praying in the Spirit is the divinely ordained means by which the believer edifies himself.
Paul indicates in I Corinthians 14:2,4,14-15 that when he prayed in tongues it was his spirit, not his intellect, which prayed to God. The Lord knows that, just as your body needs food to be strengthened and your mind needs to be encouraged by the Word and prayer, so too your spirit needs to be edified or strengthened by praying in the Spirit each day. This is precisely what Spirit-filled Christians are admonished to do in Jude 20. You are encouraged to pray in the Spirit regularly, for in so doing God states that you are "building up yourself on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."
Self-edification through praying in tongues is a necessary important ministry which God has provided for the believer that praying with the understanding or intellect cannot give. It is the most direct and effective means whereby the inner man is strengthened spiritually, and the believer's faith is built up to enable him to endure trial, resist Satan, overcome temptation, and faithfully fulfill his place in the Body of Christ.
The Scriptures show us that although faith cometh by hearing the word (Romans 10;17), it is strengthened and increased by "praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20; I Corinthians 14:4). Regular and consistent prayer in the Spirit is the primary means by which the deep, inward work of the Holy Spirit is done in the believer. Without question many of the trials which have overwhelmed you, and the temptations which you failed to resist successfully, as well as the fear, worry, and anxiety which have oppressed you, are directly related to your neglect of regular, daily prayer in the Spirit. If, therefore, you desire to be strong in the faith, and walk in victory over every trail and adverse circumstances, then avail yourself of the supernatural means by which God has made this possible, for "he that speaks in an unknown* tongue edifieth himself."
B. Spiritual Rest.
With stammering lips and another tongue will he speak...This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing:... --Isaiah 28:11-12.
God has provided a spiritual rest for the believer which cannot be obtained by any means other than praying in the Spirit. The Apostle Paul shows in I Corinthians 14:21-22 that the "rest" of which God speaks in Isaiah 28:11-12 is with reference to speaking in tongues. When the Spirit-filled believer faces trial and adversity; when he is tempted to doubt and worry; when he is tempted to panic during some crisis or emergency; when problems seem as if they are about to overwhelm him; when, in his warfare with the forces of darkness, he finds himself weary or discouraged; he can minister to himself through the Spirit and enter into a place of spiritual rest and victory which is unknown to those without the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Through the baptism in the Spirit, God has provided a supernatural rest of the believer. The modern church's neglect of the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and its unwarranted opposition to speaking in tongues, will help to explain why the offices of so many pastors and psychiatrists are filled with Christians who are desperately crying out for help with serious problems, or for deliverance from fears, worries, and anxieties, as well as from habits, addictions, and obsessions of every kind.
*The term unknown does not occur in the original, but was added by the translators. These are true languages (although unknown to the speaker) which the Spirit-filled believer speaks supernaturally; they are recognizable as such by those who speak any of these particular languages or tongues, as Acts 2:6,11; 10:46 clearly indicate.
Innumerable Christians find themselves spiritually unfruitful, confused, and frustrated. Why is this? It is the result of the sin of neglect of the Holy Spirit. The church has made the "Blessed Comforter" a doctrine in its creed, instead of a personal experience, which Christ insisted the believer must receive if he is to be spiritually strong and fruitful, and victorious over the powers of darkness (John 14:12-26; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4; Mark 16:16-18; I Corinthians 12; 140.
The institutional church spends a good deal of time trying to defend its unscriptural position that a Christian receives the baptism in the Holy Spirit (automatically and inevitably and without tongues) at the time of his conversion, and that the baptism is not a definite spiritual experience subsequent to salvation.
It contends, moreover, that speaking in tongues is not for this dispensation, completely ignoring the plain fact that the Scriptures teach to the contrary (Isaiah 28:11-12 Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-4 with 38-39; Romans 8:26-27; I Corinthians 12:1ff.; 14:1-5,27-28,39; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20).
What God intends for us to see in these passages goes completely beyond all petty arguments as to whether or not Christians today can have the baptism of the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues, for He stresses here the essential need for Christians to speak in tongues. It is to be the means by which the believer enters into spiritual "rest," witnesses effectively, making intercession on behalf of himself and others, worships God in the Spirit, and builds himself up in the faith.
God has provided a "rest" for the believer so that when he faces weariness, sickness, and trial, when he is tempted to doubt, fear, or panic in an emergency, when emotional stress or problems tend to overwhelm him, he can minister to himself by praying in the Spirit. The obvious importance of this cannot be gainsaid.
In one instance, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the ability to pray in tongues enabled a grief-stricken wife and mother to endure the shock of a traumatic experience which was so severe that at first it almost drove her to insanity. Through this tragic experience she learned the value and purpose of praying in tongues, and was able to enter into a spiritual place of rest which praying with the intellect did not give and could not provide.
She said, "My husband's recent death from cancer, after a prolonged illness, left me with the care of our son and daughter. While still recovering from my bereavement, I experienced another loss even more tragic. Returning home from church one evening, I failed to see my twelve year old son, who had stayed home that night. A short time later I opened the closet door and was horrified to find him hanging there strangled to death.
The shock, coming so soon after my husband's death, nearly drove me out of my mind for a while. However, I was able to remain relatively calm during the funeral, after which I felt compelled to excuse myself and get away from my relatives who were with me at home. All this pent-up grief and pain had to come out, and I knew that it was going to be released through the Spirit. Realizing my relatives would not understand if I began praying or travailing in tongues, and would probably think I was beside myself with grief, I left the house so I could be alone. As I walked and prayed in the Spirit, all my pent-up troubles and grief poured forth from my lips in other tongues as my spirit sought relief from this great burden.
"I continued walking and praying for some time, while all my pain and grief poured out as a great flood in other tongues. Then, after a while, I began to experience a great peace and assurance, and found that I was being strengthened spiritually. As I prayed in tongues, my heart commenced to rejoice and praise the Lord to such an extent that I had to cover my face with a scarf upon entering the house for fear that my relatives would think that I had lost my mind to find me rejoicing at such a time as this."
This illustrates perfectly how, through prayer in the Spirit, a
Spirit-filled believer was able to enter into the spiritual rest which God has provided for the Christian. God has made this supernatural rest available through the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit; and that Christian is poor indeed who, because of pride of wrong teaching on the matter, allows Satan to rob him of the baptism in the Spirit, and this personal ministry to himself through prayer in the Spirit. Churches are filled with people who have failed to enter into their rest for the same reason Israel failed to enter into her rest--unbelief (Hebrews 3:18; I Corinthians 14:21).
Multitudes of Christians, because of their rejection of the baptism of the Spirit, will never know the spiritual rest that a Spirit filled Christians may experience, for example, in time of trial, and temptation, or when some crisis confronts them, or when their hearts are burdened or almost overwhelmed with grief. There are times when the Spirit-filled Christian cannot pray as he ought with the intellect because he is undergoing a physical attack. Satan invariably suggests the worst about the condition, but as the Christian prays in the Spirit, his mind is free from the enemy's attempts to assault with doubts and fears.
Frequently, when traveling on a plane or train with others who are drinking and smoking, and the air is filled with worldly conversation so that it is almost impossible to concentrate upon spiritual things in order to pray with the understanding, the Spirit-filled believer finds that he can close his eyes to all these distraction and relax as he enters into a spiritual rest by praying in the Spirit. When he is tired in both mind and body, and too weary to concentrate, the believer can pray with his spirit, for there is no weariness or reluctance in the Spirit. This is the significance of Jesus' words to His disciples who had fallen asleep when He had asked them to watch and pray, saying, "the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).
In such instances as these, as well as others, those without the baptism in the Holy Spirit, who pray only with the mind, or who pray when the circumstances are favorable generally cannot pray, and are unable to enter into rest. Many times we have had the privilege of seeing those who were confused and bewildered, or depressed and defeated, immediately transformed into radiant, joyful Christians upon receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit and entering into this glorious spiritual rest in the Lord as they began to speak in tongues. Truly, "this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing'' (Isaiah 28:12). Edited. Shared.
To be Continued.
Lord willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.
The Christian's Three-fold Ministry in Tongues.
The purpose of this study is to enable those who have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit to understand why they should continue to pray in the Spirit regularly each day. Many Spirit-filled believers do not continue to pray in tongues because they have never been informed that they should, thinking that speaking in tongues was merely the evidence that they had been baptized in the Spirit. Because of this they have not only missed many spiritual blessings which accompany the glorious release of the spirit that praying in tongues gives, but they have also failed to fulfill the ministry that God has provided them through their baptism in the Spirit.
Every Spirit-filled believer, as a consequence of his baptism in the Holy Spirit and his ability to pray in tongues, has been supernaturally endowed with a three-fold charismatic ministry of prayer in the Spirit. This ministry involves: personal ministry for oneself, devotional ministry to God, and an extended ministry on behalf of others.
1. Personal ministry in tongues for oneself.
The importance of personal ministry to oneself through prayer in the Spirit cannot be overemphasized, inasmuch as God has, by this means, provided us with the supernatural ability to minister to ourselves spiritually as often as we desire. Through praying in tongues the believer is able to minister divine strength and rest to his own spirit, increase his faith, and intercede in the Spirit on his own behalf. In fact, there are three specific areas where prayer in the Spirit enables the charismatic believer to minister to himself.
A. Self-edification.
He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself I Corinthians 14:4.
Self-edification is an essential ministry which God has provided for the Spirit-filled Christian through his ability to pray in the Spirit. Certainly he can also be edified through reading God's Word and by prayer with the understanding, but the personal ministry in tongues has been ordained by God to accomplish a spiritual work in the Christian which is impossible by any other means.
Some Christians without the charismatic experience, and because of erroneous teaching on the subject, will occasionally raise the objection that Paul seems to emphasize the value of prophecy over speaking in tongues in I Corinthians 14. On the contrary, with regard to personal ministry to oneself, the Scriptures show that speaking in tongues is more essential to the believer's edification than prophecy (I Corinthians 14:2,4,14-15,18; Jude 20).
It is only with reference to our ministry to the church that the Apostle stresses the obvious advantage of prophesying over speaking in tongues without interpretation, because of the need for the Body of Christ to understand what is being said by the Spirit (note I Corinthians 14:4-5,19,28, "in the church"). However, the Apostle carefully points out that if the tongues which are spoken are also interpreted, then tongues are equivalent to prophecy and serve the same function (14:5,13,27).
As any unprejudiced reader can see, the Scriptures clearly show that prophecy edifies the church, and through tongues the believer edifies himself. With regard to personal ministry to oneself, praying in the Spirit is the divinely ordained means by which the believer edifies himself.
Paul indicates in I Corinthians 14:2,4,14-15 that when he prayed in tongues it was his spirit, not his intellect, which prayed to God. The Lord knows that, just as your body needs food to be strengthened and your mind needs to be encouraged by the Word and prayer, so too your spirit needs to be edified or strengthened by praying in the Spirit each day. This is precisely what Spirit-filled Christians are admonished to do in Jude 20. You are encouraged to pray in the Spirit regularly, for in so doing God states that you are "building up yourself on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."
Self-edification through praying in tongues is a necessary important ministry which God has provided for the believer that praying with the understanding or intellect cannot give. It is the most direct and effective means whereby the inner man is strengthened spiritually, and the believer's faith is built up to enable him to endure trial, resist Satan, overcome temptation, and faithfully fulfill his place in the Body of Christ.
The Scriptures show us that although faith cometh by hearing the word (Romans 10;17), it is strengthened and increased by "praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20; I Corinthians 14:4). Regular and consistent prayer in the Spirit is the primary means by which the deep, inward work of the Holy Spirit is done in the believer. Without question many of the trials which have overwhelmed you, and the temptations which you failed to resist successfully, as well as the fear, worry, and anxiety which have oppressed you, are directly related to your neglect of regular, daily prayer in the Spirit. If, therefore, you desire to be strong in the faith, and walk in victory over every trail and adverse circumstances, then avail yourself of the supernatural means by which God has made this possible, for "he that speaks in an unknown* tongue edifieth himself."
B. Spiritual Rest.
With stammering lips and another tongue will he speak...This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing:... --Isaiah 28:11-12.
God has provided a spiritual rest for the believer which cannot be obtained by any means other than praying in the Spirit. The Apostle Paul shows in I Corinthians 14:21-22 that the "rest" of which God speaks in Isaiah 28:11-12 is with reference to speaking in tongues. When the Spirit-filled believer faces trial and adversity; when he is tempted to doubt and worry; when he is tempted to panic during some crisis or emergency; when problems seem as if they are about to overwhelm him; when, in his warfare with the forces of darkness, he finds himself weary or discouraged; he can minister to himself through the Spirit and enter into a place of spiritual rest and victory which is unknown to those without the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Through the baptism in the Spirit, God has provided a supernatural rest of the believer. The modern church's neglect of the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and its unwarranted opposition to speaking in tongues, will help to explain why the offices of so many pastors and psychiatrists are filled with Christians who are desperately crying out for help with serious problems, or for deliverance from fears, worries, and anxieties, as well as from habits, addictions, and obsessions of every kind.
*The term unknown does not occur in the original, but was added by the translators. These are true languages (although unknown to the speaker) which the Spirit-filled believer speaks supernaturally; they are recognizable as such by those who speak any of these particular languages or tongues, as Acts 2:6,11; 10:46 clearly indicate.
Innumerable Christians find themselves spiritually unfruitful, confused, and frustrated. Why is this? It is the result of the sin of neglect of the Holy Spirit. The church has made the "Blessed Comforter" a doctrine in its creed, instead of a personal experience, which Christ insisted the believer must receive if he is to be spiritually strong and fruitful, and victorious over the powers of darkness (John 14:12-26; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4; Mark 16:16-18; I Corinthians 12; 140.
The institutional church spends a good deal of time trying to defend its unscriptural position that a Christian receives the baptism in the Holy Spirit (automatically and inevitably and without tongues) at the time of his conversion, and that the baptism is not a definite spiritual experience subsequent to salvation.
It contends, moreover, that speaking in tongues is not for this dispensation, completely ignoring the plain fact that the Scriptures teach to the contrary (Isaiah 28:11-12 Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-4 with 38-39; Romans 8:26-27; I Corinthians 12:1ff.; 14:1-5,27-28,39; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20).
What God intends for us to see in these passages goes completely beyond all petty arguments as to whether or not Christians today can have the baptism of the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues, for He stresses here the essential need for Christians to speak in tongues. It is to be the means by which the believer enters into spiritual "rest," witnesses effectively, making intercession on behalf of himself and others, worships God in the Spirit, and builds himself up in the faith.
God has provided a "rest" for the believer so that when he faces weariness, sickness, and trial, when he is tempted to doubt, fear, or panic in an emergency, when emotional stress or problems tend to overwhelm him, he can minister to himself by praying in the Spirit. The obvious importance of this cannot be gainsaid.
In one instance, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the ability to pray in tongues enabled a grief-stricken wife and mother to endure the shock of a traumatic experience which was so severe that at first it almost drove her to insanity. Through this tragic experience she learned the value and purpose of praying in tongues, and was able to enter into a spiritual place of rest which praying with the intellect did not give and could not provide.
She said, "My husband's recent death from cancer, after a prolonged illness, left me with the care of our son and daughter. While still recovering from my bereavement, I experienced another loss even more tragic. Returning home from church one evening, I failed to see my twelve year old son, who had stayed home that night. A short time later I opened the closet door and was horrified to find him hanging there strangled to death.
The shock, coming so soon after my husband's death, nearly drove me out of my mind for a while. However, I was able to remain relatively calm during the funeral, after which I felt compelled to excuse myself and get away from my relatives who were with me at home. All this pent-up grief and pain had to come out, and I knew that it was going to be released through the Spirit. Realizing my relatives would not understand if I began praying or travailing in tongues, and would probably think I was beside myself with grief, I left the house so I could be alone. As I walked and prayed in the Spirit, all my pent-up troubles and grief poured forth from my lips in other tongues as my spirit sought relief from this great burden.
"I continued walking and praying for some time, while all my pain and grief poured out as a great flood in other tongues. Then, after a while, I began to experience a great peace and assurance, and found that I was being strengthened spiritually. As I prayed in tongues, my heart commenced to rejoice and praise the Lord to such an extent that I had to cover my face with a scarf upon entering the house for fear that my relatives would think that I had lost my mind to find me rejoicing at such a time as this."
This illustrates perfectly how, through prayer in the Spirit, a
Spirit-filled believer was able to enter into the spiritual rest which God has provided for the Christian. God has made this supernatural rest available through the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit; and that Christian is poor indeed who, because of pride of wrong teaching on the matter, allows Satan to rob him of the baptism in the Spirit, and this personal ministry to himself through prayer in the Spirit. Churches are filled with people who have failed to enter into their rest for the same reason Israel failed to enter into her rest--unbelief (Hebrews 3:18; I Corinthians 14:21).
Multitudes of Christians, because of their rejection of the baptism of the Spirit, will never know the spiritual rest that a Spirit filled Christians may experience, for example, in time of trial, and temptation, or when some crisis confronts them, or when their hearts are burdened or almost overwhelmed with grief. There are times when the Spirit-filled Christian cannot pray as he ought with the intellect because he is undergoing a physical attack. Satan invariably suggests the worst about the condition, but as the Christian prays in the Spirit, his mind is free from the enemy's attempts to assault with doubts and fears.
Frequently, when traveling on a plane or train with others who are drinking and smoking, and the air is filled with worldly conversation so that it is almost impossible to concentrate upon spiritual things in order to pray with the understanding, the Spirit-filled believer finds that he can close his eyes to all these distraction and relax as he enters into a spiritual rest by praying in the Spirit. When he is tired in both mind and body, and too weary to concentrate, the believer can pray with his spirit, for there is no weariness or reluctance in the Spirit. This is the significance of Jesus' words to His disciples who had fallen asleep when He had asked them to watch and pray, saying, "the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).
In such instances as these, as well as others, those without the baptism in the Holy Spirit, who pray only with the mind, or who pray when the circumstances are favorable generally cannot pray, and are unable to enter into rest. Many times we have had the privilege of seeing those who were confused and bewildered, or depressed and defeated, immediately transformed into radiant, joyful Christians upon receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit and entering into this glorious spiritual rest in the Lord as they began to speak in tongues. Truly, "this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing'' (Isaiah 28:12). Edited. Shared.
To be Continued.
Lord willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.
❤️WHY SPEAK IN TONGUES? Part 2 of 4.
The Christian's Three-fold Ministry in Tongues.
The purpose of this study is to enable those who have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit to understand why they should continue to pray in the Spirit regularly each day. Many Spirit-filled believers do not continue to pray in tongues because they have never been informed that they should, thinking that speaking in tongues was merely the evidence that they had been baptized in the Spirit. Because of this they have not only missed many spiritual blessings which accompany the glorious release of the spirit that praying in tongues gives, but they have also failed to fulfill the ministry that God has provided them through their baptism in the Spirit.
Every Spirit-filled believer, as a consequence of his baptism in the Holy Spirit and his ability to pray in tongues, has been supernaturally endowed with a three-fold charismatic ministry of prayer in the Spirit. This ministry involves: personal ministry for oneself, devotional ministry to God, and an extended ministry on behalf of others.
1. Personal ministry in tongues for oneself.
The importance of personal ministry to oneself through prayer in the Spirit cannot be overemphasized, inasmuch as God has, by this means, provided us with the supernatural ability to minister to ourselves spiritually as often as we desire. Through praying in tongues the believer is able to minister divine strength and rest to his own spirit, increase his faith, and intercede in the Spirit on his own behalf. In fact, there are three specific areas where prayer in the Spirit enables the charismatic believer to minister to himself.
A. Self-edification.
He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself I Corinthians 14:4.
Self-edification is an essential ministry which God has provided for the Spirit-filled Christian through his ability to pray in the Spirit. Certainly he can also be edified through reading God's Word and by prayer with the understanding, but the personal ministry in tongues has been ordained by God to accomplish a spiritual work in the Christian which is impossible by any other means.
Some Christians without the charismatic experience, and because of erroneous teaching on the subject, will occasionally raise the objection that Paul seems to emphasize the value of prophecy over speaking in tongues in I Corinthians 14. On the contrary, with regard to personal ministry to oneself, the Scriptures show that speaking in tongues is more essential to the believer's edification than prophecy (I Corinthians 14:2,4,14-15,18; Jude 20).
It is only with reference to our ministry to the church that the Apostle stresses the obvious advantage of prophesying over speaking in tongues without interpretation, because of the need for the Body of Christ to understand what is being said by the Spirit (note I Corinthians 14:4-5,19,28, "in the church"). However, the Apostle carefully points out that if the tongues which are spoken are also interpreted, then tongues are equivalent to prophecy and serve the same function (14:5,13,27).
As any unprejudiced reader can see, the Scriptures clearly show that prophecy edifies the church, and through tongues the believer edifies himself. With regard to personal ministry to oneself, praying in the Spirit is the divinely ordained means by which the believer edifies himself.
Paul indicates in I Corinthians 14:2,4,14-15 that when he prayed in tongues it was his spirit, not his intellect, which prayed to God. The Lord knows that, just as your body needs food to be strengthened and your mind needs to be encouraged by the Word and prayer, so too your spirit needs to be edified or strengthened by praying in the Spirit each day. This is precisely what Spirit-filled Christians are admonished to do in Jude 20. You are encouraged to pray in the Spirit regularly, for in so doing God states that you are "building up yourself on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."
Self-edification through praying in tongues is a necessary important ministry which God has provided for the believer that praying with the understanding or intellect cannot give. It is the most direct and effective means whereby the inner man is strengthened spiritually, and the believer's faith is built up to enable him to endure trial, resist Satan, overcome temptation, and faithfully fulfill his place in the Body of Christ.
The Scriptures show us that although faith cometh by hearing the word (Romans 10;17), it is strengthened and increased by "praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20; I Corinthians 14:4). Regular and consistent prayer in the Spirit is the primary means by which the deep, inward work of the Holy Spirit is done in the believer. Without question many of the trials which have overwhelmed you, and the temptations which you failed to resist successfully, as well as the fear, worry, and anxiety which have oppressed you, are directly related to your neglect of regular, daily prayer in the Spirit. If, therefore, you desire to be strong in the faith, and walk in victory over every trail and adverse circumstances, then avail yourself of the supernatural means by which God has made this possible, for "he that speaks in an unknown* tongue edifieth himself."
B. Spiritual Rest.
With stammering lips and another tongue will he speak...This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing:... --Isaiah 28:11-12.
God has provided a spiritual rest for the believer which cannot be obtained by any means other than praying in the Spirit. The Apostle Paul shows in I Corinthians 14:21-22 that the "rest" of which God speaks in Isaiah 28:11-12 is with reference to speaking in tongues. When the Spirit-filled believer faces trial and adversity; when he is tempted to doubt and worry; when he is tempted to panic during some crisis or emergency; when problems seem as if they are about to overwhelm him; when, in his warfare with the forces of darkness, he finds himself weary or discouraged; he can minister to himself through the Spirit and enter into a place of spiritual rest and victory which is unknown to those without the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Through the baptism in the Spirit, God has provided a supernatural rest of the believer. The modern church's neglect of the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and its unwarranted opposition to speaking in tongues, will help to explain why the offices of so many pastors and psychiatrists are filled with Christians who are desperately crying out for help with serious problems, or for deliverance from fears, worries, and anxieties, as well as from habits, addictions, and obsessions of every kind.
*The term unknown does not occur in the original, but was added by the translators. These are true languages (although unknown to the speaker) which the Spirit-filled believer speaks supernaturally; they are recognizable as such by those who speak any of these particular languages or tongues, as Acts 2:6,11; 10:46 clearly indicate.
Innumerable Christians find themselves spiritually unfruitful, confused, and frustrated. Why is this? It is the result of the sin of neglect of the Holy Spirit. The church has made the "Blessed Comforter" a doctrine in its creed, instead of a personal experience, which Christ insisted the believer must receive if he is to be spiritually strong and fruitful, and victorious over the powers of darkness (John 14:12-26; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4; Mark 16:16-18; I Corinthians 12; 140.
The institutional church spends a good deal of time trying to defend its unscriptural position that a Christian receives the baptism in the Holy Spirit (automatically and inevitably and without tongues) at the time of his conversion, and that the baptism is not a definite spiritual experience subsequent to salvation.
It contends, moreover, that speaking in tongues is not for this dispensation, completely ignoring the plain fact that the Scriptures teach to the contrary (Isaiah 28:11-12 Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-4 with 38-39; Romans 8:26-27; I Corinthians 12:1ff.; 14:1-5,27-28,39; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20).
What God intends for us to see in these passages goes completely beyond all petty arguments as to whether or not Christians today can have the baptism of the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues, for He stresses here the essential need for Christians to speak in tongues. It is to be the means by which the believer enters into spiritual "rest," witnesses effectively, making intercession on behalf of himself and others, worships God in the Spirit, and builds himself up in the faith.
God has provided a "rest" for the believer so that when he faces weariness, sickness, and trial, when he is tempted to doubt, fear, or panic in an emergency, when emotional stress or problems tend to overwhelm him, he can minister to himself by praying in the Spirit. The obvious importance of this cannot be gainsaid.
In one instance, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the ability to pray in tongues enabled a grief-stricken wife and mother to endure the shock of a traumatic experience which was so severe that at first it almost drove her to insanity. Through this tragic experience she learned the value and purpose of praying in tongues, and was able to enter into a spiritual place of rest which praying with the intellect did not give and could not provide.
She said, "My husband's recent death from cancer, after a prolonged illness, left me with the care of our son and daughter. While still recovering from my bereavement, I experienced another loss even more tragic. Returning home from church one evening, I failed to see my twelve year old son, who had stayed home that night. A short time later I opened the closet door and was horrified to find him hanging there strangled to death.
The shock, coming so soon after my husband's death, nearly drove me out of my mind for a while. However, I was able to remain relatively calm during the funeral, after which I felt compelled to excuse myself and get away from my relatives who were with me at home. All this pent-up grief and pain had to come out, and I knew that it was going to be released through the Spirit. Realizing my relatives would not understand if I began praying or travailing in tongues, and would probably think I was beside myself with grief, I left the house so I could be alone. As I walked and prayed in the Spirit, all my pent-up troubles and grief poured forth from my lips in other tongues as my spirit sought relief from this great burden.
"I continued walking and praying for some time, while all my pain and grief poured out as a great flood in other tongues. Then, after a while, I began to experience a great peace and assurance, and found that I was being strengthened spiritually. As I prayed in tongues, my heart commenced to rejoice and praise the Lord to such an extent that I had to cover my face with a scarf upon entering the house for fear that my relatives would think that I had lost my mind to find me rejoicing at such a time as this."
This illustrates perfectly how, through prayer in the Spirit, a
Spirit-filled believer was able to enter into the spiritual rest which God has provided for the Christian. God has made this supernatural rest available through the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit; and that Christian is poor indeed who, because of pride of wrong teaching on the matter, allows Satan to rob him of the baptism in the Spirit, and this personal ministry to himself through prayer in the Spirit. Churches are filled with people who have failed to enter into their rest for the same reason Israel failed to enter into her rest--unbelief (Hebrews 3:18; I Corinthians 14:21).
Multitudes of Christians, because of their rejection of the baptism of the Spirit, will never know the spiritual rest that a Spirit filled Christians may experience, for example, in time of trial, and temptation, or when some crisis confronts them, or when their hearts are burdened or almost overwhelmed with grief. There are times when the Spirit-filled Christian cannot pray as he ought with the intellect because he is undergoing a physical attack. Satan invariably suggests the worst about the condition, but as the Christian prays in the Spirit, his mind is free from the enemy's attempts to assault with doubts and fears.
Frequently, when traveling on a plane or train with others who are drinking and smoking, and the air is filled with worldly conversation so that it is almost impossible to concentrate upon spiritual things in order to pray with the understanding, the Spirit-filled believer finds that he can close his eyes to all these distraction and relax as he enters into a spiritual rest by praying in the Spirit. When he is tired in both mind and body, and too weary to concentrate, the believer can pray with his spirit, for there is no weariness or reluctance in the Spirit. This is the significance of Jesus' words to His disciples who had fallen asleep when He had asked them to watch and pray, saying, "the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).
In such instances as these, as well as others, those without the baptism in the Holy Spirit, who pray only with the mind, or who pray when the circumstances are favorable generally cannot pray, and are unable to enter into rest. Many times we have had the privilege of seeing those who were confused and bewildered, or depressed and defeated, immediately transformed into radiant, joyful Christians upon receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit and entering into this glorious spiritual rest in the Lord as they began to speak in tongues. Truly, "this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing'' (Isaiah 28:12). Edited. Shared.
To be Continued.
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Lord willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.
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