Praying in Other Tongues

This is a second pass through the Scripture, looking at passages that deal with spiritual prayer - and are perhaps not as obvious as the first pass we took - looking mostly at the letter to the Corinthians.

John 14:16-17

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Parakletos *, that He may be with you forever;  that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

* One called alongside to help or console; one who Encourages or Uplifts; one who Refreshes; one who Guides; Comforter; Advocate; Intercessor.  Also The Summoner, The One who makes free.

These titles help define the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.  He's been given to us to be our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby. But in all of these activities, the Holy Spirit does His work through us, but He won't do the job for us.

An example, from Acts 8:26-39.
An angel tells Phillip to go down to Gaza.  When Phillip obeys, he meets an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the scroll of Isaiah.  Phillip led the man to salvation - not the angel and not the Holy Spirit.

We are also named workers together with God (2 Cor 6:1)

Praying Together with the Holy Spirit

In Romans 8:26-27
26: In the same way the Spirit also helps [synantilambanomai] our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the [j]saints according to the will of God.

synantilambanomai is a word that weaves three roots together:

"To take hold together"
'With"
"Against"

So this one word, usually translated as "helps" really means ... takes hold together with us against ...

Praying in alignment with God's Perfect Will - not our will or another's will.

In Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this [c]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may [d]prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.

This verse indicates a progression, or maturity level on the part of the believer - where our metamorphosis helps us in following the good, then the acceptable, and finally the perfect will of God.

If we pray with our understanding, there is a chance of selfishness coming into our prayers. But if we pray with our spirit, then the Holy Spirit will assist us, and we can pray the perfect will of God.

In 1 Samuel 8:5-7

The Elders in Israel gathered and said to Samuel: Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing was [evil] displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.

Acquiring a king was not God's first, best will for Israel - but it is something He permitted.  For Israel, having a human king limited the extent of the blessing God could have provided to them.

Speaking in Tongues helps us remain cognizant of the Holy Spirit within us

John 14:16-17 (again)

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Parakletos, that He may be with you forever;  that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

John says the other Parakletos will be us forever, dwelling with us and in us.

In much the same way that swear-aholics can somehow clean up their language in the presence of a policeman or a judge (even when they can't help it around you) - so the practice and interaction of speaking in tongues keeps us aware of presence of the Holy Spirit in us, and helping us.

Howard Carter, the supervisor of The Assemblies of God in Great Britain, said, "We must not forget that speaking with other tongues is not only the initial evidence of the Holy Spirit's infilling,but it is also a continual experience for the rest of one's life to assist in the worship of God."

And, "Speaking in tongues is a flowing stream that should never dry up and that will enrich one's life spiritually."

Tongues (speaking and praying) Stimulates Faith

Jude 20
But you, beloved, build yourselves up on [the foundation of] your most holy faith [continually progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], pray in the Holy Spirit.

Praying in tongues does not give us faith.

Romans 10:17

So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.

2 Peter 3:17-18

Therefore, [let me warn you] beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of [a]unprincipled men [who distort doctrine] and fall from your own steadfastness [of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith],18 but grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

So Peter directs us to grow spiritually, but what are the ways we can grow in grace and knowledge?

John 16:13

But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears[from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future].

1 Corinthians 2

Yet we do speak wisdom among those spiritually mature [believers who have teachable hearts and a greater understanding]; but [it is a higher] wisdom not [the wisdom] of this present age nor of the rulers and leaders of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom once hidden [from man, but now revealed to us by God, that wisdom] which God predestined before the ages to our glory [to lift us into the glory of His presence]. 8 None of the rulers of this age recognized and understood thiswisdom; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written [in Scripture],

     “Things which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard,
     And which have not entered the heart of man,
     All that God has prepared for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence,                  who obey Him, and who gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed].”

10 For God has unveiled them and revealed them to us through the [Holy] Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things [diligently], even [sounding and measuring] the [profound] depths of God [the divine counsels and things far beyond human understanding]. 11 For what person knows the thoughts and motives of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So also no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit who is from God, so that we may know and understand the [wonderful] things freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak of these things, not in words taught or supplied by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual thoughts with spiritual words [for those being guided by the Holy Spirit].

14 But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters]. 15 But the spiritual man [the spiritually mature Christian] judges all things [questions, examines and applies what the Holy Spirit reveals], yet is himself judged by no one [the unbeliever cannot judge and understand the believer’s spiritual nature]. 16 For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].