Last week when we studied how to keep our lamps (hearts) full, I mentioned that one of the ways is to pray in the spirit – otherwise known as praying in tongues – and that I would talk more about it this week. So, here we go. We are studying the private use of speaking/praying in tongues in the believer’s life because it is available to every believer.

There is a lot on controversy over the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues so we need to really look at what the Bible has to say about the subject when making our decisions about it. There is no way possible to do an extensive teaching on this subject in one devotion so my purpose is to perk your interest enough that you will do your own study with the Bible and ask God to reveal His truth to you. So, let us begin.

In Genesis 11:1, we see where the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. Now God is all about unity when it is used for godly purposes, but the people wanted to build a tower and make a name for themselves. (Genesis 11:4) They wanted to bring glory to themselves. God is a jealous God and we are not to take His Glory. So, God did a miraculous thing, he confounded their language, and they no longer understood each other as a whole. This took place at what is called the Tower of Babel.

Fast forward to the New Testament where Jesus tells his disciples, “Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24;49) After Jesus’ Resurrection, he appeared to his disciples and in Acts 1:5 told them that, “John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Then He tells them in verse 8 that they shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon them to be preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19) In Acts 2:1-4, we find the believers in one accord, in one place when the Promise of the Holy Spirit came, and “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” This is called the Day of Pentecost. Verse five says that the people around them heard them speaking in their language. The disciples were speaking in languages they DID NOT know but languages known to some of the people, and the disciples were NOT all speaking the same language. God did this miraculous thing to bring unity to the Church to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then we read in verse 14 of Acts two where Peter, who was timid before receiving the Promise, and now bold, got up and preached to the crowd; and in verse 39 teaches that the Promise was not just to them but for their children and to all who are afar off – that includes you and me! There is a work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth which is called being born-again or receiving Eternal Life, and then there is the experience following salvation called receiving, or being filled (Baptized) with the Holy Ghost. In Acts 19:1-2, Paul was in Corinth and asked the believers, “if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed”? When he laid hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon them and they spoke with tongues. Tongues is the initial supernatural evidence of receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

First Corinthians 14:4 says when a person speaks in an unknown tongue, they edify himself.  Verse 14 teaches that when a person prays in tongues, it is their spirit praying. We see in verse 15 that a person can pray with understand – meaning they understand with their mind what they are staying – and they can pray in the spirit – which their mind does not understand – but their spirit does, and so does God, for we are speaking through our spirit directly to God.

Now some people may argue that they do not need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit because the Bible does not say that Jesus spoke in tongues. However, may I present to you that He did not need to get saved either – but we did. We need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and help us to live as Jesus did while on earth. Also, I might add, that when I look at Scripture, I see that He did receive the Baptism of the Spirit at the same time when He was baptized in water by John the Baptist – for John saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and alighting on him (Jesus) (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22) Remember, that on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:3 says that tongues of fire appeared and sat upon each of the disciples when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. I look at it this way: it may not say that Jesus spoke in tongues – but it does not say He didn’t either! Plus, we must understand that Jesus was in perfect communion with God the Father because Jesus did not have any sin in his spirit or mind.

I trust this is enough to perk your interest and desire to want to search out God’s Word and receive His truth: He sent the Holy Spirit to us because we need help in our praying because we do not always know how we should pray for a situation and when we pray in tongues, we are praying the perfect will of God over that situation. (Romans 8:26-27)

I pray that if you have not already received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, as a believer in Jesus, you can ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and then by faith believe you receive and open your mouth and yield your voice to the spiritual tongue He gives you; remembering that it will not be the language you understand, so do not be intimidated by the sound that you are not use to hearing. However, I can guarantee that the more you speak/pray in tongues the more it will sound natural to you.