PRAYING IN TONGUES OR IN THE SPIRIT

IN WRITING ON "SPEAKING IN TONGUES",  I HAD SOME OPPOSITION BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT SPEAKING OR PRAYING IN TONGUES HAS CEASED AND IS NOT FOR US TODAY.  I ANSWERED IN THE ONLY WAY I KNEW HOW AND THAT WAS BY THE WORD OF GOD.  WHEN ALL FAILS, BELIEVE GOD'S WORD AND YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG. THE PROBLEM IS THAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE THE BIBLE OR TAKE SOME SCRIPTURES OUT OF CONTEXT AND TRIES TO MAKE A DOCTRINE OUT OF THEM.  BELOW IS MY MESSAGE ON SPEAKING OR PRAYING IN TONGUES OR SPIRIT.

I PRAY IN TONGUES WHEN I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY.  FOR INSTANCE, WHEN I SEE A BAD CAR WRECK AND I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE IS HURT OR NOT.  BY PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT, HE PRAYS A PERFECT PRAYER THROUGH ME BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT TO PRAY FOR.  PEOPLE USE THE VERSES 1ST CORINTHIANS 13:8-10 TO SAY THAT TONGUES HAVE CEASED AND IS NO LONGER IN OPERATION TODAY.   ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURE, THAT IS NOT THE CASE. LET'S LOOK AT 1ST CORINTHIANS 13:8-10 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.  SOME PEOPLE HAVE INTERPRETED THE "THAT WHICH IS PERFECT" IN THIS VERSE AS BEING THE COMPLETED BIBLE. THIS HAS LED THEM TO BELIEVE THAT THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT SPOKEN OF HERE (I.E., PROPHECY AND TONGUES) HAVE CEASED.  ALTHOUGH GOD'S WORD IS PERFECT (PSALM 19:7), THAT CANNOT BE THE "PERFECT THING" THAT IS SPOKEN OF HERE.

IN 1ST CORINTHIANS 13:12, PAUL SAID WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME, WE SHALL SEE FACE TO FACE. THIS IS SPEAKING OF SEEING THE LORD FACE TO FACE, INSTEAD OF VAGUELY AS THROUGH A DARK GLASS, AS IT IS NOW.  SOME MIGHT ARGUE THAT THIS IS SPEAKING IN A SYMBOLIC SENSE INSTEAD OF LITERALLY FACE TO FACE, BUT THE NEXT COMPARISON IN THAT VERSE SAYS THAT THEN (WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME) WE SHALL KNOW ALL THINGS EVEN AS WE ARE ALSO KNOWN.  THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO INTERPRET THAT EXCEPT TO BE DESCRIBING WHEN WE STAND BEFORE THE LORD AFTER THIS LIFE.  THEN WE WILL BE FACE TO FACE AND KNOW ALL THINGS EVEN AS ALSO WE ARE KNOWN.

1ST CORINTHIANS 13:8 ALSO SAYS THAT AT THE TIME PROPHECIES FAIL AND TONGUES CEASE, KNOWLEDGE WILL VANISH AWAY.  THAT HAS TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT LIFE, OR THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH, BECAUSE ONE OF THE SIGNS OF THE END TIMES WILL BE THAT KNOWLEDGE SHALL INCREASE (DANIEL 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.). SO, THE "THAT WHICH IS PERFECT" THAT PAUL IS SPEAKING OF CANNOT BE THE BIBLE.  IT HAS TO BE SPEAKING OF EITHER OUR GLORIFIED BODIES OR JESUS AT HIS SECOND COMING.  EITHER WAY, THESE VERSE ESTABLISH THAT UNTIL THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME, TONGUES AND PROPHECY WILL REMAIN.  THESE ARE VALID GIFTS TODAY.

I WAS SEARCHING THE INTERNET ON PRAYING IN TONGUES AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING AND I BELIEVE IT IS FROM JOSEPH PRINCE MINISTRIES. I LISTEN TO HIM QUITE OFTEN AND THIS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING HE WOULD WRITE.  HE REALLY EXPLAINS PRAYING IN TONGUES A LOT BETTER THAN WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO.  I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY IT.

Romans 8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Wouldn’t you like to pray effective prayers that are always in line with the will of God and which always hit the mark? Well, when you pray in the Spirit, you can.

You see, when we pray in English or our known language, and according to our limited understanding, we can pray amiss. Sometimes, our heads get in the way and we find ourselves asking, “Isn’t it selfish of me to pray like this?” or “Am I praying in line with God’s will?”

My friend, that is why God gives us the gift of praying in tongues. When we pray in tongues or in the Holy Spirit, we can never pray out of God’s will because the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God”.

In other words, we pray perfect prayers in line with God’s will when we pray in tongues. And the Bible goes on to tell us that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him”. (1 John 5:14–15)

Isn’t it wonderful that God has put in you the Holy Spirit who prays perfectly? He knows the heart of God and precisely what you need. And He makes intercession for you because He loves you very much.

The Holy Spirit is like your lawyer or legal counselor. He knows what belongs to you legally. He knows what your blood-bought rights are in Christ. Best of all, He knows exactly how to enforce them in your life!

Beloved, when you pray in tongues, you allow the Holy Spirit to pray perfect prayers through you. He pleads your case before God. He knows where you have gone wrong and what the root of the problem is. He also has the wisdom, solution and power to win your case. With the Holy Spirit on your side, you cannot but come out victorious!  

I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE STILL NOT SURE ABOUT THIS AND YOU WILL HAVE TO ASK THE LORD TO GUIDE YOU IN THIS MATTER.  I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS LAST SCRIPTURE AND IT IS 1ST CORINTHIANS 14:1-2 WHICH SAYS "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.  For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."  

GOD BLESS YOU ALL.