2 Corinthians 13:14 | MSG (14) The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.
1 Corinthians 12:1 | NKJV (1) Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
The word “gifts” was added by the translators. This verse actually says,
1 Corinthians 12:1 | BBE (1) But about the things of the spirit, my brothers, it is not right for you to be without teaching.
Benefits of Praying In Other Tongues
- Tongues is primarily for a believer’s own personal, spiritual edification.
1 Corinthians 14:4a | AMPC (4) He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself…
- You cannot edify people unless you have first been edified.
- God has given us a divine means by which we can speak directly to Him supernaturally.
- Praying in other tongues is praying in line with God’s perfect will.
- Your weaknesses do not disqualify you from His help, they qualify you for His help.
More Benefits of Praying In Tongues
- Speaking in tongues helps us to stay aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
John 14:16 | TPT (16-17) And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you will know him intimately, because he will make his home in you and will live inside you.
The ability to pray in other tongues proves the Holy Spirit’s abiding presence because one cannot pray in tongues unless the Spirit gives the utterance.
Acts 2:4 | NKJV (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
When we are more aware of His presence, we are less likely to yield to our flesh.
Romans 8:5 | AMPC (5) For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
- Praying in other tongues makes us more aware of and sensitive to spiritual things.
- Praying in tongues will stimulate your faith.
Stimulate – encourage development and increase activity
Jude 1:20 | NKJV (20) But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
Faith does not come by praying in the Spirit. It grows as we feed it on the Word of God and exercise our faith.
How does it stimulate our faith? The very act of praying in other tongues requires faith.
Our faith is activated because we must trust the Holy Spirit for the next utterance that we speak as we pray in other tongues.
- Praying in tongues gives spiritual refreshing.
Isaiah 28:11-12 | NKJV (11) For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, (12) To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing…”
There is a rest and refreshing that is available to us through praying in the Spirit. As we know, sometimes rest is what we need to get well of what is ailing or troubling us.
- Praying in tongues will help you get your tongue under control.
James 3:6-8 | NKJV (6) And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. (7) For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. (8) But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
James did not say that the tongue could not be tamed or brought under control. James said that no man can tame the tongue.
Some have trouble controlling the parts of our flesh that get us in trouble sexually, but actually God is more concerned about you taming the tongue because it can cause more damage. If you can control the tongue, you are able to get the other parts under control.
James 3:2 | NKJV (2) For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
- Praying in tongues will aid you in worshipping, praising, and magnifying God.
Acts 10:45-46 NKJV And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. (46) For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God…
The Greek word for “magnify” means to make great or enlarge.
By praying in the Spirit, we make God bigger in our thinking of Him. (God does not get bigger but He becomes bigger to us.)
Acts 10:46 | TPT (46) for they heard them speaking in supernaturally given languages and passionately praising God.
We need to develop a vocabulary of worship from the Word of God in our known tongue.
Worshipping in the Spirit is a powerful thing that God gives us because sometimes you run out of what to say in your known language.
This will cause us to become intimately aware of the presence of God on an ongoing basis.
Ephesians 5:18-19 NKJV (18) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, (19) speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,