What's So Special About the Gift of Tongues?

Man speaks to God in prayer through the Spirit, and God 

speaks to man in answer.

Jesus Teaches on His Sending of the Holy Spirit!

   (Artist Unknown)

Why tongues at all, we might ask? What is the true value of these varieties of tongues?

“Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding... (1 Cor 14:13-15 NKJV).

“I will sing with the spirit, and

I will also sing with the understanding”

The individual who speaks or sings in unknown tongues is spiritually placing his prayer before God. The Holy Spirit will interpret back to his mind His divine message as he prays within the believer. This is the true purpose of the gift of tongues.

And we must add that a spiritual interpretation is not a word-for-word translation. The individual prays spiritually by the leading of the Holy Spirit. But God returns his own message or direction through the prayer. The message is God’s guidance.

“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:22-23 NKJV).

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 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” (Rom 8:26-27 NKJV).

“Let there be light”; and there was light.

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Gen 1: 2-3 NKJV).

Look back on how the Spirit works in Genesis! The Spirit of God hovers over us and takes the chaos and void from the human spirit in the prayer of tongues and recreates it into praise, glorifying the Father. Out of the chaos and void, the Spirit glorifies the Father. 

 

“Lazarus, come forth!”

When Jesus approached the tomb of Lazarus who had been dead and buried for four days, “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled…. Jesus wept” (John 11:33-35 NKJV). Then Jesus spoke out the command: “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43 NKJV).

Out of the chaos and void, Jesus groaned in his spirit and spoke the command which raised the dead man back to life. This is how God uses the gift of tongues.

Through the gift of tongues, the Spirit takes the imperfections, hurt, frailty, wounds, and weakness deep in the human soul and forms it to praise and glory to the Father. And God says, “Let there be Light!” Man speaks to God in prayer through the Spirit, and God speaks back to man in answer.

“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” (Rom 8:27 NKJV).

Man’s prayer and listening is imperfect. We are limited as to how or what to pray for, seeking to be in accord with the mind of God. But the Spirit of God knows exactly what to intercede for and exactly what to answer. That is what is so special about the gift of tongues. God speaks to the man or woman who listens.

--Bill Hunt

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