Why Speak in Tongues?

Here are several reasons why Christians should speak in tongues:


1. Tongues is evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This is shown three times in The Acts of the Apostles: in chapter 2, on the day the church was born; in chapter 10, about ten years later when Peter ministered to the Gentiles; and in chapter 19, about twenty years later when Paul laid hands on the believers in Ephesus. In each of these passages, the Bible specifically says the people spoke with tongues.
2. Tongues is your prayer language. As we find in 1 Corinthians 14:2, when you speak in tongues, you are speaking supernaturally to God. Your spirit prays, but your mind does not understand. Your spirit is the real you—your inner man—and it is that inner person (the real you) who is talking to God.
3. With tongues, you magnify God. To magnify God is to make Him great. “They heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (Acts 10:46).
4. Tongues edifies. First Corinthians 14:4 says, “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself.” When you edify yourself, you are building up spiritual strength within yourself.
5. Tongues brings gladness in singing. In 1 Corinthians 14:15 Paul wrote, “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” Singing with the spirit becomes a source of gladness in singing unto the Lord.
6. Tongues is a source of intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is one of the greatest spiritual undertakings. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” This is a different level of prayer. In the forty or fifty years of my ministry, I have experienced this type of in-depth intercessory prayer only five or six times.
7. Tongues is a source of spiritual refreshing. Isaiah 28:11–12 says, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.... This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.” Tongues provides a spiritual stamina that comes only from God.
8. Speaking and ministering to the Lord in tongues is somewhat like a repository of profit. As is stated in 1 Corinthians 12:7, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” Through tongues, God can bring into your life an enrichment and a spiritual blessing you have never known before as you realize and experience a new nearness to God.

 

The above notes were taken from the book, “Gifts and Ministries of The Holy Spirit” written by Lester Sumrall.

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