Introduction:
A few months ago, I read an article on a website of The Guardian, a British daily newspaper.
The article mentions that the chief leader of the Church of England (which has about 85 million members), Justin Welby, speaks in tongues every day as part of his 5 am prayer.
When I read that article, I was personally challenged because even after experiencing the baptism of the Spirit several years ago, I would go several days without speaking in tongues.
Now there is a lot of confusion about tongues among non-Pentecostals and even some Pentecostals.
Some receive the baptism of the Spirit with the physical evidence of speaking in tongues, but it becomes a one-time experience for them.
Probably some think that the experience of speaking in tongues cannot be repeated.
Or some may believe that since such experience is supernatural, repeated occurrences may make it trivial.
Some tarry and pray for a long time before they received the experience of speaking in tongues and hence, they don’t want to go through the intense period of waiting and seeking God all over again.
But if we fail to seek the baptism in the Spirit and the habit of speaking in tongues, we miss out on a lot of glorious blessings.
Let’s see as to how tongues can be a blessing in our spiritual lives.
Would you take God’s Word and turn your Bibles with me to 1 Corinthians 14:13-19?
I have entitled today’s sermon as: “The Blessings of Speaking in Tongues.”
I have taken the material for this sermon from the eighth chapter of Robert W. Graves’ book, Praying in the Spirit.
In today’s passage, we see that:
Central Proposition of the Text: Apostle Paul gives a few instructions about speaking in tongues.
Here, Apostle Paul says that he prays with his mind as well as his spirit.
This text reveals that speaking in tongues is not a one-time experience for Paul.
Rather, Paul says that he spoke in tongues more than all the Corinthians.
Since Paul didn’t always speak in tongues in an assembly, he probably spoke in tongues during his private time of prayer.
Fallen Condition Focus: Already dealt with.
The Purpose Bridge: To encourage the members of EAGC to be filled with the Spirit and speak in tongues regularly.
Central Proposition of the Sermon: Be filled with the Spirit and speak in tongues to receive tremendous spiritual blessings.
This passage shows that Paul spoke in tongues in three ways, praying (proseuchomai; verse 14), praising (eulogeo; verse 16), and thanksgiving (eucharistia; verse 16).
According to Paul, we can speak in tongues as we pray to God, praise him, and give thanks to him.
By examining Paul’s use of the above Greek words in other parts of the Scripture, we can learn how speaking in tongues can be a blessing in our spiritual lives.
We can talk about several ways that we can use our prayer language, but in this sermon, I will share 7 ways speaking in tongues can be a blessing in our spiritual lives.
I. WE CAN USE TONGUES DURING PRIVATE PRAYER.
1 Corinthians 14:14: For if I pray (proseuchomai) in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
Matthew 6:6: But when you pray (proseuchomai), go into your room and shut the door and pray (proseuchomai) to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The same Greek word is used for ‘pray’ in 1 Corinthians 14:14 and Matthew 6:6 (also see Mark 1:35; Luke 9:18; Acts 10:9).
Since the same Greek word is used in Acts 12:12 and Acts 21:5-6 in the context of corporate prayer, some Pentecostal scholars argue that we can pray in tongues corporately as well.
So, praying in tongues can be useful in your personal prayer time.
II. WE CAN USE TONGUES TO PRAY FOR THE SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF OTHERS.
1 Corinthians 14:14: For if I pray (proseuchomai) in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
Philippians 1:9: And it is my prayer (proseuchomai) that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.
We can use tongues to pray for others.
When you pray for the spiritual welfare of your family members, relatives, friends, and church members, we can pray in tongues.
So, we can speak in tongues when we intercede for the spiritual well-being of other Christians.
III. WE CAN USE TONGUES TO THANK GOD FOR OTHERS.
1 Corinthians 14:16: Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving (eucharistia) when he does not know what you are saying?
Philippians 1:3: I thank (eucharisto) my God in all my remembrance of you.
1 Thessalonians 3:9: For what thanksgiving (eucharistian) can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God.
When you want to thank God for a brother or sister or someone who has been a blessing to you, you can speak in tongues and express thanks to God for those people.
IV. WE CAN USE TONGUES TO PRAY FOR THE WORK OF MISSIONS.
We can use tongues to pray for the ministries of others, particularly the ministry of the missionaries.
1 Corinthians 14:14: For if I pray (proseuchomai) in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
Colossians 4:2-3: 2 Continue steadfastly in prayer (proseuchomai), being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray (proseuchomai) also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison.
We should pray for the ministers and missionaries with our minds and with our spirits.
In Acts 6, we read that seven men were chosen to do the work of a deacon.
The apostles prayed (proseuchomai) for them before they could do their duties.
As you pray for pastors, evangelists, and missionaries, pray for them in tongues.
V. WE CAN USE TONGUES TO PRAISE GOD.
1 Corinthians 14:16: Otherwise, if you give thanks (NIV: praise; eulogeo) with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
Matthew 21:9: And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed (eulogeo) is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Eulogeo means to praise or celebrate with praises.
Human vocabulary is insufficient to praise God.
Sometimes, we cannot express our God-given joy in words.
This is where praying in tongues can be a huge blessing.
We praise God in our native tongue and when words are not enough, we can pray in the spirit.
VI. WE CAN USE TONGUES FOR OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
1 Corinthians 14:14: For if I pray (proseuchomai) in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
Matthew 26:41: Watch and pray (proseuchomai) that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
We must keep praying that we will not yield to our sinful nature, the world, and the devil.
Instead of yielding to the temptations, we must keep growing up in our faith.
1 Corinthians 14:4: The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself.
Many Spirit-filled believers testify that speaking in tongues helps them overcome the temptations of the devil.
Also, many Pentecostals and Charismatics testify that when they are down, discouraged, fearful, or even dry in their spirit, speaking in tongues brings tremendous results.
I can personally testify that I experience the love, joy, peace, boldness, assurance, and confidence as I speak in tongues.
We can even sense God’s rich presence when we speak in tongues.
VII. WE CAN USE TONGUES WHEN WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO PRAY FOR.
1 Corinthians 14:14: For if I pray (proseuchomai) in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
Romans 8:26-27: 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray (proseuchomai) for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
If the doctors themselves are unable to diagnose the problem or when they give up, how do you pray?
When you have to make a crucial decision and you don’t sense a clear direction easily, how do you pray?
When you are going such emotional pain that you cannot express your agony to the Lord in words, how do you pray?
When words fail us, praise God, we can pray in tongues!
Since the Spirit knows our situation, his prayers will always be in complete harmony with God’s will.
Conclusion:
Central Proposition of the Sermon: Be filled with the Spirit and speak in tongues to receive tremendous spiritual blessings.
Many Spirit-filled Christians testify that speaking in tongues creates an insatiable hunger for God’s Word. We know the delight of reading and meditating God’s Word.
Many missionaries testify that when they experienced burnout, praying in the spirit helped them to continue serving the Lord.
While some believers have received inner healing by praying in tongues, others have experienced healing in their hurting marriages.
Reading of God’s Word, fellowship, prayer, and witnessing is enhanced by praying in the spirit.
That’s why speaking in tongues is such a great blessing.
My prayer is that each one of us will be filled with the Spirit and speak in tongues not just once in a while, but regularly.
Make speaking in tongues a normative and a regular spiritual discipline in your life.
