6-2 Tongues

Key to the Gifts and Power of the Holy Spirit

There are over 600 million individuals world-wide who have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and pray in tongues. Many of us have this gift but have been neglecting it. What power we could release if each of us prayed more in tongues!

When we pray in tongues, our personal prayer language, our spirit directly communicates with God’s Spirit – the Holy Spirit. We communicate our heartfelt concerns to Him and He helps us receive the power, love and character of the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit’s Gifts and Fruit). Tongues helps us become all that God wants for us.

In his book “70 Reasons for Speaking in Tongues,” Dr. Bill Hamon declares that it is the greatest gift that a Christian can receive.

As we pray and intercede, we often receive God’s thoughts and ideas for helping others and solving our own problems. The more we pray in tongues, the more we receive!

Tongues Gives Us Boldness

Tongues is also the key to boldness and the miraculous. Jesus said we would do the miracles He did and even greater things. Powerful men and women of God dedicate hours to praying in tongues, especially before ministering. The miracles that result show the world that God is real!

After reading Dr. Hamon’s book, I was inspired to do my own scripture study. Here are the scriptures I found. Except any noted, all are from New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Some of these scriptures don’t specifically mention tongues or the Holy Spirit but they are what God desires for us and His Holy Spirit and tongues helps us achieve.

Be sure to read Baptism of the Holy Spirit, 6-1, which gives the background on the gift of tongues and tells how to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Tongues and/or the Holy Spirit

  1. Is available to every believer, every born again Christian. (Mark 16: 17)
  2. Is evidence that a person has received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:4)
  3. Seats us with Him in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 2:6)
  4. Blesses us with every spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)
  5. Enables us to communicate spirit-to-Spirit with the living God (I Corinthians 14:2)
  6. Shows us we are one spirit with God. (I Corinthians 6:17, I John 4:13)
  7. Brings man’s spirit back to life that was dead due to sin. (Romans 8:11-14)
  8. Gives us truth and guidance. (John 16:13-15, John 14:15-17)
  9. Affirms that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:16-17, 8:14)
  10. Helps us pray in accordance with God’s will. (Romans 8:27)
  11. Causes rivers of living water to flow out from within us. (John 7:38-39)
  12. Releases the power of God in us to overcome the sin in our lives. (Romans 8:11-14, Romans 8:2. Romans 8:9)
  13. Enables us to talk to God by the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 14:1)
  14. Provides counsel from the Holy Spirit who will never leave us. (John 14:16-17)
  15. Sets us free when we are obedient. (John 8:31b-32, II Corinthians 3:17)
  16. Allows us to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 3:7)
  17. Tongues is of angels (heavenly language) or of men (earthly languages). (I Corinthians 13: 1)
  18. Generates the Fruit of the Spirit within us – love, joy, peace, etc. (Galations 5:22-23)
  19. Develops the Gift(s) of the Spirit that God has ordained for us. (I Corinthians 12:7-12)
  20. Helps us to pray when we don’t know how or what to pray (Romans 8:26-28)
  21. Teaches us all things and brings things we have been taught to our remembrance. (John 14:26)
  22. Reveals God’s secrets to us and gives us understanding. (I Corinthians 2:10, I Corinthians 2:12-14)
  23. Builds our faith and the faith of others. (Jude 1:20)
  24. Fills our heart with love so we can love others. (Romans 5:5, I John 4:19)
  25. Gives us joy and strengthens us. (Ephesians 3:16, Nehemiah 8:10)
  26. Gives us righteousness, peace, and joy through the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:11, Romans 14:7)
  27. Takes away fear and gives us power, love, and discipline. (II Timothy 1:6)
  28. Gives us the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:16b)
  29. Gives us a new heart and a new spirit, so we will obey his regulations. (Ezekiel 36:26-27, Romans 8:6)
  30. Helps us to intercede for ourselves and others. (Romans 8:26-28)
  31. Gives us hope because the love of God is poured out within us. (Romans 5:5, Romans 15:13)
  32. Activates the power plant within us. (Acts 1:8)
  33. Tongues strengthens us, recharging our spiritual batteries when we are feeling low (I Corinthians 14:4).
  34. Guides and directs our path, enabling us to live, walk, and be led by the Spirit. (Romans 8:14, Acts 8:29)
  35. Helps us to win others to Christ by the power of God’s Spirit. (Romans 15:18-19)
  36. Keeps us holy and believing in the truth. (II Thessalonians 2:13)
  37. Is available 24 hours per day, any time there is a desire or need to pray. (John 14:15)
  38. Helps us to pray without ceasing… (1Thessalonians 5:17-19)
  39. Tells us what to say. (Mark 13:11)
  40. Is part of the armor of God. (Ephesians 6:18)
  41. Praying together greatly multiplies our effectiveness. (Deuteronomy 32:30)
  42. Helps us to pray for all Christians everywhere. (Ephesians 6:18)
  43. Helps us to war, not by force or might but by his Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6)
  44. Helps us discern between right and wrong and do right. (Hebrews 5:14)
  45. Produces unity and harmony with others. (Ephesians 4:3)
  46. Unites Jews and Gentiles. (Ephesians. 2:17-18)
  47. Enables us to worship in spirit and truth.   (John 4:23-24)
  48. Gives us fast answers, because God is light (John 8:12) and communication takes place at the speed of light.
  49. Brings peace according to the thoughts and purposes of God’s heart. (Colosians 3:15, Romans 8:6, John 14:27)
  50. Helps us grow in the knowledge of God with wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:17)
  51. Causes our prayers to be fruitful. (I John 5:14-15, Ephesians 3:20)
  52. Helps us to glorify God, by becoming more like Jesus. (II Corinthians 3:16-

Testimony

At an intercessory prayer meeting with two friends, we prayed some in words (with the understanding), but mostly together in energetic tongues for one to two hours. A few days later, my hands felt like they had a slight coating of oil on them. At night, the bottom of my feet often bother me, feeling a bit numb. All the numbness was gone. I got up to use the bathroom and noticed that my tongue was heavily coated with white, the way it looks when I am on a serious fast. My body was evidently being cleansed by the prayer in tongues.

I also noticed that I didn’t feel cold when I went outside in 18 degree or even colder weather. I would normally feel very chilly under those circumstances. I am looking forward to achieving even more physical and spiritual benefits.

We were having a very cold and blustery winter here in Maine, lots of snow and wind. My hands were very dry and I had been using hand cream with relatively poor results. I awoke during the night after our prayer to discover that the skin on my hands, face, and arms was silky and soft, no dryness.

As I began writing this article, I started to pray in much more in tongues. I noticed that I began feeling more positive and stronger physically. My arms and legs were rounded and firm, despite the fact that I had done no exercise other than normal tasks.

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DLH  – March 29, 2011