ICS Daily Devotions
Pray in a Heavenly Language
1 Cor 14:1-2 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but TO GOD, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
1 Cor 14:39-4 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
We are to desire spiritual gifts. More importantly, the foundation of earnestly pursing spiritual gifts is built on love. And let all things be done in order and decently in a service.
Acts 19:1-6 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
At salvation, the Holy Spirit lives in us and we are new creation through Jesus Christ. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a second voluntary experience after we are saved. The disciples response to Paul’s question whether they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit demonstrated their lack of knowledge. In the New Testament, there were always supernatural manifestations that accompany the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When Paul laid hands on the disciples, they immediately began speaking in tongues and prophesying. After baptism of the Holy Spirit, they ALL spoke out in prayer tongues, not prophetic tongues.
The ability to speak in tongues is a heavenly language that opens up the portals for us to speak to God, not to men. Our mind has no understanding nor is it fruitful, but the spirit empowers us to draw boldly to the throne room of grace (Heb 4:16).
Our spirit provides the content of the prayer. We know that we are interceding for a person or an event. In John 7:37-38 Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water ” The Holy Spirit never loses a case when you partner with Him, because in Christ there is always victory.
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Rom 8:6). Intellectual people may struggle with this aspect of prayer because their mind is unfruitful during prayer. There is no space for reasoning in our minds when we choose to yield to the Holy Spirit. If we choose to bypass our mental faculty, He will help us to pray according to God’s will.
The prayer language is a secret code between our inner man and God. It blocks our adversary from eavesdropping because he cannot discern it. This gift from God is made freely available to us and it is here to help us build up our inner man – therefore we are not to forbid speaking in tongues ( 1 Cor 14:39 ).
Luke 11:11-13 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
If you earnestly desire the ability to speak in tongues, ask God and He will give it to you!
Sermon Series: The Work and the Person of the Holy Spirit
