Reasons To Speak In Tongues

We have been looking at the controversial subject of tongues. Controversies tend to evaporate as we get into the scripture. We saw that God desires that we all speak with tongues. We all don’t have the gift of speaking a public message and gifts of interpretation, but we can all pray in the spirit through tongues. Today I want to look at a few reasons why we should desire to speak in tongues.

First of all let’s say that tongues is supremely communication with God.

1 Cor 14:1-3 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.

But what are the good reasons that we should speak in tongues?

1. Tongues is the evidence of the Baptism in the Spirit.
Acts 10:44-46 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Tongues was the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Tongues gave confirmation to Peter that Cornelius and his friends had received, and it should be the evidence for us as well. It gives us confidence.

2. Tongues is the expression of highest Praise and Thanksgiving to the Lord.
Acts 2:11-12 We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

From the very day of Pentecost, tongues had a role in glorifying God and expressing his greatness. Tongues were not for the purpose of preaching the gospel, because obviously Peter preached and many were saved. But prior to this they were all praising God in tongues.

1 Cor 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
1 Cor 14:15-17; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16 If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.


Praying in a tongue can be a good way for you to personally give thanks to God.

This verse also talks about singing with your spirit. What is that? From the context, it is clearly singing in tongues. It is a powerful means of praise and thanksgiving. Paul wrote:

Eph 5:18-20 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The reference to spiritual songs here is singing in the spirit which is singing in tongues as we see in 1 Cor 14. Tongues can be used in transcendent praise since no human language is sufficient to give God the glory he deserves. When you praise in tongues, it is the highest praise becasue the Holy Spirit through yoour spirit magnifies the Lord way beyond what your natural language can do.

3. Tongues is a means of building yourself up spiritually

1 Cor 14:3-4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

Jude 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

When you pray in tongues, your spirit is in direct contact with God, who is a spirit. Therefore your spirit is edified . Your spirit is built up in God. It is almost like recharging the battery. To pray in the spirit is to be built up in our most holy faith. As we pray and praise God through tongues, our own spirits are receiving the overflow of strength and blessing.

4. Tongues Is A Means of Supernatural Praying.

1 Cor 14:2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.

Here Paul emphasizes the fact that when people speak in tongues, it is not just always praise and thanksgiving, it is also speaking mysteries to God. There is a type of supernatural praying that can occur as we speak in tongues.

1 Cor 14:14-15 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind;

Paul says that there are two types of praying. Praying with the mind, and praying in the spirit with tongues. Praying with the mind is praying with understanding, but there is another kind of praying, praying in the spirit. This type of praying leaves the mind unfruitful. Why is it unfruitful? Because you are praying mysteries with your spirit. Paul says he will do both. Why? He is recognizing that there is a lot more to pray for than he can understand, so he will pray in the spirit as a direct communication with God. Paul describes this process in Romans 8.


Rom 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

We don’t always know how to pray. But when we pray in the spirit we can know that the Holy Spirit is praying through us. The Holy Spirit doesn’t groan apart from you. The tongues come through you . It comes through your lips. The Spirit is not going to do your praying for you. He is sent to help us to pray-- not to pray in our place. So praying in tongues eliminates praying outside of the will of God.

Asking with wrong motives
James 4:2-3 You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.


When we pray with our understanding , it is possible that we can pray with the wrong motives and therefore not see the fruit. But when we pray in the spirit, we don’t have that problem. The Holy Spirit is praying through us and bypassing our understanding altogether. We are speaking mysteries. Prayer like this is bound to be powerful.

1 Cor 2:10 The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

A missionary to Africa was speaking at a conference in England. A woman asked him if he kept a diary. He said that he did and she relayed the story that 2 years prior she had been awakened in the night with a burden to pray. She prayed in tongues for an hour. When she finished praying she had a vision in which she saw the missionary in a little grass hut. He was extremely sick and then he died. The natives pulled a sheet up over his head. Suddenly she saw him come out of the hut and they all rejoiced. Did something like this ever happen, she asked?

When they compared diaries, it turned out that it was precisely at the time this woman was praying that this exact scene had unfolded.

This Should be a regular practice.
Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

We saw that Paul defined praying in the spirit as praying in tongues in 1 cor 14. Here he says they should do it on all occasions. It is powerful. It is by the Spirit. There is no richer praying than this.

All Christians have the responsibility to pray but no matter how long and exhaustive our prayers may be with our understanding, we may ask, have I really prayed as I should? This is exactly where praying in the spirit comes in, because the Holy Spirit knows exactly what to pray for.

Blessings!