MEMORY VERSE: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.Mark 16:17
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 9-12
Mark 16:17 says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;” What are tongues? The word for ‘tongues’ is the same word as that for ‘languages’, and it means the ability to speak in a language you have never learned. It may be an angelic language (1 Corinthians 13:1) which presumably is not recognizable or it may be a recognizable human language (as at Pentecost). The gift of tongues has brought many great blessings to many people. Not all Christians speak in tongues nor is it necessarily a sign of being filled with the Spirit. It is possible to be filled with the Spirit and not speak in tongues. Nevertheless, for many, both in the New Testament and in Christian experience, it accompanies an experience of the Holy Spirit and may be the first experience of the more obviously supernatural activity of the Spirit.
Speaking in tongues is a form of prayer (one of the many different forms of prayer found in the New Testament). Paul says, “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2). Every one of us is limited by language. There are times we experience frustration in that we cannot truly express what we really feel when we talk to people. We feel things in our spirit but we don’t know how to put them into words. This is often true also in our relationship with God. This is where the gift of tongues can be a great help. It enables us to express to God what we really feel in our spirits without going through the process of translating it into our native language.
There are three areas in which we will find the gift of tongues very useful. Firstly, in the area of praise and worship. In our praise and worship of God we can often find language limiting. We long to express our love, worship and praise of God, particularly when we are filled with the Spirit. The gift of tongues enables us to do this without the imitation of human language. Secondly, it can be a great help when praying under pressure. There are times in our lives when it is hard to know exactly how to pray. It can be because we are burdened by many pressures, anxieties or griefs. A brother was in a staff meeting in church, some years ago, when he received a message that his mother had a heart attack and was in hospital. Whilst in the taxi, he desperately wanted to pray but felt too shock to form any sentence. He didn't know where to start and what to say, so he began to pray in tongues and the situation was brought under the control of God. Lastly, the gift of tongues can be a help when praying for other people. It is hard to pray for others- especially if you have not seen them or heard from them for some time. The gift of tongues can be a real help when praying or interceding for pastors, church members, our singles, the unemployed, people looking for the fruit of the womb, students, people who are yet to give their lives to Christ and so on. Also, the gift of tongues is a gateway for one to receive other gifts of the spirit. If you have the gifts of tongues, pray in tongues daily as it awakens other gifts of God that are lying dormant in you.
CONFESSIONS: Father, i thank you for the gifts of the Spirit in my life.
ACTION: Set out time to pray in tongues daily.
twitter@BroOluwatoki
Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment