(1 Peter 3:15)
E. Roger Ammons, Communication Minister of The Church of God
In 1 Corinthians 14, the apostle Paul writes that agape love is more excellent than any or all of the nine gifts of the Spirit which he had listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. But he writes that members of The Church of God should desire spiritual gifts. He also presents prophecy as the greatest of the nine gifts of the Spirit (v. 1). The gift of prophecy is the proclamation of a message from God under the anointing of the Holy Ghost which edifies, exhorts, and comforts (v. 3). However, if the gift of tongues is translated by the gift of interpretation, the Church is edified to the same degree as by the gift of prophecy (v. 5). Tongues that are not interpreted do not profit or edify the other members of the Church (vv. 6-11). Agape love should cause each member to be zealous for these spiritual gifts to edify the whole Church (v. 12). Paul wrote, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue” (vv. 18, 19). These words raise an interesting question. Could it be that Paul spake with tongues more outside the church, privately, than he did “in the church,” publicly?
In our text chapter, Paul referred to speaking in tongues as a self-edifying form of prayer. He wrote, “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God” (v. 2); “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself” (v. 4); “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth” (v. 14); “I will pray with the spirit” (v. 15). Jude wrote about building up ourselves by “praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 1:20). Paul wrote to the Ephesians that “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18) was essential to victory in our spiritual welfare. The Psalmist David sang, in the spirit of prophecy, of the role of the Holy Ghost in our prayer life, “I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee” (Psa. 38:8, 9). Paul wrote the Romans about the fulfillment of this prophecy, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also…groan within ourselves…Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…” (Rom. 8:22, 23, 26-28). Surely these “groanings” of the Spirit refer to praying in tongues. Such prayers will be answered. “If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14).
Immediately before teaching His disciples how to pray, in what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly… for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matt. 6:6, 8).
Yes, if we have agape love, we want to help edify all the members of The Church of God. In order to do this, however, we need the self-edification that comes from praying in tongues. Jesus said, “And thou shalt love the Lord…this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30, 31). And each of us is to esteem others better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3). But what does that mean if we do not correctly love or esteem ourselves? Remember the words of Jesus to Simon Peter, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).
Some of the blessings of praying in tongues are: (1) self-edification; (2) communion with God; (3) victory in spiritual warfare; (4) help for our infirmities; (5) praying according to God’s will; (6) all things working for our good; (7) rewards from the Father; (8) strength to edify others. Ask yourself, “DO I NEED TO PRAY IN TONGUES?”
Why not cry out to God for what He has promised? “Pour out upon me ‘the spirit of grace and of supplications’” (Zech. 12:10)!