Featured Start Praying in Tongues

I don't recall anyone demanding someone speak in tongue!

Every example in Acts where they were baptized with the Holy Spirit they ALL spoke in tongues. You do not have to speak in tongues to be saved. But praying in the spirit is something that is a benefit to the christian!

In 1 Cor. 12 it is speaking of ministry gifts! Not all have the gift of tongues AND interpretation for the assembly! But all can pray in the spirit!

1 Cor. 13 tells us when they will cease! It says when that which is perfect shall come...we will know even as we are known and we see face to face! 1 1 Cor. 1:7-8 says that Paul says he does not us to come behind in any gift..WAITING ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! That we shall be blameless in teh DAY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!

 

Well...you would be surprised how many Baptist really believe this truth!

 

Uh no I wouldn't those who hold to this are not Baptist. There may be some who decided to attend a Baptist church who hold to this. But those are two different things. Baptists will not put up with this abomination in their church services.

 

A learned language is not a manifestation of the Holy Spirit! An unbeliever can learn a language!

Don't we have the Spirit within, does't he indwell us at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ?

 

Well you need to visit some of the Baptist churches in the South! Either way! God is not about denominations..he is about spirit and truth!

 

I am from the south. Born and raised. I know all about Baptist churches in the south. And it is especially true in the south that they will not put up with it in Baptist churches. And saying God is nt about denominations has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

 

I have never heard the Bible describe the Spirit as cold. He comes as a flame.
Also in Acts, they spoke languages THEY did not know but the hearers did. They were not speaking gibberish.

 

I have never said they spoke gibberish! I have always said tongues was a known language...just not one that the speaker himself knows!

 

Thanks for the EDIFICATION (not) I'm sorry my babble is over your head and you lack understanding. If you don't believe my babble maybe you'll believe theirs....funny how gotquestions.org always agrees with me...are we the only ones who have SOUND DOCTRINE?...I'm beginning to think we are!

Question: "What is praying in tongues? Is praying in tongues a prayer language between a believer and God?"

Answer: As a background, please read our article on the gift of speaking in tongues. There are four primary Scripture passages that are cited as evidence for praying in tongues: Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 14:4-17; Ephesians 6:18; and Jude verse 20. Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 20 mention “praying in the Spirit.” However, tongues as a prayer language is not a likely interpretation of “praying in the Spirit.”

Romans 8:26 teaches us, “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.” Two key points make it highly unlikely that Romans 8:26 is referring to tongues as a prayer language. First, Romans 8:26 states that it is the Spirit who “groans,” not believers. Second, Romans 8:26 states that the “groans” of the Spirit “cannot be expressed.” The very essence of speaking in tongues is uttering words.

That leaves us with 1 Corinthians 14:4-17 and verse 14 especially: “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.” First Corinthians 14:14 distinctly mentions “praying in tongues.” What does this mean? First, studying the context is immensely valuable. First Corinthians chapter 14 is primarily a comparison/contrast of the gift of speaking in tongues and the gift of prophecy. Verses 2-5 make it clear that Paul views prophecy as a gift superior to tongues. At the same time, Paul exclaims the value of tongues and declares that he is glad that he speaks in tongues more than anyone (verse 18).

Acts chapter 2 describes the first occurrence of the gift of tongues. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles spoke in tongues. Acts chapter 2 makes it clear that the apostles were speaking in a human language (Acts 2:6-8). The word translated “tongues” in both Acts chapter 2 and 1 Corinthians chapter 14 is glossa which means “language.” It is the word from which we get our modern English word “glossary.” Speaking in tongues was the ability to speak in a language the speaker does not know, in order to communicate the gospel to someone who does speak that language. In the multicultural area of Corinth, it seems that the gift of tongues was especially valuable and prominent. The Corinthians believers were able to better communicate the gospel and God’s Word as a result of the gift of tongues. However, Paul made it abundantly clear that even in this usage of tongues, it was to be interpreted or “translated” (1 Corinthians 14:13, 27). A Corinthian believer would speak in tongues, proclaiming God’s truth to someone who spoke that language, and then that believer, or another believer in the church, was to interpret what was spoken so that the entire assembly could understand what was said.

What, then, is praying in tongues, and how is it different than speaking in tongues? First Corinthians 14:13-17 indicates that praying in tongues is also to be interpreted. As a result, it seems that praying in tongues was offering a prayer to God. This prayer would minister to someone who spoke that language, but would also need to be interpreted so that the entire body could be edified.

This interpretation does not agree with those who view praying in tongues as a prayer language. This alternate understanding can be summarized as follows: praying in tongues is a personal prayer language between a believer and God (1 Corinthians 13:1) that a believer uses to edify himself (1 Corinthians 14:4). This interpretation is unbiblical for the following reasons: 1) How could praying in tongues be a private prayer language if it is to be interpreted (1 Corinthians 14:13-17)? 2) How could praying in tongues be for self-edification when Scripture says that the spiritual gifts are for the edification of the church, not the self (1 Corinthians 12:7). 3) How can praying in tongues be a private prayer language if the gift of tongues is a “sign to unbelievers” (1 Corinthians 14:22)? 4) The Bible makes it clear that not everyone possesses the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:11, 28-30). How could tongues be a gift for self-edification if not every believer can possess it? Do we not all need to be edified?

Some understand praying in tongues to be a “secret code language” that prevents Satan and his demons from understanding our prayers and thereby gaining an advantage over us. This interpretation is unbiblical for the following reasons: 1) The New Testament consistently describes tongues as a human language. It is unlikely that Satan and his demons are unable to understand human languages. 2) The Bible records countless believers praying in their own language, out loud, with no concern of Satan intercepting the prayer. Even if Satan and/or his demons hear and understand the prayers we pray, they have absolutely no power to prevent God from answering the prayers according to His will. We know that God hears our prayers, and that fact makes it irrelevant whether Satan and his demons hear and understand our prayers.

What do we say, then, about the many Christians who have experienced praying in tongues and find it to be very personally edifying? First, we must base our faith and practice on Scripture, not experience. We must view our experiences in light of Scripture, not interpret Scripture in light of our experiences. Second, many of the cults and world religions also report occurrences of speaking in tongues/praying in tongues. Obviously the Holy Spirit is not gifting these unbelieving individuals. So, it seems that the demons are able to counterfeit the gift of speaking in tongues. This should cause us to compare even more carefully our experiences with Scripture. Third, studies have shown how speaking/praying in tongues can be a learned behavior. Through hearing and observing others speak in tongues, a person can learn the procedure, even subconsciously. This is the most likely explanation for the vast majority of instances of speaking/praying in tongues among Christians. Fourth, the feeling of “self-edification” is natural. The human body produces adrenaline and endorphins when it experiences something new, exciting, emotional, and/or disconnected from rational thought.

Praying in tongues is most definitely an issue on which Christians can respectfully and lovingly agree to disagree. Praying in tongues is not what determines salvation. Praying in tongues is not what separates a mature Christian from an immature Christian. Whether or not there is such a thing as praying in tongues as a personal prayer language is not a fundamental of the Christian faith. So, while we believe the biblical interpretation of praying in tongues leads away from the idea of a private prayer language for personal edification, we also recognize that many who practice such are our brothers and sisters in Christ and are worthy of our love and respect.



Related Topics:

What is the gift of speaking in tongues?

What is glossolalia?

Are the miraculous gifts of the Spirit for today?

What is the Pentecostal Church and what do Pentecostals believe?

What is the spiritual gift of interpreting tongues?

 

DUDE, this was what you didn't agree with, yet I am 100% right!

 

OK, I'll ask again:

If the person praying in unknown languages doesn't know what he is saying and God is all knowing.....why would God have a conversation with himself?

 

Just because you quote a page of someone's interpretation of scripture does not make you 100% right! Scripture is clear that tongues is speaking to God! Speaking to God is prayer!

 

they have no answer...for it is of Satan...God makes perfect sense Satan doesn't!

Plain and simple!....lol

 

Ok...I will ask again! Do you know the scriputure that says that when we do not know how to pray the Holy Spirit prays for us?
Set aside tongues for a moment! And tell me how the Holy Spirit prays for us when we can not pray for ourself!

 

Another begging the question fallacy. One does not lead to the other.

 

gotquestions.org isn't one persons interpretation is a COLLECTION of many scholars,teachers, preachers etc who come up with the answers and the answers are (from what I have noticed so far) always right!

WHY?...because their foundation is right...you can only build truth on a solid foundation...too bad many Christian do no have a solid foundation of God's word therefore are often WRONG...I was fortunate enough to be put in a church that taught RIGHT!

 

Question: "What is praying in the Spirit?"

Answer:Praying in the Spirit is mentioned three times in Scripture. First Corinthians 14:15 says, “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” Ephesians 6:18 says, “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.” Jude 20 says, “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” So, what exactly does it mean to pray in the Spirit?

The Greek word translated “pray in” can have several different meanings. It can mean “by means of,” “with the help of,” “in the sphere of,” and “in connection to.” Praying in the Spirit does not refer to the words we are saying. Rather, it refers to how we are praying. Praying in the Spirit is praying according to the Spirit’s leading. It is praying for things the Spirit leads us to pray for. Romans 8:26 tells us, “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.”

Some, based on 1 Corinthians 14:15, equate praying in the Spirit with praying in tongues. Discussing the gift of tongues, Paul mentions “pray with my spirit.” First Corinthians 14:14 states that when a person prays in tongues, he does not know what he is saying, since it is spoken in a language he does not know. Further, no one else can understand what is being said, unless there is an interpreter (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). In Ephesians 6:18, Paul instructs us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” How are we to pray with all kinds of prayers and requests and pray for the saints, if no one, including the person praying, understands what is being said? Therefore, praying in the Spirit should be understood as praying in the power of the Spirit, by the leading of the Spirit, and according to His will, not as praying in tongues.



www.gotquestions.org

 

ANd one day when you wake up and realize you are wrong....
I will stick to what the Word says about 'praying in the spirit'...

Paul says when we speak in tongues our spirit prays!
He says tongues is speaking to God.
We are told we bless/give thanks with the spirit.
That all totals up to praying to me!
By the way...I got that straight from the Bible!

 

He left out vs. 14 Where it says when we pray in tongues our spirit prays!

I ask you as I have others...how does the Spirit pray when we do not know how to pray?

I see that most of these men have never spoke in tongue/prayed in the spirit!

He plainly tells us to do both pray in the spirit and pray with our understanding! His rebuke is not "Do not pray in the spirit"...it is when in the assembly pray that we can interprete so all can be edified!

He also says we bless well in the spirit! It is a good thing! But not good for the assembly unless we interpret!

 

AWAKEN....Doubt it after 28 years of being saved...my first church for a few months in NY till I came back to Ca was a pentecostal church and God taught me right off the bat most of what they believed was wrong...he taught me things that I later found out were in the bible and they were trying to tell me otherwise.

Just because one has an EXPERIENCE doesn't make it right...guess you believe in being "slain in the spirit" too. and "laughing in the spirit" too and the prosperity movement.

If you do then your are way off, if you don't then why do you think those who believe in those things are wrong yet you are right.

Either our experiences MATCH up with scripture and are true or they do not

can't have it both ways.