Praying In Tongues...Revisited

dirtfarmer said:

dirtfarmer here

1 Corinthians 12:7 " But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."
1 Corinthians 14:3-4 " But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church."
Ephesians 4:16 " From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

The manifestation of the Spirit is given to edify the body, not to edify self. How do we edify the body? It is not by tongues but by prophesying.

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I'm going to need to chew on this one for a bit...

So you're saying it edifies the body, so not the spirit?

Of course I would like to help edify the church, but also need personal edification, so am working on that right now, lol. I wonder...how in the world it could edify the body? In what way?

Edward said:

We've talked about this before. I was interested in it and had never done it. I was feeling left out sort'a. Many have tried to tell me that they could teach me to pray in tongues, but I cautiously resisted this because my understanding is that speaking in tongues is the Holy Spirit praying for us...it seemed a dangerous thing to me, to put words in the Holy Spirit's mouth. We can't speak for the Holy Spirit...

I did eventually speak in tongues one time. I was praying...and suddenly I was speaking in tongues. Not me. He just took over my prayer and I was spouting what seemed gibberish to me. I knew enough to stand down and be quiet and let the Holy Spirit finish. He did, and I was exhilarated and very happy about it.

I sorta figured that it would happen more and more after that, but it hasn't. I quit worrying about it and went on with other things, giving God much thanks and praise for the experience and that the Holy Spirit of Almighty God prayed for me.

It's been awhile now, and it's floated back up to the top of my curiosity, so I delved into the Word again about it...and was amazed and astounded by what I learned about it. But first, a question...

It is the Holy Spirit doing the praying when we pray in tongues, right? Or wrong?

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You may find this got questions helpful. There are some related topics listed at the bottom of that page.

Here's another article from CARM.

Edward said:

What's happening at this time? I open my mouth in prayer...unintelligible compared to human languages...then what? The Lord assigns meaning to the sounds?
Hmmm

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1Co 14:13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
1Co 14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but (Possibly because) my understanding is unfruitful.
1Co 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

I'm going to add something here I hope leads you to a greater understanding of the Holy Spirit.
Excerpts from:
THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE ONE BAPTISM
THE ANOINTING -

PERSONAL AND PRACTICAL
A.S. Copley

"For as the Body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the Body, being many,
are one Body; so also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one Body, whether
Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit" - I Corinthians
12:12, 13 R. V.

The Holy Spirit, in man's personal experience, was variously symbolized in the Old Testament.
WATER and OIL are the special symbols - the latter being the more common. As quoted above,
God said, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." In I Samuel 16:13, "Samuel took the horn of
oil, and anointed him ... and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward."

Proverbs 1:23, "I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My Words unto you."

I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes" -
Ezekiel 36:27. There were then definite promises of a definite due-time-advent of the Personal
Holy Spirit, just as truly as there was a definite due-time-advent of Jesus.

It is very important to see this clearly and hold it in mind. For He came once, and only once.

Our personal receptionand experiences of the Holy Spirit are matters entirely different. We must look well to this truth. His coming from Heaven was one fact, God's sovereign act. His coming into a believer is another fact, dependent upon the believer's faith act.

The substance of the Old Testament shadows is found in the New Testament. The fulfillment of
Old Testament promises is recorded in the New Testament. Accordingly

John the Baptist foretold the Spirit's advent by saying that Jesus "shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost, and with fire" - Matthew 3:11 (My thoughts - if there is but one baptism according to Eph 4:5, was it at Pentecost?)


After His resurrection, Jesus gave a final announcement of the coming of the Spirit. He said, "Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high". Lk 24:49.

Act 1:5 John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance" - Acts 2:4. With most believers, that is simple history. With many, it is not
even that much. But, with him who really believes it from the heart, it is reality - living and
powerful. Pentecost was not only history, but prophecy as well. They "began to speak." It not only
brought an experience to the one hundred and twenty, but it provided a like experience for all who
believe. "All have been given to drink" - I Cor. 12:13. But there is an unfolding of the divine
arrangement which we need to see clearly. It will help us to grasp the fullness of our own
privileges in Christ, and to meet effectually the gainsayers.

TO WHOM IS THE PROMISE?
It is very important to note that "the promise of the Father" and its fulfillment were wholly to Israel.

Paul, long afterward, calls this filling with the Spirit (Act 9:17) the anointing and sealing
with the Spirit and the earnest of the Spirit - II Cor. 1: 21, 22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13; 4:30. His reception of
Christ and of the Spirit were very simple and definite - by faith only, as he always afterward
taught. "By grace are ye saved through faith." We "receive the promise of the Spirit through faith"
- Eph. 2:8; Gal. 3:14. There was no long lapse between receiving Christ and receiving the Spirit,
and yet these receptions were distinct. The penitent sinner can receive the Savior only. The
believer, the child of God who is already begotten of the Spirit, he only can receive "the promise
of the Father" - the other "Comforter." The sinner must receive life. Then he who has life receives
power.

The Church is the Body of Christ - Eph. 1:22, 23. But the definite personal reception of the Holy Spirit
by faith brings us into the conscious experience, joy, and power of that standing; namely, the
baptism in the Spirit. Therefore, the significant question for all believers is, "Have ye received the
Holy Ghost since ye believed?" - Acts 19:2. The question "Have ye been baptized in the Spirit?"

Dear Brother Edward, you can read the entire study at http://www.gracegod.com/pamphlet_and_articles/pamphlets/The Holy Spirit - The One Baptism and the Anointing.pdf
NOTE: The Pamphlets and Articles are in PDF format and can be read with the free Adobe Reader

Blessings in Christ Jesus.

thanks, eugene. that answers a lot of questions for me.

Edward said:

I'm going to need to chew on this one for a bit...

So you're saying it edifies the body, so not the spirit?

Of course I would like to help edify the church, but also need personal edification, so am working on that right now, lol. I wonder...how in the world it could edify the body? In what way?

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hello Edward, dirtfarmer here

I am not saying that tongues edify the body, but self edification. Can you supply scripture that states that we are to self-edify or need self edification?

Edward said:

Interesting...I'm not 100% sure if I have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit or not yet.

So, Brother...praying in tongues will edify me...ok so when you do it, what's your take on it? Do you feel edified? and if so in what way? Or would this be an edification of our spirit, wherein we would not even be conscious of it? Or...what?

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Probably the most noticeable evidence is peace. Peace that saturates my mind.

I also meditate on scripture during this process as well as declare God's promises out loud from my heart.

But mainly for the first half hour just focus my mind upon Him and worship Him.

I will switch about every 15 minutes and quote a scripture. This month is Psalm 15.

After an hour I will switch to English and just worship Him.

When your praying in tongues, your mind will try to wander with thoughts about different things, so you have to use a scripture to bring it back to stillness and focus.

JLB

1Co 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself,...
1Co 14:5 I wish you all spoke with tongues,...
1Co 14:14-15 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

Edward said:

Anyone who has a perspective. Probably someone who speaks in tongues fairly regularly. If it's the Holy Spirit praying for us, then are we able to initiate it, or no?

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Both.