Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The gift of tongues, or praying in the spirit, comes from receiving what is commonly called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  This endowment of power was given on the day of Pentecost to believers, and is available to believers today. (see Acts 2:1-4)

I can’t share all the benefits of receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit here, but I want to talk to you about the gift of praying in the spirit.

Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

When you receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, you receive your own personal prayer language.  This supernatural language is a doorway into many of the other gifts of the Spirit and releases God’s power from the spiritual realm into the physical realm.

So let’s talk about this supernatural prayer language (praying in tongues) – what it is and what it does:

Praying in tongues is a choice.  This is a supernatural form of communication you receive when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit. God has given it to you, but He won’t force you to pray or control you when you pray.

When you pray in tongues, you are speaking to God not man.  That’s awesome!

1 Corinthians 14:2 for he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit, he speaks mysteries.

When you pray in tongues, it is your spirit that prays. God is Spirit.  When you pray in tongues, your spirit is in direct communication with God.

1 Corinthians 14:14 for if I pray in tongues, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

When you pray in tongues, you are bypassing the limitations of your mind – You don’t always know what to pray for or how to pray but when you pray in tongues, your prayers aren’t limited to your own natural understanding about the situation.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

When you pray in tongues - because you are bypassing your mind, you are also praying in your most holy faith and unbelief does not get in the way.  Your spirit is always in perfect faith.

Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit

When you pray in tongues, you build ourselves up.  You strengthen your faith, and Vines Expository Dictionary says you promote spiritual growth.

1 Corinthians 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.

When you pray in tongues, you are giving thanks to God.

1 Corinthians 14:17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

To summarize: when we pray in tongues, it is our spirit that prays, we are praying to God, we are releasing perfect faith, the Holy Spirit takes hold with us in agreement with the will of God, we give thanks perfectly, and we build ourselves up spirit, soul and body.

Finally, let’s go back to 1 Corinthians 14:2; for he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

When you pray in tongues, you are speaking mysteries.  Praying in the spirit, releases those mysteries to your natural mind.  Everything that God would have for you.  Wisdom in your everyday circumstances, direction, understanding, and revelation.  amen

What are these mysteries?

1 Corinthians 2:7,9-10 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory…but as it is written; “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.  But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been given to us by God. 

In 1 Corinthians 2:7 The Apostle Paul said, “We declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.”

1 Corinthians 2:13  These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Where did they get this wisdom?  They received it by revelation.

In case you’re wondering if this gift is for today’s Church, Jesus Himself said,

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’” Mark 16: 15, 17