Below is an excerpt
from chapter 6
10 Reasons
Why Tongues
Is Important
Benefit 1: Tongues is the initial sign.
Benefit 2: Tongues keep you aware of the Spirit’s indwelling presence.
Benefit 3: Tongues is for spiritual edification and refreshing.
Benefit 4: Praying in tongues motivates faith.
Benefit 5: Praying in the Spirit is a way of praying God’s perfect will.
Benefit 6: Praying in the Spirit helps us to pray for the future.
Benefit 7: Praying in the Spirit can help you receive wisdom.
Benefit 8: Praying in the Spirit corporately is vital.
Benefit 9: Being Spirit Filled can be the doorway to the supernatural.
Benefit 10: You can give honor and thanks to God in the Spirit.
Benefit 1: Tongues is the initial sign.
Having the gift of tongues, this initial sign is an amazing experience. It helps you to realize that the Holy Spirit is operating through you. It gives you that knowing that the Greater One is living in you and working through you (1 John 4:4). It is an experience that no one can take away from you. The Bible says that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Let’s look again at some scriptures that we went over and will show that the initial sign of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues.
Acts 2:4 (NKJV) - Day of Pentecost
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 8:14-17 (NKJV) - Men and Women Receiving the Holy Spirit
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might (2–Spirit Filled) receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had (1-Born Again) only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they (2–Spirit Filled) received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:44-46 (NKJV) - The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, (2-Spirit Filled) the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Acts 19:5-7 (NKJV) - Paul at Ephesus
5 When they heard this, (1-Born Again) they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, (2-Spirit Filled) the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
What a miracle! Having this sign, let’s you know that you are a Spirit filled tongue talking believer. It puts you a step above. It gives you confidence. What a sign and a wonder. It’s not natural, it’s supernatural! When I received the Holy Spirit, as I shared earlier, I asked for him when I was all by myself in the middle of my living room. I got on my knees, asking the Holy Spirit to fill me. I said that if it was from Him, he could fill me Himself. And He did it!
It was a precious sign to me! It was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. When I started speaking in other tongues it was a sign to me that I received. The above shows you, the first benefit, tongues is the initial sign.
Benefit 2: Tongues keeps you aware of the Spirit’s indwelling presence.
Not only is this the initial sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit, it also keeps you aware through your life that the Spirit lives within you. Through our lives there will be difficult situations and circumstances. During those times, it will help you to know that the Holy Spirit is residing with you. He is your Helper and Comforter. Let’s look at some scripters.
John 14:16-17 (NKJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter), that He may abide with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
1 John 4:4 (NKJV)
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
It reminds you that His presence is there and with you everywhere you go. It gives you an awareness that the greater one is living on the inside of you. When I first received and had this special experience, I felt on top of the world. As days go by, you have to keep reminding yourself of this experience because trials come, temptations come. The world is still the same and you are still living in it.
I’ve always had anxiety about what people thought of me. I always wanted to be accepted. I had a hard time going to big gatherings because I would always wonder what people were thinking about me. I felt awkward and wished I could be loud and funny. But I wasn’t. I was very reserved and shy. Some people took it that I was a snob. But that was far from the truth. I was shy and always concerned what others thought.
Once I got filled with the Holy Spirit, I would remind myself of the above scripture. Anytime I felt this way, I would remind myself and say things like this: “Greater is He that is living in me than he that is in the world. The greater One lives in me, thank you Holy Spirit, that you are greater than me, greater than how I feel about myself, you love me and you love who I am. It doesn’t matter what people think because you think I am precious. The greater One is in me! Thank you!” Each time I did this the better I would feel about myself and be able to go to different functions. So thankful for the Holy Spirit!
1 Corinthians 14:14 (NKJV)
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
The Amplified says, “my spirit, by the Holy Spirit within me, prays.” God is a Spirit. You and I are a spirit. God created us in His image. We communicate with God through our spirit. It’s spirit to spirit. The above shows you, the second benefit, tongues keep you aware of the Spirit’s indwelling presence.
Benefit 3: Tongues is for spiritual edification and refreshing.
Have you ever woken up one morning and felt completely drained? This is when you need to just start praying in the Spirit while you’re in the shower and getting ready in the morning. The Holy Spirit will help you become stronger for your day. You can even pray in the spirit throughout the day. You can pray under your breath. No one else needs to know you are praying in tongues. You can pray under your breath anywhere anytime and it can edify and build you up and remind you that the Holy Spirit is right there with you while you are working, driving, and even shopping. He loves to spend time with you wherever you go.
1 Corinthians 14:4 (NKJV)
4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
Jude 20 (NKJV) - Maintain Your Life with God
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit
Another word for edify is charge. This word would be used in connection with charging a battery. When you pray in tongues, sometimes all you are doing is building or charging yourself up. Praying in our heavenly language edifies us. It charges us, it builds us. We can pray anytime anywhere. It’s the first thing, when I wake up, I have my coffee and pray in tongues.
Isaiah 28:11-12 (NKJV)
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people,
12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear.
God wants us to be refreshed every day. This is the rest; this is the refreshing. We need spiritual refreshing daily. An example of this is our smart phones. Sometimes they may not be working just right, and we need to reboot them. Once they are refreshed, they are up and working like they should.
We also need this reboot. When we pray in the Holy Spirit, it gives us that reboot we need to be refreshed. There are times when we are out and about, chaos is going on around you. Start praying under your breath so that you can be edified no matter what’s going on around you.
There is the initial infilling of the Holy Spirit. But there is also a refilling that you need to be refreshed. We can find an example of being refilled in the Acts of the apostles. There were times when they were being persecuted for their faith. A quick synopsis of what happened in Acts 3, Peter and John went to the Temple and as they went, Peter healed a crippled man who was lame from birth, from this action the man was walking, leaping, and praising God. He went to the Temple and all these people saw him.
This gave Peter an opportunity to preach to the crowd. Peter and John got arrested and put in jail for healing a man and speaking about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Bottom line, the religious leaders of the law commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. They were released and they returned to the other believers and told them what happened. Then they all lifted their voices in one accord in prayer. Let’s look at Acts 4: 23-31.
Acts 4:23-31 (NLT) - The Believers Pray for Courage
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said.
24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—
25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’
27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.
28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.
29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
Through this prayer gathering, the place shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and preached the Word of God with boldness. First, I want you to notice that all these people were already filled with the Holy Spirit. This experience was a refilling, a refreshing, after much persecution.
There are times when you have done so much you need to be refilled, edified, and refreshed with the Holy Spirit, so that you can have strength and boldness to keep moving forward. The above shows you, the third benefit, tongues is for spiritual edification and refreshing.
Benefit 4: Praying in tongues motivates faith.
When you are praying in the Spirit you are working your faith. Tongues helps motivate and activate faith. It’s important to keep the Word of God before you constantly. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. As you are speaking in tongues, it helps you to understand the Word of God more fully, brings revelation to your mind and it helps to motivate your faith. Praying in your most holy faith builds you up and motivates you. Let’s look at some scriptures.
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Jude 20-21 (NET)
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 maintain yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life.
Galatians 5:6 (NET)
—the only thing that matters is faith working through love.
The Word and the Spirit helps you maintain faith and then you will have the God kind of love. God is love and through that love, faith is built. It causes a circle going in your life: reading and hearing the Word of God, praying in tongues and building yourself up in your most holy faith, and this results in maintaining the love of God to love others. This should be a constant circle in your life. Faith is being exercised every time you keep this going in your life. It helps us to keep our mind on God and trust Him more fully. Let’s look at scripture about how the Holy Spirit helps you maintain this faith.
John 14:26
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
When you are reading or hearing the Word of God and you add praying in tongues, the Holy Spirit reveals things to you that you may not have seen before, and it builds your faith. We must keep the Word foremost in us by reading the Word daily. Then faith rises when you’re praying in the Spirit and the Spirit will bring things back to your remembrance.
When hard times come and you see things in the natural that don’t look good, fill yourself with the Word of God and keep praying in the Spirit so your faith stays strong. Praying in the spirit helps to motivate the Word in your heart. This next scripture shares how important it is the keep your spirit strong.
Proverbs 18:14 (AMPC)
14 The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear?
Keep yourself filled with the Word of God and praying in the Spirit. This helps you through tough times and will sustain you. He will declare the Word to you. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and helper. He is our standby. The above shows you, the fourth benefit, praying in tongues motivates faith.
Benefit 5: Praying in the Spirit is a way of praying God’s perfect will.
Praying in the Spirit for others keeps us from being selfish. There are times when we want things to go the way that we want them to go. We want to tell God what He should do. Maybe God has another way that is higher and even better. Praying in the Spirit helps to get God’s will in this earth. He can use you to be able to make things happen that wouldn’t have happened because we lean on the Spirit of God to pray out His perfect will in the earth.
Romans 8:26-27 (NKJV)
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.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
We should both pray our native tongue, which mine is English, and tongues in the Spirit. We start praying what we know, which is according to the Word of God. What the Word says is God’s perfect will. You pray as much as you can from the Word, then you kick over into your heavenly language, so that God can help you pray out things you don’t know or may not know about.
God is omniscient, He is all knowing. He knows what needs to happen and the only way He can work is through us believers taking our authority and speaking and praying God’s will. When we start praying this way, then even Angels, ministering spirits start working on those prayers. Let me show you this in scripture.
Psalm 103:20-21
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Angels work on behalf of the Word of God. When we pray the Word and pray God’s perfect will through tongues, then angels start working, ministering spirits start acting. They can perform whatever is according to God’s will. God can act and cause miracles to happen. We want His best!
1 John 5:14-15
Confidence and Compassion in Prayer
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
There are many times when someone will call you and ask you to pray for a loved one. Ok, so you start praying. But do you know everything that is happening in that person’s life? No, so how do you know how to pray? Well, that is when you pray scripture and then kick over into the Holy Spirit because He knows exactly what is going on in that person’s life. God is all knowing, He knows everything. Get God’s highest and best for yourself and for others. Have confidence every time you pray. God’s will is in His Word and praying in tongues.
What if someone needs healing in their body? First, find scriptures on healing and then pray those scriptures. Once you have prayed all you know from scripture, then you ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray out the rest because The Holy Spirit knows what is happening in that person’s life. Maybe that person doesn’t know that it’s God’s will to heal them or maybe they need to hear more scripture to build their faith. You can pray for laborers to be sent to help them build their faith.
I want to have confidence that when I pray, how about you? If I’m praying God’s perfect will then I know that my prayers are without a shadow of doubt working. This is vital so that you have confidence and not just hoping it will work. The above shows you, the fifth benefit, praying in the Spirit is a way of praying God’s perfect will.
Benefit 6: Praying in the Spirit helps us to pray for the future.
God has a plan and purpose for you. Jeremiah 1:5 says that the Lord knew us even before we were formed in our mother’s womb. God wants us to fulfill our purpose in life. How can we find out our purpose? How can we make that purpose happen easier, even faster, no major bumps in the road, so to speak? God is so smart and gave us a way. It is by praying in the Spirit to process the plans and purposes for our lives. Let’s look at some scripture that will help us understand.
1 Corinthians 14:2
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.
Another translation says the He speaks secrets. It is exciting that you are speaking out secrets that only God knows about. The enemy has no idea what you are praying out. He is not able to find a way to steal, kill or destroy that plan, because he doesn’t know what you are praying. It is a secret! You are speaking by the unction of the Holy Spirit, His perfect and complete will for yourself and for others. You can pray His will for your future! God has a plan that He has laid out for your future. Let’s look at Jeremiah 29:11 in two versions and Isaiah 45:2.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 (ERV)
11 I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.
Isaiah 45:2 (NKJV)
2 ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight…
Knowing that God already has good plans for me and for my future gives me excitement and wanting to process those plans. Knowing that He can go before me to make any crooked thing straight makes me even more hungry to pray out His plan. Praying in the Spirit processes these plans that He has and helps them to roll in smoother. The Holy Spirit, as we pray, shows us and gives us wisdom how to make these plans happen.
Praying for your future and others future is so crucial. We all have a free will and there are so many directions that each of us can take. Just think about it, any decision that you make can cause you to veer off to the right or to the left, but God’s perfect will for you is straight. How can you find out his will for you? By praying it out in the Spirit and then walking it out. You can learn to be led by the Spirit of God by praying in the Spirit and it makes you sensitive to the knowing that come from your heart or spirit.
Thank God for His amazing mercy! Even if you might have gotten off of the plan that God has made for you, you can start praying and get back on to where He wants you to go. His mercy endures forever and ever. As you pray, you are processing those plans He has and He will lead you and guide back to those plans that are amazing for you. Maybe you have no idea what He wants for you, well, jump on board and take the journey with Him. Pray it out! Your journey may have just begun! All aboard!!!
There will be times when I pray for my son. It would be easy for me to just tell God what I think. But that is not the highest way of praying for my son. The highest way is to find a scripture that hits my heart. I would be to say, Father, I love my son and you love him more. I like to go to the Pauline prayer, Ephesians 1:16-23 and sometimes I will pray in the Spirit between verses. Then I go on to say, “You already have a plan and purpose for him. I just pray by the unction of the Spirit to pray out his future and the plan that you have for him. Holy Spirit, thank you for praying Your perfect will for him”. Then I kick over in tongues for my son. The above shows you, the sixth benefit, praying in the Spirit helps us to pray for the future.
Benefit 7: Praying in the Spirit can help you receive wisdom.
While we are praying God’s will, God’s future in tongues, wisdom will start coming to you. The Holy Spirit wants to show you the future. He wants to give you wisdom. When you start praying in the Spirit, many times you will get a knowing on the inside about certain things, especially when you are searching for it. Let’s look at some scriptures.
James 1:5 (ERV)
5 Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So, he will give you wisdom.
John 16:13 (NKJV) - The Work of the Holy Spirit
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Sometimes you will learn how to be led or hear from the Spirit of God by making mistakes. Let me share what happened to me. This made me more sensitive to listen when I have just a small nudge. When David and I lived in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Max was two years old, Max and I went to go visit my parents in Piedmont, Oklahoma. It takes a few hours to get there. As we were coming closer there were a few ways that I could take to get there. This one way was the usual way that I would go. As I was deciding to take that road, I had just a small nudge not to. I over-road that nudge and thought, this is the way I usually go and so I just kept going in that direction.
Overriding my heart, I ended up getting into a major accident with another car that pulled out in front of me and I had to veer off quickly and ended up hitting a telephone poll. My car was totaled. Max had some bruises from the seat belt and it really hurt my back and had to go the the chiropractor for quite some time. Looking back at the incident, I remember that I had just a small nudge. The Holy Spirit was trying to get me to take the other way to my parents house. I learned from then on to follow those promptings.
Remember the characteristics of the Holy Spirit? He is truth. He is our guide. The Spirit of God wants to help guide you and will tell you things to come. He is our comforter. He is our wisdom. When we pray in the Spirit, from our spirit, we learn to follow Him. He shows us and we hear from Him, from our spirit, which is down in our belly. Let’s look at what Jesus said talking about the Holy Spirit in John 7:37-39.
John 7:37-39 (WEB) - Jesus Talks About the Holy Spirit
37 Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!
38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.”
39 But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.
Many times, in the Bible, it compares the Spirit of God with water. Rivers of living water, the Holy spirit, flows out from within. As we stay in the Word of God and pray in the Spirit, gushers of wisdom by the Spirit will flow out of us. God is just waiting for you to ask. Look at Matthew 7:7-11.
Matthew 7:7-11 - Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
There have been many times in my life that I had a question about something, and I’ll ask and pray in the Spirit. Sometimes I get an answer while I’m praying in the Spirit. Other times, I’ll ask, and it might take a few days or a week, but eventually I’ll receive an answer, it’s just a knowing on the inside. And think, oh yea, there’s the answer. And then I thank Him for the answer.
Question: How do you know you heard from the Spirit of God? First and foremost, it must line up with the Word of God. God is nothing but good! He would never tell you something that doesn’t come from a place of love. God is love. That is His Nature. If you start hearing things like, you’re not good enough, you will never be able to do that, you’re not going to make it, that should be a red flag. God wouldn’t say things like this, it’s not His nature to put you down. We follow a good God, who leads in positive ways. Let me show you a scripture where it shows you who’s good and who’s not good. Who would tell you bad things about yourself? Let’s look at John 10:10.
John 10:7-10 - Jesus the Good Shepherd
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
From this passage we see that God is nothing but good. If something bad happened to you, God didn’t do it! God would not lead you into disaster. God wouldn’t tell you that you are a failure. The thief, who is the devil, steals happiness, he is the destroyer. But Jesus came to give us life and happiness. That’s how you know that you are hearing from the Holy Spirit.
If it’s encouraging, it’s uplifting and lines up with the goodness of God, you are hearing the right voice from the inside. Always remember that the Word of God stays in the forefront of your life adding the Spirit alongside keeps you going in the right direction with God’s plans and purposes for your life. The above shows you, the seventh benefit, praying in the Spirit can help you receive wisdom.
Benefit 8: Praying in the Spirit corporately is vital.
It is vital to pray with others. This is called corporate prayer or united prayer. It is when at least two or more are gathered. It makes tremendous power available. In Deuteronomy 32:30 it talks about one person will put one thousand to flight and two will put two thousand to flight. There is multiplication in numbers. Corporate prayer brings multiplication in your prayers. It hits every angle and detail that needs to be prayed out since there is more than one praying about the same subject. When people put the Word of God in prayer and then pray in the spirit together lifting their voices in one accord, it can cause unity with the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at some scripture.
Matthew 18:19-20 (NLT)
19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
James 5:16 (Amp Classic)
…The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
If one puts one thousand to flight, imagine two or more coming together in unity praying in the spirit effectually. It multiplies in its effectiveness. This was spoken over David and I at our wedding ceremony and when I heard it, I took it very seriously. I knew that if David and I worked together and stood together, we would multiply in our strength. When we pray together, we are putting ten thousand to flight instead of just one thousand. Unity in marriage is vital.
Remember earlier we looked at the passage when Peter and John were persecuted for healing a lame man and sharing the resurrection of Jesus. They were told not to preach about Jesus anymore. Then they assembled with their like-minded believers and lifted their voice in one accord. Let’s look at what happened in that passage of scripture.
Acts 4:29-31 (NLT)
29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.
30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
There is strength in numbers. United prayer multiplies the strength of the Holy Spirit working in situations. In this passage, as they were praying, the whole place where they were meeting shook. That’s how strong the Holy Spirit was in that place. We have that power! As a corporate body, we must keep the Word first and foremost because it kindles the flame of the Holy Spirit. No Word no kindle to keep the fire going. Many people have gotten off not keeping the Word in the forefront. Once we’ve got the Word working then we can pray in the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s plan and strategies.
While corporate prayer is vital, I want you to understand that 80-90% of your prayer life is done alone with God and spending personal time with Him. And the other time is corporately with your spouse, friend(s) and the church. Find a great solid Spirit filled church that you can have these times in prayer to accomplish big things for the kingdom of God. The above shows you, the eighth benefit, praying in the Spirit corporately is vital.
Benefit 9: Being Spirit Filled can be the doorway to the supernatural.
Time and time again we see through the book of Acts supernatural things happening through the apostles. Once they were filled with the Holy Spirit, it began a revival that spread quickly. There were many signs and wonders happening as they spread the gospel. Many were healed. All the Spirit filled believers started having supernatural things taking place. It can be the doorway to the supernatural. Jesus told us that this would happen. Let’s refresh on these scriptures.
Mark 16:15-18 (NLT)
15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.
18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
John 14:12 (NKJV)
12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!
Acts 1:8 (ERV)
8 But the Holy Spirit will come on you and give you power. You will be my witnesses. You will tell people everywhere about me—in Jerusalem, in the rest of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”
Jesus said you will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Paul, once he was converted and filled with the Spirit of God, had many signs and wonders in his ministry. Let’s look at a few.
Acts 14:10 (NLT)
10 So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
Acts 16:18 (NLT)
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
Acts 19:11-12 (NLT)
11 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. 12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
Acts 28:8 (NLT)
8 As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him.
To have these miracles operating in your life, you must be filled with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is the key to seeing signs wonders and miracles. You can’t make it happen, but you can be open and ready to allow Him to work through you. It’s as He wills. Let’s look at a passage of scripture that shares about the spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.
2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.
3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.
6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.
9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.
10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
All these gifts should be happening in the church today. I pray for a revival in your city! I pray for boldness for you to go and start doing the works of Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit lead you and guide you. As you build your relationship with the Holy Spirit, spending time with him daily, you begin learning to be led by the Holy Spirit. Through this time of learning, you will start having a knowing on the inside, what to say or do in any given situation. He might lead you to say something to someone that is an encouraging word that could transform how they move forward in life. You have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. The fire of the Holy Spirit helps you to be a bold witness. Let’s look at what John said this about Jesus in Matthew 3:11.
Matthew 3:11
11 I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
You have the Holy Spirit and fire! Go out there and share how amazing God is. Give your testimony. Signs will follow you because you believe (Mark 16:17-18). You might be led to ask if you can pray for someone, and they recover quickly. There are so many facets to the Holy Spirit. It is never boring! The above shows you, the ninth benefit, being Spirit filled can be the doorway to the supernatural.
Benefit 10: You can give honor and thanks to God in the Spirit.
This last benefit is so important to remember. We should continually be in a place of worship and thanksgiving with God. He has truly done so much for us. Thanksgiving should continually be coming from you. Prayer and thanksgiving is communing with the living God. He has given us all things that pertain to life and Godliness. If you are believing God for something, praise Him and thank Him ahead of time. Let’s look at this scripture.
2 Peter 1:2-4
2 Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue,
4 by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature…
Ephesians 5:18-20 (ERV)
18 Don’t be drunk with wine, which will ruin your life, but be filled with the Spirit.
19 Encourage each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord.
20 Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Did you know that you can sing in the Spirit? You can make melody in your heart singing in other tongues worshipping the Lord and giving Him thanks. You can also, by the Spirit of God, receive spiritual songs. Songs that just rise from your belly, where your spirit is, worshiping Him. Let’s look at these next scriptures.
John 4:24 (ERV)
24 God is spirit. So the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
1 Corinthians 14:15-17
15 Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.
Paul says that there are two ways of praying and singing. Praying in the spirit and praying in words. Singing in the Spirit and singing in words you understand. Make melody in your hearts by the Holy Spirit. Every time you are in His presence, glorify and magnify Him. You will notice if you start making a habit of this it builds confidence. God loves to hear you worship Him. It shows Him that you have confidence in Him. Let’s look at some more scriptures about giving Him honor, worship, and thanksgiving.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (GW)
16 Always be joyful.
17 Never stop praying.
18 Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this.
Rejoice and give thanks! Hallelujah! Rejoice in the Spirit! Lift your voices to Him who is worthy of honor and praise. Sing in the Spirit! It is so much fun! Get a melody and just sing in tongues. God loves to hear your voice no matter if you are great at it or not. This is between you and Him. Praise the Lord. Miracles start happening as you glorify and magnify Him! The above shows you, the tenth and last benefit, you can give honor and thanks to God in the Spirit.
This is one of my favorite scriptures to give honor and thanks to God. I will lift each verse to Him and give thanks Him with it. Add some praying in tongues between each verse with a heart of praise and worship. Try it!
Psalm 103
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies: A Psalm of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Analogy of the Smart Phone and Having the Holy Spirit
To end, I would like to share an analogy with you. We have these smart phones today that we can benefit from, and it has endless uses. Some people take advantage and learn all the benefits and put them into practice. Things like apps from the app store, looking things up on the internet, using reminders, calendars, appointments, using the voice commands, and using it almost like a personal assistant. Some use it and will do a little more, maybe check e-mails, face calls, and even take pictures with it. Some people only use texting and making calls. There are people who will use a smart phone here and there during the week and then there are those who can’t live without it with them 24/7. The smart phone has endless uses. It’s up to the individual on how much they decide to use on it.
Having the Holy Spirit can be the same way. You can receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit and only use a few of the benefits you have. Maybe when you are at church, you are thinking about Him, you get excited during Praise and Worship, and you start speaking in your heavenly language. Maybe you go to a prayer group that prays in the Spirit and that’s when you speak in tongues and then you go home and keep speaking for a bit and then you wait until you’re at the prayer meeting again. Or you wake up every morning acknowledging the Holy Spirit and pray while your having your coffee. You could spend time with the Holy Spirit once a week or every other day or even everyday throughout the day. You may, like myself, not live without Him by your side, everywhere you go.
Words of Encouragement
I acknowledge Him throughout the day. But, this didn’t just happen overnight. It is a constant process and you have to keep reminding yourself that He is with you, He is there. There is a book that is called “Practicing the Presence of God”. I just love this title. It encourages me to want to practice everyday. They say that you form a habit in 30 days. If you keep working at it, all of the sudden, He will just be there with you all the time. Hallelujah!
Now it is up to you to use all the benefits that come with His infilling presence in your life. He wants you to put into practice all His benefits and build a personal relationship with Him. When you do, you learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. He will be able to teach you and guide you into all truth. He can make you successful! It’s also vital to have a church family that is a Spirit Filled and Faith Filled Church. If you are not going to church or need a church that is like this, ask God to help you find one.
I hope and pray that this book has been a wonderful journey for you to learn about the Holy Spirit. He is on the earth for you and is a gift from Jesus. Now it’s your turn to share Him to the world! REVIVAL COME!
In Conclusion
Let Me Pray for You
Let me end with a prayer for you:
Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I ask you to bless each individual that has taken the time to read this book. I pray that they receive the wisdom and knowledge of you. The eyes of their understanding would be enlightened. I ask you for a Spirit of seeing and knowing. That each person would know the hope of Your calling and the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints, to those who put their full trust in you. I ask you to bless them abundantly and to give them boldness to go and be a witness for you. I ask you to give the an abundance of favor that follows them everywhere they go. Angels, you work on their behalf and cause things to fall in line for their wonderful future. Go, and cause blessings to be poured out on their life.
In Jesus Name, AMEN.
BE ABUNDANTLY BLESSED
AND BLESS OTHERS
We are serious about you.
Contacts us, we want to pray for you. God has a great things ahead for you.
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