Five Vital Signs of a believer continued
Praying and Speaking In Tongues
Yesterday we began to look at the five vital signs of believer which are as listed below.
The 5 Vital signs of a Believer.
1. Read and study the Word of God
2. Praying and speaking in Tongues
3. Fellowshipping with Like Minded believers
4. Financial Giving
5. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ (witnessing)
We took a look in the first article about the importance of reading and studying Gods word. Today we will look at the importance of praying and speaking in Tongues.
Praying and Speaking In Tongues
Our prayer life, is vital if we are going to be spiritually healthy and strong, prayer is our fellowship with our heavenly Father, seeking His will and direction for our lives, thanking Him for His love and goodness to us in lives, for what He has done for us and is doing for us, we can also take our problems and burden to Him, seeking His answers and gaining peace with in our hearts because we have cast our cares upon him for He cares for Us (1 Peter 5:7) Praying is how we communicate to God and also how we hear from God too.
1 John 1:3-4 (KJV) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
The word”fellowship” in verse 3 comes for the Greek word – koinōnia – partnership, communicate, communion, or it can mean to fully share.
The writer of this record is saying, look we can fully share with one another as believers, but truly our full sharing, is with the Father and his Jesus Christ. God really wants us to know that we can go to Him, and have that partnership and relationship with Him, He loves you so much and like any normal earthly father would love his children, and the children love and respond to their earthly father, God want us to grow in our relationship with Him, like any earthly father and son relationship, over time the relationship develops, whereby they are fully sharing their hearts together, talking things over and the trust and love grow between the father and son. That is how we can go to our Heavenly Father and we can poor our hearts out to Him. This full sharing is a relationship that grows over time, knowing that God is our Father and we are His children and we can talk to our heavenly Father about anything, and we see Him answer our prayer and questions, giving us great directions for our lives.
God want you to talk with Him and call out to Him, and this is what God says He will do
when we call out to Him.
Jeremiah 33:3, Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and
mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jesus Christ taught his disciples to go to his Father in prayer look at what the Lord had to say.
Matthew 7:7-11 (KJV) 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Look at what God says in Psalms
Psalms 91:15 He (Jesus Christ) shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
God wants us to call upon Him, for anything, for questions we may have when we are seeking his direction or for problems we may be experiencing, or praying for others. God says when we will call, He will answer us, but we need to call and we need to ask.
When the disciple ask Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus taught them the Lord’s prayer you can look this record up yourselves in Matthew 6:9-13, Another wonderful example of praying is Jabez
1 Chronicles 4: 9-10,
9, And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10, And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
interestingly this is the only place that this praying man Jabez is mentioned in the bible there is nothing else written about him, but God had this prayer recorded in His word for a purpose we see that Jabez called upon God and God answered Him and granted him what he had requested of God. Our heavenly Father is a wonderful loving God and Father that cares for you and He wants you to go Him and He wants you to fully share your heart with Him, holding nothing back whatever it is. This is what God says He wants you to do, when you are worrying about things, let us look at this wonderful record in Philippians.
Philippians 4:6-8 (KJV)
6 Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
So now you know what to do, if you are feeling anxious The Father says by way of Paul be anxious for nothing do not worry about a thing, our heavenly Father is saying this, I want you my child to bring everything to me, tell me all about your problem and petition me about it and with thanks giving, wait a minute why thanks giving? because we know and have an expectation that God is going to take care of the problem, because we are letting God know our requests concerning the problem. Our Father will answer Us, because we have called upon Him with a believing heart. Once we have prayed our requests, Gods says, His peace which passes all understanding shall keep or guard as sentinel or protect with a garrison our minds through Christ Jesus, no anxious thought of worry, fear or doubt, can break through to still our peace. wow what a great promise to us when we believe God and take him at his word and we know that peace is guarding our hearts and minds, we can truly think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of Good report, we think these beautiful thoughts.
we will look at one more scripture on praying which I love so much.
Hebrews 4:16 (KJV) 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
This is one amazing scripture which blesses my heart we can come boldly, This word boldly in this verse can mean all out spokenness or frankness, bluntness, assurance, confidence, this is how we can go before our heavenly Fathers throne room, we come with confidence into the throne room of Gods favour by prayer for the purpose that we may obtain (receive) mercy and find favour to help in the time of need.
so we have looked at how to pray with our understanding, now we will look at praying by the spirit which is speaking tongues.
Before Jesus Christ Ascension into heaven he commanded his disciple not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father because they were going to be baptized with the holy spirit not many days from ascension (Acts 1:4-5) and in Act 1:8 Jesus said, but you shall receive power after that the holy spirit is come upon. we see from the rest of the record the disciple did as they were commanded. now we will look at Acts 2
Acts 2:1-4 (KJV) 2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
We see in this record it was the day of Pentecost and the disciple were with one accord in one place and then God pour out the promise of holy spirit, and cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the holy spirit and began to speak in other tongues.
Today when someone receive holy spirit it is when they confess Jesus as Lord and believe in their heart God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9&10)
So we will have a look at some of the benefits of speaking in tongues,
The Benefits of Speaking In Tongues:
- To edify you – 1 Corinthians 14:4, Jude 20
- To speak to God divine secrets – 1 Corinthians 14:2
- To speak the wonderful works of God – Acts 2:11
- To magnify God – Acts 10:46
- To pray perfectly – Romans 8:26,27
- To give thanks well – 1 Corinthians 14:17
- To have the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit – Romans 8:16
- To know you are a joint-heir with Christ – Romans 8:17
- To strengthen you with might in your inner man – Ephesians 3:16
- To be a sign to unbelievers – 1 Corinthians 14:22; Mark 16:17
- Rest to the soul – Isaiah 28:11,12; 1 Corinthians 14:21
When you speak in tongues, it edifies you (builds you up) you speak to God divine secrets, you speak the wonderful works of God, you magnify God, you pray perfectly, you give thanks to God well, the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit, when you speak in tongues you know you are a joint heir with Christ, speaking in tongues strengthen you with might in your inner man, speaking tongues is a sign to unbelievers, and speaking in tongues is rest to the soul. wow all these amazing benefits from God when we speak in tongues. do you see have important and beneficial speaking in tongues is?
Praying to God with our understanding is fruitful for our minds and hearts and sometime we just do not know what to pray with our minds, when it is like this for me I begin to speak in tongues, because I know it is perfect prayer to God, you see when it comes to speaking in tongues, it is not my business what I am speaking to God when I speak in tongues, but it is my business that I speak in tongues. The Apostle Paul said to the believer at Corinth, I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all. 1 Corinthians 14:18.
Paul knew the importance of speaking in tongues and benefits and it is recorded in the word of God for our benefit, when we decide to utilise the gift of spirit God has given to us.
The first thing I do when I wake in the morning, is speak in tongues when I am not speaking to someone else, I quietly speak in tongues, I know I am worshipping God in spirit and truth, I know I am praying perfectly.
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:
for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth.
Romans 8:26-27 (KJV)
26 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.
27 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.
I have listed above the benefits of speaking in tongues with the scripture reference for you to look up and check for yourselves.
We have learnt in this article the great benefits of praying with our understanding that is from our hearts and minds, and the perfect prayer by speaking in tongues. If we are going to be healthy and strong believers and walking and being led by the spirit of God, this vital sign has to be strong.
In my next article we will look at fellowshipping with strong or likeminded believers.
God bless You Laurene x
Here is a Video about a medical study on speaking in tongues.
