Ladies Bible Study

The Power of Your Prayer Language

 

We have been studying how to be led by the Spirit of God over the past few lessons, today  I want to key in on the power of your prayer language or the power of praying in tongues.

 

To fully understand the power we have received from our Heavenly Father, I want us to  look briefly at some key events in Biblical History and see God’s overall plan for us.

 

Exodus 19:4-8: “`You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.

5. `Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.
6. `And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.''
7. So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him.
8. Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do.'' So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.”

 

God clearly had a plan for the Children of Israel, to be His people a nation of priest, a holy nation.  The plan for Israel was to be an entire nation of priests to serve the rest of the world.

The Israelites stood in the presence of God’s messenger, heard God’s divine plan and agreed to it.  Let me tell you now, do not make promises to God rashly. If you make a promise to God, He expects you to keep it,  just as He keeps His promises to us.

 

The Israelites made a promise, the only thing they had to do to keep it was obey God’s voice and keep His commandments.  Simple? Maybe, but not really.  The Covenant was not something that could be kept through the ability of man. Man is a sinful creature and as hard as he tired to keep the Covenant, he could not.

 

Romans 3:20-23: “20.  Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22. even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

 

There were several reasons the law was unsuccessful in justification. The law was a set of rules to live by because God knew man could not keep the law as given.  That is why he set up the sacrificial system, to give the Israelites a way to cover their sin.

 

Romans 4:13-15:  “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,
15. because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.”

 

The Covenant gave the Israelites a set of rules by which they could live a life pleasing to God and in turn God would make them a Royal Priesthood .

The problem with the Children of Israel, is they did not think in their heart like royalty.

They continued to think like slaves.  God can come in and change our inner man, but if we do not renew our minds and train our minds to think like God, to look at things as God sees them and not in the natural, than you are all ready set to fail.

 

The Children of Israel saw miracle after miracle, marveled and temporarily made the turn to God’s way, but inevitably, they stumbled.

 

Obedience and faithfulness area signature evidence of a holy character.  God knew that He would have to transform His Children.

 

Ezekiel 36:26-28: “26.  "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

27. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
28. "Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people,

 and I will be your God.”

 

This is something the law alone could not do, give us a new heart and a new spirit, this could only be accomplished by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It was a two-fold step, the death for our sin and then the resurrection.  The resurrection is as vital as His death.  Why?

 

John 16:7: “7.  "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

 

The Helper is the Holy Spirit, if the resurrection had not taken place, Jesus could not have sent the Holy Spirit to be our helper.  The power of the Holy Spirit is what God was talking about in Ezekiel 36:27.  God gives us the Holy Spirit and it is the Holy Spirit that is the key to unlocking the power of God in our lives!

 

Acts 1:8: “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 King James Version says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:”

 

It is after we are filled with the Holy Spirit that we really receive the Power to walk the path the Lord has chosen for us.

 

What is that path?

 

1 Peter 2:9: “9.  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

 

There are several hallmarks of being spirit filled, one is the ability to be faithful and obedient. Another is the hunger to do “something” for the Lord.  The initial evidence is the speaking in tongues and this is what I want to concentrate on today.

 

The Bible explains in several places in Acts, that the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues.  It was the initial response of the 120 believers gathered in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost. (Act 2: 1-4).  It is also given in reference to the family of Cornelius. (Acts 10: 46), and again with the believers in Corinth. (Acts 19:6).

 

We can plainly see that speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  But why is it the initial evidence?  Because your private prayer language is the Heavenly language.  Remember we are a royal priesthood, to fill our role as a royalty, we

Must think, act and talk like royalty. 

 

1 Corinthians 13:1 “1.  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

 

Plainly, praying in tongues in the language of angels, a Heavenly language.

 

The Apostle Peter spent 3 years with Jesus, literally at His feet, seeing Him do the Will of God and yet he still denied Him, not once but three times.  Why, Peter did not yet have the power of the Holy Spirit.  But on the day of Pentecost, Peter along with the other 120, were filled with the Holy Spirit and He preached a sermon after which, 3000  were saved!

This is the power God wants us all to have and use.  To tap into this power, we must spend time in His presence, drinking of the water of life and staying full. One of the ways we do this is through prayer, especially, praying in tongues.

 

Praying in tongues is the hidden key to moving in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

 

Mark 16: 15-18: “15.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18. "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.''

 

Praying in tongues is the Scriptural way to praise God.

 

Acts 10:44-46: “44.  While Peter was still speaking these words, 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...”

 

As we pray in tongues, God’s power is loosed in our lives, His light, love, wisdom and discernment become real tools for us to use daily in our walk.  It makes our spirit sensitive to the things of God over the things of this world. It is the best tool available for drinking in the spirit of God daily, to satisfy our thirst for continuos living water. It opens the door for us to receive God’s blessing in our lives but also to be an instrument of God’s blessing to others. Tongues enables us to discern spiritual guidance and follow it unerringly.

 

I want to give you some of the important benefits of speaking and praying in tongues.

 

1. It is keeping a commandment of the Lord:

Corinthians 14:15,37:  “15.  What is the result 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….37.  If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”

 

2. It builds up our faith and strengthens our spirit:

1 Corinthians 14:4: “4.  He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.”

Jude verse 20: “0.  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,”

 

3. It enables us to speak mysteries and secret truth of The Father, only known in the intimate places of Heaven:

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.”

 

4. It enables us to offer perfect pray to God and to pray for things beyond our

        knowledge or comprehension:

        Romans 8: 26-27: “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.”

 

4. We lay hold of our inheritance in Christ:

Romans 8:16: “16.  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”

 

5. It refreshes and strengthens our inner man:

Ephesians 3:16: “16.  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,”

Isaiah 28:11-12: “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.”

 

6. It helps us bring our tongue under God’s control:

James 3:5-6,8: “5.  Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!  6.  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell… 8.  But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

 

Praying in tongues is God’s provision for us to tap into the strength and power of the Holy spirit in our every day lives.  Use it and be amazed at the difference it will make!