For the last several weeks, I’ve been praying more than I ever have. Why? The needs before me are greater than they’ve ever been and I want to draw closer to the Lord. I want to be more intimate with Him. I want to understand His heart concerning the things to come and I’m constantly hungering for more spiritual depth and I know there’s no other way to receive these things that I so desperately long for without understanding the power of prayer.
THE POWER OF PRAYER - HOW POWERFUL IS IT?
Prayer means: a devout petition to God or an object of worship, a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.
James 5:17 ~… The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Jesus taught, "…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. In other words He’s given you divine power to demolish strongholds. When you pray, you demolish arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (Ephesians 6:18)
However if any power is displayed through your prayers it’s not yours. Rather, it’s God power that’s released through you when you’re praying in His name. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him."
This Scripture makes it real clear that God will only answer those prayers that are in agreement with His will. When your desires (wants) line up with His will and you pray passionately and purposefully, according to God's will, God responds to that prayer is powerful!
Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
THE POWER OF PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
Acts 2:4 ~ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
As a born-again child of God, the Holy Spirit is already inside of you. A person can received salvation without experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A believer does not need the baptism of the Holy Spirit with tongues to be saved. We are saved by confessing the Lordship of Christ Jesus with our mouth and believing with our heart, as Paul sated in Romans 10:9. Therefore, the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues must be preceded by salvation.
Peter preached that the promise of the Holy Spirit was to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:39).
There’s always been a battle over speaking in tongues. Paul silenced some troublemakers in the Corinthians church when he said, “Do not forbid speaking in tongues” (I Cor. 14:39), and “I would that you all spoke with tongues… (1 Cor. 14:5). The apostle Paul said, “I thank god, I speak with tongues more than you all (1 Cor. 14:18). Paul knew that praying in tongues was the secret to his supernatural life, revelations, and ministry. Our Lord Jesus Himself declared that we would speak in tongues.
Mark 16:17 ~ And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues.
JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR US TO PRAY IN TONGUES
If you want to grow in the anointing, it is imperative that you become a person of prayer and praying in tongues is vital to your spiritual growth and sensitivity in the spirit.
- Tongues are the entrance into the supernatural.
1 Corinthians. 14:2 ~ For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
- Praying in tongues is a direct line to God
Through tongues, you and I can have direct access to God. The Word says, “no one understands him”… This means satan does not understand when you pray in the spirit. He knows what you are doing, but he cannot understand what you are saying. He is helpless to sabotage your prayer. It is funny how people say, “Tongues are of the devil.” and yet Paul says, “Tongues is talking to God. “Through tongues, you and I have direct access to God.
- Praying in tongues is speaking divine mysteries-divine coded secrets
It’s saying you are praying things that can only be known by divine revelation, and is made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God to those who are illumined by His Spirit. In an ordinary sense, a “mystery” implies knowledge withheld.
The Greek word for mysteries means: Hidden things, divine secrets, coded language, secret will or plan, secret counsels that govern God in His dealing with the righteous, hidden from the ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly
When you pray in tongues, you are declaring the secrets of God, which will impart blessings and impact your life and others. You are prophesying your God-ordained future. When praying in the spirit, you are making a path of blessing and power for you to walk in and enjoy.
- Praying in tongues is strengthening your inner self with “might”
Ephesians 3:16 ~ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.
To strengthen means: “to make stronger.” It also means “to increase in strength and force.” According to the apostle Paul, when you pray in tongues, you are strengthening or fortifying your spirit man with might.
The word might in the Greek means: “miracle power and explosive power.” The more you pray in the spirit, the more you are increasing in spiritual force on the inside of you. The more you pray in tongues, the more explosive power and miraculous power are growing inside of you. Praying in tongues will build up your spirit.
- Praying in tongues is praying things that have been concealed to be revealed
Praying in tongues is prophetic in its nature. Therefore when you pray in tongues, you are declaring the rhemas of God, you are decreeing and prophesying your future. Praying in tongues will pull you from the past into the future.
- Praying in tongues is home improvement and a source of spiritual edification
1 Corinthians 14:4 ~ He that speaks in an unknown tongue edify himself….
The amplifies says ~ edifies and improves himself
The words edify also means “to charge up like you would charge a dead battery.” This verse could be literally translated as, “He who speaks or prays in unknown tongues builds his house and charges himself up with a spiritual current.” Tongues is building a strong foundation to carry the anointing..
We should always pray in tongues…