Ephesians 6:18 says, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
The opening phrase in this construction says, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. In order words… Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (NIV).
Amplified rendering declares… Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.
I will like to draw your attention to the words, “All prayer”, “All kinds of prayer”, “All manner of prayer”.
This signifies that there are different kinds of prayer, and these different kinds of prayer are governed by different rules.
Penultimate week, we looked at the prayer of symphony or agreement. Today, we will be looking at praying in tongues or praying in the Holy Spirit.
We understand that on the day of Pentecost or outpouring of the spirit of God, the one hundred and twenty people who were gathered in that upper room were clothed with power and began to speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance.
Note that the utterance was not something they had learned or rehearsed, it was given to them by the spirit of God, and it’s a prayer language, which believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit can use at will or anytime they want.
However, religion has taught that “we can’t pray in tongues at will. We can only pray in tongues on special occasions, when the spirit of ecstasy lifts us to higher realm in the spirit”.
Paul knocks this religious teaching, saying, Well, then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in unknown tongues and also in ordinary language that everyone understands I will sing in unknown tongues and also in ordinary language (1Corinthian 14:15).
Amplified Rendering says Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the [e] Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.
1Corinthians 14:2 says… For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
The word “mysteries” in this text is derived from the Greek word “mystērion”, which connotes a matter to the knowledge of which initiation is necessary, a secret that would remain such but for revelation, hidden or secret things not obvious to the understanding.
Put differently, the above text reads for one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding] (Amplified).
So tongues are coded languages given to us by God, which we use to communicate with him or send divine secrets to him.
Aside from being a means of uttering secret truths to God, praying in tongues is also a means by which believing ones charge or build themselves up. He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself (1 Corinthian 14:4).
The word “edify” originates from the Greek verb “oikodomeō”, which is a combination of two words (Oikos “a home” and dome “to build”).
It signifies “to build a house”, “to build” or “to advance a person’s spiritual condition”.
Jude alludes to this, saying… But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost (Jude 1:20).
Amplified Rendering says …But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith[a] make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit.
You see, when we pray in tongues, we make progress, we rise like an edifice higher and higher or develop our human spirit. Hallelujah!!!
Paul encourages us to this, saying… Now I wish that you might all speak in [unknown] tongues (1Corinthians 14:5) – And speaking of himself, he said, I thank God that I speak in [strange] tongues (languages) more than any of you or all of you put together, (1 Corinthians 14:18). This means he edifies or builds himself up more than all the members of the church at Corinth put together.
Remember, Paul said that our body is the “Temple or dwelling place of the Holy Spirit”.
You see, man is essentially a spirit; he has soul, and lives in a body. When we pray in tongues, it is our spirit, the real man, the one that is in union or contact with God that is praying… For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth”… It has nothing to do with our mind or understanding…But my mind (understanding)·does nothing [L is unfruitful].
But we can do both at will: we can pray in tongues at will, just as we can pray in English at will.
To be continued!!!
By Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe(Ps)
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