WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.960 Do you think that speaking mysteries to God and edifying yourself sounds like a godly thing, 2 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:08.560 or a bad thing? Well, I think it sounds like a godly thing, 3 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:14.640 just like you probably do. So what keeps us from praying in the Spirit more often? 4 00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:26.000 Now I want to talk about this gift called the gift of tongues, and there's been a lot of 5 00:00:26.560 --> 00:00:32.800 confusion about this gift. It's been the enemy's strategy to divide the body of Christ over this 6 00:00:32.800 --> 00:00:39.040 gift that is supposed to strengthen and unify the Church. So let's talk about it. In 1 Corinthians 7 00:00:39.040 --> 00:00:44.160 chapter 14, I'm going to read verses 14 through 17, and this is Paul speaking. He says, 8 00:00:44.160 --> 00:00:51.360 if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays. So that's all that praying in tongues is, is your spirit, 9 00:00:51.440 --> 00:00:57.600 this inner person where the Holy Spirit lives. It says your spirit is praying. Let's keep reading, 10 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:04.160 but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the Spirit, 11 00:01:04.160 --> 00:01:09.840 and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will also 12 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:15.440 sing with the understanding. Otherwise, if you bless with the Spirit, how will he who occupies 13 00:01:15.440 --> 00:01:19.920 the place of the uninformed say amen at your giving of thanks, since he doesn't understand 14 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:25.200 what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. So here we see Paul 15 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:31.920 saying there's a necessity for us to pray and sing in tongues, as much as there is a necessity 16 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:36.640 for us to pray and sing with our native language and our understanding. When we pray in our 17 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:42.240 understanding, we are fruitful in our minds. You know, that's how we're transformed as believers, 18 00:01:42.240 --> 00:01:48.400 is through the renewing of our minds. The more that we expose lies and learn the truth, 19 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:54.400 Jesus says when you know the truth, it'll set you free. So as we're transformed in our minds, 20 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:59.840 and it helps us to walk out our life, we're also transformed in the inner person by praying in 21 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:05.200 tongues, by singing in tongues. So Paul's saying, I'm going to do both. Even in this passage, he says, 22 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:10.960 I pray in tongues more than all of you. I'm like, okay, weird flex, Paul, but he's really excited 23 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:14.960 about the gift of tongues. He's like, you guys think you're excited about tongues? I pray in 24 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:21.280 tongues more than all of you, and I want you to pray in tongues. But let's look at this next 25 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:28.800 passage in 14. Let's look at the first four verses. He says, for he who speaks in a tongue does not 26 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:37.520 speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him. However, in the spirit, he speaks mysteries. 27 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:45.360 Guys, that is so exciting to me. When I'm praying in tongues, I'm speaking mysteries. We know from 28 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:52.000 Proverbs that it's the glory of God to conceal a matter, but it's a glory of kings to search it out. 29 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:57.040 So these mysteries are not hidden from you, they're hidden for you. This is like a treasure 30 00:02:57.040 --> 00:03:04.480 hunt, where the Lord, using the gift of tongues, starts to uncover the hidden gems in the Word of 31 00:03:04.480 --> 00:03:09.360 God. I love to pray in tongues while I'm reading Scripture. I love to pray in tongues when I don't 32 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:15.760 know how else to pray. Let's keep reading. Verse 3, but he who prophesies speaks edification and 33 00:03:15.760 --> 00:03:21.840 exhortation and comfort to men. So prophecy is hearing the Word of the Lord and speaking it out 34 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:26.720 in your native language. And he's saying this is important because it edifies and exhorts and 35 00:03:26.720 --> 00:03:34.000 comforts other people. And then verse 4, he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who 36 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:40.080 prophesies edifies the church. So have you ever received a really powerful prophetic word? Have 37 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:46.080 you ever had someone speak to you from Scripture and it completely changed your life and built you 38 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:51.840 up? Did you know that that same thing can happen alone in your prayer closet just by you praying 39 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:58.080 in tongues? You can be there speaking mysteries to God, and suddenly the Lord begins to speak 40 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:04.720 these truths to you that you didn't understand before. This is truly a powerful gift that we 41 00:04:04.720 --> 00:04:09.120 want to be using. And a lot of people call this the prayer language. People will say a prayer 42 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:15.280 language is praying in tongues, and that is one way that we pray in tongues. It's a part of how 43 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:21.279 the gift of tongues works. It's the same gift, but depending on the context, it can function in 44 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:26.000 different ways. Do you think that speaking mysteries to God and edifying yourself sounds 45 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:31.840 like a godly thing or a bad thing? Well, I think it sounds like a godly thing, just like you probably 46 00:04:31.840 --> 00:04:39.600 do. So what keeps us from praying in the Spirit more often? Have you been taught anything contrary 47 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:45.280 to Scripture about praying in tongues? What do you think would keep you from receiving the gift 48 00:04:45.280 --> 00:04:49.600 of tongues? Those are all questions that you should really ask the Holy Spirit. Lord, if I'm 49 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:53.760 not praying in tongues, what's preventing me? What are some things that I've been taught that 50 00:04:53.760 --> 00:04:59.840 are making me hesitant to receive this good gift from you that's edifying me? 51 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:03.160 This other passage in Romans 8, it says in verse 26, 52 00:05:03.160 --> 00:05:08.040 Likewise, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness. 53 00:05:08.040 --> 00:05:11.340 For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, 54 00:05:11.340 --> 00:05:15.180 but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us 55 00:05:15.180 --> 00:05:17.720 with groanings which cannot be uttered. 56 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:20.520 Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind 57 00:05:20.520 --> 00:05:22.980 of the Spirit is because he makes intercession 58 00:05:22.980 --> 00:05:26.820 for the saints according to the will of God. 59 00:05:26.820 --> 00:05:28.900 How would you like to make intercession 60 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:30.260 according to the will of God? 61 00:05:30.260 --> 00:05:32.740 This is saying that when the Spirit prays, 62 00:05:32.740 --> 00:05:35.400 that is what he does automatically. 63 00:05:35.400 --> 00:05:37.440 When you pray in tongues, 64 00:05:37.440 --> 00:05:39.540 the Holy Spirit actually helps you. 65 00:05:39.540 --> 00:05:41.280 Guys, I've experienced this so many times. 66 00:05:41.280 --> 00:05:43.920 Somebody comes up to me and they've got this need 67 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:46.280 in their life and I feel so overwhelmed 68 00:05:46.280 --> 00:05:48.940 and I've got fear and doubt and unbelief rising up 69 00:05:48.940 --> 00:05:50.960 and I'm trying to conceal it well 70 00:05:50.960 --> 00:05:53.160 because I want to speak from faith. 71 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:55.160 So I just start praying in tongues for them. 72 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:57.260 I just start praying in the Spirit. 73 00:05:57.280 --> 00:05:58.660 And as I'm praying in the Spirit, 74 00:05:58.660 --> 00:06:00.780 I can feel faith rising up in me, 75 00:06:00.780 --> 00:06:02.420 my Spirit being edified, 76 00:06:02.420 --> 00:06:07.260 and the Holy Spirit will usually give me a strategy 77 00:06:07.260 --> 00:06:11.800 on how to pray into this situation that's specific to them. 78 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:13.300 This is really important, you guys, 79 00:06:13.300 --> 00:06:15.460 because I don't know how to pray all the time. 80 00:06:15.460 --> 00:06:17.740 Like a lot of times, I'm really confused. 81 00:06:17.740 --> 00:06:19.780 Like, Lord, I don't even know what to do about this. 82 00:06:19.780 --> 00:06:21.780 And that's why we have this gift 83 00:06:21.780 --> 00:06:23.620 because he goes, well, I know how to pray. 84 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:25.940 Let me help you with these groanings 85 00:06:25.940 --> 00:06:28.160 that are beyond your natural utterance. 86 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:29.540 When you pray in tongues, 87 00:06:29.540 --> 00:06:32.500 the Spirit can help you to know what to pray 88 00:06:32.500 --> 00:06:34.940 and how to pray effectively. 89 00:06:34.940 --> 00:06:37.220 Look at the armor of God, Ephesians 6. 90 00:06:37.220 --> 00:06:40.360 We have this armor of God that we often talk about, 91 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:42.300 but we stop at verse 17. 92 00:06:42.300 --> 00:06:44.660 Look at verses 17 and 18. 93 00:06:44.660 --> 00:06:47.780 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, 94 00:06:47.780 --> 00:06:49.140 which is the Word of God, 95 00:06:49.140 --> 00:06:52.980 praying always with all prayer and supplication 96 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:54.620 in the Spirit. 97 00:06:54.620 --> 00:06:57.180 Being watchful to this end with all perseverance 98 00:06:57.180 --> 00:06:58.780 and supplication for all the saints. 99 00:06:58.780 --> 00:07:01.780 So remember in the Corinthians passage 100 00:07:01.780 --> 00:07:03.660 where Paul says, I will pray in the Spirit 101 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:06.260 and I will pray with my understanding also. 102 00:07:06.260 --> 00:07:08.260 So when Paul says praying in the Spirit, 103 00:07:08.260 --> 00:07:11.540 he's specifically talking about praying in tongues. 104 00:07:11.540 --> 00:07:15.500 He's talking about this gift as an offensive weapon. 105 00:07:15.500 --> 00:07:17.900 See, we don't just have one offensive weapon 106 00:07:17.900 --> 00:07:19.980 in the armor of God, we have two. 107 00:07:19.980 --> 00:07:21.140 We have the Word of God. 108 00:07:21.140 --> 00:07:24.700 Remember when Jesus was battling Satan in temptation, 109 00:07:24.700 --> 00:07:28.420 he kept saying, it is written, it is written, it is written. 110 00:07:28.420 --> 00:07:32.020 That's one of our weapons of warfare in the armor of God 111 00:07:32.020 --> 00:07:34.420 is the Word of God that begins to cut apart 112 00:07:34.420 --> 00:07:37.660 and dissect lies and remove the power of the enemy 113 00:07:37.660 --> 00:07:38.900 from speaking to us. 114 00:07:38.900 --> 00:07:42.780 But we also have praying in the Spirit. 115 00:07:42.780 --> 00:07:45.980 And Paul says praying always 116 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:48.300 with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. 117 00:07:48.300 --> 00:07:50.740 Now I understand why he said to the Corinthians, 118 00:07:50.740 --> 00:07:52.660 I pray in tongues more than all of you. 119 00:07:52.660 --> 00:07:54.100 Because he was trying to get people, 120 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:57.140 I want you to be praying in the Spirit always. 121 00:07:57.140 --> 00:07:59.160 Continually be praying in the Spirit. 122 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:01.700 When you're not doing something, start praying in tongues. 123 00:08:01.700 --> 00:08:04.220 When you're washing the dishes, start praying in tongues 124 00:08:04.220 --> 00:08:07.740 and focus on that indwelling, like burning bush, 125 00:08:07.740 --> 00:08:09.980 Holy Spirit that lives inside of you. 126 00:08:09.980 --> 00:08:12.780 When you're driving to work, start praying in tongues. 127 00:08:12.780 --> 00:08:15.820 And you'll find yourself praying in tongues 128 00:08:15.820 --> 00:08:19.540 when you build this muscle even automatically. 129 00:08:19.540 --> 00:08:22.380 Sometimes I wake up at night praying in tongues. 130 00:08:22.380 --> 00:08:24.860 I didn't intend to do that. 131 00:08:24.860 --> 00:08:27.540 Sometimes I'm just walking around the house doing stuff 132 00:08:27.540 --> 00:08:29.620 and I notice that I'm praying in tongues 133 00:08:29.620 --> 00:08:31.640 because it's a muscle that I've built 134 00:08:31.640 --> 00:08:33.580 and it's a habit that I've cultivated. 135 00:08:33.580 --> 00:08:37.320 And it can help me as an offensive weapon 136 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:40.539 all throughout my day, just like memorizing scripture can. 137 00:08:40.539 --> 00:08:42.860 So if you put on the armor of God every day, 138 00:08:42.860 --> 00:08:45.900 I wanna encourage you, you should also take some time, 139 00:08:45.900 --> 00:08:48.500 I'd say 10, 15, 20 minutes a day 140 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:50.700 where you can focus on Jesus 141 00:08:50.700 --> 00:08:52.940 and focus or focus on the Holy Spirit 142 00:08:52.940 --> 00:08:54.300 that's living inside of you 143 00:08:54.300 --> 00:08:57.300 and start bringing your mind into focus 144 00:08:57.300 --> 00:08:59.320 and start praying in the Holy Spirit, 145 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:01.620 praying in your gift of tongues and your prayer language. 146 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:03.060 Look at Luke chapter 11. 147 00:09:03.060 --> 00:09:05.420 This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. 148 00:09:05.420 --> 00:09:07.860 Luke 11, 11, so it's easy to remember. 149 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:08.700 And Jesus says, 150 00:09:08.700 --> 00:09:12.900 "'If a son asks for bread from any father among you, 151 00:09:12.900 --> 00:09:14.780 will he give him a stone? 152 00:09:14.780 --> 00:09:16.520 Or if he asks for a fish, 153 00:09:16.520 --> 00:09:18.720 will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 154 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:22.280 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?' 155 00:09:22.280 --> 00:09:24.240 We're like, well, duh, Jesus, 156 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:27.580 like no one's gonna give a scorpion to their little kid. 157 00:09:27.580 --> 00:09:29.560 So he goes, "'So why?' 158 00:09:29.560 --> 00:09:31.960 Verse 13, "'If you then being evil,' 159 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:34.320 he means in comparison to God, 160 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:35.920 he's that good of a father, 161 00:09:35.920 --> 00:09:38.080 you're an evil father in comparison. 162 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:40.640 You know how to give good gifts to your children. 163 00:09:40.640 --> 00:09:44.120 Watch this, "'How much more will your heavenly father 164 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:47.560 give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?'' 165 00:09:47.560 --> 00:09:51.160 See, God wants to give you the gift of the Holy Spirit. 166 00:09:51.160 --> 00:09:53.680 God wants to give you this gift of tongues. 167 00:09:53.680 --> 00:09:56.040 God wants to give you the gift of prophecy. 168 00:09:56.040 --> 00:09:58.040 God wants to give you the gift of healing. 169 00:09:58.040 --> 00:10:00.200 He wants you to operate in all of these. 170 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:05.840 gifts, especially that you may prophesy and pray in the Spirit, because those two gifts 171 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:09.200 are going to edify you and edify others. 172 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:14.600 He has good gifts for you that He wants you to receive from Him. 173 00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:19.640 So if you don't have a prayer language, don't get offended, don't get upset, just keep asking 174 00:10:19.640 --> 00:10:20.640 for one. 175 00:10:20.640 --> 00:10:21.640 Keep asking the Lord. 176 00:10:21.640 --> 00:10:26.240 Lord, I know that I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit when I prayed and when this 177 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:28.000 disciple laid hands on me. 178 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:31.120 I want all the good gifts you have for me. 179 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:35.840 Did you know that the same people in the book of Acts were baptized in the Holy Spirit more 180 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:36.840 than once? 181 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:42.920 That they actually received fresh infillings, fresh empowerings. 182 00:10:42.920 --> 00:10:45.880 And we should be asking the Lord for more every day. 183 00:10:45.880 --> 00:10:50.960 And one of the ways that we can experience the more of God is praying in the Spirit. 184 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:52.440 I'll look at this last scripture with you. 185 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:54.160 This is Jude, verse 20. 186 00:10:54.160 --> 00:10:57.600 It's just a one-chapter book at the end of the Bible. 187 00:10:57.600 --> 00:10:58.600 He says, 188 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:05.960 You, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. 189 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:10.640 When I read this the first time, and I was learning about the gift of tongues, it was 190 00:11:10.640 --> 00:11:12.840 like a ton of bricks hit me. 191 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:14.440 I went, you're kidding me. 192 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:20.200 I can build up my faith by praying in the Holy Spirit? 193 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:23.400 So when I feel like, man, I just don't know if I have the faith for that. 194 00:11:23.640 --> 00:11:28.120 Well, go in your prayer closet, start praying in tongues, warring in the Spirit, and you're 195 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:30.360 going to come out of that prayer closet with more faith. 196 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:33.200 You're going to be built up in the inner man. 197 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:36.320 You know how it says the man who speaks in tongues edifies himself? 198 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:39.240 That word edify is an architectural term. 199 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:43.960 It's like when someone's building a cathedral, and they start to put up these supports, and 200 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:49.120 they start to put up these flying buttresses, and they're putting up these columns, and 201 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:50.920 they're doing all this ornate work. 202 00:11:50.920 --> 00:11:56.520 It's like the interior design of your inner man, the strengthening of your inner man. 203 00:11:56.520 --> 00:12:02.200 When you're praying in tongues, you're doing an inner remodel for where the Holy Spirit 204 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:03.200 lives. 205 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:04.720 You're giving him more space. 206 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:06.480 You're strengthening yourself. 207 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:10.200 You're letting him into those other areas that maybe aren't submitted to him. 208 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:15.720 You're letting him into those areas of doubt, those areas of unbelief, those areas of fear, 209 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:19.200 and you're being strengthened on the inside. 210 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:21.280 So I'm going to tell you, here's what's going to happen. 211 00:12:21.280 --> 00:12:24.880 You're going to start trying to pray in tongues, and you'll notice that you get distracted 212 00:12:24.880 --> 00:12:26.320 really easily. 213 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:30.440 You'll make it like 90 seconds, and then you'll be thinking about something else, and then 214 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:32.440 you'll go, oh shoot, I was praying. 215 00:12:32.440 --> 00:12:37.240 And it's going to be like that for a while, but I want to encourage you, don't get mad 216 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:38.240 at yourself. 217 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:40.480 Don't beat yourself up for losing your focus. 218 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:45.920 Just keep praying in tongues, and bring your attention back to what the Lord's doing. 219 00:12:45.920 --> 00:12:48.880 Bring your attention back to the Holy Spirit living inside of you. 220 00:12:49.560 --> 00:12:52.560 And you'll start to build some endurance in this gift. 221 00:12:52.560 --> 00:13:00.240 And for me, around the 12-15 minute mark of praying in tongues, I start to experience 222 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:04.720 these mysteries, these breakthroughs, these revelations. 223 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:08.280 The Lord will bring somebody to mind, and I know that I'm praying for them according 224 00:13:08.280 --> 00:13:09.720 to His will. 225 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:14.240 You'll start to receive faith for areas that you didn't have faith before. 226 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:15.680 So I want to encourage you. 227 00:13:15.680 --> 00:13:21.320 If you've got your daily prayer time you're spending with the Lord, begin to add increasing 228 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:25.520 amounts of times of praying in the Holy Spirit, praying in tongues. 229 00:13:25.520 --> 00:13:28.200 I would say try to get to 15 minutes. 230 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:30.880 But if you get to two minutes and you're like, man, this is exhausting. 231 00:13:30.880 --> 00:13:34.600 Well, Paul said, I'll pray in the Spirit, but I'll also sing in the Spirit. 232 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:39.440 So you can switch into singing in tongues to help yourself continue to focus in. 233 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:42.160 But I want to encourage you and challenge you. 234 00:13:42.160 --> 00:13:48.280 Start praying in tongues for 15-20 minutes a day and pray that God would give this wonderful 235 00:13:48.280 --> 00:13:53.680 gift to you so that you can continue to be strengthened and built up in your most holy 236 00:13:53.680 --> 00:13:54.180 faith.