Head Dump: Prayer 8

1 Corinthians 14:1-19. NASB95.
1 Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.
3 But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.
4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.
5 Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?
7 Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp?
8 For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?
9 So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.
10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning.
11 If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me.
12 So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.
13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.
16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?
17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.
18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all;
19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

1 Corinthians 14:39-40. NASB95.
39 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.
40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.

Paul is addressing a problem concerning the use of spiritual gifts during church, that is, when the believers in Corinth were gathering to worship. Therefore, his purpose is to bring back under order the various manifestations of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:7). Apparently, the Corinthians were exalting the gift of tongues above other gifts during the public gatherings.

It is not my purpose here to talk about the public use of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit known as the gift of tongues. I want to draw attention to what Paul says, by inference, about the private use of tongues.

• When praying in a tongue, one speaks to God
• When one speaks in a tongue, one is edifying (building up) one’s self.
• It is Paul’s desire for the Corinthians that they all spoke in tongues.
• Tongues have a meaning (vs. 10).
• When one is praying in a tongue, it is our spirit that is praying. That is, the part that is doing the praying is the part that was brought to life when we were saved.
• Paul says that as a result of the above, he prays with his spirit (in speech that is not fruitful to his mind, but is to his spirit) and with his mind (in speech that is fruitful for him and for anyone hearing him).
• Blessing (praying) in the spirit is a giving of thanks to God.
• Paul boasts that he prays in tongues more than they do.
• Paul, mindful of our fallen and human ability to misinterpret teachings, bluntly tells the Corinthians not to forbid speaking in a tongue.
  
• “Praying in the spirit” and “speaking in tongues” seem to be used interchangeably.
  

Note: I lowercased praying in the “spirit” above, because it is not praying in the “Holy Spirit.” It is praying with/in/by our spirit.

To summarize so far: speaking in tongues (public or private) is prayer to God that edifies the spirit of the one doing the praying. It is a way of giving thanks to God. Paul clearly encourages its private use, boasting in his own use of it.

Question: Is it wrong to pray in the spirit for private purposes, that is, for personal edification?

Answers:

• Paul says he prays in the spirit.
• We have freedom. There is nothing in the word to forbid or restrict the use of tongues for that purpose.
• We are called to build ourselves up. (Jude 20. NASB95. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit...”)
• We are thanking God “well enough” doing it.

Motivation: building myself up, so that I can edify others later, is certainly allowed. I believe that there must be a connection between the spirit and the mind, though I do not know how it works. When my spirit is edified that must benefit my mind, at least in the long run. Perhaps this is one mechanism by which Romans 12:2 operates: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17. NASB95. “Pray without ceasing.”

The Lord has given us a vast array of things to do under the general heading of praying. And we have freedom. This vast array is not a set of laws to weigh us down. It is not a series of obligations that have to be met in order to be a man or woman of prayer in God’s eyes. These are all ways our loving Father and His Son, by the Holy Spirit, have given to us so that we can have fellowship with Them. They are gifts to be treasured, used, and shared with others.

With tongues, I can take another step towards “praying without ceasing.”

I ask God to remind me to pray. I ask Him to allow prayer in the spirit to bubble up when my mind is not occupied. (And He does it.)

The point of “pray without ceasing” is to be mindfully and continually in the presence of our God. It does not matter whether we are being conscious of God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. As long as we are there.