Many Christians that dont speak in tongues ask why do they need it. What is it all about? So below are a number of reasons to speak in tongues. The one important truth that is missed, is that tongues comes with the baptism/receiving of the Holy Spirit. Jesus stated that we get power when we receive the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Him. Do you want to be a witness? Then tongues here we come.
1. Jesus commanded us to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
All Christians will agree that Jesus is our example and his words carry more weight than any other.
Act 1:4-5,8 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 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.”
When Jesus commanded the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father, He didn’t say, “Do this if you feel led to do so, or if it fits in your doctrinal or denominational beliefs, or if you have the time, or if you are so inclined, or if you feel comfortable about it.” No! Jesus commanded them to wait until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus put such importance on their receiving this gift, that’s more than enough reason for every Christian to seek God until they receive it too (Acts 1:4; 5:32; John 14:16-17; Ephesians 5:18).
Some will say but Jesus never said they would speak in tongues. Well on the Day of Pentecost that truth became clear and for all to hear. It was then later confirmed by Peter and Paul.
2. Praying in tongues builds and increases our faith. Faith is the medium of exchange for all heavenly things, just as money is the medium of exchange for all earthly things. A major way to increase our faith is to pray in the tongues of our spirit language (Romans 12:6; Jude 1:20; Mark 9:23; Matthew 9:29).
3. Praying in tongues activates the fruit of the Spirit. It’s vital and beneficial to have each of the spiritual attributes become active and mature in us. Praying in tongues helps us fulfill God’s predestined purpose for us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Romans 8:29).
4. Praying in our spirit language is the main way we fulfill the scriptural admonition to “pray without ceasing.” Christians can pray in tongues at any time. If we are in a place where it isn’t convenient or wise to speak out loud in tongues, we can pray with our inner man without making an audible sound (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Matthew 26:41; Luke 18:1; 21:36; 1 Cor. 14:15).
5. The Holy Spirit directs our tongue to pray in accordance with the will of God. Probably the only time we can be assured that we are praying 100 percent in the will of God is when we are praying in our spirit language. God always answers requests that are made in alignment with His will (Romans 8:27; 1 John 5:14-15).
6. Praying in tongues quiets the mind. When Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist, compared brain scans of Christians praying in tongues with Buddhist monks chanting and Catholic nuns praying, the study showed the frontal lobes—the brain’s control center—went quiet in the brains of Christians talking in tongues, proving that speaking in tongues isn’t a function of the natural brain but an operation of the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:2, 14).
7. The Word of God teaches that when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we speak with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance. Speaking in tongues is an initial evidence, or sign, of the baptism of the Holy Spirit: “And they were all FILLED WITH THE HOLY Spirit, and began to SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).
8. Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians to continue the practice of speaking with other tongues in their worship of God. He also encouraged them to speak in tongues in their individual prayer life as a means of spiritual edification, or building up. The Bible says, “He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself ” 1 Corinthians 14:4.
Paul also stated in 1 Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, MY SPIRIT PRAYETH, but my understanding is unfruitful.” Notice he said, “My spirit prays.”
The Amplified Bible reads, “My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays . . . .” God is a Spirit. When you pray in tongues, your spirit is in direct contact with God, who is a Spirit. When you speak in tongues, you are talking to Him by divine, supernatural means.
9. Another reason people should speak with other tongues is that speaking with tongues keeps us continually aware of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling Presence. Not only is speaking with tongues the initial sign or evidence of the Holy Spirit’s infilling, but continuing to pray and to worship God in tongues helps us to be ever-conscious of His indwelling Presence. And if you are conscious of the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit every day, that is bound to affect the way you think and live.
10. Speaking in tongues eliminates the possibility of selfishness entering our prayer life. For instance, if I pray a prayer out of my own mind and out of my own thinking, it may be unscriptural. It may be selfish.
Paul wrote to the Church at Rome, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought. . .” (Romans 8:26). He didn’t say we didn’t know how to pray, because we are instructed to pray to the Father in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:23–24).
But just because I know how to pray doesn’t mean that I know what to pray for as I ought. So Paul said, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).
The Holy Spirit is not going to do our praying for us. He is sent to help us pray. Speaking with other tongues is praying as the Spirit gives utterance. It is Spirit-directed praying. And it eliminates the possibility of selfishness in our prayers.
11. Another reason believers should speak with tongues is that it helps them learn to trust God more fully. It builds one’s faith to speak in tongues. The Bible says, “Building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20).
Speaking in tongues stimulates faith and helps us learn how to trust God more fully. For example, faith must be exercised to speak with tongues because the Holy Spirit supernaturally directs the words we speak. You see, we don’t know what the next word will be—we have to trust God for that. And trusting God in one area helps us learn to trust Him in another area.
12. Every believer should speak in tongues as it provides a way for you to pray about things that you wouldn’t think to pray about or aren’t even aware of. We already know that the Holy Spirit helps us pray for particular situations when we don’t know how to pray about those situations. In addition, the Holy Spirit, Who knows everything, can pray things through us for things about which our natural mind knows nothing.
13. Another reason why every believer should speak with tongues is found in James 3:8. “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,” Yielding your tongue to the Holy Spirit to speak with other tongues is a big step toward being able to fully yield all of your members to God; for if you can yield your tongue, you can yield any member of your body to God.
Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. God has given us this wonderful spiritual gift to bless us, edify us, and refresh us throughout our lives on this earth. Let’s receive what God has provided and enjoy the benefits of speaking in tongues!
14. The Scriptures exhort us to be filled with the Spirit and to pray in the new tongues. Our tongues enables us to live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, be led of the Spirit, have the fruit of the Spirit, manifest the gifts of the Spirit and go from glory to glory until we are transformed into His same image (Galatians 5:22-25; Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 14:15; Ephesians 5:18; Acts 19:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Living as a Christian in this World 