SHOULD ALL CHRISTIANS SPEAK IN TONGUES? (Part 8)

Some Final Compelling Reasons Why Should Christians Pray in the Spirit

1. It is simply unwise to refuse any gift provided by the Father’s kindness or use only a very limited amount of any favour He has made available.

You can be sure our Father provides all He does for a reason.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

Act 1:4-5 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

Act 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines 1 Corinthians 12:11

2. Who refuses an assistant when the services of one have been retained at great expense for us?

Before the Lord Jesus left us, he promised to send us a parakletos [comforter, advocate, one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate; in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant- excerpted from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon]

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (parakletos), that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:16-18

How exactly then, does the Advocate Assistant, assist us? “Likewise the Spirit also helps our weakness: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Rom 8:26 -27

3. The Double Witness Approach

A double-pronged attack is always more effective than a single presentation. Nathan used it with Bathsheba to get Solomon on the throne, and Esther used it with Ahasuerus to get liberty for her people. Even God used it to speak to Pharaoh about impending famine and Joseph clarified that the double witness is how to know something is sure to happen. Many other examples abound. …in the mouth of two or three witnesses, a matter is established. (Matt 18:16)

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.” Eccl 4:9

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matt.18:19

So, what agreement am I speaking about? … I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. (1 Cor 14: 15) My mind and spirit, when agreed in prayer, will stand a much greater chance of receiving what is desired or intended by God.

Who is a Witness?

Witnesses are those who testify about something that they saw, heard or know. You cannot be a good witness of the Lord Jesus without the Holy Spirit.

‘When the Advocate comes whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me. And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning. (John 15:26-27)

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

4. The Former Disciples of Jesus Spoke in New Tongues

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. (Heb 13:8)

If Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday, why should He offer us something different from what He gave originally and actively encouraged? There is a reward for believing in the constancy of God’s nature as opposed to presuming He changes like shifting shadows.

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.Mal 3:6

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: Act 2:16-8

Why would God change from pouring out His Spirit upon His sons and daughters, to withholding the rain constantly? If anything ought to be the case,1 there should be an increase in the presence of the Holy Spirit as we walk further into God’s plans on the earth.

READ ALSO: SHOULD ALL CHRISTIANS SPEAK IN TONGUES? (PART 9)