Every Tuesday we engage in one big question, topic or idea. You are invited to write in with a suggestion you want to share. I surely do not have all the answers but know that together we can generate some great conversation and have fun in the process. (Feel free to post your topics, questions, and your great thoughts in the comments below!) Together, we will stay informed and equipped about topics that matter!
Today’s Blog Contributor:
Kandi and her husband live here in Kingston, WA. They attend Bayside Community Church where she is on staff and also organizes Day Retreats for the women in her local area. She is also a sectional representative for the NW Ministry Network Women’s Department .
Kandi is motivated by a desire to see women come to know Christ. She has written a book where she shares her story of overcoming abuse and heartache. She wants other hurting women to see that if God can change her He will do the same for them. “My passion is to let women know that Jesus loves and values them regardless of where they have been. Teaching them step by step what the bible says about living out loud for Christ. I love to share my story so that people can see what God has done in my life. My motto is “I want to be more excited about where God has brought me, than ashamed of where I’ve been.””
Today, Kandi continues our blog series on prayer with, Praying in the Spirit. Enjoy!
Praying in the Spirit
Praying in Tongues, Praying in the Spirit, Praying in a Heavenly Language. Whatever you want to call it….I’m glad I have it!
Here are 2 reasons I love being able to speak to Jesus in The Spirit:
- God had brought me through so much in my life that sometimes when I am praying and thanking Him for all His goodness, I just run out of words. And when that happens I let praying in Tongues take over. It’s like I can feel what I’m praying even though I don’t know the language that I am speaking.
1 Corinthians 14:2 ESV For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
- When a situation arises that needs to be covered in prayer but I don’t know what to pray for because I don’t know what would be the best way for the situation to work out, I pray in tongues. I don’t have to know because God does.
When I am praying in The Spirit, I know my spirit is communing with the Holy Spirit and together we are connecting with God on a much deeper level. I feel like there is more power in speaking in Tongues then when I pray in an earthly language. I have laid hands on people and spoken in Tongues for healing and healing has happened. I can feel the deeper sense and power of it happening. Speaking in tongues builds me up and it encourages me.
1 Corinthians 14:4 ESV The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself……..
Let’s be clear here. The Holy Spirit dwells in you when you become a believer. We are saved by His gift of grace.
In Acts the disciples were told by Jesus to wait for the Helper. So what did they do? They waited and waited and waited. And boy were they rewarded and blessed for their obedience.
Luke 24:49 ESV “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 2:4 NLT And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
The gift of tongues is just that, a gift and it does not determine if you are saved or not. But if we are His temple and Holy Spirit lives in us and He is the giver of all the Gifts which means He has all the gifts (1 Cor 12:4-11), then all those gifts are already in us. Our willingness to step aside, and let the Holy Spirit work through us is key. Another important key is our faith. Do we really believe that these gifts are ours to use and do we really believe they will work if we call upon them? Where is your level of faith? Even the apostles cried out to Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5) and they walked with Him and saw many miraculous miracles.
1 Cor. 6:19 NLT Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.
The bible talks about how hard it is to contain the tongue. I believe it is also hard to let go of it and allow God to use it in this special communion with Him. This Gift is still available to us today. We need to ask and expect for God to answer our prayers.
Acts 11:15 ESV As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.
If you have this gift……use it often. Don’t let it dry up.
Eph. 6:18 NLT Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Jude 1:20 ESV But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.
If you have not experiences this gift yet…..seek God for it. He wants to give us good things. He wants to give us tools that will draw us closer to Him.
Matthew 7:11 NKJV If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Praying in The Spirit will change your life and take you to a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus.
This was originally the end of my blog, but I feel like The Lord has given me a Word for you:
I pray in The Spirit because I can. I am a child of God, His Spirit lives within me and I have access to all the Gifts of the Spirit. Praying in tongues empower me and lifts me up. And in this world we are living in today we could all use a little, or a lot of lifting up.
I find it amusing, no aggravating, that we as Christians have no problem quoting.
Ephesians 6:12 NASB For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
We can talk about Satan’s demonic power and that he is out to kill and destroy us. But when it comes to the Spiritual Power of the Most High we shy away from it. Because a few people before us have abused their congregations and their followers we don’t want anyone to think that we believe in “that spiritual stuff”.
Well I’m here to tell you today that today is the day. The world we are living in is a dark and spiritual place. And yes, the devil does roams around like a lion, looking to devour, kill and destroy us.To a lot of people the truth of God’s word doesn’t mean anything anymore. Even long time Christians are twisting the Word of God to fit their needs and their children’s needs.Gone are the days where we fast and pray and seek the Lord on our faces. Let’s be honest, when was the last time you laid prostrate face down on the floor and sought the Lord? When was the last time you fasted? We make excuses for ourselves so we don’t have to be obedient. Now is the time that we need to seek Him and the Gifts that He has already given us. We need them to fight this battle. We just did the blog series on the Armor of God. We need to use ever piece of it. Otherwise we will fall away, we will be deceived, and we might even lose the race.
I love you and want you to do more than just get by. I want to help you run the race with endurance. I want you to have victory.
You are my sisters in Christ and these Gifts are not just part of some story that we are patiently listening to. They are for you. They are for me. For us to use to point people to God’s Glory and to help people to see that Jesus is alive and well and the Holy Spirit is hungry to have a relationship with you. He is waiting to empower you with the power that raised Christ from the dead. Yes you, oh Daughter of the Most High King. It is all within your grasp. Don’t let what others think influence the way you look at His gifts. Have your identity placed firmly in the Father and move forward with what He wants to give you.
What do you think?