Tongues.

[Andrea411]

The Lord does want us all to speak in tongues at this point!!

That is why Paul wrote to desire the gifts! Prophecy is more useful when communicating to others, but tongues is more useful when communicating to God!!

Look - all the gifts are manifestations of the Spirit of God in you! The Spirit knows how to pray better than you! So let the Spirit speak through you when you pray! And you don't need to know everything going on in someone else's life. You can pray for someone in tongues and pray exactly what the need without having to know all the little problems in their life. Yet when we minister to them we need to know what God has to say to them in a language they can understand. So prophecy is better for ministering, where as tongues is better for intercesion!

So we need the gifts!! All of them!! God didn't design them for them to be ignored!! He didn't tell us to desire them because they didn't have value, but because they do have value!! And so pray for all the gifts!!

Pray for the gift of healing. Don't you think you might come across someone that could use a miracle.

Pray for words of wisdom. Don't you think God's wisdom might be of some use?

Pray for the gift of tongues, because you will be able to pray for people more efficeintly and about things you don't need to know. Wouldn that be nice?

Pray for interpretation of tongues. It might not be as clear, but when the Lord interpretes He still tells you only what you need to know. Often when I ask the Lord for an interpretation, He just tells me I am praying for this person and I don't get the details. And seeking the interpretation requires I seeking the small voice of the Lord, and don't you think a reminder to listen to His voice is worthwhile?

Seek words of knowledge. I was praying for someone a week or so ago and afterwards the Lord told me that there was a lady like a mother, but who was not a mother and was something like an aunt, in the persons life when they were younger. That lady was into witchcraft and had place a curse on them. The curse needed to be broken and the lady like an aunt needed to be forgiven. Sure enough there was a lady that was like a mother to the person. She was a sister of his mom, but not a really a sister but a girl that grew up in the same house so they were considered sisters. And she was into withcraft but the person did not know they had been cursed. So they didn't know they needed to break the curse and forgive the aunt.

People - if you have the Spirit of God you have access to all the gifts!! The problem is that we don't desire them so we don't get them! The Spirit (being considerate of your desires) will not manifest in ways that He does not have permision, or in ways you do not want Him to manifest in.

So if you don't want to speak in a language you don't understand, the Spirit of God won't manifest in you that way, even if it means that you could have prayed a better prayer for someone else.

If you don't want to pray for healing for someone, because it might stretch your faith too much or you choose to think miracles are not for today, then the Holy Spirit is not going to manifest in that way through you. The Spirit doesn't force himself on you.

If you want to lean on your understanding and your wisdom and you don't want anyone, including the Holy Spirit, telling you how things could be done better, then He won't force you to listen to Him for wisdom.

I can go through all the gifts, but you don't have to have them. You can choose to think what you want. Yet that doesn't change the fact that God has those incredible fantastic gifts available for those that seek after God and all He has for them.

You can just love on others, but wouldn't it be more loving if you could be used by God to heal them also, or if you could pray a better prayer for them? Wouldn't it be more loving to others if you desired the all the gifts of God which could help them more? My friends, all the gifts of the Spirit are designed to help you help others. So what is the loving thing to do? Desire the gifts (all of them), right?

I move in all the gifts, and always speaking in tongues, it is how I fall asleep and thinking of the Lord is how I wake. I don't move well in all the gifts. Its very difficult for me to have 'absolute' faith for healing, but I give that to the lord. Always asking for forgiveness for my area of weakness. We (prayer group) have seen wonders in answered prayer). I have belonged to healing ministries and it seems I work better as an intercessor, and in words of knowledge over written requests. I don't know why that is but it is just an experience. Healing is different then miracles, healings may take time, miracles are instantaneous. Only seen a few of them. Was in deliverance ministry, again, I do better as a back up and my discernment there has been …good?? Its always difficult to say.
I'm saying I believe the gifts are for today and we are seeing the Lord in POWER in our churches just in my churches we're not seeing the power we did in the 80's. I haven't seen the glory cloud in years. Or great moves of people coming to the Lord, I think that is happening in other countries…. I want it here!!!!! for my family and loved one too….. please Lord move on us.

Discernment is difficult for me too… I get in my own way and am anxious…. about sharing….. its probably more of an ego issue. (pride pride pride/self-consciosness is pride backwards but still pride) I have to say it to be free from it… we do so little, the Holy Spirit is what is happening, always amazes me that I can get prideful about it… but it seems to follow most of the people I know who are really honest about the gifts. God help me. And then if all He asks is we love on people and we can't seem to get that right… how do we expect great moves of God on our churches…..???
always pray over people in English and tongues and have never had anyone offended, if anything, for those that are not familiar - they are moved. They know it is of God. It is so sweet, the Holy Spirit in them is being testified to and it is healing and loving…. and they know it. Unbelievers are usually just still in awe… bc they know something just happened to them…. I always explain what I'm going to do and why… its a good way to share the gospel for unbelievers that just want prayer….
God bless, andrea

Please pray for me, I have a desire to go more deeply and be used of God in all His gifts…. it time, the church needs to be ready…. Thanks so much, God bless, andrea

 

[Andrea411]

hi

i so wish to ask in the most gentle manner as i have much respect for you as my sister in the lord

who passed on the notion of it being the least of the gifts ?
it is indeed of the least use to the hearer in a gathering .but in no other manner is it the least or the greater .i honestly don't think Paul ever meant it to be interpreted that way .his action in declaring that he did so "-more then all of you-" shows he knew it to be of extreme value and spent much time praying in the Spirit .
i don't believe any of the gifts are greater or lesser ..but have their usefulness increased by means of need .
ie -if a man comes and asks for the interpretation of a dream he had last night .. then healing at that moment would be considered the lesser gift .. -sort of thing -..lol if you get what i mean .

I thought it was Paul… but I have to get ready for work… it is a very important part of my life…. I believe it has changed, healed and delivered me…. so it is not least for me…. God bless, andrea

 

[K2K]

I move in all the gifts, and always speaking in tongues, it is how I fall asleep and thinking of the Lord is how I wake. I don't move well in all the gifts. Its very difficult for me to have 'absolute' faith for healing, but I give that to the lord. Always asking for forgiveness for my area of weakness. We (prayer group) have seen wonders in answered prayer). I have belonged to healing ministries and it seems I work better as an intercessor, and in words of knowledge over written requests. I don't know why that is but it is just an experience. Healing is different then miracles, healings may take time, miracles are instantaneous. Only seen a few of them. Was in deliverance ministry, again, I do better as a back up and my discernment there has been …good?? Its always difficult to say.
I'm saying I believe the gifts are for today and we are seeing the Lord in POWER in our churches just in my churches we're not seeing the power we did in the 80's. I haven't seen the glory cloud in years. Or great moves of people coming to the Lord, I think that is happening in other countries…. I want it here!!!!! for my family and loved one too….. please Lord move on us.

Discernment is difficult for me too… I get in my own way and am anxious…. about sharing….. its probably more of an ego issue. (pride pride pride/self-consciosness is pride backwards but still pride) I have to say it to be free from it… we do so little, the Holy Spirit is what is happening, always amazes me that I can get prideful about it… but it seems to follow most of the people I know who are really honest about the gifts. God help me. And then if all He asks is we love on people and we can't seem to get that right… how do we expect great moves of God on our churches…..???
always pray over people in English and tongues and have never had anyone offended, if anything, for those that are not familiar - they are moved. They know it is of God. It is so sweet, the Holy Spirit in them is being testified to and it is healing and loving…. and they know it. Unbelievers are usually just still in awe… bc they know something just happened to them…. I always explain what I'm going to do and why… its a good way to share the gospel for unbelievers that just want prayer….
God bless, andrea

Please pray for me, I have a desire to go more deeply and be used of God in all His gifts…. it time, the church needs to be ready…. Thanks so much, God bless, andrea

Awesome testimony!!

That is how it is supposed to work. The Holy Spirit has all the gifts and we have the Holy Spirit sent to us. So there should be no reason that we can not move in all the gifts - as the Holy Spirit wishes!

However there are two reason that people can't move in them like Andrea.

1 Cor 14:23...and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

The two reasons that people think others speaking in tongues are mad are: unbelief and unlearned!

And the church has a responsibility to edify (teach in religious matters). We not only have a responsiblity to explain that salvation come through belief in Jesus Christ, but also that the Holy Spirit is sent to believers and the Spirit has all the gifts explained in the Bible, so the Spirit should be able to move in all of them through any believer! It's an education problem and we often get very wishy washy about the need for people to let the Holy Spirit move in them as He needs!!

Now, we serve God! So it is not really our responsibility to tell God the Spirit what He should do in and through us. It is our responsibility to desire that He does. We need to want the Spirit to move in us as He needs! And of the Spirit it is written "He will speak; and disclose to you what is to come". That is we are suppose to listen to Him speaking and telling us what we need to do (what is to come next for us).

Jesus talked about today having enough for us to concern ourselves with. So today we listen to the Lord for today. Just as it is written: "encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today"(Heb 3:13)

And when we do Heb 2:3,4 comes into play "... it was confirmed to us by those who heard. God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own desire.

So we listen to God, follow His instructions for us today about today, and the Holy Spirit testifies with signs, wonders, miracles and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His desire. Therefore you need to desire to be used in all the gifts like Andrea testified to.

We need to stop telling people they have this gift of the Spirit or that gift of the Spirit and start telling them that if the have the Spirit and are willing listen to God and desire the gifts so as to let the Spirit move as He desires in and through them, they will see Spirit manifest in all the gifts, like Andrea testified to.

It is written, if you believe in a righteous man you get a righteous man's reward, and if you believe in a prophet you get a prophets reward. My friends, there is and has truely been ever only One righteous man. WE call Him Jesus Christ. And there is and has truely ever been only One prophet, and we call Him Jesus Christ. So if you truly believe in Jesus Christ you not only get the rewards of a righteous man, but also the rewards of a prophet!! But you have to listen and desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit whom He sends to you.

And since this thread was primarily on tongues; let me tell you that God can use the gift of tongues in so many more ways than you can possibly think!!

I was going down the freeway on the way home from work and suddenly the Spirit manifested in tongues, and a car was starting to spin out. Once, twice, it spun around. Then it slammed hard against the gaurd rail. But by luck, or more likely by the power of the Spirit, the care hit squarely on it's backend, forcing the driver back into the seat which he sat in. So he was able to just get out of the car and walk away. God helped that man. I know it, because I know the Spirit started had me suddenly start praying in tongues right before the car started spinning. The devil is going to do things, and it would be nice if God could use you as needed!

 

[Alithis]

amen - desire earnestly ALL the gifts ..

 

[Seeking Him]

Yes, I believe so… actually there are very few times that tongues are spoken publicly where I am at… in a number of AoG churches and non-denoms. I often sing in tongues but the person next to me probably doesn't know - and I always pray for awhile in tongues…. since it is the Holy Spirit praying, how would you know what we need to pray for…. or what strongholds may be broken.
It always seems this gets brought up by anti-charismatics as some kind of proof they are right???? If they don't want to speak in tongues, no one forces you to…. unless its UP… thats another thread.
So many millions of Charismatics…. its where most of the revival is happening, yet they denounce it….so sad.

It's a wonderful gift, tongues, encourages me to hear that you pray in tongues. We also build ourselves up in our faith.
It is a shame the gifts get repressed. "How strange a body would be if it
only had one part." "The eye can't say to the hand, I don't need you."
How much stronger the body of Christ would be if we all functioned in the gifts!
I love when words of knowledge come that pronounce that someone is being healed of a disease, and then they are, what a glory that is.

 

[K2K]

It's a wonderful gift, tongues, encourages me to hear that you pray in tongues. We also build ourselves up in our faith.
It is a shame the gifts get repressed. "How strange a body would be if it
only had one part." "The eye can't say to the hand, I don't need you."
How much stronger the body of Christ would be if we all functioned in the gifts!
I love when words of knowledge come that pronounce that someone is being healed of a disease, and then they are, what a glory that is.

"How much stronger the body of Christ would be if we all functioned in the gifts!"

It's is so hard to explain that to people, but I can not even imagine. The problem with telling others how much God has done through even me, when I have allowed Him to move in and though me, is a problem of figuring which incredible story to tell, and how to tell it so they will truly understand.

Maybe the story of praying for a lady going in for heart surgery the next morning and the Spirit fell like fire. She went for the surgery, but they had to send her home because for some strange reason they couldn't find a reason for it the next morning.

Or perhaps praying in tongues for a lady about to die in the hospital. Oh, she died but Jesus appeared and she recovered from her death. And though the doctor predicted that if her recovery went fine she might be able to go home in three or four days, she was sent hom the next day. Why keep someone who was now in great shape.

Of course things must be what things must be, and scoffers will exist, even in the church. Still God has a plan. For our part, we should be encouraging others. The gifts should be something desired! Yet so often, in an attempt not to offend the scoffer, we present the gifts as something optional, so that it might be interesting to have one of the gifts but not to use in public.

I had a pastor of a healing room ministry in a "Charismatic church" tell me that I should switch to a pentecostal church because of my strong belief in the value of the gifts. That was the same ministry in which we prayed for the lady with the heart surgery that didn't have to happen because God moved. So was the pastor encouraging me or discouraging me? Not encouraging. We need to examine ourselves to see if we are encouraging others or discouraging them.

 

[Optimax]

"How much stronger the body of Christ would be if we all functioned in the gifts!"

Consider this.

The Corinthian Church was very proficient in functioning in the gifts.

Paul called them a carnal bunch.

Operating in the gifts do not make a strong Christian.

 

[Andrea411]

"How much stronger the body of Christ would be if we all functioned in the gifts!"

Consider this.

The Corinthian Church was very proficient in functioning in the gifts.

Paul called them a carnal bunch.

Operating in the gifts do not make a strong Christian.

Rom 11:29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn; he will never go back on his promises.

Matt 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” 23 Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

I think we are aware the gifts are not a sign of sanctification, but a sign that God is real and He loves His children. Bc these signs will follow those that believe…. of course unless they have decided that they either don't want God's gifts, are not good enough for God's gifts or have some terrible teachings that these gifts are from the devil.

But the church would be much more effective if we hungered after righteousness and desired His gifts.

This should also be a reminder that we can walk away from our salvation. The Lord doesn't leave us but we can leave Him.
God bless, andrea

 

[Seeking Him]

"How much stronger the body of Christ would be if we all functioned in the gifts!"

Consider this.

The Corinthian Church was very proficient in functioning in the gifts.

Paul called them a carnal bunch.

Operating in the gifts do not make a strong Christian.

Hi, yes, they were carnal. What I mean by strong is this. If someone is healed by the function of the gift of healing, they will be strengthened no longer with that obstacle and able to serve in the body more effectively and strengthen others by their testimony. And God will be glorified.

If someone receives a word of wisdom or knowledge, it will support, lead and guide them and they will be strengthened. I think of that scripture, eye has not seen, but God has revealed these things to us by His Spirit. likewise a prophecy would build up people too.

 

[Alithis]

Rom 11:29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn; he will never go back on his promises.

Matt 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” 23 Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

I think we are aware the gifts are not a sign of sanctification, but a sign that God is real and He loves His children. Bc these signs will follow those that believe…. of course unless they have decided that they either don't want God's gifts, are not good enough for God's gifts or have some terrible teachings that these gifts are from the devil.

But the church would be much more effective if we hungered after righteousness and desired His gifts.

This should also be a reminder that we can walk away from our salvation. The Lord doesn't leave us but we can leave Him.
God bless, andrea

i like to quote a lady (since passed on to be with the lord ) who served the lord in ministering the baptism of the holy Spirit to others . thats is to say ..when she shared about what the lord had done in her life ..people asked the lord and HE baptized them in the Holy Ghost .
she used to say -"just because the anointing rests on a person for ministry (via the gifts of the Spirit ) does NOT automatically mean God validates everything that person does "
i think it is important for younger beleivers to realize that and dive into their bibles regardless of what an anointed preacher /teacher/ministry is preaching.

and i do mean the old testament as well ..very much so. .
im digressing now haha. it is of interest the the early church had three things,
The holy Spirit - the preaching of those filled with the holy Spirit and the old testament (in some cases) ..and later the letters shared around the congregations. and yet they turned the known world on its head ....
how .. by the power and authority endued on them through the baptism of the Holy Spirit ..
yes - desire earnestly ALL the gifts .. they are given for the purpose of the furtherance of the Gospel and the equipping and edification of the beleivers