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 of the baptism of the Holy Spirit: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).

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 Cor. 14:4).

Paul also stated in First Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

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.

Speaking with tongues keeps us continually aware of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling Presence. And if you are conscious of the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit every day, it is bound to affect the way you think and live.

Speaking in tongues can eliminate selfishness in our prayer life. For instance, if we pray a prayer out of our own mind and out of our own thinking, it may be unscriptural. It may be selfish.

Paul wrote to the Church at Rome, “. . . for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. . .” (Rom. 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 we know how to pray doesn’t mean that we know what to pray for as we ought. So Paul said, “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.” (Rom. 8:26).

The Holy Spirit is not going to do our praying for us. He is sent to help us pray. Speak¬ing with other tongues is praying as the Spirit gives utterance. It is Spirit-directed praying.

It helps us 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! 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.

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.

James 3:8 says, “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Yielding your tongue to the Holy Spirit 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.

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!