The Invitation/ Sanctified/ Principle Doctrines of Christ

The Spiritual Advantage of Praying in Tongues

Jude 20 August 1, 1997

Some years ago I worked for a company that supplied substitute teachers. I tried to get work as near to home as possible, but one gloomy morning I got a call to teach at a distant technical school. Ordinarily, I would have turned down the job, but a boy from a local family attended that school. Relationships rank most high on the Lord’s scale of values. At that time we were developing a connection with that particular family in hopes that we might share the Gospel with them. Since it was a one-shot deal, I felt strongly impressed of the Lord to put aside my “better judgment”. I agreed to spend just one day at the school though this endeavor had all the earmarks of a “fool’s errand”. I arrived early. The only person in the faculty room was the lead teacher. I didn’t realize his opening question: “Well, what the h– is your major?” was just a lead in to lacerate substitutes and flaunt their incompetence. When I naively, but honestly, answered “Philosophy”, I almost expected his coffee mug to drop from his hands, fly off the wall or zoom towards me! This was a rough, tough-appearing man who barked orders all day long. He comported himself more like a drill instructor or prison guard rather than a school teacher. I had no time to explain that for a number of years I had headed a technical department in a secondary school much larger than his. I felt no need to explain or reply when he belched forth a curse and contemptuously exclaimed: “Philosophy! Now we’ve had everything!” It didn’t seem like a very auspicious start to what appeared would be a very long day.

On the drive in that morning I had prayed and sung “in the Spirit”. Not long after I was baptized in the Holy Ghost I heard a lady testify that now that she could pray in tongues she had made it a habit to praise the Lord spiritually while driving. Her car had turned into “a little chapel” was the way she put it. I was so edified by this testimony I determined to use this “down time” of driving to commune with the Lord by praying in the Spirit and fulfill the recommendation of Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”. There have been heated controversies and deep misunderstandings about the scriptural gift of tongues. But, like her, I can confidently and assuredly affirm that tongues is a precious gift from the Holy Spirit. It must be received and exercised by faith. Tongues is an ongoing reminder and example of that faith without which it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). The primary, most evident and palpable fruit of the wonderful gift of tongues is described in the Epistle of Jude, verse 20: “… building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost”.

Despite a rather rocky beginning at the trade school I felt confident, spiritually fortified and even joyful at the prospect of spending the day there. I had little contact with the other ten or twelve faculty members that would be teaching and training the students in their work areas. Whatever was going on in the regular classrooms my job was to circulate among the students working in “the pit” – a vast, open section that included a variety of “hands-on” projects. Amid a cacophony of noises from sawing, hammering, drilling and shouting; surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces I felt my best contribution to the school would be a set of sharp eyes, a pair of tight lips and a heart and tongue that was filled with heavenly prayer and praise. So I spent the school day circulating externally and spiritually percolating inside. While I kept my eyes peeled for safety hazards and passed a brief word with a student or fellow teacher, I mostly prayed in the Spirit, offering up to God the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15).

Although I met the one student that I knew and watched over his work project for a short time, I made no attempt to share the Gospel with him or anyone else. I felt the Lord had sent me there to pray. I tried to be obedient as possible to that primary assignment. I did my best to earn an honest day’s pay by following the instructions that the rather nasty lead teacher had given me.

The hours flew by. I must have taken a break for lunch but I can’t remember even going to a cafeteria. I was very alert to what was going on around me, yet at the same time I felt suspended in the Spirit. What I thought might be a long, tedious, dull and even frustrating day passed smoothly, easily and quite cordially. But I was in no way prepared for what happened after the final bell rang and all the students left. As you know, teachers sometimes have to stay after classes for the extracurricular activities they’ve been assigned to moderate. Except for that responsibility, most teachers prefer to leave promptly after a demanding day knowing there are often preparations to be made for the following day which comes all too quickly. My time was up that day and I was eager to head for the parking lot. I felt sure the other faculty members would be following on the heels of the departing students. I hadn’t made any friends that day; I hoped no enemies. I could barely call one student and possibly two teachers, acquaintances. My connection with any of the teachers was so fleeting I doubt they knew anything more about me than my first name. Yet, to my amazement, not one of the teachers left the area. Instead, they pulled up chairs in two rows and just sat there waiting for me to speak to them. No one said a word to me. No one introduced me. No one even invited me to speak. They just sat there looking at me. No one felt nervous or uncomfortable, least of all me.

I spoke to these men for nearly an hour. I can’t remember the details of how I started or finished, but I know I told them about Jesus and the Holy Ghost. I gave my testimony about having been a religious leader and a priest. I told them I had known “about Jesus” for many years and was trained to talk “about God” rather eloquently and in three different languages. I said that although I had studied deeply about God, I had never known Him. As a professional clergyman I didn’t have a clue that I could have a personal relationship with God by believing on the Lord Jesus as my Savior and Lord. To those attentive men gathered before me I confided the details of my conversion, repentance and submission to Jesus. I also filled them in on the extraordinary events that had transpired in my private life since God had come into my heart in a personal way. I told them of the comparative ease with which I left a religious home and family that I was tied to for a little more than twenty years. As best I could I explained the miracle of being extricated from a certified ministry and a public position that had been my professional life for fifteen years. When God intervened in my life He not only removed the people and positions that were impediments to an intimate relationship with Him, but He gave me a whole new existence in Christ. I told the men about my new wife, new family and even a new home that He had picked out for us. In all the time I spoke of these things only one teacher had to hurry away after 45 minutes. The rest stayed to hear me out and thanked me for sharing with them.

Some may doubt the reality of the gift of tongues. Others may believe in God’s gifts but be fooled into thinking that tongues is a waste of time. I hope this true testimony will help allay any such errors or fears. May this simple story pierce our readers’ hearts; edify them; and show that with the gift of tongues there is a definite spiritual advantage.