Praying in Tongues
An Asset to Spirit-Filled Believers

Introduction:
The doctrine of praying in tongues has long been one of the most discussed and debated subjects in the modern church era. For some, it is a cherished mark of the Pentecostal experience. For others, it is viewed with suspicion, discomfort, or even rejection. Yet controversy does not remove the subject from Scripture. If anything, the controversy is an invitation for believers to return to the scriptures and ask what the New Testament actually teaches. My argument in this paper is that praying in tongues is a legitimate and valuable gift for believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit. I want to argue that tongues function in the New Testament as an initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit, though not the only evidence of a Spirit-filled believer. The primary focus of this paper is that praying in tongues is not merely a sign associated with the beginning of Spirit baptism, but an ongoing spiritual asset that benefits the believer in prayer, communion, edification, and intercession.

The Promised Gift:
In John 14, during the Upper Room discourse, Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus does not present the Spirit as a temporary religious experience, but as God’s abiding gift to His people. Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (John 14:16). This language is deeply relational. The Spirit(Parakletos in Greek) is “another Counselor,” or Advocate, one called alongside believers. Jesus goes on to say, “But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). This promise reveals that the Holy Spirit is not a passing influence or experience. He is the continuing presence of God with and in His people. The Holy Spirit truly is the gift that keeps on giving. He does not come to make a one-time deposit and then leave believers to live the Christian life on their own. He remains, guides, comforts, empowers, and helps believers carry out their assignment as Kingdom agents.

The promise is reemphasized in Acts 1, where Jesus commands His disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to “wait for the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4). He then explains, “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). The language of baptism is important. Jesus is describing more than just inward regeneration. He is pointing to an immersion, an overwhelming, Spirit-filled empowerment from on high. The Holy Spirit is not only the source of comfort and holiness but also the source of power, witness, and communion with God. Too often, believers think of the Spirit only as the one who convicts of sin or offers emotional comfort in difficult times. While He certainly does those things, the New Testament also presents the Holy Spirit as our prayer partner. He does not merely empower the believer for ministry in public; He empowers the believer for private communion with God.

Three Expressions of Tongues
The New Testament presents at least three recognizable expressions of tongues. First, there is tongues as another earthly language, most clearly seen in Acts 2. On the Day of Pentecost, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). This miracle was not simply speech, but Spirit-inspired utterance that was heard by people from many nations in their own languages. This is one form of tongues in the New Testament: an actual human language given by the Spirit.

Second, there is the congregational prophetic expression of tongues described in 1 Corinthians 12–14. Paul includes “different kinds of tongues” and “the interpretation of tongues” among the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10). In this case, tongues function publicly within the gathered church and require interpretation so that the body may be edified. Paul does not reject this practice; rather, he regulates it. He insists that it should be exercised decently and in order, not to eliminate it, but to ensure that it builds up the church. Unfortunately, many leaders and congregations have chosen to eliminate the gift entirely from corporate settings out of fear of being out of order.

Third, there is the personal prayer language described in 1 Corinthians 14. Paul writes, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit” (1 Corinthians 14:2). He later adds, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful” (1 Corinthians 14:14). This expression of tongues is not primarily directed toward people, but toward God. It is not a sermon in another language, nor a public message requiring interpretation, but a Spirit-enabled mode of prayer. This third category is especially valuable because it shows that tongues are not limited to an initial Pentecostal event or a public manifestation. They can also function as a continuing form of personal prayer in the life of the believer. In Pentecostal circles, we often refer to praying in tongues as “Praying in the Spirit.”

It is important to note that praying in tongues is not synonymous with speaking in tongues. The New Testament shows that tongues can function in more than one way. There are moments when tongues serve as a public message that must be interpreted for the church. But there are also moments when tongues function as a personal prayer language directed toward God. When a believer prays in the Spirit, he is not addressing people but speaking to God. Understanding this distinction helps clarify why tongues may be both a public gift and a private means of communion with God.

Benefits of Praying in Tongues:
One of the clearest benefits is personal edification. Paul says plainly, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself” (1 Corinthians 14:4). In some circles, self-edification is treated with suspicion, but Paul does not present it as something negative in the context of private prayer. The word edify means to build up. Jude exhorts believers to: “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20). Here, praying in the Holy Spirit is linked with strengthening one’s faith. The believer is not left helpless, waiting passively for encouragement or faith to arrive from somewhere else. By praying in the Spirit, the believer is built up inwardly. The inner life is fortified. In this way, praying in tongues becomes a practical means of spiritual formation.

Another major benefit is that praying in tongues helps believers pray beyond the limitations of their own understanding. Romans 8 teaches this beautifully: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26). Paul continues, “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:27). One of the great weaknesses of human prayer is that believers often do not know what to say, how to say it, or even what the deepest need really is. Yet the Spirit knows. When believers pray in the Spirit, they are not confined to the limits of intellect, vocabulary, or emotional clarity. They are assisted by the One who knows both the heart of the believer and the will of God. This makes praying in tongues an asset in intercession, especially in moments of uncertainty, burden, or spiritual warfare.

Praying in tongues also serves as a means of deeper communion with God. Again, Paul says, “Anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God” (1 Corinthians 14:2). That is deeply significant. This kind of prayer is vertical, not horizontal. It is not mainly about public impact, but about personal communion. It is a Godward expression. Paul goes on to say, “I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind” (1 Corinthians 14:15). This shows that Spirit-led prayer does not eliminate thoughtful prayer; it complements it. There is a place for prayer in known words, and there is a place for prayer in the Spirit. The healthiest biblical approach is not to choose one against the other, but to embrace both. The mind is engaged in one mode, the spirit in another. Together, they enrich the believer’s prayer life.

Common Objections to Tongues:
Understanding that praying in tongues is different from a public message in tongues helps answer a common objection: that all tongues must always be interpreted. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul clearly distinguishes between personal prayer in tongues and public messages in tongues. In the gathered church, interpretation is needed to edify others. But in private prayer, the one speaking in a tongue is speaking to God and edifying himself. The requirement of interpretation belongs specifically to the public, congregational use of tongues, not to every private instance of praying in the Spirit. Therefore, the prayer language of the believer should not be dismissed simply because it does not function like the public gift.

Another objection is that tongues are too strange, emotional, or easily abused. It is true that abuses exist. But abuse does not cancel out proper use. Much of the New Testament itself was written in part to correct misuse, not to deny the reality of the gift. Paul did not tell the Corinthians to abandon the gifts because they had mishandled them. He told them to pursue them rightly. The possibility of misuse should lead the church to biblical order, not unbelief. In fact, avoiding a biblical gift because it has been abused often results in a powerless Christianity that speaks much about God but experiences little of His manifest help. The church does not need less of the Holy Spirit because some have been unwise; it needs more biblical teaching and healthier practice.

A final objection is that tongues are not for every believer. Yet Jesus says, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues” (Mark 16:17). While debates remain over certain textual issues surrounding Mark 16, the broader witness of Acts and 1 Corinthians still supports the availability of tongues within the life of the Spirit-filled church. At the very least, the New Testament does not present tongues as something believers should avoid. Rather, Paul can even say, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you” (1 Corinthians 14:18). That statement alone should challenge the embarrassment many modern Christians feel toward the practice.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, because of its frequency throughout the New Testament, Tongues is a gift that should be embraced by believers, not a subject we are hesitant to discuss. The New Testament presents tongues in more than one form: as earthly languages, as public messages requiring interpretation, and as a personal prayer language. Pentecostal theology is right to emphasize that tongues as an evidence of Spirit baptism. More importantly, for the daily life of the believer, praying in tongues strengthens faith, edifies the inner person, assists in intercession, enables prayer in accordance with the will of God, and deepens communion with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is not only our Comforter and our source of power. He is also our prayer partner. Because of that, praying in tongues is not merely a point of doctrine to defend. It is a gift to receive, a grace to practice, and a benefit to steward in the life of the Spirit-filled believer.

WORKS CITED
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984.