praying more effectively

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Something I experience daily is people asking for prayer for things going on in their life. I’ve tried to be diligent in praying and am happy to pray when people request prayer. The requests cover everything imaginable. And for that reason, I am so thankful for the gift of tongues. When we pray in tongues, we yield to the Holy Spirit to pray through us. 1 Corinthians 14:2 NLT2 says, “For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.”

People may tell you their problems, but only God knows what the root of their problems are. It might be sin, or it might be an attack of Satan upon their life. I couldn’t possibly know that. So I want to pray but don’t always know what to pray. So I pray what I know to pray and then pray in tongues for what I don’t know to pray. That is what we see in Romans 8:26 NIV. “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.” And when you pray in tongues, whether you are praying for others or yourself, it strengthens you in spirit! 1 Corinthians 14:4 (NLT2) “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally…”

When you pray with your understanding, there is only so much you can pray before you run out of words. But when you pray in the spirit—in tongues, you can pray as long or as short as God leads you to! 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 NLT “For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand…”

One of the most beautiful parts about all this is that it circumvents the mental warfare the devil would try to occupy your mind with to keep you in doubt and unbelief. Have you ever had to pray for someone who was critically sick or hurt and supposed to die? When you try to pray with your understanding, and the doctors are all saying there is no chance of survival, it’s like there is a war in your head while you’re praying. You are trying to pray in faith but the devil is telling you it’s not going to happen. When you pray in tongues, the devil has no idea what you are praying. He’ll say you are crazy for praying in tongues, but he’ll eventually give up on that. But, while you are praying in tongues, there is little to no mental warfare. The devil is not omnipotent. He does not know what you are saying or praying. But the Holy Spirit is praying for those things you do not know how to pray for. (Romans 8:28). And that is perfect!

Praying in tongues is truly a grace because I have confidence that God is working through my prayers. In times of praying in tongues and giving place to the Holy Spirit to intercede for those things I don’t know how to pray, I’m confident that attacks of the enemy are being foiled. This is why the gift of tongues is one of the most precious gifts in my life. Because of it, I make fewer mistakes and experience greater grace, strength, and success in what I put my hand to.

We all face those times in life when we don’t know what to do. Where do you get answers for things that are beyond your knowledge base? Where do you get wisdom and insight you can trust for the situations you face? We want to hear from God and receive answers from Him, but how do we?

Of course, the Lord speaks to us through His Word—through scriptures from the Bible and through your pastor, but another way the Lord speaks to us, is in our heart when we spend time praying in tongues. Sometimes when you are praying in tongues, the Lord begins to show you answers to things you have been thinking and praying about. For that reason, I often carry a prayer journal with me so that I can write down what I feel the Lord is speaking to me. Not always, but many times when you are praying in tongues, the Lord will reveal things that will help you. He’ll give you the answers you’ve been seeking Him for. He shows you them by His Spirit. This is supernatural help!

1 Corinthians 2:9-13 (NLT) puts it like this, “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No
one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can
know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.”

The gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 are gifts given by God to us to experience and receive His supernatural help in this life. We won’t need that help in Heaven. We need all the help we can get from Him now as we navigate this sin-defiled earth. We need His help and strength and wisdom to restrain ourselves from sin, and to have the wisdom and fortitude to keep our life focused on Him and do what is right. This is why God gave us gifts. To help us through life.

Do you have a car? Does it help you navigate life? Do you have a cell phone or other technologies that help you navigate life? God gives us spiritual and supernatural help that is more important than any other kind of help we could receive. The gift of tongues has helped Renee and me navigate every season of life, and it’s been awesome! If God offers us gifts to help us through life to glorify Him, do we really think we can do it without them? Not me!

Romans 8:26 NIV. “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…”

If you would like to learn more about the Gift of Tongues, I would encourage you to watch this video by my friend Pastor Layne Schranz, speaking on,
“The Power of the Holy Spirit” This will greatly bless you!

If today’s Fresh Manna was a blessing to you, please hit the “LIKE” button below! Thank you!

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

If Fresh Manna is a blessing to you, I’d love to know. Click here: FreshMannaFeedback

If your heart has been touched by God’s love through Fresh Manna, would you like to help Pastor Tim reach others also? Please prayerfully consider donating. No gift is too small.