Dear Heavenly Father,
You and I have spoken a few times about my having better clarity concerning the things of God. At times it seems the church is struggling to be clear about how You are leading us, and speaking in tongues is one of those times. I have studied and read commentaries on it, and I am getting varying degrees of explanations — none really agreeing wholeheartedly with the others. We also discussed it at length in Bible Study and it was the same. The church is not in agreement about speaking in tongues. I have forgiven the church for teaching that tongues was a mandate from You as evidence that we are filled with the Spirit. I hope that clears out the culvert, so this special gift may flow to me.
Those that spoke in tongues on the Day of Pentecost, began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance. This is what I’m going to hang my hat on. I will begin to speak in tongues as the Spirit gives me utterance. As the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, I will not resist the Holy Spirit, but I will not force it either. I will let the Spirit’s anointing come forth as He will’s it to. I welcome the ability to speak in tongues when the Spirit begins to give me utterance.
The apostle Paul spoke of the tongues of angels in 1Cor. 13:1. I am not sure if what I’m thinking is correct but perhaps when we speak in unknown tongues we are speaking the language of angels… giving them instructions or plans to carry out. In that case, I overwhelmingly welcome the gift of new tongues. Paul also said that he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Speaking in tongues carries the idea that in my spirit I am speaking mysteries, as Holy Spirit gives me utterance.
Father, please allow me to pray boldly concerning this, if You will. While I do appreciate what tongues accomplishes, what I desire even more than that, is not so much the ability to speak, but the ability to hear. If there is an ability for You to speak plain English words from Your mouth to my ears, instead of me speaking to You in tongues, I actually desire that much, much more. I need conversations that does not land as a parable I am scratching my head about, totally confused about what it meant and how it relates to me personally. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. We seem to be making a bigger deal of speaking in tongues but what I need more than that is to hear You with better clarity. I desperately need a way for my Lord to talk to me in plain English, and in a way that eliminates and annihilates my confusion… that shines a 400-watt flood light onto my path that I may see at a distance, without stumbling around, bumping into stuff, and tripping over rocks. More than speaking in tongues, that is what I need.
Jesus said to His disciples that a time was coming when He would no longer speak to them in figurative language, but He would tell them plainly about the Father. I am assuming He was speaking of the presence of Holy Spirit in us, bringing with Him our ability to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Jesus also said that He had to speak in parables because it had not been “given” to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom. But the kingdom is now within us, therefore we have been “given” that ability.
Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch. The Bible says that the Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face, as a man speaks to his friend. There were many occasions where Moses had the advantage of hearing Your voice speaking in his language, that he wrote down, and we are reading it today.
Adam walked with You in the cool of the day, he also had the advantage of hearing Your voice with his ears. The ability to hear You plainly is my request, this desire is much greater than my ability to speak in tongues, although I welcome that too. Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.” Thank You for letting me come boldly to Your throne of grace with my requests.
James 1:5 (NKJV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.