dedicate 30 MINUTES A DAY to praying in tongues

*** First off my friends this thread is NOT to argue about whether speaking in tongues is for today, so let's not go there. But I do say this good naturedly that I've been enjoying the gift of speaking in tongues for nigh onto 37 years now, it's too late to discourage me!!

Anyway, on to those who do believe in the gift!! My friend told me about this particular show (that I don't watch), where this woman as speaking about how the Lord has told her, "to tell people around the world to dedicate 30 MINUTES A DAY to praying in tongues."

I wanted to speak to the message, not to the woman. The Lord showed me and a friend of mine a few years back that we needed to be praying a minimum of 5 minutes a day in tongues, so we text each other every day to remind us to pray!

I wanted to share the message of "dedicate 30 MINUTES A DAY to praying in tongues" to those who enjoy the gift. :) :)

I believe that the days we are living in is definitely calling for a more intense praying in the Spirit and for longer period of time.

And also I was listening to the sermon on Intercession by Lance Lambert and spoke how the intercessor in the Old Testament by their interceding ushered in the first coming of our Lord Jesus. And that it would be the intercessors in this day and age who would usher in the second coming of our Lord and Messiah, Jesus!! Any comments?

God bless us as we seek His face,
Lisa

Jackie Pullinger got similar instruction after she received the fullness of Spirit. Her testimony was that after she followed the instruction of a more mature couple in the Lord to daily pray in tongues, she found good, godly things she been doing were suddenly anointed. In her life this meant people coming to her asking about salvation. For others it probably will have different expressions based on the gifts they have been given.

I want to cheer this thread while not provoking anyone!! :)

Not endorsing a time quota for prayer in tongues, but I do want to applaud and praise God for the desire for a deeper walk that He is causing in His people.

Whether you are like Tozer and Moody and the old Keswick school of thought on gifts (gifts are for us, but not everyone speaks in tongues who is baptized in the Spirit) or traditional Pentecostal-Holiness understanding (tongues is necessary initial evidence of Spirit baptism), it is that deep and abiding desire for more of God that is praiseworthy and excellent, here.

You may be totally the views on this of any of those ideas. That's okay. We're pressing toward the mark together anyhow.

I shared in another post how God is speaking to a brother who has come twice to our home meeting, and when given the direct encouragement to seek the baptism of the Spirit, he responded, "I don't know what that is." You keep praying for him if you're not already. My wife and I decided that he should have the chance to absorb this for himself, and I gave him a moderately long list of parts of the gospels and Acts and Joel to read. I gave him YouTube links to Tozer and David Wilkerson. He said he was eager to hear them.

Funny bit: Earlier in the evening, he had mentioned his need for peace. We milled around at the end of our time together chatting, an hour or so later, and one of our brothers who testifies that is called to lay hands on people and pray for them -- and has no shame in his game about it, either -- did. The praying brother looked at him and said, "We're going to pray for you to have peace." He turned toward my wife in the kitchen and yelled, "Oil!" (You just have to know him. :) ) My wife said, "What?!" "Oil! We need some oil to anoint him with."

My sweetheart wife pulled out a bottle of lavender oil (I guess she likes the fragrance?) and handed it to him. The praying brother poured a little in his hands, and we all dipped a fingertip in to moisten them, then we gathered around him (at least I tried not to oil up his shirt -- that stuff's hard to get out -- I don't know about everyone else).

The in-need-of-peace brother said, "Whoa. What are y'all doing?"

"We're gonna pray for you, man."

"Oh. Ok. Nobody's ever done this before."

Y'all that was enough right there to break my heart. Guy has been a Christian for some years and his background lacked the interpersonal koinonia that we assume. Please keep praying for him as you think of it.

We prayed for him, he was very interested in that little circle we formed around him as we laid our hands on him and prayed for God to grant him peace, very specifically.

I am sure he enjoyed that and was edified by it since he stayed on to talk to us for another 2 1/2 hours or so. :)

Since I have posted this, I will say that setting aside 30 minutes to pray in tongues is not as easy as it seems!!

It is just like finding the time to pray normally unhindered in mind and body and soul. Not that I want to be legalistic about this but my heart's desire is to set aside that time. Well, I even got out my kitchen timer where I set it for 30 minutes! I don't set it everyday, but if I'm on a schedule I do set it to keep me on schedule.

Has anyone found out what might work for them that is setting aside 30 min to pray in tongues?

God bless,
Lisa

PS: I remember reading a book a few years ago on intercessory prayer. In it the author mentioned that the Lord moved on him to set aside one hour a day to pray in tongues b/c his wife had cancer. Guess what? She was healed and is still alive.

BUT... my point is if God did that for one man and his wife; what will HE do for our country and our own families, I believe God will move!!

*** IF my people, which are called by MY name, shall #1 HUMBLE themselves, and #2 PRAY, and #3 SEEK MY FACE, and #4 TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.*** 2 Chron 7:14

I'm sorry, I got off track.... my question was, "Has anyone found out what might work for them that is setting aside 30 min to pray in tongues?" :) :)

There is much misunderstanding and disagreement about the subject of praying in tongues, and it is most helpful to read 1 Corinthians 14, which deals extensively with the issue of praying in tongues within the Church and also in our own personal prayer life.

It is important to understand what the benefit is of praying in the Spirit in our own personal prayer time with the Lord.

Praying in the Spirit is a vital part of intercession for the Word of God in Romans 8:26,27 says that we do not know how to pray as we ought to, and that by praying in the Spirit, we are allowing the Spirit of God to make intercession for us and through us according to the will of God. There are many times when intercessors wake up during the night and sense a prayer burden, but do not know what to pray for. After praying in the Spirit for a period of time this burden is lifted. There are some instances where God has confirmed to certain intercessors at the precise time when they began to pray in the Spirit that someone was in grave danger or that there were situations that needed to be dealt with where there was breakthrough at the exact time when intercession was being made.

Another purpose of praying in the Spirit in our own devotional prayer time is that when we pray in the Spirit, we are in essence exercising our spirit. This means that we are building up and strengthening ourselves in our spirit by praying in the Holy Spirit.

I do not pray in the Spirit for any set period of time, but probably in any given day, I pray in the Spirit many times.

We should pray with our understanding when we know what we are praying for, and praying the scriptures is the most powerful prayer that we can pray. We need to be in agreement with God's Word.

"What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." (1 Corinthians 14:15).

"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.

For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." (1 Corinthians 14: 1-33).

(Romans 8:26,27), (Jude 1:20).

lisa, i don't pray in tongues but i do desire to pray more and learn to be still before the Lord. i use to get really hung up on having a set routine, set time, and make sure i got it done each day. i found myself forgetting or getting busy and not spending the time i wanted too, so by the end of the day i would feel tremendous guilt about it. then after much prayer i realized i couldn't do anything on my own. no amount of scheduling or making a routine was going to help me. i began to pray and ask God to give me the desire to spend more time with Him and He does. i also came under conviction as i was praying, i realized that i was trying to fit God into "my" routine or schedule when all my time is actually "HIS" time anyway. if He is important to me, if i am living submitting my life unto Him in all things then i really needed to "seek first the Kingdom of God" and have faith that everything else would fall into place after that. the Lord has been showing me daily that if Jesus is truly important to me then i don't need to "make" time for Him, the desire and need to be with Him will be there and prayer time, quiet time, and just being before Him will happen. i know even in this lesson i have much to learn but what is so amazing to me is how faithful He is to keep showing me, leading me, and guiding me on this journey. its all about seeing what is really important and what really matters and not getting weighed down with stuff and happenings i am learning.

just thought i would share what the Lord has been doing in my prayer life. i don't know if it will be of any help to you as you seek to spend more time with Him but i just wanted to encourage you too.

rdg