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If you have Gods spirit within you, his spirit can intercede for you through tongues (utterance in the spirit) and maybe even intercessory prayer. Below I have chose to discuss the subject of tongues and intercessory prayer. Hopefully I can explain it in a way that is easy to understand.
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As you read the 3 verses below, you will discover that Jesus is mentioning about a promise he is going to give and instructs for these individuals to wait for it in Jerusalem. He also mentions that it is the Holy Spirit. . .
.Verse 49 of Luke 24 says:
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49) Behold, I (Jesus) send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
.Verses 4 & 5 of Acts 1 which is continuing from Lukes writing says:
.4) And being assembled together with them, He (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for THE PROMISE of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
5) for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the HOLY SPIRIT not many days from now..
What happened when the people received the Holy Spirit? I myself spoke in tongues when receiving it and saw MANY others likewise do the same. This was similar to what happened in Acts Chapter 2, 8, 10 & 19. God poured out the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, disciples and Mary the mother of Jesus (in the upper room); and in other instances the Samaritans, Jews and the Gentiles with tongues as the Holy Spirit gave utterance. Some people say that God was just speaking to the people in their language when it was first poured out but, when Peter spoke everyone knew what he said; therefore, the different tongues were not neccesary. The tongues was for a sign that Gods spirit was poured out. Also if you read Acts 2:38, Peter has called it a gift. Is this the same as the gift of tongues? Lets read and see.
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Acts 1: 13 - 15
13) And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14) These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. 15) And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty),
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Acts 2: 4, 32, 33, 38 & 39
4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES, as the Spirit gave them UTTERANCE.32) This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
33) Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father THE PROMISE of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
38) Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
39) For the promise is to YOU and to YOUR CHILDREN, and to ALL who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
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Acts 8: 5, 17-19
5) Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
17) Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18) And when Simon SAW that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19) saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
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Acts 10: 1, 2, 44-46
1) There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2) a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
44) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
45) And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46 For they HEARD them speak WITH TONGUES and magnify God.
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Acts 19: 1, 2 & 6
1) And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2) he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
6) And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke WITH TONGUES and prophesied.
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These people did not have the Holy Spirit until their experience in the upper Room in Jerusalem. Later, after the book of Acts, the gift of tongues (one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit) was talked about. The gift of tongues came AFTER the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. I have seen the spiritual gifts (tongues & interpretation, prophesy and others as well) in action. These were only to serve a temporary purpose. For example when God wanted to confirm what was preached over the pulpit or when he was trying to reach an individual/individuals. I believe that I was used once for the gift of healing but, it was only a temporary gift. It ceased.
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1 Corinthians 1:4-7
4) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,
5) that you were enriched in everything by Him in ALL UTTERANCE and all knowledge, 6) even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7) so that you come short of NO gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. . .
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1 Corinthians 12:1-4, 7-14, 18, 25-31 1) Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
2) You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking BY THE SPIRIT of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4) There are diversities of gifts, but the SAME Spirit.
7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8) for to one is given the word of wisdom THROUGH the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the SAME Spirit,
9) to another faith by the SAME Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the SAME Spirit,
10) to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11) BUT ONE AND THE SAME Spirit works ALL these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 12) For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13) For by ONE Spirit we were ALL baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have ALL been made to drink into ONE Spirit.
27) Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
28) And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
29) Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?
30) Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
31) But earnestly desire THE BEST gifts.
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There is alot of confusion re the below 1 Corinthians 14. Paul is talking about 3 distinct situations:
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1. He who speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself.
. 2. If tongues is used in the gifts of the spirit with interpretation, it edifies the church.
. 3. He who prophesies (gift of prophecy/preaching) edifies the church.
.1Corinthians 14:1,2,4, 12-25, 39, 40
1) Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
2) For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men BUT TO GOD, ...
4) He who speaks in a tongue edifies HIMSELF, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
12) Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
13) Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
14) For if I PRAY in a tongue, MY SPIRIT PRAYS, but my understanding is unfruitful
15) What is the conclusion then? I will pray WITH the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
16) Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?
17) For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18) I thank my God I SPEAK WITH TONGUES MORE THAN YOU ALL;
19) yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 21) In the law it is written: “ With men of OTHER TONGUES and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.
22) Therefore tongues ARE FOR A SIGN, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.
23) Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
24) But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.
25) And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
39) Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and DO NOT forbid to speak with tongues.
40) Let all things be done decently and in order.
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Not only will you speak in tongues when you get in the spirit, you will also groan because sometimes you need to intercede for yourself or others. In Romans this is called groanings that can't be uttered. Many times I begin my prayer speaking to Jesus, God's spirit takes over, I speak in tongues and then I feel heavy in the Spirit causing me to groan. When this scripture was mentioned in the bible, it was AFTER the outpouring of his spirit just as when it talks about spiritual gifts..
Romans 8: 26 & 27
26) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27) Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
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Now for all of you who have it, below is an article about a lady that started interceding as soon as she had the above experience of receiving Gods spirit. God was pleased that she was yielding to the Holy Spirit by interceding but, told her that there was a part of her walk with him that he desired and that was to be intimate with him. . . .
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FORGOTTEN ABOUT INTIMACY?
. .....I began to travail only two days after receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost. . . I thought something was wrong with me. . . Id never heard anyone do what I had just done. . . I mean for 30 minutes or so I groaned & wailed loudly in the privacy of my bedroom. . . I went straight to HIS WORD & asked HIM point blank what it is I had just done. . . My bible fell open to Romans 8. . . "With groanings the spirit makes intercession. . . cuz we don't know what to pray for but HE does. . . " (I'm paraphrasing of course). . . From then on that has been one of my major callings. . . to travail & intercede for souls & for the church of the living God & for me & my husband's ministry. . . .....It wasn't until much later (15 years later) (& this happened only a few weeks ago-in January of 2009) I was speaking to the ladies at a place where my husband & I had went to preach revival & during the worship before I got up to speak the Holy Ghost came all over me & began to speak to me as an individual. . . The Lord began to to tell me that I was a vessel that HE had used mightily how by my travail I had helped to birth many many souls into HIS kingdom. . . & by my intercessory prayer & the ability to do war in the Spirit that I had literally destroyed kingdoms that Satan had been able to construct & how I had freed many from bondage & from strongholds.
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......But HE said. . . "You Lack Intimacy With Me!" . . . HE then began to tell me how after HE uses me to do whatever. . . Birthing, Spiritual Warfare, Intercession, etc. . . Whatever it was HE who decided to use me to do. . . I would simply get up & think in my own self, "Well I've done what I'm suppose to do. . . " & then go off without taking time for intimacy with HIM. HE then told me. . . "This is why so many times you go into almost a burn out mode. . . Kind of like Elijah in that cave. . ." HE said its because you have lacked that intimacy with me. . . It is in that intimacy you find strength to go on into the next battle. . . HE even said that David never fought one battle until he spent time with me on that hill side. . . .....I'm guilty as charged Bro & Sis Warriors! You know just because HE uses us mightily doesn't mean we have done all that we need to do. . . Its NOT US doing the praying anyway. . . We are just mere vessels that HE'S using for HIS PURPOSE! In fact if you think about it WE NEED that intimacy probably more than the average saint or minister. . . We've got to have strength for that battle. . . Just as the Lord impressed me with David. . . HE'S so right. . . I was under the misconception that just because HE used me that I went somewhere deep in HIM. . . But the real depths come from intimacy. . . But if we don't learn to tarry in HIS PRESENCE after the battle. . . We will get burned out just like Elijah in that cave. . . & the Lord will have to come stand at the mouth of our caves and ask, "Elijah What Are You Doing?".
.By: Sharon L. Hebert
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I REALLY do need to work on being more sensitive to the spirit that God can use me re his spiritual gifts, but also I need to be MORE intimate with my precious Jesus, how about you??
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