EDIFYING
“He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself; but he that prophesies edifies the church” (1 Corinthians 14:4). Remember that ‘edifies’ means builds up, strengthens, makes solid.
When a believer prays in that prayer language (Paul’s not talking here about a message in tongues with interpretation), Paul says that he builds up his/her inner man. When I pray in my spiritual language, my spirit prays through the Holy Spirit straight to God. It by-passes my intellect and Satan can’t interpret what my spirit is praying. Even if my mind is deceived, my spirit is not. So, my prayers in English would be contaminated with that deception. But my spirit prays what I really need. And I don’t know what I just prayed for. But something happens when my spirit gets through to God. Breakthroughs begin to take shape. God begins to arrange co-incidences in my life. He sets up others to help in the answer without their awareness. Miracles are conceived in my personal prayer. Thus, I, myself, am edified when I pray in my prayer language.
On the other hand, to speak the word of the Lord in a prophecy in English builds up the whole church. When people who are confused or discouraged hear a word that God sends, the whole body jumps in excitement. To know God is aware is worth so much! Remember two weeks ago when I was preaching on Hilkiah the priest finding the Book of the Law in the Temple? I was planning to illustrate this with an old scroll made from a paper sack sprinkled with baby powder. When I blew on the baby powder, a cloud of dust rolled away, to everyone’s amusement. While I was praying for my message before the service, Ben Neff, another prayer warrior in the prayer group, prayed out loud, “O Lord, help your people to get the dust off our Bibles”. He had no clue what I was planning. But his words were a real edification, exhortation, and comfort to me. I knew God was in this. What if that type of coincidence happened through each of us and we really didn’t even know what we were saying? That’s prophecy.
My challenge is that we each spend significant time seeking the Lord in our prayer language, and see what great things God might do in others. He who gives, receives.
Tags: edify, prophecy, spiritual gifts, strength, tongues