SPEAKING IN UNKNOWN TONGUE: FURTHER ON 1 CORINTHIANS 14

I have heard it said that unknown tongue is a prayer language. This cannot be more true, it is meant strictly for communicating with God in prayers.

We must understand the difference between ‘speaking’ in unknown tongue and praying in unknown tongue.

In actual fact, in the strictest sense of it, there should be nothing called ‘speaking’ in unknown tongue and I will explain exactly what I mean (for there is such a thing as giving a message from God to people in diverse kinds of tongues, with accompanying interpretation to a language they understand).

SPEAKING TO GOD = PRAYER

As human beings, we speak to various things, others and ourselves in order to get things done. We also speak to God. The speaking directed to God is called prayer.

1 Corinthians 14:2 says he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto man, but unto God. By definition we know that prayer is speaking to God, whether it be worship, thanksgiving, petition, intercession or supplication. If speaking in unknown tongue is to God, then it means praying to God in unknown tongue. 

The unknown tongue, which the Holy Spirit gives us utterance to speak, is reserved exclusively for speaking to God (except you are speaking into the air – which many unfortunately do). 

Why would God give us this additional means of communicating with Him? The answer is simple, He knows that communicating with Him in known tongue (our understanding) is limited because our understanding is limited also.

SPEAKING IN UNKNOWN TONGUE TO GOD, NOT TO DEMONS OR SATAN

Unknown tongue inspired by the Holy Spirit cannot be directed at demons or Satan because they do not understand them, they are mysteries even to them as they are to our understanding (vs 2b).

What demons and Satan know and understand however is the power of God released against them as God answers/ responds to our prayer to Him in unknown tongue.

The power released in answer to prayer in unknown tongue is so precise, sufficient and effective against Satan and demons because the unknown tongue spoken to God in faith is inspired by God Himself through the Holy Spirit who gives us utterance, and they are exactly what need to be prayed to God at that instance for that situation or circumstance. 

This is why demons and Satan hate it when believers pray to God in unknown tongue and will do everything to discourage/stop believers from doing so.

The efficacy of praying to God in unknown tongue is one thing that is lacking today in many Christians' lives and this robs them of victory they ought to have over Satan and his demons cheaply.

UNKNOWN TONGUE: THE CUTTING EDGE         

Now, notice the 4^th verse to further underscore the importance of unknown tongue in the life of the believer. There is something additional that praying in unknown tongue does that praying in understanding does not do.

It says here that he that speaks (prays) in an unknown tongue edifies himself.  When we pray in an unknown tongue, in addition to every other thing that prayer does, we edify (charge up) ourselves as at that time we are praying. This is note-worthy.

This must be why apostle Paul said in the 18^th verse that I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. He does it because beside the answer he gets to his prayers eventually, he also gets instant edification. 

Praying to God in unknown tongue charges up the believer, taking us from low or no spiritual energy to high spiritual energy.

Notice also that in the 14^th verse it says if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays but my understanding is unfruitful. It is clear from this verse that there is a difference between the spirit and the understanding (mind).

I am drawn to conclude that the ‘me’ that is edified when I pray in unknown tongue is my spirit. My understanding being unfruitful means it is not ‘helped’ at that instance. It will be helped later though, because it is my spirit that helps my understanding, driving it in the right direction with the illumination I get from God (Proverbs 20:27). 

God deals directly with my spirit and I am supposed to deal with my understanding with the hand dealt me by God in my spirit.

We can see the reason here why we may still have little understanding of the truth. We hardly ever go beyond our understanding (our mind). Our spirits, though born of God, are weak mostly because we do not take advantage of God given avenues to build up ourselves strong. Praying to God in unknown tongues is one of them.

James 1:20 says but ye beloved building up yourself in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit does not dwell in our mind, if He does, we will not need to renew our mind (Romans 12:1-2). He dwells in our spirit and deals with our spirit. We should get acquainted with our spirit and one of the easiest ways you do that is to edify it (charge it up) by praying to God in the spirit (unknown tongue).

ALWAYS IN AN ATTITUDE OF PRAYER

Speaking in unknown tongue must always be in the attitude of prayer to God, otherwise you will just be speaking into the air (which means nothing and makes no difference). You cannot speak in unknown tongue and expect it to count for much except you do it in an attitude of prayer.

Also, we should know that speaking in unknown tongue and praying in the spirit are one and the same. The 2^nd verse says he that speaks in an unknown tongue …… in the spirit … speaks mysteries.

When you speak in an unknown tongue, you speak to God through a supernatural means given to you by the Holy Spirit. The good part is that this is one work of the Holy Spirit you have control over, you have as much control over it as you have over speaking to God in your understanding.

Notice vs 15, apostle Paul said I will pray with the spirit (praying in unknown tongue) and I will pray with the understanding (praying in known tongue) also. Both are absolutely under his control, and yours too. When you decide to pray in the spirit, the Holy Spirit will always give you utterance.

KNOW AND MARK THE DIFFERENCE

The reason why apostle Paul used the word speak and pray interchangeably in this chapter is because he talked about praying in unknown tongue and also about two gifts of the Spirit (manifestations of the Holy Spirit) by which a person who is in the spirit gives an inspired message from God (prophecy) to man in unknown tongues (diverse kinds of tongues), and this must be accompanied by the interpretation of that message to a known tongue either by the giver or someone else in the gathering.

1 Corinthians 12:10 calls these gifts (manifestations) diverse kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues, among others listed in the chapter.

The difference between the praying in an unknown tongue to God and giving a divinely inspired message (prophecy) from God to man in unknown tongues is obvious. The former is prayer (which is to God) and the latter is God talking to man through prophecy.

I refer to divinely inspired message from God to man in unknown tongues as ‘half prophecy’ because without the interpretation of the message to known tongues, no one understands it and so it cannot edify, exhort and comfort anyone as prophecy would (vs 3).

A message from God to man in unknown tongues will always be accompanied by its interpretation. Prayer to God in unknown tongue need no interpretation, God knows exactly what is being said to Him. 

People most often confuse the two when they are sincerely ignorant or would rather deliberately continue in unbelief because it satisfies their ego and pride (which cause them to despise whatever they have not experienced due to being out of fellowship with God) or willingly decide to yield themselves to devils pushing false doctrines.

THE INFIRMITY AND THE ‘CURE’: ROMANS 8:26

The infirmity mentioned in this verse is explained in the verse. It is the limitation of our understanding. It makes so that we do not know what we should pray for as we ought to know them. We know what to pray for (we know some ‘prayer points’) but we never ever know all the fine details. But the Holy Spirit knows everything (all the fine details), even the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). 

How does He help this infirmity, short-coming or weakness? By giving us utterance to pray in unknown tongue the things He knows (those things He has sought out from the deep things of God).

Where does this leave the believer who does not pray in unknown tongue? I leave that to your imagination. If you are one, ask God to fill you with His Spirit to give you utterance to speak in unknown tongues to Him and He would, then speak. 

If you have been filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in unknown tongue but have not just been doing it right, make the necessary adjustments and watch out for the results. There is no limit to the things God will accomplish in and through you.

Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15).

Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen, Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.