Have you ever wondered just how to pray about things when you are unsure of what God wants for you? We know God’s will by knowing His Word and for many, many things we face in this life, we have His Word to show us His will. For instance, we know God’s will for us when we are sick is to be healed because when we look to the Word we see over and over again that Jesus, “went about doing good and healing ALL who were oppressed of the devil” Acts 10:38. Jesus called sickness satanic oppression. He never put sickness on anyone to teach them anything and instead healed EVERYONE who came to Him desiring to be healed. And, that even the stripes He received on His back were for the benefit of our new covenant of healing, Isaiah 53:4,5 “Surely our sicknesses He Himself bore and our pains He carried…And by His scourging, we ARE healed” 1 Peter 2:24 “and Himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you WERE healed.”
What about the times when we feel anxious and need peace, or we’re in debt and need supply, or in confusion and are in need of wisdom. All these things, too, are promised to us in His Word if we take the time to search it out and feed on it, renewing our minds and release our faith for it. But what about the times when you are unsure about your future, “should I marry that person?”, “should I go to that college?”, “should I take that job?” and you have prayed in English the best you know how, but you still don’t know how to pray? God is so good, He’s got us covered there as well! Before Jesus left the Earth, He said that He would send another Helper to us, an exact copy of Himself in every way, that He would dwell IN us, that He would teach us all things (John 14) that He would guide us and show us things to come (John 16) that He would help us in our weaknesses when we don’t know how to pray as we ought (Romans 8).
He then told them to wait in the upper room until they received the Power from on high, that would help them to be witnesses throughout the whole earth, to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). They waited and when they were all in one accord, the Mighty Spirit of God made His entrance into the Earth and He hasn’t left yet. Acts 2:4 says “And they were all FILLED with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” This infilling was subsequent to the initial indwelling of the Spirit during their conversion. Like salvation, it is a free gift and available to all who would seek it. (Acts 2:38,39). God is the same yesterday, today and forever and thus His gifts remain available to this day!
I accepted Jesus just before I was thirteen and although I was told I still needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the wonderful gift of praying in other tongues, it eluded me for years. I was told by my youth leader that not having it was like going out into battle but without weaponry. Oh, how I wanted those weapons. To be able to pray perfect prayers when I was unsure of what to pray. But it wasn’t until 6 years later, during my first month of college, when I again found myself at the altar to receive, that a wise pastor took me aside and showed me in Acts 2 that it was “they” who were filled and “they” who did the speaking. I had been patiently waiting FOR YEARS for the Holy Spirit to force me to do something. But that’s not Who He is. He’s a perfect gentleman and although the Word promises He will give us an utterance, it would be my own voice speaking out the words as I YIELDED to Him. Thus began my journey into a prayer life that would change everything in my life!
Praying in other tongues about your life is sort of like laying down the tracks for a train to eventually roll over. The more track you lay in prayer, the more things can be ready up ahead. Praying in other tongues is done by the spirit and not your head, so it keeps you in tune with what God wants and not your own desires. It will also help you to stay sensitive to the leading of the Spirit because you are developing your spirit man.
I once heard a pastor say that praying in other tongues over your life can be compared to watching a stage play. Sometimes the main actor or actress takes the front of the stage, the curtain closes behind them and usually, the orchestra continues to play while they sing a song or give a soliloquy. The show is still going but they are really aiming to distract your attention from the necessary backstage adjustments being made. Sometimes you’ll see feet moving back and forth and hear things moving around. What are they doing back there, right? The stagehands are removing the wrong pieces and they place the right pieces of furniture and sets where they belong. When we take time to pray in other tongues, especially for things that lie ahead in our future, that’s exactly what we are giving the Holy Spirit time to do. To rearrange things for us. Removing the wrong people, the wrong influences and getting the right ones in place. He’s setting abundant supply exactly where we will need it on each bend of our path. He’s placing divine appointments and connections along our path.
Praying in other tongues and in six months time, I went from dating the wrong person, attending the wrong school where I was studying for the wrong profession, to realizing the call on my life and pursuing an education in that area, to courting my future spouse who was also called to the ministry. It allowed the Holy Spirit to rearrange things for me. Because God knows! He has inside information and if we make ourselves more sensitive to hear His voice, He will lead us in the perfect path for us. Could I have had a good life, making my own plans and trying to set things in motion on my own? Maybe, but when you’re not in God’s perfect will He can only bless you so far. Young people, be careful about settling for the one you’ve got out of security. The enemy will lie and tell you that there’s nobody out there better, that they are the best you can do (I once had an ex tell me I’d never find someone who believed like me, because when I broke off with him because I told him we were unequally yoked he was mad). But God can’t bring you the better until you take a stand and move on in obedience from the wrong person. Until you get straight with God and allow Him to move the right one to you. Fast forward a few years and a few months after Chad and I married, that young man I had been dating right before Chad died suddenly. I believe God saved me from heartbreak and possibly becoming a young widow. At the time, it didn’t make sense to my family and those I was close to that we had suddenly broken up, that I dropped out of college and didn’t go back to school for two more years while constantly moving in that direction but waiting on peace in God’s timing to attend Bible college. My family said, if you’re not going to school in Rochester anymore, come home to NH then. That seemed logical, but on the inside, I knew I had to stay put under the shepherd God led me to. Once spirit-filled, the Word began to make sense to me like never before. I needed to grow and be around those who believed just like I was learning to believe. It’s so important not to be swayed by others, no matter how much they love you. They are still not God. We listen to the Holy Spirit and take counsel with those whom God has placed over us spiritually. Amen? Could I have had a “good” life being a nurse on a mission’s field like I thought? Sure, but I am now enjoying full blessings and fulfillment of being in God’s perfect will. And we never know all of it at once. That wouldn’t require much faith and faith is what pleases Him. We are going to have to contend for God’s best in our lives and that takes getting in the Word and Spirit daily praying some things out. God’s best will not just come to our lives because He loves us. It’s available to us because He loves us but we have a part to play. You may not know everything that is up ahead, but if you take the time to yield to the Holy Spirit He will give you utterance! God will have you pray out things decades in advance! We don’t need to flounder around making the wrong decisions all the time when we have the greatest Helper living on the inside of us! When you take time to pray in the Holy Spirit every day it will keep you on target with God’s plan. This is the wonderful Power Jesus promised us! Praise God!
~JENNY RIEFLIN MINISTRIES~ 