The Lord gives the gift of tongues for all
At Pentecost, the disciples together with Mary, filled with the Holy Spirit and began to pray, praise and sing in the new language of the Spirit, the first gift to be expressed. Some have interpreted the event and said: “They praise God, are singing the praises of the Lord, and we’re understanding with the heart.” Others were there curious jokingly mocking, saying that the disciples were drunk. Peter explained: “We are not drunk; on the contrary, we are fulfilling the prophecy of Joel. “
When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, the first thing that fills us is prayer, because the Spirit of the Lord is the link between the Father and the Son, and the prayer is communication between Them; the Son who speaks to the Father and the Father speaking to the Son. The beauty of intimacy that happens within the Trinity is made by the Paraclete; and this is prayer. In addition, he is the link between God and us. The prayer that comes and goes.
When we are introduced to the Spirit of God, we are left full of prayer, because the Paraclete is a fiery unfailing prayer, We give the fuel that is our air.; We move our vocal cords, mouth and tongue; We generate sounds. And what happens? The Holy Spirit prays, speaks and sings in us.
You can not imagine the value of this prayer! Are not we just praying, but it is the Spirit of God praying for us!
What happens in the gift of tongues? Who kicks in is not our intelligence. We move the vocal cords, let out the air, we have stirred the tongue, mouth and produce sound; but the content comes from the Holy Spirit.
Photo: Wesley Almeida
St. Paul explains it in Romans 8:26: “Likewise the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for we do not know to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep. “
This explanation is quite simple: sighs too deep, or groans that can not be understood, unless God gives the interpretation. When you pray for your son or daughter, do you know exactly what they need? No. That’s why the Holy Spirit comes to our aid, we do not know what to ask for or know how to pray as we ought. He himself intercedes for us and for us with sighs too deep.
Hence, the wonders happen, because it is the Paraclete praying within us, for us. St. Paul continues: “And he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit; Indeed, it is according to God that the Spirit intercedes for the saints. (Rom 8.27). Therefore, He knows our needs and presents the Father who only meet us if we ask is for our good and according to the desires of the Spirit.
When we pray in the Spirit, He first makes intercession to God according to our need; thereafter; according to what the Lord knows, that considers it as the best. Therefore, praying in tongues is indefectable; hence its value.
In praying in tongues, the Lord humbles us and tells us: “Put aside, for now I will act. Do not hinder me. “ And the Lord comes into play through the Spirit. When we pray in tongues, we do not have the enjoyment of our senses, our sense nor our intelligence.
It is through prayer in languages we approach God. Only then the transformation begins to take place in our hearts, in our lives, the lives of those we love. It is for the gifts of the Spirit and its fruits that the world begins to be renewed.
God wants this grace for everyone!
Article excerpted from the book “Aspirai aos Dons Espirituais” [Aspire for the Spiritual Gifts], Monsignor Jonas Abib.