THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYING IN TONGUES FOR PROPHETIC INTERCESSION Let us begin this teaching with a very short definition

of what praying in tongues (Praying in the Spirit) is. (1Co 14:2) For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understands him; but in the spirit he speaks mysteries.(Some translations say speaks secrets, sacred secrets, divine secrets) When a person that is saved prays in tongues he is speaking or talking to God directly by his spirit. It is a divine linkup or connection between man and God for kingdom ordained purposes. The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God the father and puts the words in your spirit. When you are speaking in tongues the words that you say are brought back to God. (Rom 8:26) Likewise the Spirit also helps our weakness: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Rom 8:27) And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. We are all called as intercessors to some degree making intercession via prayer for those in the church and for the Kingdom of God to go forward. We can make this intercession in our own language or we can do it in the Spirit by speaking in tongues. We can do this as an individual or in a group setting with other saints of God. The problem arises in that our finite mind only knows a limited amount of things to pray about whereas the infinite mind of God knows all that needs to be prayed about. When we pray in our everyday language we see things from our own limited perspective which is often tied in with our local church, family, friends, neighbors, city, etc. But when we pray in the Spirit speaking in tongues which is our heavenly language then the Spirit of God is able to have us pray out, or to put it another way, pray into existence the things of God that are related to His kingdom purposes. Refer to Rom 8:27 which states that we are praying according to the will of God. You are praying what God wants you to pray about and it is a perfect prayer and it is a prayer with no doubt, it is a prayer of faith and it is in the perfect timing of God. Jesus Christ is our chief intercessor who ever lives to make intercession for us unto the Father. Our prayers rise unto Him. We are on earth praying for the saints and other needs of the Lord being led by Him. Our intercessory prayer may be a combination of our daily language and speaking in tongues or it may include what is called travailing prayer that is birthing something out in the saints or in the Kingdom of God. (1Co 14:14) For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. (1Co 14:15) What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. (Gal 4:19) My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, The Apostle Paul uses the example of birthing in travail as part of his intercession for the saints so that they would become more mature and the nature of Christ would be formed in them. This can be an important part of intercession and if God is using you in this manner you may feel deep groanings within you, you may feel you are actually giving birth to something in your flesh even though it is a spiritual birthing. You may find yourself laying on the floor holding your belly and crying out unto God in travail using a combination of your daily language, speaking in tongues or groaning in the spirit. There is a burden in your spirit that you feel that needs to be prayed for and released. You continue in prayer in this manner until whatever you are praying about is either released via prophecy or the burden is lifted and you then feel it is done and you are at peace. You may be tired after the process and may even become wet or sweaty. Notice in the above scriptures 1Cor 14:14 15 it talks about praying in the Spirit(tongues) and praying with the understanding(praying in your daily language using your mind). Oftentimes when you are doing this you are actually interpreting what you are speaking in tongues about. The Apostle Paul says that we should ask God for the interpretation of what we are praying about(this can be for a public setting such as a church service or in a private setting in prayer) (1Co 14:13) Therefore let him that speaks in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. So when you are speaking in tongues in intercessory prayer we want the Lord God to show us what it is that we are praying about if He will show us. This oftentimes allows your prayers to be more fruitful and productive as it gives you some understanding of the things that are on the mind of God that you are interceding about. God uses mankind to pray into existence upon the earth the elements of the Kingdom of God that He shares with us for that time and season and moment. To take our understanding to a higher or deeper level of the purposes of God in prayer we combine the above mentioned things with prophetic purpose. All of us are called to prophesy and some are called to the office of the Prophet. All prophets prophesy but not all that prophesy are prophets. Let that be clear to you as you read this. But prophetic intercession is a very powerful tool used in the Kingdom of God. In prophetic intercession the Lord God shows us what He wants to do in a person, a situation, a city, a nation, etc. for the plans and purposes of God to come forth. The Lord shows an intercessor in the Spirit what it is He wants to do in the future by allowing us to either see it or have a knowing in our spirit of what it is that He wants to do. It is a type of prophetic gifting imparted to the body of Christ. This may come to us as a burden that He directly places in our spirits and we pray it out in tongues and with our daily language until it is accomplished. This may be accomplished in one prayer setting or in multiple settings until it is done. The more one speaks in tongues the more effective this becomes because we are praying out the divine plan of God in the lives of people or for situations that impact the Kingdom of God.