The Holy Spirit has given us a powerful prayer language that we can use as a weapon against the wiles of the enemy. By Mary Alice Isleib
Are you using all the weapons in your spiritual arsenal? Many are adept at wielding the sword of the Spirit and pleading the blood of Jesus against principalities and powers. Others do spiritual warfare through walking in obedience and love. Still others dispatch ministering angels, worship or prophesy against the enemy, declaring his ultimate doom.
But Scripture teaches of another weapon that Spirit-filled believers can include in our artillery as we press in to do damage to enemy forces in the hostile clash between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light: praying in tongues.
Seeing prayer as a part of God’s war arsenal can be difficult for some believers to grasp. Tradition teaches us that our prayers only touch God and that in order to be holy we should be quiet and still. However, the Bible declares that effective fervent prayer releases God’s power (James 5:16). When we pray, we are permitted by Scripture to be fervent (passionate, bold, expressive, free, demonstrative, intense, and the like). When we pray along these lines, God’s power is then made available to work in three spiritual levels.
First of all, that prayer power works in the highest heaven where God is; it engages all He is and all He has promised. Secondly, that power is released against the demonic strongholds of the principalities and powers in the “second heaven” (the atmosphere from terra firma to the starting place of God’s domain in the third heaven). Finally, the power of God is released in the physical realm to work in and through human beings. The enemy can and indeed does influence individuals. That’s why deliverance ministry and a prayer life set people free and keep them free. We must deal with the enemy and all his tactics.
Perhaps one of the least used forms of prayer in our clash of the kingdoms is praying in the Holy Ghost. While praying in tongues edifies us, it also allows the Holy Spirit to express Himself when we don’t know how to pray as we ought. When it comes to spiritual warfare, despite spiritual discernment, we still see through a glass darkly. We still don’t see everything that is coming against us in the realm of the spirit. Therefore, speaking in tongues is a valuable weapon in our spiritual arsenal.
Notice that the Scripture says the Holy Spirit gave them “clear and loud expression” (Acts 2:4 AMP). In the world of tongues, there are clear expressions, different expressions, and loud expressions. God is a God of personality and variety. He expresses His personality through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give you clear and loud expressions when you speak in tongues; specific expressions and utterances that are supernatural, that are divine in their origin and purpose, and that have different purposes before God in the spiritual world.
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Notice that the Bible says we speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues can be compared to speaking a natural language with all the various tones and sounds of that language. It is not just a form of monotone prayer, but a spiritual language and vocabulary that we use to pray with.
When we begin to speak a language in the natural, many different things open to us: experiences and avenues of expression that were formerly closed take on a whole new meaning. This is so with the supernatural as well. When we begin to speak in tongues, many new things and ideas open to us.
In the language of tongues there will be expression, purpose and communication in what you are speaking in the spirit world. For example, you will find when you get into the spirit realm that you can be before the Lord, but not necessarily speak directly to Him, although that’s a part of it, too.
There is another side, where you can be before Him in the spirit, and speak in tongues by the Holy Spirit as a form of spiritual warfare. You are not speaking to God, and you are not praying against God; you are in the spirit world, before the throne of God. Away from that place, when you use the language of tongues, you can correctly handle prayer requests and needs in a spiritual way with the help of the Holy Spirit working in and through your prayer language.
To be clear, you are not speaking directly to the devil in tongues. People sometimes ask, “Does the devil understand tongues?” I don’t think the devil understands tongues. The thing he does understand when we speak in tongues is the Holy Spirit and His power behind the tongues. The source of the tongues is the Holy Spirit, whether we’re speaking directly to God or we’re speaking out into the spirit realm, dealing with an enemy.
Whenever you deal with a supernatural enemy, God has supernatural weapons to overpower that enemy. Tongues is one of those weapons. The force behind the tongues is the Spirit of God, and He is a weapon! Jesus Himself said that He cast out devils by the Spirit of God (Matthew 12:28). You have the same Holy Spirit within you.
As we engage in a spiritual face-to-face conflict we allow God to dominate as He empowers our spiritual weapons and uses them to counter the enemy’s activities. Satan may be legally defeated, but he is still the lord of this world and he is busy at work. God is calling apostolic and prophetic believers to use each and every weapon at our disposal to enforce Kingdom rule on earth. Pray in tongues, stir up the gift and weapons of God within you, and let your most powerful prayer partner help you overcome the opposition.
This article is very informative. Great wisdom, revelation, and insight were used in reviewing ways to apply our tongues by way of the Holy Ghost from scripture. Excellent!
What an awesome way to remind us that we have many choices of weaponry in our arsenal when we do warfare prayer. I know that many of us sometimes pray with our own understanding… just to get it done because, after all, we do “owe” God a “little” something for sending His Son to die on the cross for us. Well, folks, sorry to break it to you, but we will “never” be able to pay God back. So face up to it…sometimes prayer life might be a little hard… sometimes we like it, sometimes we wish we didn’t have to do it. BUT….that’s part of the Christian walk; so let’s not grumble and go ahead and hop to it! After seeking God and having “real” spiritual and truthful fellowship with Him, most of us physically (as well as spiritually) feel so much better! Then, we’re glad that we did it!
Those of us who are able to speak in tongues have such a powerful advantage when it comes to prayer. We have an extra weapon to use and it’s fun! We can talk to God or be in His presence; we can talk all about our enemies, and satan can’t do a thing about it! And even though we may not be praying with our “understanding” at that time, or we may not know how to pray as we ought; but our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we are saying! Do we “really” know how blessed we are? I mean, really? Well, these facts are good enough for ME, and I thank you Lord! Bless Your Holy Name! May praises to You be on my lips forever more in the name of Jesus! Amen! Maggie
Please pray that my house will sell this week. I was down size and my last day is Nov 30th and when my house sell I have a job. Thank you for your prayer
Please pray for me for relief from depression and a new job.
Please pray for victory for me.
Thank you.
Peggy
To be able to pray in tongues for prayer and for spiritual warfare, does more have to be done than pray about it and be open to the gift??
PLEASE PRAY FOR MY MARRIAGE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME INFIDELITY, AND A HOST OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND DISTRUST ON BOTH OUR PARTS. WE ARE DOING REALLY BAD. I THINK MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY DEMONS. PLEASE HELP US. PRAY THATTHE LORD HEAR MY PRAYERS AS I GO INTO THIS PRAYER WAREFARE AND FASTING FOR MY HUSBAND, MY MARRIAGE, MY FAMILY,AND OUR SALVATION.
Please pray for my son to leave the mormon faith. He found a girlfriend that is mormon and they are engaged to be married sept 5. They are both 21 and my son, Kyle, claims to believe everything his new found faith teaches. My husband and I are devastated and her family is influencing and manipulating. Also, pray for a financial downpour. I have not had a paycheck for 6 months and my husband can pay only 1/2 our bills thru his job, but also works on cars to help. Still very short every month and have racked up 40,000 in unsecured debt plus car payment and house payment (both upside down in value). We don’t want to move, just be able comfortably take care of our debt. Thank you so much for your prayers. God Bless
My good friend, Dustin, needs prayer. He was raised in church and says he intends to go back sometime but that there are some things he doesn’t want to give up right now. He is drinking and messing with prescription drugs. He is really wonderful person, but satan is really fighting to keep him. Dustin is also called to preach, which is probably part of the reason he is running so hard. Thank you for praying for Dustin. Please pray for me also; I’m trying to remain positive as an intercessor for him and be the voice of reason, but it is a heavy burden.
-dear please praise about me and my family god he answer most of our prayer requests specialy i was with out work for along time but now god he give me work
-thanks god
-god bless you richly
prayer request: pray for God’s wil in our family, new contracts for my husband and that we are able to pay all our debts before summer. I really want to be 100% free of debt to enter into the full time ministry, as I know I have a srong call.
Please pray for me for deliverance from depression.
Thank you.
Peggy
Dear brothers and sisters, Please pray that an unknown person who has threatened , my brother would never call again in JESUS NAME , That the Precious BLOOD of THE LAMB may Totally engulf us so that this person sees the BLOOD and passes over us in the same way that the angel passed over the isrealites who had the blood smeared over there door posts and that this person would be so surrounded by THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STEP ONE INCH TOWARDS US ,that the heart of the king is in the hands of the LORD , that this person would be diverted away from us , that he would lose and forget any details he may have pertaining to my brother ,that he would never call us again. That we seek HELP in THE NAME OF THE LORD!!! dave
please pray for my children that they will be more committed in church for the lord and that they will have no desire for the thing of the world God bless you.
please pray for me that i will do will with my driving lesson i need a car badly for work school church
please pray for me about being strong in the lord and repentance of my sins and overcome lust of the world and anger
Prayer please! My wife and I are separated and she has filed for divorce. I of course have not helped anything, it is both our fault. We have three beautiful children together and I know we still love each other. God, please heal my marriage, help me to change, help me to listen and see who I am in You.
The hordes of the enemy have come against my family. God show me your plan of attack, help me to see what I need to do. Father, I miss my wife and kids, send restoration and healing. Please God.
I Love You Father….You know who I am.
Gretings in name of Jesus my name is Johann Helgason i live in Reykjavik iceland in Raudalak 11 im christian and have been all of my life about on year ago ,i was attack from black wicca grub who is my neighber ,&pepole who are in dengerus grub are Heuidveig main witch ,her son stefán oli sveinbjörsso nestn ,heidrún ‘oskar dottir who have wicth nest with a another dangers killers Vidar Jónson ,Kristín ásgeirsdóttir they did kill there son becourse this Vidar Jonson ex cop did kill his son becourse did get aids becourse they did not what scandal , Alfa who came from germany with her mother in second war time she is there wicca are infuanlace nazi,i now so many information about them they have try to kill serval time with poisen in my food she was working in plasemen of nurse , i m handicap & the have therting me to kill me , i m frigten for my life , they are in black witchcraft and are in children abuse and women .with beating torment . I have exsperance so much torment in this one and half year , i have never in my life know about human evil like this before in my life time , im a very handicap ,im born with rare handicap my hipjoints are turn much inside , i have to walk with staf. I have also addh ,They have been both emotial abuse and physcal abuse for one half year. Stealing my christian books and tapes .They have thething my family and friends. I have try to excape for many times .This black witchcraft grub are getting very srong here in iceland,My emil addreess
From them but they always fallow me ,i have to ask for prayer inercessory prayer place reqest for me life . God Bless in Jesus name
Johann Helgason
Please pray for my son who is under a witchcraft attack. He canot stay home with his family just all over the place doing nothing. The Lord showed be that he was being chased from the home and the assignment is from a close relative. I know God can and will deliver him and bind his and his wife together with their children
Blessings
Juliet
Please pray for my girl friends deliverance from spiritual husbands that is separating us. i love this person and have been seeing her for seven years now. She has just closed up on me just instantly and this makes her avoid me especially when i talk about deliverance and be born again. her names are mbita.
Thank you!
I want a most absolute victory over sin and self.And that God should bless me with absolute holiness and consecretion.God bless u.