Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? – 1 Corinthians 14:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 6, 2024): 1 Corinthians 14

I have a friend who is currently on a prayer tour. I must be clear here; I have not talked to him about his tour. However, I have enjoyed reading his social media posts about the various places he has gone, traveling to many small-town churches in the area. My impression is that he meets with pastors and small groups of church people to pray for both the church and the needs of the community. His social media posts show that it is not a denominational effort because he meets with a very diverse group of churches. But if you want to spend an evening in prayer, he is willing to come and help facilitate that prayer time.

As I read 1 Corinthians 14, it was my friend that came to mind. Now, my praying associate has always been humble, so I can imagine how he leads these prayer times, but others might take different approaches. They might come with the understanding that they are prayer experts. And then the show might begin. They might stand before the gathered prayer warriors and speak in a spiritual language that no one could understand. They might encourage others to pray, either in the language of men or of heaven, but insert their own spiritual language throughout the evening. They would then receive the accolades of the people and move on to the next church and the next show, but nothing would have been accomplished except that the prayer expert's ego might have been strengthened.

That is not the purpose of the prayer tour. The prayer tour is designed to strengthen the various churches where the tour goes and the people who gather. And to do that, there has to be something more than a heavenly language. The people need to be able to hear my friend and others pray for the church and the people of the community. They must listen to the gathered ask God to send his Spirit on them so they can minister to those around them. They need to be encouraged, but that encouragement requires that the people understand what is being said.

I agree with Paul. What good would my friend be if all he did was come to the various churches on his tour and speak in a heavenly language that no one else could understand? I am not saying that praying in a spiritual language is wrong, but I believe it should be reserved for our prayer closets. Paul believed speaking in the language of heaven was important because it strengthens us, but they don't encourage others. And when we come together, encouraging God's people should be our primary desire.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15