Testimony: John G. Lake – Speaking the mysteries of God in tongues
John G. Lake, the leading apostle in modern church history was a man who walked closely with God. His writings reveal his deep understanding of the believer’s position in Christ and the manifestation of God in man. He understood the righteousness of Christ in the believer and he saw them as kings and priests in Christ. He understood the believer’s authority in Christ. He also walked in the reality of the revelations that he received; ministering with tremendous signs and wonders.
Many church leaders throughout the world would study his ministry and listen to him. While in England, He preached to the combined clergy of the Church of England. Following that, they too sent an investigation party to South Africa to see what was going on.
What was the secret to Lake’s deep revelations and the success of his ministry? He said the following:
“I want to talk with the utmost frankness,” he would tell his followers, “And say to you, that TONGUES HAVE BEEN THE MAKING OF MY MINISTRY. It is that peculiar communication with God when God reveals to my soul the truth I utter to you day by day in the ministry…Many times I climb out of bed, take my pencil and pad, and jot down the beautiful things of God, the wonderful things of God that He talks out in my spirit and reveals to my heart.”
(Reference: John G. Lake – A Man Without Compromise by Wilford Reidt, Harrison House)
The benefits of praying in the Spirit – greater sensitivity to being led by the Holy Spirit
We are a spirit being. When we pray in tongues, our spirit prays. We are exercising our spirit-man to be stronger with spiritual muscles. Praying in tongues causes us to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we can receive His transmissions with a strong and powerful antenna.
(1 Cor 14:14)
For if I pray in a TONGUE, my SPIRIT PRAYS…
Praying in tongues also trains us to put let the Spirit take the lead instead of our mind. Sometimes, the leading of the Spirit seems opposed to the natural mind. It does not seem logical. That is why it takes faith to follow the leading. After we had taken the step of faith, then our mind begins to understand the plan of God.
It is the same with praying in tongues. It seems opposed to the natural mind to be saying something you don’t understand. It does not seem logical. It takes faith to say it. When we take that step of faith, we begin to experience the Holy Spirit. It is the training that helps us to be more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Let us consider how believers walked in the realm of faith that seemed to defy logic throughout the Bible. Peter walked on water and defied all logic…until his mind started doubting. Jesus defied logic by multiplying bread for the thousands when His disciples were concerned over their lack of money. Jesus raised the dead and healed multitudes until the people at his hometown started reasoning that he was just a carpenter.
Today, a lot of people are still engaged very much in the realm of the intellect. Just as in the Bible, it is hard to experience the reality of God in that realm. But when we pray in tongues, it brings us to a higher realm – beyond the mind – a realm where we experience God in a very real way through faith.
In addition to being sensitive to God’s voice, praying in tongues also magnifies our discernment in the spiritual realm. John G. Lake said that praying in tongues gave him a new comprehension of God’s will, new discernment of the spirit and new revelation of God. He said:
“My nature became so sensitized that I could lay my hands on any man or woman and tell what organ was diseased, and to what extent, and all about it. I went to the hospitals where physicians could not diagnose a case, touched a patient and instantly knew the organ that was diseased, its extent and condition and location.”
These are testimonies of people who had gone ahead of us to encourage us. Almost every believer whom I have met would like to be more sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. God has made it so easy for us through the prayer language of tongues.
The benefits of praying in the Spirit
We continue on the series “Christ in us” where we talk about the working of the Holy Spirit within the believer. We have shared at length about the importance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit which is accompanied by the new experience of praying in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.
Once we have received this spiritual prayer language, we can use it for the rest of our earthly lives as a powerful tool. It is only as good as when it is used. It is not a status symbol as it is a free gift; and has no benefits when kept in cold storage.
God has given us tongues as a powerful prayer language in the New Covenant. The Old Testament saints did not have this privilege because they did not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Praying in tongues is New Covenant prayer for the New Covenant believer and is received during the New Covenant experience of baptism in the Spirit. Therefore, praying in tongues is an important principle to our New Covenant living as priests.
Many believers who have received the baptism in the Spirit have not even tapped into a fraction of the full potential of this prayer language. I was one such believer. I received it but did not use it for 10 years. Unintentionally, I had despised this humble prayer language because I was ignorant. When I saw how this prayer language transformed Florence’s spiritual walk, it really stirred my heart. I told God that I wanted to experience what Florence was experiencing. I began to experience the benefits of praying in tongues.
Over the next 2-3 weeks, I will be sharing with you 10 important benefits of praying in tongues – from the Bible. You will be inspired by many of the real life testimonies. You too can experience these benefits.
As this is a New Covenant prayer language with many benefits, we can expect New Covenant believers to be doing a significant part of their praying in tongues. We know that the apostle Paul prayed in tongues more than all the Corinthian Church (1 Cor 14:18). He prayed in tongues all the time, interceding for the churches he had planted. As he prayed in tongues, God also gave him great revelations as revealed in his epistles.
Church history shows that anointed men of God like Smith Wigglesworth and John G. Lake tapped into the potential of praying in tongues and experienced great power and revelation in the Holy Spirit.
posted by Joshua Lye
We are a spirit being. When we pray in tongues, our spirit prays. We are exercising our spirit-man to be stronger with spiritual muscles. Praying in tongues causes us to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we can receive His transmissions with a strong and powerful antenna.
(1 Cor 14:14)
For if I pray in a TONGUE, my SPIRIT PRAYS…
Praying in tongues also trains us to put let the Spirit take the lead instead of our mind. Sometimes, the leading of the Spirit seems opposed to the natural mind. It does not seem logical. That is why it takes faith to follow the leading. After we had taken the step of faith, then our mind begins to understand the plan of God.
It is the same with praying in tongues. It seems opposed to the natural mind to be saying something you don’t understand. It does not seem logical. It takes faith to say it. When we take that step of faith, we begin to experience the Holy Spirit. It is the training that helps us to be more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Let us consider how believers walked in the realm of faith that seemed to defy logic throughout the Bible. Peter walked on water and defied all logic…until his mind started doubting. Jesus defied logic by multiplying bread for the thousands when His disciples were concerned over their lack of money. Jesus raised the dead and healed multitudes until the people at his hometown started reasoning that he was just a carpenter.
Today, a lot of people are still engaged very much in the realm of the intellect. Just as in the Bible, it is hard to experience the reality of God in that realm. But when we pray in tongues, it brings us to a higher realm – beyond the mind – a realm where we experience God in a very real way through faith.
In addition to being sensitive to God’s voice, praying in tongues also magnifies our discernment in the spiritual realm. John G. Lake said that praying in tongues gave him a new comprehension of God’s will, new discernment of the spirit and new revelation of God. He said:
“My nature became so sensitized that I could lay my hands on any man or woman and tell what organ was diseased, and to what extent, and all about it. I went to the hospitals where physicians could not diagnose a case, touched a patient and instantly knew the organ that was diseased, its extent and condition and location.”
These are testimonies of people who had gone ahead of us to encourage us. Almost every believer whom I have met would like to be more sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. God has made it so easy for us through the prayer language of tongues.
The benefits of praying in the Spirit
We continue on the series “Christ in us” where we talk about the working of the Holy Spirit within the believer. We have shared at length about the importance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit which is accompanied by the new experience of praying in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.
Once we have received this spiritual prayer language, we can use it for the rest of our earthly lives as a powerful tool. It is only as good as when it is used. It is not a status symbol as it is a free gift; and has no benefits when kept in cold storage.
God has given us tongues as a powerful prayer language in the New Covenant. The Old Testament saints did not have this privilege because they did not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Praying in tongues is New Covenant prayer for the New Covenant believer and is received during the New Covenant experience of baptism in the Spirit. Therefore, praying in tongues is an important principle to our New Covenant living as priests.
Many believers who have received the baptism in the Spirit have not even tapped into a fraction of the full potential of this prayer language. I was one such believer. I received it but did not use it for 10 years. Unintentionally, I had despised this humble prayer language because I was ignorant. When I saw how this prayer language transformed Florence’s spiritual walk, it really stirred my heart. I told God that I wanted to experience what Florence was experiencing. I began to experience the benefits of praying in tongues.
Over the next 2-3 weeks, I will be sharing with you 10 important benefits of praying in tongues – from the Bible. You will be inspired by many of the real life testimonies. You too can experience these benefits.
As this is a New Covenant prayer language with many benefits, we can expect New Covenant believers to be doing a significant part of their praying in tongues. We know that the apostle Paul prayed in tongues more than all the Corinthian Church (1 Cor 14:18). He prayed in tongues all the time, interceding for the churches he had planted. As he prayed in tongues, God also gave him great revelations as revealed in his epistles.
Church history shows that anointed men of God like Smith Wigglesworth and John G. Lake tapped into the potential of praying in tongues and experienced great power and revelation in the Holy Spirit.
posted by Joshua Lye
Website: www.dailyrhema.blogspot.com
1 comment:
thanks for sharing.
Edmund
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