James 4:17. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
On that morning that I went to my office agitated and distressed by all the issues pressing upon me, I had so many questions in my head, they felt like airplanes circling to land at Chicago O’Hare. I didn’t know where to begin!
So I began to pray in the Spirit and within just a short time, peace, joy and clarity began to fill my heart and mind. At that moment I said to the Lord, “Lord, thank you for the gift of tongues! It’s so wonderful that we can pray in tongues like this and find clarity and peace of mind when we’re in turmoil.”
And then the Lord spoke to me. He asked me a simple, rhetorical question, without even a hint of condemnation. He said, “If you know these things, how is it that you are not doing them?”
That was a good question! And I had no good answer! He asked me that just to make a point. For years I’ve known that praying in tongues brings rest and refreshing (cf. 1 Cor 14:21 & Isaiah 28:11-12), but I’ve not done it as much as I should have. I’ve greatly underutilized this precious gift of tongues that the Holy Spirit uses to bring to us edification, exhortation, comfort and strength.
Many times we know what to do. We’ve had good teaching. We know how to get into the Word and to get the Word into us. We know how to have communion with the Holy Spirit by praying in the Spirit. We know how to get in contact with God, who is the Father of our spirit. But we’re like everyone else. Instead of getting over into the Spirit where everything is clear, we allow the flesh to rise up and to dominate us.
Instead, let’s just choose to do what we know to do! Let’s just make it easy on ourselves and walk in peace and rest, walking in the Spirit by praying in the Spirit! It’s a “place” of power and of victory, and a “place” where the abundant life that Jesus promised prevails!
