For the new followers of this blog, let me share the importance of this blog post. Over the years, I have observed that many pastors, teachers, and parents struggle when trying to teach about the importance of praying in the Spirit. Perhaps you are one of these leaders or parents that know that praying in other tongues is scriptural but just feel uncomfortable or unable to teach on this subject. Because this subject is far too important to ignore, I occasionally share blog posts to provide simple-to-use, simple-to-understand helps to enable you to confidently share the numerous benefits associated with praying in other tongues.
This brings us to illustration number seventeen. Once again, I will give a brief, skeletal overview of the illustration. Then, with the Holy Spirit’s help, you can personalize and modify the illustration to become a powerful teaching tool.
The Importance of Praying in Other Tongues
Part 17 –We Pray in Obedience to God’s Word
“… and do not forbid or hinder
speaking in [unknown] tongues.”
1 Corinthians 14:39 (Amplified Bible)
For this illustration, you will need a Bible and, if possible, slides showing pictures of signs instructing “No Parking”, “No Parking – Fire Lane”, “No Exit”, “No Entry”, “No Swimming”, and “No Trespassing”. It is important for you to choose signs that have the word “No”. These images are readily available on Google. You may also want to create a “NO Stop, NO Block, Keep Speaking in Other Tongues” slide to use at the end of the teaching.
NOTE: While the King James Version provides a tremendous translation of this verse, I believe that the Amplified Bible makes it just a smidgen clearer.
Before we look at today’s Bible verse, I want to show some pictures of different signs that you should readily recognize. (Show slides of the signs.) Because you already know the message that is being conveyed in each of these pictures, it should easy for you to tell me why they would use the word “No” in each slide. (Allow the audience to explain the “why” of the posted messages. For example, a “No Parking” sign might be located in front of your school to keep cars from parking and blocking where students would be dropped off and picked up at their school each day.) In each sign, it is important to understand that the word “No” must be obeyed because there is a reason or benefit for obeying the instructions.
Now, let’s look at today’s scripture. (Read verse.) While I love how the Bible shares this verse, if I were to make this verse into a sign, it would simply read “NO Stop, NO Block, Keep Speaking in Other Tongues”. Just as in the signs that we read earlier, the word “No” or “do not” is important. The author of this letter to the Corinthians believers, the apostle Paul, wasn’t adding “do not” (or NO) just to use extra ink. It was a command/direction telling these Christians that praying in other tongues is so important that it must not be stopped or blocked.
Are we stop praying in our heavenly prayer language? No. No. No. Are we to block others from praying in their prayer language? No. No. No. It is an act of obedience on our part that, as we have in previous illustrations, opens the door for us to receive God’s blessings (heaven’s benefits) each and every day. (Allow the audience to share some of the benefits that have been shared in previous lessons.)
