Tongues and Praying in Understanding

Therefore the person who speaks in another language should pray that he can interpret. For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What then? I will pray with the spirit and I will also pray with my understanding. Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit, how will the uninformed person say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God I speak in other languages more than all of you; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language.
Brothers do not be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking. 1Cor 14:13-20

Praying in tongues is for you, in your prayer closet, between you and God, unless you are motivated to do so in a church gathering and have an interpretation. I spend most of my private time in prayer and tongues figure heavily. I can pray in tongues while I work, while I walk, ride a bike, in fact anywhere I am in private.

However, when I go to connect group I pray intelligibly so that others can agree with me in prayer. Agreement is an essential part of corporate prayer.

Whether I pray in tongues or in a known language, shows my concern for those I am with. I love praying in tongues, the Holy Spirit and I get on well together in prayer.

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