Written by:
Apostolic Bishop Jerry Pena
God’s Anointed Servant
Spiritual Overseer—Apostolic Impartation of Fire Ministries
© 2025 Bishop Jerry Pena / Apostolic Impartation of Fire Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
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Why It Is Not Optional for the Believer
In many circles today, speaking in tongues has been relegated to a secondary experience—something nice to have but not essential. Some denominations have even dismissed it as a relic of the early church that has passed away. But when we examine the Scripture honestly, we discover that the spiritual language is not a bonus feature; it is fundamental equipment for the believer’s walk with God.
Throughout the book of Acts, we see a consistent pattern. When believers received the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues was the accompanying sign that confirmed the Spirit had come.
At Pentecost, the Scripture declares, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). This was not a side effect—it was the evidence. When Cornelius and his household received the Holy Ghost, the Jewish believers knew it “because they heard them speak with tongues” (Acts 10:46). At Ephesus, when Paul laid hands on the disciples, “the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
The pattern is clear: tongues was not incidental to the Spirit’s coming—it was inseparable from it.
Paul makes a profound declaration in 1 Corinthians 14:2: “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”
This is remarkable. Speaking in tongues is the one form of communication that bypasses the human intellect entirely. It is spirit-to-Spirit dialogue. Your mind may be tired, confused, or overwhelmed, but your spirit can still speak directly to God in a language the enemy cannot intercept and your flesh cannot corrupt.
This is why Paul said he spoke in tongues more than anyone at Corinth (1 Corinthians 14:18). He understood its value for personal communion with God.
In 1 Corinthians 14:4, Paul states plainly: “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself.” The word “edifieth” means to build up, to charge, to strengthen. Speaking in tongues is like plugging your spirit into the power source of heaven.
Some have criticized this as selfish, but consider this: God designed a mechanism for you to strengthen your own spirit. Why would He do that if He did not intend for you to use it? The believer who neglects this gift is like a soldier who refuses to charge his weapon before battle.
Romans 8:26-27 reveals a critical truth: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
There are times when you face situations so complex, so overwhelming, that you do not know how to pray. Your mind cannot formulate the words. But your spirit, praying in tongues, can intercede according to God’s perfect will. This is not optional equipment—this is essential for navigating life’s battles.
Paul instructs Timothy to “stir up the gift of God” that was in him (2 Timothy 1:6). Spiritual gifts are not automatic—they must be desired, received, and exercised. Paul told the Corinthians, “I would that ye all spake with tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:5). This was not a casual suggestion; it was apostolic counsel.
The believer who has received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues should not let that gift lie dormant. Pray in the Spirit daily. Build yourself up. Keep your spiritual battery charged.
Speaking in tongues is not a denominational distinctive or a theological debate point—it is a biblical necessity for the Spirit-filled believer. It was the evidence of the Spirit’s arrival in the early church, it is the means of direct spirit-to-Spirit communication with God, it is the tool for personal edification, and it is the mechanism for praying when your natural mind cannot find the words.
To treat this gift as optional is to leave essential spiritual equipment unused. God gave it for a reason. Use it.
There are moments in our walk with God when the vocabulary of human language falls short. We come before the throne with burdens too heavy for words, intercessions too deep
👉🏼“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise
Throughout the book of Acts, we see a consistent pattern. When believers received the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues was the accompanying sign that confirmed the Spirit had come.
Lord, send angels to dismantle every plot of the enemy, expose every trap, and confuse every demonic assignment. Let angelic forces overthrow the works of darkness operating against my life.
There are times when the righteous are forced to endure hardship, not because of their own choices, but because of the sins and unbelief of others.
Lord, I thank You that You are Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. Your Word says, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by
