Prayer Must Be a Priority

And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. (Mark 6:46)

Jesus had perfect communication with the Father. Jesus would go into the mountains early each morning to pray and spend time talking with God. We now know Jesus only prayed the perfect will of God. In fact, He said about Himself in John 5:19, "I only say what the Father tells me to say." But you and I have the same opportunity for communication with God. Praying in tongues is perfect communication with the Father. When you pray in tongues, it’s not just benefiting God by praying His perfect will. There is also a reward for praying. The Bible says that you build yourself up spiritually.

You get stronger when you pray in tongues. In this verse, we see that Jesus prioritized time with the Father. He did not just pray when things got hard. He prayed constantly and consistently. He made it a habit to withdraw and spend time in communion with God. That is where His direction came from. That is where His strength came from. That is where His clarity came from. You need the same thing. The more time you spend with God and praying in the Spirit, the more sensitive you become to His leading. You begin to hear Him more clearly. You begin to sense His direction more quickly. You stop making decisions out of confusion and start making them out of clarity.

Jesus had perfect communication because He spent time with the Father. You have access to that same communication through praying in tongues. When you pray in tongues, your spirit is communing directly with God. You are bypassing your mind and allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through you. That is perfect prayer. That is how you build yourself up. That is how you stay strong. Jesus needed time with the Father, and so do you. Make it a priority. Do not wait until you feel like it. Discipline yourself to spend time in prayer every single day.

Practical Application

Dedicate time each morning this week to pray in your known language and in tongues. Even if it’s just 15 minutes, treat it as non-negotiable. Make sure to do this. As you pray, notice how your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit grows throughout the day.

Matthew 14:23; John 8:28