One of the continuing controversies in the Church is the current day enablings of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as presented in I Corinthians 12. One of those gifts is the prayer language, or tongues, "the  utterance of a language one has not learned in response to the inspiration and motivation of the Holy Spirit" (Black, Daniel L. "Life in the Holy Spirit," Discipleship: How to Live the Christlife. Cleveland: Pathway Press, 1989.).

I Thessalonians 5:19 tells us not to quench the Spirit. John 14:17 says He is looking for yeilded vessels. In prayer and intercession, I, as a human being, am not equipped in my flesh to understand all needs. God, however, knows all things and all needs. The Holy Spirit who is always in tune with the Godhead can flow through me as I yeild in prayer from my spirit to Him--my prayer language, tongues, glossolalia, whatever term you choose--and from Him to me, in perfect harmony of purpose. With my prayer language I can pray the will of God. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Romans 8:26-27); "Anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues" (I Corinthians 14:2, 13-15, 39).

In 2006, Andrew Newberg did a neuroimaging study to test the activity of the brain during glossolalia. Scoffers and doubters use this study to put down the activity because the research found that during glossolalia, the emotion centers of the brain show an increase in activity while the language centers show a decrease. They supposed this to mean that glossolalia is only meaningless babble. The research, however, just confirms what the scripture says. "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful." Of course one's emotions are stirred in the presence of the Holy Spirit, so the emotion centers of the brain react. Since Newberg's equipment measured brain activity, not spirit activity, his conclusion seems pretty logical to me.

Thank You, Lord for all Your gifts. Guide me to use what You have supplied for prayer and intercession for Your  people, not considering myself better than anyone, but fitted for a particular service in Your Kingdom. Lord, Your assignments are exciting and miraculous. Whether our gifts are charismatic, ritualistic, academic, or any other, help all in the Body of Christ to come together in love and singularity of purpose--Your purpose, to bring as many into the Kingdom as possible before You return. Amen