These psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs are given spontaneously by the inspiration of the
Spirit. They are a demonstration of the gift of prophecy or its equivalent tongues and
interpretation in manifestation. These psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs can be used to
comfort us in times of tests or trials.
Paul writing to the Church at Colossae even further said, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs. . ."(Col. 3:16).
Another interesting thing to note is that the order of the services in the Early Church evidently
differed from ours in that believers went to church because they had something, not just to get
something.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:26
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm,
hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation....
Why did they have a psalm they could share with one another? Because they had been
speaking in psalms to the Lord; they had been edifying themselves at home.
The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament were not written to us in the same way the Epistles
were written directly to us — the Church. We read the psalms and they bless us and
encourage us because they are inspired by the Spirit. There is some revelation in some of
these psalms concerning prophecy of the coming Christ and of things pertaining to the future
and to the Church. But many of the psalms were given to David, for example, when he was
going through a certain test or trial in his life.
For instance, one time Saul sought to kill David. While hiding in a cave, David got a psalm by
the spirit of prophecy, and it was given to him personally to encourage him. It encouraged him
then, and those psalms encourage us, too, when we are facing tests and trials in life.
So we can see why Paul said to the members of the Church at Corinth, and to Christians
everywhere, to covet to prophesy, for in this way they can talk to God supernaturally and to
themselves in a known language. There is a fellowship in the Spirit that comes through using
prophecy in prayer that is beyond what we've previously experienced.
God's Word teaches that all Spirit-filled believers should not only speak with tongues when
they are initially filled with the Spirit, but they should continue to speak with tongues as a
continual experience, after they are filled with the Spirit. The Word also teaches that all Spiritfilled believers should be speaking to themselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
If we follow Paul's admonition today and covet to prophesy, we, too, can speak to ourselves in
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Begin to covet to prophesy because the Word of God
encourages believers to do so.
First Corinthians 12:31 says, ". . . covet earnestly the best gifts. ..." As you do, then you will be
able to speak supernaturally to the Body of Chr