In 12:10 we are informed that the diversities of tongues are "divided to every man as the Spirit wills" (v.11), but in 12:28 we are informed the diversities are "set in the Church by God." This indicates two separate and distinct administrations of the gifts of tongues. This thought is confirmed by Acts 1:4, as Jesus' description of the baptism with the Spirit is that it is the promise of the Father, but according to John 16:32, when the Holy Spirit came, He would take of those things which are Christ's and reveal them to us. So, the Holy Spirit is revealing Jesus by gifts of tongues, but there is a separate and distinctly different administration of gifts of tongues that come from our Father God.
The diversities of tongues given by The Holy Spirit are different, in that, only the manifestation of the gift is given. The actual gift is not given. Thus, in the gifts of the Spirit, each individual believer may receive a temporary manifestation of one or more of the gifts of the Spirit, but no believer will receive the actual gift. These manifestations of gifts are, as stated before, manifestations of the revealing of Jesus. When it comes to the gifts of tongues manifested by the Holy Spirit it is not redundant to say that there are many gifts. Beyond the forms of articulate speech, there is laughter, groaning, crying and sighing, all forms of inarticulate speech.
The gifts of the tongues "set in the Church by God" are not temporary manifestations, but lifelong appointments. Thus, the gift primarily given at the initial receiving of the baptism with the Spirit, commonly called the private prayer language, is a ministry gift given by the Father God. This point is illustrated by the fact that every believer who faithfully waits for the baptism with the Spirit receives a gift of tongues that they can use anytime they desire to. They retain complete authority in the use of this gift. This reveals the gift of tongues given on the day of Pentecost to be an anomaly in that the Holy Spirit was illustrating that the power to witness of Jesus' resurrection comes through this gift of tongues. Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. This means that with each act of the Holy Spirit He is doing two things, one of which is guiding us into truth.
The point to all this, beyond the instructive nature of it, is that the private prayer language is a ministry gift set in the Church by God, the Father, not unlike the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher given by Jesus to the Church, only it is through this ministry which the power to witness of Jesus' resurrection flows. The ministry of reconciliation (2Cor.5:18-19) was given to each and every Church member because each and every Church member is commanded by the resurrected Lord to wait for and receive the baptism with the Spirit. At the baptism of the Spirit, the gift of tongues, which Jesus called Living Water, flows out of the belly. As the Church uses this ministry gift, the Holy Spirit administrates the power to witness of Jesus' resurrection and lost people are convinced that Jesus has conquered death and loves them and they will cry out, "What must we do?"
The private prayer language is incredibly more important than most all Church members realize. It is the reason Jesus said, "All who believe on me, will have rivers of Living Water flowing out of their belly," and gave one commandment to the Church, to wait for the baptism with the Spirit, after salvation. It is the reason Jesus waited until after He had been exalted to supreme ruler of the universe to issue this commandment.
These points illustrate that the private prayer language is a higher administration of tongues than those given by the Holy Spirit, who is also God. There is no such thing as a "least gift." There are no gifts given by the Godhead to men that are diminutive in any way. By their dishonoring and belittling of the gift of tongues, even the Spirit filled Church has failed to receive the power to witness of Jesus' resurrection and the kingdom of God has been severely limited.