Today there’s a lot of controversy surrounding the subject of speaking in tongues in Christian circles. There are those who say it’s now done away with and others who say that it’s not necessary, or just an optional extra.
I thank God that I knew nothing about the Holy Spirit or the gift of tongues when I first became a Christian. No one had poisoned me against it or given me the wrong information about it. I read about tongues in the bible and saw that it was for believers, so what’s stopping me? “It’s for those who believe and I believe, so what’s the problem?”
“And these signs will follow those who believe: .. they will speak with new tongues;” Mark 16:17
I don’t think I would have made it this far in my Christian journey if it wasn’t for speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues gives you the ability to pray about something, allowing the Spirit to pray through you, without you knowing what you are saying. The beauty of this is that you are praying a perfect prayer.
We all know how important prayer is, and here is a means of grace to do just that even while doing other things, as your mind is not involved. It’s your spirit that prays even while you are working.
There has been so many situations I’ve found myself in, where I didn’t understand or know what to pray and by praying in tongues it saved the day. Trying to work it all out in my own understanding was futile, but praying in tongues relieved me of all anxiety and gave me the rest my soul craved. By praying in the Spirit I knew God had heard my request and saw supernatural answers to my prayers.
The revelation of how we can pray in tongues has become such a part of my life now that it spurs me to go for many a prayer walk most days. The beauty of praying like this is that no one knows that you are praying and you get the benefit of keeping fit at the same time.
In the new place where we now live I often choose to walk to town through the park rather than drive, so that I can pray in tongues and think about and speak the word. Some days I end up walking over 6 ks just so that I might enjoy this blessing.
I remember when I was a Bible student in Johannesburg. I worked part time in the city in the afternoons and caught the bus to work. Sometimes I chose to walk home so that I could pray in tongues. It was a good hours walk back. Once when I was praying like this the Lord showed me that not only am I praying to Him, but He is speaking to me in my spirit. It says in Isaiah 28:11, that with another tongue ‘HE’ will speak to this people. It’s a two way street - God is speaking to us in our spirit as well - believe. I can remember the exact spot that He downloaded this to me.
As we say in modern computer terms there is a upload and a download. Not only are we speaking to God but He is also speaking to us when we speak in tongues. This has been such a blessing to me as I’ve waited on God for sermons over the years. He downloads messages to me and I receive them by faith.
“ For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”;
Yet they would not hear.” Isaiah 28:11-12
This verse talks about this gift of ‘tongues’ six hundred odd years before the Day of Pentecost. It says here that many would not believe in this phenomenon for “they will not hear.” It’s so true today as many Christians don’t want to know about tongues’ talking in our western culture. We can’t get our heads around it. I personally don’t know what I’m saying when praying in tongues and it may sound like baby language but that’s not the point. The bible says that unless you are like a little child you can’t enter into the kingdom of God. God has a way of humbling us ‘mature’ folk by getting us to do things that deal with our pride. He uses simple things to confound the wise.
You may also ask; “How do I know that this verse in Isaiah is talking about tongues for this was written long before Pentecost and in its original context it’s talking about the Assyrians language?”
Paul in his discourse about the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 14 refers back to this verse in Isaiah to help make a point.
“In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 14:22
I’m not wanting to bring condemnation upon those who don’t speak in tongues, for you are no less of a Christian if you can’t speak this way. Just as you are no less of a Christian if you haven’t been used to heal the sick - yet. All I am saying is that it’s possible for you to speak in tongues as it’s part of your inheritance as a Spirit filled Christian. If the Spirit is in you then the possibility is there, but all these things are according to your faith.
“According to your faith, so be it unto you.” Matthew 9:29
Look at this verse again in Mark 16:17. It says here that all those who ‘believe’ should be able to speak in tongues.
“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:17
Some say that when you are Born Again you are filled with the Holy Spirit straight away so there is nothing more that you need to do about it. If I can’t speak in tongues, it must be God’s will for me.
I believe the bible shows us that there is a second experience to that of being Born Again and that is to be filled with the Spirit.
This verse in Acts 19 shows this to be true. These Ephesian believers hadn’t received the Holy Spirit since their Born Again experience. It had to be their choice to have the baptism of the Spirit it wasn’t automatic.
“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptised?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptised with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.” Acts 19:1- 7
Paul was talking to disciples here in Ephesus who were already Born Again. They ‘believed’ and were Christians, yet they still needed to be Baptised in the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. When they were prayed for, they then spoke in tongues.
I believe there are so many benefits to speaking in tongues. Please look at my teachings on the 7 Benefits of Speaking in Tongues on my website. www.stonesoffire.online
One of the benefits is that it’s a form of worship. You can worship God when you speak in tongues. Note that when the first believers spoke in tongues on the Day of Pentecost they were speaking in another language different to their own and those present heard them in their own language praising God.
“Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:11
Another thing to note is that you can have an earthly language when you speak in tongues or you can have that of Angels (A language that is not from this earth).
“If I speak in the tongues a of men or of angels.” 1 Cor 13:1
I also want to show you how speaking in tongues is a very effective way to pray for people and situations. It’s also important to see that when it talks about ‘in the spirit’ in 1 Corinthians 14 it’s talking about speaking in tongues.
“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” 1 Corinthians 14:2
‘In the Spirit’ definitely means to speak in tongues as we see in this verse. Now look at this other verse on prayer in Ephesians 6:18. It puts the forms of prayer in a whole new light.
“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—” Ephesians 6:18.
Recently I tried something different. I sat in my chair when all was quiet and prayed in tongues. It’s never super easy and can be a labour of love as lots of thoughts can come and distract you. I didn’t know what I was saying or praying about but I prayed God would tell me things and I wrote down what I thought in a note book.
“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” 1 Corinthians 14:2
“Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.” 1 Corinthians 14:13
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,” 1 Corinthians 2:7
As I prayed I wrote down different people’s names that came to mind, situations, scriptures and other things. At the time I didn’t feel anything and wondered if it was just me. There was no strong conviction, emotions or warm ‘fussies.’ Later I went over what I had written again praying in tongues and did it over and over for the next few days. One thing that stood out to me was the words ‘Airport, Bomb, Airline, Terrorist, Istanbul (which is in Turkey).
Two weeks later there was a bomb attack averted at the Sydney Airport. They found that the parts of the bomb were sourced from Turkey. I realised that I could have been praying about that event weeks earlier and not known it. I asked God to show me what I was praying about and He confirmed it.
In Jackie Pullinger’s book “Chasing the Dragon,” she speaks of how she was a missionary to China and found things really hard at first ministering in the ‘Walled City’ of Hong Kong.
She wast filled with the Spirit but didn’t speak in tongues that much. She felt nothing when she did. Her mentor told her to pray in tongues regardless of her feelings for 15 minutes a day. She promised her that she would but it was hard work. She felt nothing super spiritual about it, no warm fussies, goose bumps or anything emotional.
She prayed in the Spirit for 15 minutes a day, by the clock, but still found it to be quite an exercise. Before praying in the Spirit she said, “Lord, I don't know how to pray, or whom I’m praying for, will you pray through me - and will you lead me to the people who want you?”
After six weeks she noticed something remarkable. Those she talked to about Christ suddenly believed. She could not understand it at first and wondered if her Chinese had suddenly improved, or if she had stumbled onto a splendid new evangelistic technique.
But she was saying the same things as before. It was some time before she realised what had changed. This time she was talking about Jesus to people who wanted to hear. She had let God have a hand in her prayers and it produced a direct result. Instead of her deciding what she wanted to do for God and asking His blessing on it, she was asking him to do His will through her as she prayed in the language He gave her. "Now I found that person after person wanted to receive Jesus. I could not be proud - I could only wonder that God let me be a small part of his work. And so then the emotions came. It never came while I prayed, but when I saw the results of these prayers I was literally delighted."
I also personally have had a wonderful example of the power of praying in tongues while ministering in Te Kuiti, New Zealand. I regularly walked around the town quietly praying in tongues under my breath, not really knowing what I was praying about and just communicating with God. The local newspaper deliberately miss-quoted me in an interview and made me look a real idiot all over the Waitomo area. The Devil was laughing at me and my future there looked bleak. I stepped up the prayer walks around the town and especially around the High School where the problem had originated. God eventually came through for me contrary to the enemy’s plans, the 2 teachers who were causing the trouble left. The Headmaster was replaced by a Christian one and the head boy and head girl were coming to our church and going on for God. The reporter who was out to get me left and the Newspaper favoured us as a Church from then on with many good Christian articles.
When we are praying in tongues we are praying the will of God. It says this in Romans 8:26-27
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
As I said earlier, not only are we praying in tongues to God but God is also speaking to us. It’s an upload - download method of communicating with God. I also believe it’s ‘scrambled’ so the Devil doesn’t know what we are saying. No one but God understands.
“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” 1 Corinthians 14:2
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” 1 Corinthians 14:14-15
We can sing in tongues and this also has great power. Try doing it next time when you pray. We have often sung in the Spirit (in tongues) as a Church in our worship which is different thing again. Paul does say that when we come together we can sing ‘spiritual songs,’ which I believe is singing in tongues. He makes a distinction between ‘spiritual songs’ and hymns and psalms. Hymns would be choruses as such, psalms would be the word of God and ‘spiritual songs’ would then be spontaneous speaking in tongues.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; “ Ephesians 5:19-21
Paul warned the Church not to speak in tongues to each other as it would appear to unbelievers that they were mad, but it can be done in the Church if it’s interpreted. After saying this Paul said that he spoke in tongues more than them all. One minute he’s saying don’t do it too much in Church and then he says he did it more than them all. More than the whole church put together. This tongue he is talking about is his speaking in tongues in private, most likely as he walked from one place to another.
“I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;” Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” 1 Corinthians 14:18
He made a distinction between ‘in and out of the church.’ In Church it was better to prophecy than speak in tongues, but when alone with God it didn’t matter. He says in this verse that we can ‘teach others also,’ which infers that God was teaching him things when he prayed in tongues. He was getting a download which he then gave back to the church prophetically or as a message.