Romans 8.26 ...The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we don't know how to pray the way we should. But the Spirit himself pleads on our behalf with groaning to deep for words....
I Cor. 14.2 For someone speaking in tongues is not speaking to people but to God, because no one can understand, since he is uttering mysteries in the power of the Spirit....A person speaking in a tongue does edify himself...I wish you could all speak in tongues....
I Cor. 14.14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit does pray, but my mind is unproductive...
Computers are operated by a language that I do not understand, which is, in fact so complicated, that it requires experts (called programmers) to understand it, interpret it and write it. That computer code operates all the internal workings of this laptop I am typing on, it speaks to the printer, the mother board, the programs it runs then, somehow, its translated into English. I see the product of a very complicated language interpreted so I can read it.
So here is how I explain praying in tongues. English is so limiting because it is a language we learned from other limited people. There are ideas, feelings, and spiritual things that my language just doesn't have a the words to express. However, never fear, God has pre-programmed us with the mother language, a language that supersedes English (or whatever language you learned as a child). The Holy Spirit has access to this embedded language that lies dormant until He has want of it.
Praying in tongues allows the Spirit to pray without having to go through the English language to come up with what to say. He speaks to God in God's language, which deeply expresses the spiritual realities without me trying to pollute it with my wants, whines, and demands. The embedded language, which I can not comprehend (and Scripture confirms that), is the Holy Spirit speaking. He takes what I need to God. He expresses praise to God in the purest form. He expresses my pain, my strivings, my groans directly to God without the hamper of the English language.
How does one pray in tongues? Good question. One must pray that the Spirit will take over the prayer. One must desire the Spirit to take over our language to express words we cannot understand. One must take a step out in faith to want a deeper, more edifying prayer life that is beyond our language skills and tendency to treat God like a giant vending machine with the wants and desires of our flesh.
I have prayed in tongues many times, even quietly to myself in my non-tongue-speaking church. It is incredible. It is meaningful. And I feel totally connected to the Father when I do it. It takes courage to approach God by this means.
What has been your experience with praying in tongues? If you have never done it, what do you think hinders you?
Showing posts with label Speaking in Tongues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Speaking in Tongues. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
How to Speak in Tongues
This spiritual gift is probably the most misunderstood and controversial gift of the Holy Spirit. Many people are raised thinking that speaking in tongues is just "crazy talk" gibberish that means nothing...other than getting attention (at best) or Satan talking through people (at worst). I am no expert on speaking in tongues but I can at least share my experience and what helped me....take it for what its worth.
Now any rational person can agree that speaking in tongues was a part of the Holy Spirit anointing on the day of Pentecost, right? So, that part is not in dispute because of what we read in Acts and I Corinthians 12 and 14. With me so far? For me, growing up in the Church of Christ, it is hard for me to picture Paul and the Apostles sitting around speaking in tongues...I thought they spoke King James English (heh, heh). Any way, all jesting aside, speaking in tongues was a regular part of a 1st century Christian's life.
And it can be a part of a present day Christian's life. Now, before you revoke my lifetime membership card to the Churches of Christ, there are many closet tongue speakers out there...they are just afraid of the rejection and torment of public rebuking so they keep it to themselves. I have talked to 6 such persons (2 in conservative fellowships) and they regularly speak in tongues in the privacy of their own homes (3 said their spouses don't even know).
So if you want to speak in tongues, here are some helpful hints:
1. All Spiritual gifts must be practiced and used to gain some sort of proficiency at them. Our flesh doesn't want us to speak in tongues...most of our training to be "Good Christians" didn't include tongue speaking class. It is not natural, especially if you have been told that it is wrong or crazy for 35 years. A person can learn to exhibit a spiritual gift.
2. Eagerly seek. Read I Cor. 14.1. Be eager in asking God for spiritual gifts...including speaking in tongues. Ask daily (or several times daily). Say, "God, if you want me to speak in tongues, then it is going to have to come from you. I ask for more of your Spirit, so your will can be done on earth. Lord, in the name of Jesus, loose my mouth to speak the words of the Spirit. Loose my tongues to speak your prayer language, place your language on tongue. Give me the courage and desire to exhibit your gifts."
3. Get your flesh used to speaking in tongues but saying nonsense words. This just helps you not to suppress the Spirit when it actually happens. In my first experience in speaking in tongues, I uttered about 5 words then totally shut down...it scared me half to death to not be in control of what I spoke and took me months to do it again.
4. Be patient. Allow the Spirit to move instead of forcing yourself to do it. Wait upon the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5. Before you stand up in church and "let 'er rip," try doing it by yourself at first. Try these exercises in your car or when no one else is around. It is difficult enough without the scrutiny or pressure of someone else watching (or the horrified looks of small children and conservative brothers and sisters).
6. Get someone to pray over you, lay hands on you and pray for the Spirit to speak through you. I appreciate my "tongue speaking" brother's prayers on my behalf to speak in tongues. It helped me to hear them speak in tongues and gave me the courage to try for myself.
Well, there you have it. If you have questions about my experience, ask me. I will not claim to have any of the answers but I can at least share more of my experience with you. ENJOY!
Now any rational person can agree that speaking in tongues was a part of the Holy Spirit anointing on the day of Pentecost, right? So, that part is not in dispute because of what we read in Acts and I Corinthians 12 and 14. With me so far? For me, growing up in the Church of Christ, it is hard for me to picture Paul and the Apostles sitting around speaking in tongues...I thought they spoke King James English (heh, heh). Any way, all jesting aside, speaking in tongues was a regular part of a 1st century Christian's life.
And it can be a part of a present day Christian's life. Now, before you revoke my lifetime membership card to the Churches of Christ, there are many closet tongue speakers out there...they are just afraid of the rejection and torment of public rebuking so they keep it to themselves. I have talked to 6 such persons (2 in conservative fellowships) and they regularly speak in tongues in the privacy of their own homes (3 said their spouses don't even know).
So if you want to speak in tongues, here are some helpful hints:
1. All Spiritual gifts must be practiced and used to gain some sort of proficiency at them. Our flesh doesn't want us to speak in tongues...most of our training to be "Good Christians" didn't include tongue speaking class. It is not natural, especially if you have been told that it is wrong or crazy for 35 years. A person can learn to exhibit a spiritual gift.
2. Eagerly seek. Read I Cor. 14.1. Be eager in asking God for spiritual gifts...including speaking in tongues. Ask daily (or several times daily). Say, "God, if you want me to speak in tongues, then it is going to have to come from you. I ask for more of your Spirit, so your will can be done on earth. Lord, in the name of Jesus, loose my mouth to speak the words of the Spirit. Loose my tongues to speak your prayer language, place your language on tongue. Give me the courage and desire to exhibit your gifts."
3. Get your flesh used to speaking in tongues but saying nonsense words. This just helps you not to suppress the Spirit when it actually happens. In my first experience in speaking in tongues, I uttered about 5 words then totally shut down...it scared me half to death to not be in control of what I spoke and took me months to do it again.
4. Be patient. Allow the Spirit to move instead of forcing yourself to do it. Wait upon the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5. Before you stand up in church and "let 'er rip," try doing it by yourself at first. Try these exercises in your car or when no one else is around. It is difficult enough without the scrutiny or pressure of someone else watching (or the horrified looks of small children and conservative brothers and sisters).
6. Get someone to pray over you, lay hands on you and pray for the Spirit to speak through you. I appreciate my "tongue speaking" brother's prayers on my behalf to speak in tongues. It helped me to hear them speak in tongues and gave me the courage to try for myself.
Well, there you have it. If you have questions about my experience, ask me. I will not claim to have any of the answers but I can at least share more of my experience with you. ENJOY!
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