"That Tongues Business"

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 (NKJV)

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

1 Corinthians 14:14 (NKJV)

If any biblical subject has been a great matter of controversy and confusion, it is speaking in tongues, and this is largely due to ignorance. All we need to do is study the Word of God on the matter, and we would take hold of the blessings of God.

One misconception proclaimed among the uninformed is that speaking in tongues is a thing of the past, done away with when the last apostle died. The question to ask is whether the Holy Spirit is also a thing of the past, because the phenomenon of speaking in tongues began with the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2. If God deemed it important then, it is surely important in our day.

The truth is that people shun what they do not understand, instead of simply searching out the truth in the Bible. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He said that one of the signs that would follow believers is that they would speak with new tongues. According to the Bible, then, speaking in tongues is a sign that you are a believer and have received His Spirit. You cannot say that you believe in Jesus, or that you have received His Spirit, and not speak with tongues. To live such a life is to rob yourself of the immense blessings available in this spiritual gift, which every child of God receives when he is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Years ago, when I first came into Christianity, I too was a sceptic, and I did not understand this "speaking in tongues business" until I searched the Bible and read books on the subject. The scripture that changed everything for me was 1 Corinthians 14. I thought to myself, "I want to talk to God, and if speaking in tongues will give me that experience, then I want it." I went down on my knees and said, "Holy Spirit, I have read how You filled the apostles and disciples in Acts. I want that too. I want to talk to God in this heavenly language." I will never forget that night. Suddenly I felt the presence of the Lord fill my room, and before I knew it I was praying out in a language I had never heard or known before, and I have never looked back.

I have personally spent thousands of hours praying in tongues in the thirteen years I have been a Christian, many times praying for long stretches, as long as eighteen hours without stopping. It has been a great source of strength and wisdom, and it has saved my life many times. One major thing it has done for me is to increase my consciousness of God and my fellowship with Him.

Now I can be confident in my times of prayer, and spend as many hours as I like without worrying about running out of words, because the Holy Spirit gives me utterance.