BENEFITS OF PRAYING IN TONGUES

I know its hard. I got one word at sixteen and i didnt take it seriously and i ditched the meeting to go to a movie.. i gave up completely for three yrs then one day at a house prayer meeting it started flowing like a library of words. It comes when you want it and in Gods time.

The language that i speak when i try to pray at home is not the same as at church. I can tell it is forced and sounds wrong, hence mumbo jumbo. I think I need to pray for clarity and direction since i am new at this. Any suggestions?

It is words that i am saying but not a known language but not clearlty either. It's definitely not stammering. I believe it's because I am still new to this and have not fully embraced the gift. When I first started I had only three words in my vocabulary, now I have about seven.

I didn't want the gift of tongues originally, i was skeptical. But the holy spirit kept hounding me to study and pray for God to do waht is best for me. One day I bought a book, "Listen to your heart" by Kennith Haggin Jr. and I was reading when I felt a strong presence in my body and made me drop my book lift head to the sky and let out an amazing sound. I was frozen and could not move. Then it left and I felt wonderful. After that I started speaking the tongues little by little. I think it was baptism of the Holy spirit. I have never been the same. I believe I am still young in the spirit and do not relize what I can do.

Question for you all!
I have been Christian for a few years now, and although I am heavily involved at church, at different worship concerts every couple of months and in ways of a small group of believers, I have never heard someone speak in tongues. I haven't either (obviously), but I want to. I have wanted to for some time.
I have made some sheepish attempts, and just sort of gave way for something to happen, but nothing did. Some people have said here that you just can't be tight-lipped, and you have to sort of start to mumble. IT"S NOT WORKING!!
From reading through this topic, it seems like it's supposed to come easily. I believe in Jesus, and think about God all the time, but he doesn't seem real enough.
Is there something wrong with me?! I know that God has worked through me in the past, so there's a *hint* of the Holy Spirit in me at least... this is upsetting. Is it, for lack of a better word, greedy or selfish for us to want to experience God "in the flesh"?

OHH! and I have another question. Some people say that they became Christian after they saw a miracle, or someone speaking in tongues and et cetera. I know that God is gungho for free will - is it still free choice for us to believe when God steps in so largely into our lives?

Never have I ever seen such an open conversation about the topic, and it is lovely. Bless you all!

No, Laura, nothing is wrong with you apart from what is wrong with all of us in our fallen state. To tell you the truth, your post makes me respect you--the fact that you want something REAL, and aren't falling to a fake, self-fabricated delusion of a so-called tongue brings hope to my mind that SOME are hungry for the true Spirit, and not a false form of godliness.

First of all, what is this about murmuring? Has someone told you that God cannot Speak for himself? Did they say that you have to HELP HIM speak? Those who truly speak in tongues have no need to give the Spirit utterance. He gives them utterance. You don't have to start speaking in tongues of yourself for God to move. That is counterfieting his gifts--not recieving them. Do not be decieved. If you're going to a place where the pastor says "Now, do you hear that little voice in the back of your head? Just say what that little voice says." I suggest you pack up and LEAVE that church immediately, without looking back. That is not biblical, and it's dangerous. The same thing goes for anyone who tries to "teach" you HOW to speak in tongues, or who tells you to *rehearse* your prayer language. We are not to fabricate some copy of God's movements--God will move how he will move, and to copy and imitate such things is near to blasphemy, although God winks at ignorance for a time.
How DO we seek the Spirit, then? We certainly do not do so by wiggling about and thinking "well, if I shake this way long enough, maybe God will be in it after a while...if I mumble like this for an hour or so, maybe God will start to mumble for me." This is the road to deception--it's a lie of Satan, to keep us from the TRUE Spirit of God AND to keep us under SATAN'S control.
Rather, we seek the Spirit of God by praying continually, and running to him at the moment we make a mistake. Do not be discouraged--not everyone in the book of Acts recieved the Spirit the same day they believed. In fact, most of them didn't. Fall on your face continually. Pray continually. Welcome him. Sing to him. You don't have to murmur or do something weird to praise God. You don't have to counterfiet the movements of the Spirit to seek the Spirit. Just praise God. Talk to him. Pray concerning everything. Don't try to push God--that gets you nowhere. Rather, release everything. In my own experience, the baptism came when I stopped caring about things. The Holy Spirit will come when he will come. As for anyone who is impatient with you about this, I personally question whether or not THEY have recieved the Spirit.

I wonder about these who say that salvation is easy, or that Christianity is the "easiest religion in the world." (Well, for some forms of Christianity, they're right) Salvation IS NOT easy. It costs us EVERYTHING, although when we do give everything up, we find that we haven't lost anything. The road to Salvation is THIN. FEW find it. To save us by the skin of our teeth, Christ had to die. Now, when the Holy Spirit does enter us, or at least in my case, my thoughts were "Wow! I could've recieved him a LONG time ago!" but the road is not easy by any means--and it is full of tripping stones. I don't care if the man is reaching into people's ears and pulling out tumors, if he says that salvation is easy, I question him.

As for seeking God, I know what you're saying. "Yeah, yeah--I've tried that already." Don't think that there is something wrong with you, just because you don't immediately recieve the Spirit. I don't know if it's a good thing to break this to you before you recieve the Spirit, but MOST of those who claim to speak in tongues are faking it. Don't worry. Seek God and he will come when you are ready. Crucify the flesh daily. Sing aloud to him--praise him aloud when you can--in the car, in your bedroom. (Before, I've had to take a break and leave work because I had to shout.) Since you are a timid person (as I was when I was seeking the Spirit myself), this is something God can see as obeying and seeking him. I personally think that it's not such a big deal for louder people to do this, before they recieve the Spirit--because it's what they do already. Louder people often recieve God when they are softer than usual. RELEASE EVERYTHING, and praise his name. Remember: you can think that you have left everything, but there are still things remaining. When he comes, you will know what I'm speaking of. Go before the church and have others pray for you, as well, and don't worry about the fakers. Just seek God.

I try to help
Blessings

Andrew said:

laura_lynn,


there is certainly nothing wrong with you. at most, the devil is trying to make it hard for you to receive this powerful weapon.

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Prayer in any form is a powerful weapon for sure. Praying in tongues is no more, and no less a powerful weapon.

Andrew said:

that is how my church does it and that's how the majority of people receive today. it's called stepping out in faith. You step into the river first b4 it parts. You dont wait for the river to part first, then step in.

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You mean to say that people repeat a little voice in their head? That's what you think speaking in tongues is?

Anthony said:

Prayer in any form is a powerful weapon for sure. Praying in tongues is no more, and no less a powerful weapon.

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How did you first speak in tongues Anthony?

He put me back together said:

You mean to say that people repeat a little voice in their head? That's what you think speaking in tongues is?

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I would say first of all that when that prayer language comes, it will first show itself in the mind. It's not a little voice in my head, it's the Holy Spirit giving me the words to speak.

This event, is a little off the subject, yet along the same lines. God uses me the most in "Prophetic Singing". That would be a word from God for the moment to the people. When I was first learning to step out in this gift I was terrified. I'm not a very demonstrative person in the first place. Actually, rather shy until I get to know ya.

Anyway, I was part of my church worship team and I was learning to flow in this more freely. The worship leaders and I would get going sometimes and it would be awsome the word that would come forth.

One night it was just me and the one worship leader who played the keyboard. We were deep into worship and he and I had both stopped singing but the music was playing. . .not any particular song, just playing.

Over and over in my head I could "hear" the words and the tune to a song. But to me, it was too simple and I felt it was dumb. I wrestled with it for "several" minutes. Over and over. . .the same words and the same tune. Finely I could not wrestle anymore and I began to sing what I heard in my head. (I'm starting to cry as I write this. . .I'm emotional)

I don't know how to explain what happend, but I know that there was not one person who was not on their faces (literally) before the Lord. It's not just any voice we are talking about here. . .it's the voice of the Holy Spirt. And I'd venture to say that you hear it that way too. . .you just have not taken the time to observe what is happeing before you start speaking.

Ok...I just typed a volume of war and peace, and the forum erased what I had and said that this thread was not accepting new entries

I'm not sure of why that happened but why would you type a volume of war and peace in this thread?

ooooo ok here we go. <sigh> ok I'll redo it because I love you guys If any of you say that God is trying to keep me out of this forum, I'll smack ya

Ok, don't think I'm knit picking you, Andrew (is that how one spells knit picking?), but I think it's crucial to make sure that we're both on the same page. You said:



"that is how my church does it and that's how the majority of people receive today."

Do you believe that people recieve the Spirit differently today than they did in the book of Acts, or are you simply stating what all of us as pentecostals and charismatics state-- that the Holy Spirit moves on us today, just as he did in the New Covenant scriptures? This is not to be confused with the Spirit doing different things, of course--anyone who reads the scriptures knows that God doesn't move the same way all of the time, and anyone who walks with God knows that he doesn't move the same way MOST of the time. Or at least that's my experience. So, without our confusion between what the Spirit does and how he is recieved, do you think people recieve him differently today?

Now, that question being asked, since we're not discussing this over breakfast together, I'll assume the default "no" and continue.

"it's called stepping out in faith."

I think we must understand that faith is NOT believing something for no reason, and it is not taking a leap into the unknown. It is not putting an extra 20 dollars in the offering plate, and it isn't the abandonment of reason for the sake of doing things that come to your fancy without just cause. It's not a gut feeling. Faith is conviction, or at least that's what the word that was so translated means. In our case, faith is Spiritual conviction. Faith is doing what the Holy Spirit has called you to do, without fear, remorse, or doubt, because you know your God is greater than that which is against you. Faith is not blind. "Walk by faith and not by sight." refers to the knowledge that what your God tells you is true, regardless of what your eyes tell you--the problem is, people follow their flights of fancy and say that it is God.

"You step into the river first b4 it parts. You dont wait for the river to part first, then step in."

As far as this parable is concerned, read the story that the scriptures tell:

Exodus 14:

"15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen."
19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. "

Was Moses' faith without works, just because the sea was parted overnight, and not instantaneously? Moses didn't step into the water; he stepped on dry land. He did what God told him to do, and nothing else. Was God's promise nullified because it took ONE NIGHT to part a SEA, rather than five seconds? The Israelites moved in faith, or at least Moses moved in faith by telling them to keep walking--they walked towards the Red Sea because SOMEONE knew that the God that was with them would not abandon them. They moved towards the Red Sea, but they did not cross until the land was dry. If they would have tried this, the nation of Israel would not exist today. No, stepping in the water is not required to part the water, and it doesn't speed things along. It will get your feet wet, though. Stepping into the water and trying to MAKE things happen is more like striking the rock--it shows lack of faith.

Andrew said:

Yes and no. Lemme explain:

We believe in the prayer of faith. (Mk 11:23-25). Jesus said that when you ask for something believe YOU RECEIVE. We also believe Luke 11:11 -- "HOW MUCH MORE your heavenly Father in heaven WILL give you the Holy Spirit if you ask Him for him"

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This does not present a disagreement between us. The issue here is not whether or not God keeps his promises, but whether or not speaking in tongues is repeating a little voice in your head, and whether or not we should try to speak in tongues of ourself, before God moves us.

Based on that we do not believe that after praying for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with tongues as the sign, you must wait and tarry and wait, and hope someday He will possess you and wag your tongue for you and produce sounds for you, like in a medium's possession.

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If God's "wag(ging) your tongue for you and produc(ing) sounds for you," is like a medium's possession, why do you approve of it later on?

As they do so and continue in faith, sooner or later, the rivers burst forth and out comes all the words faster than a bullet train.

When this stage is reached, you no longer have to 'hear-n-repeat' -- it is spontaneous and automatic and bypasses the brain, coming straight from the spirit.

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So, is "bypassing the brain" more like a pagan possession, or is it not? You should make up your mind--you cannot have your cake and eat it too. If it is like a medium's possession, you shouldn't approve of it at all. If it isn't, there is nothing wrong with God speaking directly through someone at the beginning. In fact, derived from what you say, that would show a greater obedience to God.

We believe we receive when we ask, THEREFORE, we step out in faith and open our mouths to speak. That is faith with works. Not dead faith.

As we thank God and continue to praise him that we have received, some people begin to feel something bubbling up in their belly area, like a river wants to pour out of them, they may 'hear' or 'sense' strange sounds rising up from deep within or popping into their mind. This is the Spirit giving them the utterance.

At this point, it is then up to us to cooperate and flow with the Spirit by speaking forth those sounds and syllables (yes there are those who ignore and refuse the utterance, for whatever reasons).

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Did those in the upper room recieve the Spirit the day they BEGAN to seek the Spirit, or did they recieve him on the day of Pentecost? What about those in Samaria? Sometimes the Spirit comes in an incountable flash, and sometimes it takes days. Sometimes he is loud, sometimes he is softer. That's the way it was in Acts, and that's the way it is today. To say otherwise is to argue with the Bible.
We are not to try to MAKE him do what we want him to do--instead, we are to follow his lead. THAT is faith. I agree with the sensation from the pit of the stomach--that is often how it feels when God speaks through a person, or when he is dealing with them, but they cannot release the world. This is NOT a little voice in your head, however--Trying to speak in tongues before the Spirit gives you utterance is a sign of LACK of faith--a better symbol to use from Exodus would be Moses striking the rock, when God commanded him to simply command it. The Holy Spirit is NOT a little voice in your head. Don't confuse him with your inner voices. We all have inner voices, and none of them are God. God communicates with us differently, in a language that cannot be described (I'm not talking about tongues here, as tongues can in fact be described), but is always understood. The utterance of the Spirit is not a flight of fancy generated by the mind, but it is rather a direct move of the Spirit. The tongues of the Spirit do not "POP" into your head. I suggest you search your heart--if you are following the flights of your mind, you are not following God. Even Jesus didn't follow the flights of his mind--the thought of turning stones into bread POPPED into Jesus' head. The thought of suicide POPPED into his head, but he didn't follow either of them. If he did, where would we be today?
Again, seek the Lord, and he will enter you. The scriptures are clear--he doesn't enter everyone at the moment of belief. You cannot deny what the scriptures clearly convey. It's not about a lack of desire to enter us--if that was the issue, the universalists who say that everyone is going to heaven would be right. Rather, sanctification is to be reached. God cleans us, prepares us, and enters us. I recieved the Spirit when I lost the world. We must all lose the world to recieve the Spirit, but not all of us do that at the moment of belief--MOST of us don't, although we may feel that we do. If you don't believe that, LOOK AROUND in church sometime. Biblically speaking, a prime example is Simon, in Acts 8. The Bible says that HE DID believe, but he obviously didn't lose the world.
To tell people to *rehearse* their prayer language is blasphemy, if done by a person who knows what they are doing. If you continue to preach the unbiblical doctrine that everyone recieves the Spirit instantaneously, you're going to come up with LOTS of people who think they're full of the Spirit, and are not. That's an incredible risk to take, considering many of them will then never recieve the Spirit. If you continue to preach that the Word of God is a little voice inside people's head (which obviously is NOT the same as the "still small voice"), you're going to end up with a congregation that doesn't try the Spirits--who will eventually begin to believe that instead of healing people, God will fill their teeth with metal, and rain down little dustlets of gold. (which for some reason don't weigh as much as their weight in gold, and even then are not pulled into the lungs) Try the Spirits, and follow God--not yourself. Unless the Apostles were wrong, the Spirit of God will not bring you another gospel.

Umm I was a medium and God is a gentleman when the Holy Spirit takes over it is nothing like being possessed by devils. Its more uplifting, not so draining and so forth.

Quaffer, I respect your observation concerning the word, and I agree with you as you can see from the grotesquely long post above on the whole little voice thing. Prophecy as we know from experience as well as reading the scriptures is much like tongues--God speaks directly. But we cannot deny from reading Corinthians (and arguably an incredible amount of old testiment prophecy) that often what is called "prophecy" by the scriptures is something that God has told us to do--this shouldn't be confused with the little thoughts (along with some of them that actually are from Satan) that say "You can now speak in tongues, believer! Just repeat after me: Bashadamika, nok tui von schpika. Lak Moni Deus Yesu Christe!" though.
You and I are not very different; I also am timid in nature, though the Lord has helped me overcome most of the negative effects of such a personality. We both recieve music--actually, I went so far as to gain professional training in the field, and I'm published, although I'm still going to school persuing another major and do not write nearly enough stuff to make a full living at it during the fall. (We should talk about how often people shout at musical technicalities sometimes) In my own experience, I've been the most moved by one song that God sang to me, while we were alone--<sigh> if that's not humbling...
I think the concept that you're getting at is more common in what many refer to as "preaching" (although the original meaning of the word is probably lost in antiquity), which is closer to the biblical prophecy, though many are just reflecting its mannerisms in their own self. This is very often spoken directly by God--and at times God tells you to say things, and you say them. I think in the latter, though, we often raise our voices as if God is moving us to do so, when he isn't. Prophecy as we see from living it, at times is in song...I think the greatest prophecies I've heard were sung, as well as the most false--some of them even rhymed. We shouldn't confuse God speaking through us directly in song, and God telling us to sing something, however.

Blessings--ok now somebody else can use up all the FTP space