Difficulty speaking in tongues

[imperfectchristian]

To add just a little...

When you feel yourself about to speak in tongues is it accompanied by an emotional feeling or something else.

I have noticed for some time now that my lips tremble fairly often, but it is only when I am totally concentrated on God that I speak in any tongues language.

Does it get easier to concentrate on God and thus speak in tongues (if that is how it works) the more you work at it?

I have found it is incredibly hard for me to focus totally on God and that I have to really pray not long but really hard to get there...this is somewhat discouraging because it takes alot out of me.

The lips trembling thing comes quite easy and happens pretty much anytime I am thinking about God...is this familar to any of you?

Thanks for all of your input.

Blessings

 

[MoNiCa4316]

When you feel yourself about to speak in tongues is it accompanied by an emotional feeling or something else.

Like you, I start speaking in tongues when I am completely concentrated on God, and forget about myself. It never happens when I try to speak in tongues or try to make myself 'feel something'..then, it becomes fake. I've also found that faith is really important...when I doubt, it sort of blocks me from feeling God's presence or speaking in tongues, or "hearing" Him in general...etc.

Does it get easier to concentrate on God and thus speak in tongues (if that is how it works) the more you work at it?

Probably someone more experienced would be able to answer this question better, but I think it does get easier with practice. Our minds need to be trained and renewed, and this takes some time.

I have found it is incredibly hard for me to focus totally on God and that I have to really pray not long but really hard to get there...this is somewhat discouraging because it takes alot out of me.

There are times when it comes really easily, and then, I don't have to try at all. I find that usually when I try very hard, nothing happens...it works the best when I just let go and let the Holy Spirit take control. But there are other times when it's not that simple, and takes lots of effort and concentration...sometimes when I feel far from God it's really hard to pray.

The lips trembling thing comes quite easy and happens pretty much anytime I am thinking about God...is this familar to any of you?

hmm..I'm not quite sure what you mean...well sometimes I feel like I'm about to speak in tongues when I think about God, but then I start doubting or become distracted and it goes away.

God bless

 

[imperfectchristian]

Like you, I start speaking in tongues when I am completely concentrated on God, and forget about myself. It never happens when I try to speak in tongues or try to make myself 'feel something'..then, it becomes fake. I've also found that faith is really important...when I doubt, it sort of blocks me from feeling God's presence or speaking in tongues, or "hearing" Him in general...etc.



Probably someone more experienced would be able to answer this question better, but I think it does get easier with practice. Our minds need to be trained and renewed, and this takes some time.



There are times when it comes really easily, and then, I don't have to try at all. I find that usually when I try very hard, nothing happens...it works the best when I just let go and let the Holy Spirit take control. But there are other times when it's not that simple, and takes lots of effort and concentration...sometimes when I feel far from God it's really hard to pray.



hmm..I'm not quite sure what you mean...well sometimes I feel like I'm about to speak in tongues when I think about God, but then I start doubting or become distracted and it goes away.

God bless

I think I have identified the one thing that has been holding me back the most and your message confirmed it. Doubt.

I never doubted God was there or that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was there, but I had serious doubts about whether He would give it to me. I always struggled with this feeling...He loves other people more than me.
It's those moments of realization when I realize just how much He loves me that I am overwehlmed and I come full circle from where I was at 11 or 12 years of age when I first spoke in tongues.

I know now what that incredible feeling was that I woke up with so long ago...it was knowing how much God loves me and having recieved that fully when I recieved the baptism.

In my older age I had lost that and have been seeking it the past six months again, but did not know what it was until just then.

The lips trembling part...I am not sure...it happens when I go into spirit filled church services alot and the spirit is moving...my whole jaw will start to move / tremble uncontrollably.

The thing is I was still focused in on my doubts about God touching me which is why God has not taken over completely in those types of settings.

It helps so much being built up by fellow Christians...thank you. It encourages my faith.

I am so glad to be apart of the household of faith...I fell like the prodigal son right now.

Blessings

 

[MoNiCa4316]

I've struggled a lot with doubt too....it's a continuing struggle. The truth is that He loves everyone equally, because His love is unconditional...He loves us because of who He is, not because of who we are. He IS love. He loves you as if you were the only person on earth, and sees your heart, not just the externals that the world sees

I know now what that incredible feeling was that I woke up with so long ago...it was knowing how much God loves me and having recieved that fully when I recieved the baptism.

I know that feeling... there was a time when I felt really alone, and suddenly I realized that God completely understands me and I just felt soo loved. It's really humbling too because I know I don't deserve it. But His love is really healing and I can imagine people in heaven being in such a state of joy all the time because they are in His presence, and know His love more fully.

The devil will try anything to separate us from God, including doubt...we all experience it of course, but remember that if Jesus died for you, He must truly love you indeed. And He did die for you, not just for other people, because the Holy Spirit has called you to faith..this means that God wanted you to have salvation and to know Him..and He wants this for everyone. You have accepted it, and now He wants to bless you with this spiritual gift to use for His glory Don't doubt, God loves you more than you can imagine!

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Since I have been assisting people with the gift of tongues, I have experienced some determined attacks in my mind to try and make me doubt it - and I have been speaking in tongues for 40 years! The attacks of doubt started when I decided on a project of speaking in tongues every spare minute I got, so that I could build myself up and prepare myself for a more effective ministry in the prophetic. The first time I did it was a couple of years ago, and the result was an explosion of the prophetic through the Prophetic Ministry forum where the prophetic words I gave were so accurate in some cases that it blew me away with amazement.

But it came with a price. I think I started to make the devil angry, because I started to have some distressing doubts about the genuiness of tongues. To counter it I had to just depend on the literal words of 1Corinthians14.

But since then I have written a booklet on receiving the gift of tongues and I have seen quite a number of people on our prophetic equipping days helped by it. So what I have learned is to take God completely at His Word without trying to 'feel' anything. If I depended on my emotions, I would still be struggling with doubt - but my determined faith in the literal Word of God as seen me through.

I am going to suggest something radical to some: If you are doubting whether your tongue is genuine, I suggest you PM me and type some sentences in your tongue to me. I have the gift of interpretation of tongues, and I will trust the Lord for an interpretation of your tongue. I have done this on some occasions when someone has received the gift of tongues for the first time. I have found that it has been a great boost to their faith.

I am learning that there are no limits to how the Lord can show His love and care for us, especially when we are struggling in our faith on some issues in our spiritual lives.

 

[Lotuspetal_uk]

Amen and amen to the recent posts!

I think doubt and fear (in my case, fear of looking or feeling an foolish etc) has been very predominate in my recent walk as well.

But I had to let you guys know that since last Friday I have uttered my first words in tongues!!!

Oscar posted his article earlier on in this thread on speaking in tongues and I took the liberty of hand writing a phrase that the article suggested the reader practices on. I have and still do stumble over saying the words, but it was while I was in the car last Friday that I said just one word. It began with an 's' but all I can remember now is "Sa" (pronouced Saaah) and "Ra" (pronounced like the ra in 'rather') which was at the beginning of the word. Since then I keep saying something like "Marantata" which sounded like "Maah-ran-taah-taah". I almost "see" the word but then logic unfortunately kicks in with me where I begin to stutter out the word because I'm too busy analysing what is going on, instead of just being still enough in spirit to receive the Holy Spirit's instruction.

The last couple of nights it's stopped again.

I'd shared my experience with some friends of mine offline together with a dream I'd had last week Monday night. My one friend had said that the inhibition I'd witnessed in the dream was the enemy trying to disuade me from taking this next step in my walk. Perhaps this could well be the feelings of doubt, that we're all feeling. She also said that as with my other gifts, I need to continually pray, ask and practice.

In reference to what is felt, I don't so much feel an emotion but I do feel as though my heart is about to explode but not in a painful way. I feel a gradual building up of something in my chest cavity which comes and goes. I've also observed that this sensation goes when I panic (at church on Sunday this feeling got real strong and I panicked thinking 'I can't speak in tongues here, they'll throw me out!' - the church is very 'religious'), or when I try to reason or doubt what I see.

I'm not sure if this will help but I've began to ask the Lord to increase my faith and decrease my disbelief and doubt.

Blessing to all of you!

 

[WinduDe]

speak in tongues is not supposed to be hard cuz is a give of the Holy Spirit, you are thinking a lot xD cmon men, pray... seek God's glory.. let his presence change all your heart and dont worry the time, the only thing you have to worry is to be faithful , and belive in the Lord, doing his will always... cuz you can speak in tongues, but if you dont do his will you will not have eternal life.

 

[imperfectchristian]

Amen and amen to the recent posts!

I think doubt and fear (in my case, fear of looking or feeling an foolish etc) has been very predominate in my recent walk as well.

But I had to let you guys know that since last Friday I have uttered my first words in tongues!!!

Oscar posted his article earlier on in this thread on speaking in tongues and I took the liberty of hand writing a phrase that the article suggested the reader practices on. I have and still do stumble over saying the words, but it was while I was in the car last Friday that I said just one word. It began with an 's' but all I can remember now is "Sa" (pronouced Saaah) and "Ra" (pronounced like the ra in 'rather') which was at the beginning of the word. Since then I keep saying something like "Marantata" which sounded like "Maah-ran-taah-taah". I almost "see" the word but then logic unfortunately kicks in with me where I begin to stutter out the word because I'm too busy analysing what is going on, instead of just being still enough in spirit to receive the Holy Spirit's instruction.

The last couple of nights it's stopped again.

I'd shared my experience with some friends of mine offline together with a dream I'd had last week Monday night. My one friend had said that the inhibition I'd witnessed in the dream was the enemy trying to disuade me from taking this next step in my walk. Perhaps this could well be the feelings of doubt, that we're all feeling. She also said that as with my other gifts, I need to continually pray, ask and practice.

In reference to what is felt, I don't so much feel an emotion but I do feel as though my heart is about to explode but not in a painful way. I feel a gradual building up of something in my chest cavity which comes and goes. I've also observed that this sensation goes when I panic (at church on Sunday this feeling got real strong and I panicked thinking 'I can't speak in tongues here, they'll throw me out!' - the church is very 'religious'), or when I try to reason or doubt what I see.

I'm not sure if this will help but I've began to ask the Lord to increase my faith and decrease my disbelief and doubt.

Blessing to all of you!

I just prayed yesterday with a strong prayer warrior that the Lord would do the same thing for me.

 

[imperfectchristian]

speak in tongues is not supposed to be hard cuz is a give of the Holy Spirit, you are thinking a lot xD cmon men, pray... seek God's glory.. let his presence change all your heart and dont worry the time, the only thing you have to worry is to be faithful , and belive in the Lord, doing his will always... cuz you can speak in tongues, but if you dont do his will you will not have eternal life.

Well I was talking to my pastor who is a predominate penecostal minister and he shared with me that it took him two years of seeking to recieve the baptism of the Holy Spirit....he grew up in another denomination that had taught him it was from the devil and he had to work through that.

He is such an encouragement. Manytimes in our lives their are strongholds to deal with. Also their is a spiritual warfare going on constantly that we are usually unaware of.

I know there is the temptation in my own life to get frustrated with those around me who are not hungry for God or as open to God as I am....and I have to catch myself or I will end up making them feel condemned because they are not as spirituual as I am.

I believe the Lord's will is that we grow in our relationships and then when others see us grow they will want what we have and they will embrace a hunger for God on their own.

I know my wife is just now becoming open to the idea of speaking in tongues, but is still very stand offish about being prayed for or actually seeking it. I don't pray in front of her or try to get her to pray with me. Everyone's relationship is at a different stage.

I am very thankful for all of you on here and for your encouragement.

After reading the recent posts I feel more confident than ever that I am going in the right direction and my spirit is bearing witness to alot of what is being said.

I have identified the doubt in my life and also the fear of speaking in tongues in public for fear of manipulation.

God revealed to me a long time ago that if and when I would yield to Him fully that He would not allow anyone to manipulate me...it is just really hard to re-embrace that after all these years of being defensive.

I know when I go to pray now, I just have to allow myself to realize that God is there and that is Spirit is ready to be poured out on me in all it's fulness to overflowing.

I realize now that church services are so powerful because we are not relying just on our own individual faith but we are built up by the faith of others around us.

I also realize that if I do things and surround myself as much as possible with things and people that build up my own faith and guard and protect my own faith and not "throw my pearls before swine" if you will that my faith will gradually be built up.

Blessings

 

[metayyel]

I was filled with the Holy Spirit the first time at a youth happening at our church not long after receiving baptism. We were praying for each other and blessing each other and I was in silent prayer, blessing the one sitting beside me, and I started to feel overwhelmed by deep peacefulness. I felt a 'well' inside of me. And I started to speak something, and I thought whether I am speaking in tongues. But I stopped because I feared so it lasted only for a short moment. I believe the Lord did give the gift to me then, but He has activated it again just recently. I had prayed long that He filled me with the Holy Spirit, and then one night I gave Him thanks silently and I felt like the praise started to 'flow'. And soon the Lord filled me with the Spirit; I felt the 'well' 'open' inside of me, and I almost didn't feel my body anymore! And the Holy Spirit moved my mouth to speak in tongues; I was repeating just one syllable. I continued it. I could only touch the top of my mouth with my tounge, so practically I could pronounce only the consonants l, n, d, and t. And that with whichever vowel I desired; for example 'la la la la' or 'di di di di', or even 'nä nä nä nä' for I'm finnish.

I can still speak in tongues with only one syllable if I choose to, though the Lord has opened the flow more overflowing. This He did very recently. I was discussing about my problems and praying with a certain blessed brother, and I was confessing my sins to him. And he prayed for me and I with him, and the Lord filled me with the Holy Spirit so powerfully. All glory to Him! I know I'm not worthy, but He is so merciful! And I started to speak in tongues, not with just one syllable anymore, but the river broke free! Praise the Lord! After that I felt so strengthened and charged, and felt healthy self-esteem in the Lord. I felt more loved! Glory to our holy Lord!

That night I noticed that there is much 'sh' in my prayer language. I thought it was hebrew or arabic or some other semitic language. But then I came to notice that actually I was just pronouncing 's' in a 'sh' way. I don't know if there is a 'sh' voice in my language. The language is like spanish, but it's not spanish. Some words' meaning is clear, like 'crosse' is clearly cross, 'Diaz' is God, 'amore' is love, 'grande' is great, 'gracias' is thanks etc. I have also searched for some words on Google and lots are found. By the way, that night when I was filled, I was walking to my house's backyard to pray there for a while, I prayed in tongues and thought about the cross of our Lord and I heard I said the word 'crosse'. I didn't yet even know that the word is that for this language!

Things of interest:
- I really can't speak 'gibberish' without speaking in the tongue.
- The Holy Spirit gives the words first to our mind, and then we speak them out. It is possible to only 'think' the words. I notice that after much time spent praying in tongues, they often just pop to my mind without even thinking.
- If you find activating the gift hard, then maybe you could try speaking so that you can't hear your own voice. Speaking faster could also help. If you are a child of God, then you are sanctified and do not have to worry for speaking out something bad. Just set your mind on God and His amazing love in Jesus Christ our Lord!

With the aid of a dictionary I'll try to roughly translate a portion of an article in finnish to english for you:

****

"Being thirsty, I longed for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When others prayed for me, something incomprehensible came on my tongue. After that while praying I tried to use the gift that I had received. I repeated one word or in fact just one syllable. This led me to a great spiritual crisis. At times I felt that it would have been better that I hadn't experienced anything - there would be peace and balance. Being thirsty, I still didn't give up. Months passed, and new words started to come and the situation got somewhat easier. After eight months foreign tongues overflowed and peace filled my mind."

This account of a certain church leader is a good example of wrestling with the genuinity of speaking in tongues. Some times has one speaking in tongues doubted the genuinity of his tongues until some listeners have reported that he speaks in their mother tongue.

****

I decided to translate this portion of the article too. I hope it makes sense:

****

The third blessing of speaking in tongues is related to a christian's ministry. When a preacher of the word prays in tongues before the meeting it may be that the Holy Spirit guides him to change the planned sermon's theme to another. While the tongues flow the Holy Spirit as though gives the copy-typing of the sermon to the heart of the speaker. Speaking in tongues enriches with wisdom and love also other ministries - be it any ministry at all.

****

 

[Godslilgurlalways]

Bump

 

[imperfectchristian]

Well I think it is only befitting that I post the rest of my testimony on this thread ... the following happened after I had posted this OP. I recently finshed building a website ... http://www.cloventonguesoffire.com ...it is dedicated to the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

God really used certain people's testimonies and words as key instruments in my refilling. I am continuing to seek the Lord and long to be refilled over and over again.

Here is the rest of my testimony and the results of this thread...

Seeking His refilling

The beginning of the year had marked a gradual, but steady return to fully seeking the presence of the Lord in my life. I had been holding back, keeping one foot in the world for a long time in a manner of speaking...not embracing the world, but not honestly embracing the Lord either out of the fear of the unknown… It is so important to know that the spirit of fear is not from the Lord. While in the process of fully seeking the Lord, I began to hunger for that same place, that same since of freedom I had experienced when I first received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I spent many days of honest heart felt searching when finally, I heard the Lord speak to me in my spirit...He told me I was not truly seeking Him, instead I was only seeking an experience. This was a hard thing for me to take. Finally one night alone while in prayer I gave up, and said "Lord I don't care if you refill me again or not, I am just going to worship You because You are all that matters."


Psalm 95:6 "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."

I began to worship the Lord and inn the midst of this private worship time where it was just me and the Holy Spirit, I was overwhelmed with the awesome awareness of Almighty God. The deep, sincere feelings of my heart that I had hidden even from myself began to pour out. The presence of the Lord filled the room and I began worshipping as I had never worshipped the Lord before. In the midst of this experience I began praising in English then in tongues.

I realized from that experience that God really is always ready to fill us anew, we need only turn our eyes completely on Him and genuinely seek Him.

 

[Godslilgurlalways]

That is a wonderful testimony

 

[Eternal Mindset]

You don't have to speak in tongues to be filled with the spirit, it's just one of the gifts. One of the most corporately useless ones nowadays since most of the time no one ever bothers to interpret what is said. Paul said that in the church he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Tongues are just one out of many gifts spoken of in the Bible.


Gifts of the Spirit:1 Corinthians 12:1-14

• The Word of Wisdom
• The Word of Knowledge
• The Discerning of spirits (Human, Angelic,& Satanic)
• Prophecy
• Diverse kinds of tongues
• Interpretation of tongues
• Faith
• The Working of miracles
• The Gifts of healings

1 Corinthians 12:27-30

• Apostles
• Prophets
• Teachers
• Miracles
• Healings
• Helps
• Administrations
• Varieties of tongues

Romans 12:6-8

• Prophecy
• Ministry
• Teaching
• Exhortation
• Giving
• Leading
• Showing mercy

Ephesians 4:11

• Apostles
• Prophets
• Evangelists
• Pastors and teachers*

Don't worry if you don't speak in tongues. Just continue "following the way of love and eagerly desiring spiritual gifts" (1 cor. 14:1). It isn't that big of a deal. Anyone who says otherwise is too nearsighted to see beyond their own gift(s).

 

[irenemcg]

To add just a little...

When you feel yourself about to speak in tongues is it accompanied by an emotional feeling or something else.

I have noticed for some time now that my lips tremble fairly often, but it is only when I am totally concentrated on God that I speak in any tongues language.

Does it get easier to concentrate on God and thus speak in tongues (if that is how it works) the more you work at it?

I have found it is incredibly hard for me to focus totally on God and that I have to really pray not long but really hard to get there...this is somewhat discouraging because it takes alot out of me.

The lips trembling thing comes quite easy and happens pretty much anytime I am thinking about God...is this familar to any of you?

Thanks for all of your input.

Blessings

You were at that time trying to work at tongues, but we need to worship the Lord, He has given us our our tongue languages and he will give the increase. You cant strive in your own strength , but its by the Spirit that your tongue language will flow freely and increase. I often pray in tongues even as I sit at this keyboard.

As a youngster I came to know Jesus as my Saviour, the Holy Spirit to me was a comforter who lived inside me and God the Father was my creator and the Father of Jesus, but really I had no clue about the Father’s heart of God, nor what it was to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. In my late teens I first encountered the Charismatic Movement, the Holy Spirit became more of a person to me, I started to see that God was still in the healing business, although my understanding was weak. However although I had an initial experience of the Holy Spirit, outside influences had me question the tongue language God had given me so it was suppressed for many years. I was engulfed by a Spirit of Confusion. My dad didn't believe tongues were for today, I went to an Inter- Denominational Bible College and they did not teach much on the Holy Spirit and I met my husband there who was at that time Conservative Baptist and when I did finally speak in tongues in front of him he questioned their source so I suppressed it all. But the Holy Spirit set me free, a number of years ago and now praying or singing in tongues comes as naturally if not more naturally than praying in English, and my husband too was baptized in the Spirit a few years ago and we moved to a Charismatic then Pentecostal Church. God will wrought the changes in us and everyones tongue language differs to some extent and you may find it greatly increases through time.
So what I'm saying to anyone who has spoken their first words in tongues don't listen to the deceiver if he brings question marks into the reality of your tongue language or makes you believe you have to work at it, just relax and let the Holy Spirit have His way and give you that increase in freedom in tongues and in every area of your life and that comes through seeking Jesus.

In one year t1wG from the quote above has progressed to having his own web site on Tongues and Baptism in the Spirit, see how quickly the Lord can raise us up, seek after Jesus and just surrender all.

 

[Godslilgurlalways]

You don't have to speak in tongues to be filled with the spirit, it's just one of the gifts. One of the most corporately useless ones nowadays since most of the time no one ever bothers to interpret what is said. Paul said that in the church he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Tongues are just one out of many gifts spoken of in the Bible.


Gifts of the Spirit:1 Corinthians 12:1-14

• The Word of Wisdom
• The Word of Knowledge
• The Discerning of spirits (Human, Angelic,& Satanic)
• Prophecy
• Diverse kinds of tongues
• Interpretation of tongues
• Faith
• The Working of miracles
• The Gifts of healings

1 Corinthians 12:27-30

• Apostles
• Prophets
• Teachers
• Miracles
• Healings
• Helps
• Administrations
• Varieties of tongues

Romans 12:6-8

• Prophecy
• Ministry
• Teaching
• Exhortation
• Giving
• Leading
• Showing mercy

Ephesians 4:11

• Apostles
• Prophets
• Evangelists
• Pastors and teachers*

Don't worry if you don't speak in tongues. Just continue "following the way of love and eagerly desiring spiritual gifts" (1 cor. 14:1). It isn't that big of a deal. Anyone who says otherwise is too nearsighted to see beyond their own gift(s).

I feel that speaking in tongues is a very useful gift, I feel that all of God's gifts are very userful, you mentioned interperation but there are type types/ways. Prayer tongues/personal and the public on the prayer/personal one doesn't need interpation but the public one does. Speaking in tongues is a good weapon against the emeny and also used for other things as well

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

You don't have to speak in tongues to be filled with the spirit, it's just one of the gifts. One of the most corporately useless ones nowadays since most of the time no one ever bothers to interpret what is said. Paul said that in the church he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Tongues are just one out of many gifts spoken of in the Bible.

No person that I know of who has received the gift of tongues has ever taken this attitude toward the gift. All gifts given by God are for a distinct purpose and are essential in some area of our spiritual lives.

The realisation that the gift of tongues is a vital part of a person's prayer life comes by revelation from the Spirit of God to those who are open and obedient to God in that area. People who are in bondage to sense knowledge and who are not open to the revelation knowledge that comes from the Spirit always have difficulty with aspects of the Spirit they do not understand with their natural reasoning.

The gift of tongues is not primarily for the corporate meeting, unless it is the type of tongues gift that is to be interpreted. A lot of the reason why tongues is not used a lot in this context any longer is that there are few people who have the faith or the obedience to receive the gift of interpretation of tongues. What I am saying is that there are faithless and disobedient people in our churches who would rather depend on their natural reasoning than on the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit's hands are tied in so many of our services because of these closed minded people.

Those who have received the gift of tongues and have used it in their personal prayer times have quickly found that it is a very useful and powerful tool for enhancing prayer and building up a Christian in their most holy faith. Christians who speak in tongues tend to be more full of faith, able to use the other gifts of the Spirit, and are more likely to be involved successfully in the other ministries in the body of Christ.

In my 40 years of experience as a Spirit filled Christian, I have seen very few people who downgrade the gift of tongues having any sort of successful ministry in the Spirit in any area of the body of Christ, other than just being able to spout words of human reason.

I am not saying that people who don't speak in tongues are not successful ministers. There are many men and women of God who have won thousands to Christ and have been a great blessing to the body of Christ, and they have never spoken in tongues - but they have never downgraded it, ridiculed it, or discriminated against Christians who speak in tongues.

But those who have said that tongues speakers are of the devil, etc., or who have said that tongues is not important, as was implied in the post I am replying to - these people have never really entered into what God has purposed for them. In many cases God has had to give them up to their disobedience, closed minds and unbelief.

So, although a person doesn't have to speak in tongues to be a successful worker in the body of Christ, the gift of tongues is sure a very effective tool, and those who dismiss it pay their own price until they are prepared to open their minds to see that God has things for them that are beyond their own narrow reasoning.

 

[Eternal Mindset]

You don't have to speak in tongues to be filled with the spirit, it's just one of the gifts. One of the most corporately useless ones nowadays since most of the time no one ever bothers to interpret what is said. Paul said that in the church he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Tongues are just one out of many gifts spoken of in the Bible.

No person that I know of who has received the gift of tongues has ever taken this attitude toward the gift.

Hi.

Now one person you know who prays/speaks in tongues has taken this attitude. If you knew Paul, it would be at least two people.

And, notice I didn't say the gift is useless, far from it, I said that it is useless for someone to get on a mic at a prayer meeting and blabber on if no one interprets the tongue. I've been to lots of prayer meetings, and haven't seen someone interpret a tongue. It's almost as if people forgot that's what was supposed to be done when someone speaks in tongues before a group.

 

[Godslilgurlalways]

Hi.

Now one person you know who prays/speaks in tongues has taken this attitude. If you knew Paul, it would be at least two people.

And, notice I didn't say the gift is useless, far from it, I said that it is useless for someone to get on a mic at a prayer meeting and blabber on if no one interprets the tongue. I've been to lots of prayer meetings, and haven't seen someone interpret a tongue. It's almost as if people forgot that's what was supposed to be done when someone speaks in tongues before a group.

Do you speak in tongues?

 

[Godslilgurlalways]

You don't have to speak in tongues to be filled with the spirit, it's just one of the gifts. One of the most corporately useless ones nowadays since most of the time no one ever bothers to interpret what is said. Paul said that in the church he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Tongues are just one out of many gifts spoken of in the Bible.


No person that I know of who has received the gift of tongues has ever taken this attitude toward the gift. All gifts given by God are for a distinct purpose and are essential in some area of our spiritual lives.

The realisation that the gift of tongues is a vital part of a person's prayer life comes by revelation from the Spirit of God to those who are open and obedient to God in that area. People who are in bondage to sense knowledge and who are not open to the revelation knowledge that comes from the Spirit always have difficulty with aspects of the Spirit they do not understand with their natural reasoning.

The gift of tongues is not primarily for the corporate meeting, unless it is the type of tongues gift that is to be interpreted. A lot of the reason why tongues is not used a lot in this context any longer is that there are few people who have the faith or the obedience to receive the gift of interpretation of tongues. What I am saying is that there are faithless and disobedient people in our churches who would rather depend on their natural reasoning than on the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit's hands are tied in so many of our services because of these closed minded people.

Those who have received the gift of tongues and have used it in their personal prayer times have quickly found that it is a very useful and powerful tool for enhancing prayer and building up a Christian in their most holy faith. Christians who speak in tongues tend to be more full of faith, able to use the other gifts of the Spirit, and are more likely to be involved successfully in the other ministries in the body of Christ.

In my 40 years of experience as a Spirit filled Christian, I have seen very few people who downgrade the gift of tongues having any sort of successful ministry in the Spirit in any area of the body of Christ, other than just being able to spout words of human reason.

I am not saying that people who don't speak in tongues are not successful ministers. There are many men and women of God who have won thousands to Christ and have been a great blessing to the body of Christ, and they have never spoken in tongues - but they have never downgraded it, ridiculed it, or discriminated against Christians who speak in tongues.

But those who have said that tongues speakers are of the devil, etc., or who have said that tongues is not important, as was implied in the post I am replying to - these people have never really entered into what God has purposed for them. In many cases God has had to give them up to their disobedience, closed minds and unbelief.

So, although a person doesn't have to speak in tongues to be a successful worker in the body of Christ, the gift of tongues is sure a very effective tool, and those who dismiss it pay their own price until they are prepared to open their minds to see that God has things for them that are beyond their own narrow reasoning.

Great no one I have ever known has said that unless, they didn't beleive in God, didn't beleive in the gift, scared of the gift, or don't have a complete full understand of the gift. He is the first person I have met on the forum who has said that. I think quite a few people have said that but those that said it overall didn't believe in the gift or they don't have it themselves. It's a different having it and going against the gift you have and no having it and going against what they don't have.

It is a gift indeed, now I am not saying whether you (Eternal Mindset) have the gift or not, believe in God or not. I don't have a clue about each one but just expressing my opinion.