Help Praying in Tongues

[Breve]

1. Have you been prayed for to receive the baptism of the Holy spirit? What happened?
2. Have you tried to speak in tongues? What usually happens? Do you feel blocked? Do you speak something but doubt it's real? Does nothing happen at all?
3. Have you tried singing in the spirit?
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Have you checked your motives? Doing this because of wanting to fit in or expectations from your church that everyone must do it are not good reasons. Pressure from others to produce tongues on the spot is as bad as those in other churches judging tongues as fake.
5. Do you have an unrealistic picture of tongues? Expecting fully formed phrases to pour out on the 1st attempt? It may or may not be like that. You have to try first. It's a stepping out in faith, trusting in the HS.

6. Are you being blocked by spirits - of fear, legalism, unbelief eg? Pray to be released from that. Others may need to pray for you.

7. Lastly, don't get too worried about it. Take the pressure off yourself. Evaluate your church's attitude and whether it's healthy or not. Get away from any coercion to conform/perform.

I have experienced coercion and it was unpleasant and damaging. It caused me to doubt the validity of my prayer language for many years.

This gift is but one gift given by HS - and it's regarded as a lesser one, as its for self edification rather than edifying the church body. Don't fall into trap of thinking you are less of a Christian for not having this. Don't compare yourself!

Naysayers - just for once try resisting the urge to correct on a topic you haven't experienced yourself. Especially if someone is asking for help - not a theological debate - but actual help. If your church doesn't teach it and /or you don't practice it, then what use is your answer to the poster? A few responses here were so full of contempt. Ugh!

 

[Luce]

1. Have you been prayed for to receive the baptism of the Holy spirit? What happened?
2. Have you tried to speak in tongues? What usually happens? Do you feel blocked? Do you speak something but doubt it's real? Does nothing happen at all?
3. Have you tried singing in the spirit?
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Have you checked your motives? Doing this because of wanting to fit in or expectations from your church that everyone must do it are not good reasons. Pressure from others to produce tongues on the spot is as bad as those in other churches judging tongues as fake.
5. Do you have an unrealistic picture of tongues? Expecting fully formed phrases to pour out on the 1st attempt? It may or may not be like that. You have to try first. It's a stepping out in faith, trusting in the HS.

6. Are you being blocked by spirits - of fear, legalism, unbelief eg? Pray to be released from that. Others may need to pray for you.

7. Lastly, don't get too worried about it. Take the pressure off yourself. Evaluate your church's attitude and whether it's healthy or not. Get away from any coercion to conform/perform.

I have experienced coercion and it was unpleasant and damaging. It caused me to doubt the validity of my prayer language for many years.

This gift is but one gift given by HS - and it's regarded as a lesser one, as its for self edification rather than edifying the church body. Don't fall into trap of thinking you are less of a Christian for not having this. Don't compare yourself!

Naysayers - just for once try resisting the urge to correct on a topic you haven't experienced yourself. Especially if someone is asking for help - not a theological debate - but actual help. If your church doesn't teach it and /or you don't practice it, then what use is your answer to the poster? A few responses here were so full of contempt. Ugh!

1. Yes, I saw a bright yellow light but that's all.
2. I feel a knot in my throat when I try.
3. No I haven't because I cant.
4. I don't want to do it because everyone is doing it but because I desire to do it. It just don't happen.
5. I understand it's going to take time and for me to have more faith.
Thank you!

 

[joshcorn]

wrong motive,because everyone you saw received it.Take time alone with The Lord to teach you the right motive.

 

[GTW27]

As was shown to me I will show to you. Back on August 3rd I was reading a board about praying in tonques. On this board was instructions on how to receive this gift. There were 4 steps which I will write below. I followed these 4 steps (actually 3) and now I pray in tongues and have my new prayer language. I do not write this only to you but also to the others who doubt. It is your faith that activates this gift. I know that this gift was with me all along in my walk of faith. All I had to do was ask for it and believe. My hope is that others, who read this, will benefit as I did.
1. Believe that it is Gods will that you have this gift.
2. Go and pray and ask for this Gift.
3.Believe and Thank Him for this Gift.
4.Now go and do something you have never done before.

I followed these 3 intructions back in August 3. I went into my bedroom to pray and when I came back into the living room I opened my mouth with my new prayer language. I did not have to develope it, or practice it, it flowed like a river just like when I preach in The Spirit.

I would just like to thank Oscar to this teaching back then, and I hope others will pass this on.

 

[anna ~ grace]

Though many here may or may not agree, my experience with what I call "Pentecostal tongues", meaning the Hebraic-sounding, rambling, unintelligible stuff you sometimes hear in Pentecostal / Charismatic circles, is that it's basically nonsense. God understands all languages, as do those angelic spirits who minister to Him. Nothing I've ever heard uttered as a part of such tongues phenomenon is identifiable to me as language, and I'm somewhat familiar with Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Persian / Farsi.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

It seems like speaking in tongues without translation has become a pentecostal/charismatic "sacrament" in a sense. It is also good to remember that quarreling over the meaning of words doesn't edify the body of Christ (2 Timothy 2:14).

 

[Gregory Thompson]

1 Corinthians 14:13 This is an overlooked verse. The concept of a "private prayer language" can be found in the scripture in the sense that it instructs people who aren't speaking a human tongue or a tongue with a translator, to quiet down and continue talking to God. However, being really loud in a language no one understands doesn't actually edify anything. This is why people are instructed in this commonly overlooked verse to Pray so they can Interpret. I used to speak in tongues a lot, I even started outside of a Pentecostal context and had no idea what it was, but talked to God in that language.
.
Praying to interpret allows the mind of Christ to acquire a means of communicating Godly things, instead of babbling like an infant. Not everyone spoke in tongues in the early church, which is why Paul instructed to not forbid the speaking of tongues, such an instruction would be unnecessary if everyone did.

 

[Breve]

Tonight by chance I came across this book on Amazon called Nine Lives People Believe About Speaking in Tongues by Steve Brenner. Of course it wasn't just chance that I found it.
I read the kindle sample then bought it and continued reading it. I paused to come back here to recommend it. I like his very personable writing style.

I asked about singing in the spirit because for me it seemed easier. I was already singing so trying a few utterances mid phrase mixed in with the lyrics had less pressure about it then trying to speak with nothing proceeding it but silence, tense expectation and other negative emotions threatening to overwhelm. . I was already worshipping and in a more relaxed state.

For a long time I didn't believe I could do it. But sometimes I'd have nightmares and would speak in Tongues in the dream to stop the attacker. But in daylight I still didn't really believe I could do it! Unbelief and doubt can be very strong forces.

 

[Luce]

Tonight by chance I came across this book on Amazon called Nine Lives People Believe About Speaking in Tongues by Steve Brenner. Of course it wasn't just chance that I found it.
I read the kindle sample then bought it and continued reading it. I paused to come back here to recommend it. I like his very personable writing style.

I asked about singing in the spirit because for me it seemed easier. I was already singing so trying a few utterances mid phrase mixed in with the lyrics had less pressure about it then trying to speak with nothing proceeding it but silence, tense expectation and other negative emotions threatening to overwhelm. . I was already worshipping and in a more relaxed state.

For a long time I didn't believe I could do it. But sometimes I'd have nightmares and would speak in Tongues in the dream to stop the attacker. But in daylight I still didn't really believe I could do it! Unbelief and doubt can be very strong forces.

Thank you! I will check it out.

 

[Francis Drake]

I have been speaking in tongues for more than 40 years.

It is an amazingly useful gift. Apart from edifying me, it is also excellent when praying for things my mind doesn't understand. Tongues flows from my spirit not my mind, so it doesn't get derailed by any mental baggage when I pray.

I remember an incident maybe 25 years back. My wife and I had been asked by a friend to pray urgently for her sick relative who we didn't know at the other side of the country.
We had known his brother who at a very young age had only just suddenly died of the same disease.

We started to pray in English, then soon changed to tongues. I discerned a spirit of death over the man, and our prayer intensified.

Now a little digression here. Prayer is not just pleading and whining to God that he does something. Jesus gave quite specific instructions some of which involved speaking to situations, or speaking to evil spirits rather than asking God.
So speaking in tongues is not just for speaking to God, but to demons and angels also.

So, here we were in our living room, addressing the spirit of death over this man we didn't know. In tongues, eyes closed, completely led by the spirit, I started getting very heated as I addressed the evil strongman that had this man heading towards an early death, and had already killed his brother.

As my prayers became stronger and stronger, I suddenly found myself transported out of our living room and into another world. I was now standing in what looked like a street of low ramshackle lean to huts. It was extremely hot and arid with a blazing red sun. I was at one end of the street facing an evil black demon at the other end, rather like the classic western movie gun fight scenario.

However instead of a gun, I was using words in tongues, but as I spoke I would reach down and pick a big rock and violently throw it at him. Every time I threw a rock and spoke the words, it would painfully strike, steadily driving him backwards out of town.

My body was still in our living room, but my spirit elsewhere, so as in the vision, I was bending down and throwing invisible rocks from the living room carpet.
As all this had been going on with me, my wife had been sitting eyes closed on the sofa, also praying vehemently in tongues.

Suddenly she changed to English with, "...we stone you out of the town..!"

I was completely shocked. When I asked her why she said those words, she replied that she had been in a vision throwing rocks at an evil demon!

She had no clue what I had been doing or saying since we started praying, having had her eyes closed all the time, and listening to the spirit.

So yes, tongues is a very useful weapon also.

 

[JIMINZ]

Today at church service people were praying in tongues and some receive the gift of praying in tongues. I felt real sad because I can't speak in tongues and hearing everyone around me made feel worse. I do pray to God and even watch some videos how to pray in tongues but I can't. Is there something wrong with me? I wish I could pray in the spirit.

.
Do not be discouraged by those who do not understand, and would speak against things out of their ignorance.

Jas. 3:15
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

It says

Psa. 81:10
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Remember, the ways of the Lord are not hard.

Jas. 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Your speaking in tongues, is a valid expectation.

1Co 14:39
Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

Psa. 37:4
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

 

[Lotuspetal_uk]

I came from a Baptist background where they didn't teach about the gifts of the Spirit since they don't believe in it (am curious as to why so many people who don't believe this are here but oh well )

About 12-13 years ago I use to visit a mother and baby coffee morning at a church in my town centre. The women there would talk about the Gospel and do mini Bible studies. Long story short I was able to learn about speaking in tongues as well as the other gifts of the Spirit. They prayed with me and although not immediately, I eventually began to pray in tongues and have done ever since.

The church where I am now pray in tongues, if it is done during the service it can be one person but then what was spoken would be interpreted and it tends to bless the people in the church that it was meant for (in line with 1 Cor 14). For me personally I tend to freely speak when my heart is struggling with something in my quiet time where words fail me and I have also sung in tongues. Again for me personally, it sounds like a dialect but can be different with others. I don't do it all the time and I can't just drop into it like you see with some of the tv preachers, but again I am quite a shy person so I guess the Lord has just met me where I am.

Oscar a member here again helped me to understand it more but it is certainly not gibberish as some people have claimed here. As an atheist I experienced tongues for the first time visiting a Baptist church in my search for God. A visiting overseas couple were amazed to hear prophesy in their native tongue from an old lady who was a member at that church. But I was perplexed when the speaker said that she did not speak that language at all! It helped to take me on my journey to get saved as I had to know why that had happened (amongst other things lol).

To encourage you I will finish with a little incident that sealed it for me:

I was previously in an abusive marriage with an individual who practiced a different religion. The environment was understandably oppressive in the home and filled with fear. Everything I believed in was mocked and belittled. One night I dreamt that I was battling a demonic force and in my dream I was struggling to call on the Name of Jesus to command it to leave - it was as though my mouth had been sealed in the dream. Whatever was in the dream appeared triumphant and revelled in my fear. Eventually I forced out the words "In the Name of Jesus leave" - in the dream this was in English. The thing in the dream seemed unsure and fearful but then left me alone.

The next morning my ex-husband asked whether I had a nightmare that previous night, to which I said that I did. I was curious and asked him why. He said that in the night I began to struggle and it was as though I was physically fighting something. But he then said (he looked confused at this point) that I began to talk in a different language, that I was angry. As soon as I spoke in this language my body relaxed and I continued in a peaceful sleep.

To hear that from someone who rejected the Gospel blessed me so much and strengthened me at the time.

Dear friend immerse yourself in the Word, be a Berean (Acts 17:11) and then wait. There is no rush to speak in tongues but it is nonetheless an amazing gift to have. Whilst I would be cautious of those church gatherings who put way too much emphasis on this gift, I would be equally cautious of those who say it is just gibberish.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

Today at church service people were praying in tongues and some receive the gift of praying in tongues. I felt real sad because I can't speak in tongues and hearing everyone around me made feel worse. I do pray to God and even watch some videos how to pray in tongues but I can't. Is there something wrong with me? I wish I could pray in the spirit.

You're being HONEST with yourself, which is a VERY GOOD thing.

Pentecostals/Charismatics in some cases have a VERY HERETICAL TEACHING that you have to
"Prime the pump" - speak baby talk, or say nonsense sounds, or babble nonsense "to get it started". This almost guarantees that the "tongues" that you teach yourself WILL BE PHONY.

Bottom line - YOU CAN TEACH YOURSELF to speak in "tongues" BUT IT WON'T BE REAL!!!

Genuine tongues aren't "learned", and don't have to be "Practiced". You simply speak the words that are given to your mind by the Holy Spirit - PERIOD.

So - ask God to baptize you in the Holy SPirit, and rest on that. And WHEN HE gives you words to speak, then speak them. UNTIL HE DOES - don't worry about it.

Simple as that.

 

[Francis Drake]

You're being HONEST with yourself, which is a VERY GOOD thing.

Pentecostals/Charismatics in some cases have a VERY HERETICAL TEACHING that you have to
"Prime the pump" - speak baby talk, or say nonsense sounds, or babble nonsense "to get it started". This almost guarantees that the "tongues" that you teach yourself WILL BE PHONY.

How to crush someone who is struggling!!!!!!
It looks like you have greater trust in Satan's power than the Holy Spirit's

God will never force your mouth and vocal cords to work, they are always under your command.
1Cor14v32 And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
Therefore, you must apply the breath and set your tongue and vocal cords working, even if it is under your breath as you start.
If you keep your mouth closed, nothing will ever happen.
As a driver, you cannot steer a car, until it moves, neither will the rudder of a ship work till it is under way.
Likewise, tongues will only come if you are willing to move forward from silence, then the Spirit will start to give shape and sound to the words.

Bottom line - YOU CAN TEACH YOURSELF to speak in "tongues" BUT IT WON'T BE REAL!!!

Genuine tongues aren't "learned", and don't have to be "Practiced".

I disagree. The more you speak in tongues, the freer it flows.

You simply speak the words that are given to your mind by the Holy Spirit - PERIOD.

Complete unbiblical nonsense.
Tongues come from the Spirit and bypass the mind.
1Cor14v14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
When I pray in tongues, the first time my mind hears anything whatsoever is when my ear hears my mouth!
My mind remains out of the loop, but my spirit is greatly edified.
1Cor14v4The one speaking in a tongue edifies himself, but the one prophesying edifies the church.

So - ask God to baptize you in the Holy SPirit, and rest on that. And WHEN HE gives you words to speak, then speak them. UNTIL HE DOES - don't worry about it.

Simple as that.

That sounds more like prophecy than tongues.
Do you actually speak in tongues, or is all this just your pet theology about it?

 

[Bob Carabbio]

I've spoken in tongues for 44 years, and they began EXACTLY as I wrote - an unfamiliar "WORD" in my mind (during worship), which I spoke, and when I did there were MORE unfamiliar words that "just Flowed", and 44 years later, they still do.

"Priming the pump" is a totally heretical teaching, often resulting in a FAKE tongue that has to be "PRacticed" to flow easily, whereas the REAL THING flows effortlessly from the Spirit to your mind, and then out your lips.

The same is true of ANY "Spoken Gift", whether it's "Tongues", or in the common language (as Interpretation, Prophesy, word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, etc). The Holy spirit brings to your mind what to say, and you simply follow HIS LEAD until it's finished, and the burden lifts.

PRIVATE tongues as a Prayer/worship language will flow as long as you speak them.

 

[Little Lantern]

try resisting the urge to correct on a topic you haven't experienced yourself. Especially if someone is asking for help - not a theological debate - but actual help. If your church doesn't teach it and /or you don't practice it, then what use is your answer to the poster?

Folks, I have no desire to be abrasive here, but I believe @Breve is right. @Luce is asking for help here about something that is clearly in the Scriptures. She is not asking about how to hold a seance or conjure up demons.

I wonder if this question would get more edifying responses if it was in the Spirit Filled/Charismatic forum.

 

[Myychael]

As was shown to me I will show to you. Back on August 3rd I was reading a board about praying in tonques. On this board was instructions on how to receive this gift. There were 4 steps which I will write below. I followed these 4 steps (actually 3) and now I pray in tongues and have my new prayer language. I do not write this only to you but also to the others who doubt. It is your faith that activates this gift. I know that this gift was with me all along in my walk of faith. All I had to do was ask for it and believe. My hope is that others, who read this, will benefit as I did.
1. Believe that it is Gods will that you have this gift.
2. Go and pray and ask for this Gift.
3.Believe and Thank Him for this Gift.
4.Now go and do something you have never done before.

I followed these 3 intructions back in August 3. I went into my bedroom to pray and when I came back into the living room I opened my mouth with my new prayer language. I did not have to develope it, or practice it, it flowed like a river just like when I preach in The Spirit.

I would just like to thank Oscar to this teaching back then, and I hope others will pass this on.

I have been speaking in tongues for more than 40 years.

It is an amazingly useful gift. Apart from edifying me, it is also excellent when praying for things my mind doesn't understand. Tongues flows from my spirit not my mind, so it doesn't get derailed by any mental baggage when I pray.

I remember an incident maybe 25 years back. My wife and I had been asked by a friend to pray urgently for her sick relative who we didn't know at the other side of the country.
We had known his brother who at a very young age had only just suddenly died of the same disease.

We started to pray in English, then soon changed to tongues. I discerned a spirit of death over the man, and our prayer intensified.

Now a little digression here. Prayer is not just pleading and whining to God that he does something. Jesus gave quite specific instructions some of which involved speaking to situations, or speaking to evil spirits rather than asking God.
So speaking in tongues is not just for speaking to God, but to demons and angels also.

So, here we were in our living room, addressing the spirit of death over this man we didn't know. In tongues, eyes closed, completely led by the spirit, I started getting very heated as I addressed the evil strongman that had this man heading towards an early death, and had already killed his brother.

As my prayers became stronger and stronger, I suddenly found myself transported out of our living room and into another world. I was now standing in what looked like a street of low ramshackle lean to huts. It was extremely hot and arid with a blazing red sun. I was at one end of the street facing an evil black demon at the other end, rather like the classic western movie gun fight scenario.

However instead of a gun, I was using words in tongues, but as I spoke I would reach down and pick a big rock and violently throw it at him. Every time I threw a rock and spoke the words, it would painfully strike, steadily driving him backwards out of town.

My body was still in our living room, but my spirit elsewhere, so as in the vision, I was bending down and throwing invisible rocks from the living room carpet.
As all this had been going on with me, my wife had been sitting eyes closed on the sofa, also praying vehemently in tongues.

Suddenly she changed to English with, "...we stone you out of the town..!"

I was completely shocked. When I asked her why she said those words, she replied that she had been in a vision throwing rocks at an evil demon!

She had no clue what I had been doing or saying since we started praying, having had her eyes closed all the time, and listening to the spirit.

So yes, tongues is a very useful weapon also.

Mel Bond came to Va. NC this past August 2017 and my wife and I attended these services I had a
Health need and I hurt someone in my past and have just been unable to get past the guilt though I
Have asked for forgiveness from the individual when you get this being born again things change
And I’ve got this change conscience well you no what I mean so we go to see Mel and the service
Was pretty good we got to see a young child 8 or 9 years old legally blind get her sight restored
Ears opened people on oxygen taking it off and running up add down the aisles.The second we
Were in the service and we paired off as instructed to receive a gift well things were not working
Then a Pastor came over and gave me a word of knowledge About my problem that he had no idea
About and said the LORD told him to tell me to put my burden on him I had done all I could.I was
Extremely overwhelmed at that time as The Holy Spirit was filling the area another man I wish I
Could remember his name came and started praying for my healing and to give me the gift of tongues
Which I had wanted for years the HOLY Spirit fell on me to the point of barely able to stand out of the
Inner parts of me came the utterance I could not tell you what was said in the Spirit I was blessed
My wife received hers within minutes of mine Sir Francis I have been unable to repeat this although
I have tried.I hope it’s not just a one time occurrence because I was so at peace