Help with tongues..

When you are "praying" in tongues you are speaking to God --"for he who speaks in a tongue, does not speak to men, but to God"---so no one else needs to concern themselves with what your saying-you aren't talking to them. If the Lord annoints you to give an "utterance in tongues" it will be when everyone else is quiet or waiting upon the Lord-it will be loud enough so that those in the church will know it was meant for all to hear-and if you wait expectantly the Lord will use someone in the "gift of interpretation" so that you all will be built up in your faith.

onelamb is correct. there are actually 4 types of tongues in this gift. not all of us will ever flow in all of these either. the first is tongues for personal edification, this is your personal prayer language with God. this will helpto build you up, and also help to fulfill God's perfect plan for your life. after all, it's the Holy Spirit praying through you, and who was with God when He ceated you before the foundations of the world? the next is togues for interpretation, God will give someone in the congregation (or prayer meeting) utterance, which will be followed by the interpretation, either from that person, or another in the group. the next is sometimes refered to as tongues as a sign to the unbeliever, sometimes you will just have an "urge" to pray in tongues, sometimes while preaching, sometimes all by yourself in a group of strangers, whatever the case. anyway, God will actually be speaking through you to someone else in a laguage that is foriegn to you. This is awesome when it happens! It has never happened to me, but I know of several times that it has happened. the last one is intercessary prayer. this is standing in the gap for a fellow christian. sometimes those who are built up in their prayer language have this need to pray come over them. if they submit, and begin to pray, they are actually praying for someone in the body of Christ who is in trouble somewhere in the world. Some are called to be intercessors, others will only do it a few times in our lives, if at all. God will use each and every one of us if we allow Him to do so.

chilifrankplate said:

onelamb is correct. there are actually 4 types of tongues in this gift. not all of us will ever flow in all of these either. the first is tongues for personal edification, this is your personal prayer language with God. this will helpto build you up, and also help to fulfill God's perfect plan for your life. after all, it's the Holy Spirit praying through you, and who was with God when He ceated you before the foundations of the world? the next is togues for interpretation, God will give someone in the congregation (or prayer meeting) utterance, which will be followed by the interpretation, either from that person, or another in the group. the next is sometimes refered to as tongues as a sign to the unbeliever, sometimes you will just have an "urge" to pray in tongues, sometimes while preaching, sometimes all by yourself in a group of strangers, whatever the case. anyway, God will actually be speaking through you to someone else in a laguage that is foriegn to you. This is awesome when it happens! It has never happened to me, but I know of several times that it has happened. the last one is intercessary prayer. this is standing in the gap for a fellow christian. sometimes those who are built up in their prayer language have this need to pray come over them. if they submit, and begin to pray, they are actually praying for someone in the body of Christ who is in trouble somewhere in the world. Some are called to be intercessors, others will only do it a few times in our lives, if at all. God will use each and every one of us if we allow Him to do so.

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This post is awesome my brother! Thank you for sharing!

And welcome to ChristianForums!

Your brother in Christ,
Bobby

what does having and interpreter mean. why is it not approprite to only speak in tongues if there is an interpreter?

faithandglory said:

what does having and interpreter mean. why is it not approprite to only speak in tongues if there is an interpreter?

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Welcome to ChristianForums!

There are two commonly known tongues; one is a personal prayer language which is meant for personal edification (this everybody is entitled to), and the other one is the gift of tongues where you speak out in a group, and then there needs to be an interpreter in order for them to be edified. If you use your prayer language, it doesn't have to be interpreted, because it simply edifies and builds you up. Whereas when tongues is given fourth in a group, an interpretation is required for the group's edification.

what does an interpreter do?

does speaking in tongues = more spiritual power?

that is just something that we were tought in bible study. for me it seems to be true. I feel like those that can speak in tongues at my church have a closer relationship with God than I do and they can get their prayers heard better than I can.

faithandglory said:

what does an interpreter do?

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An interpreter is used when someone speaks in tongues for public exhortation. The interpreter can be either the one who is speaking himself, or another person in the congregation who God has given the gift of interpretation. After the tongues speaker has finished, the interpreter reveals to everyone what was said in tongue, that is meant for the entire church to hear and to be edified with.

Reazzurro90 said:

An interpreter is used when someone speaks in tongues for public exhortation. The interpreter can be either the one who is speaking himself, or another person in the congregation who God has given the gift of interpretation. After the tongues speaker has finished, the interpreter reveals to everyone what was said in tongue, that is meant for the entire church to hear and to be edified with.

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Well said!

1 Cor 12:7,10, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.... To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues."

faithandglory said:

does speaking in tongues = more spiritual power?

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Yes, the personal prayer language (the kind of tongue that everybody is entitled to) builds you up spiritually. It is basically the Holy Spirit giving you the words to pray for things that you don't know exactly how to pray for, He gives you words you cannot normally utter because you don't know what they are!

Rom 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

Jude 1:20, "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,"

1 Cor 14:4, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church."

faithandglory said:

that is just something that we were tought in bible study. for me it seems to be true. I feel like those that can speak in tongues at my church have a closer relationship with God than I do and they can get their prayers heard better than I can.

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Yes, the more you pray in tongues, the more it builds you up spiritually.

(This is not the gift of tongues, which not everybody receives, but this is the personal prayer language tongues which is entitled to every believer. You must be baptized in the Holy Spirit before you will be able to speak in tongues. A really good book on receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is called "Seven Vital Steps to Receiving the Holy Spirit" by Kenneth E. Hagin.)

There Are Hundreds Of Millions Of Believers Who Dont Speak In Tongues. Some Of Them I Wouldnt Dream Of Comparing My Faith To. Highly Devoted And Used By God, Yet They Do Not Speak In Tongues. It Is Not A Lack Of Faith. I've Seen Dozens Run Out Crying Feeling Rejected By Such A Thought. There Is One Spirit, One Baptizm, You Cant Keep Receiving The Spirit. He's There Or Not There. Think Of Being Filled As Being Empowered By Him. You Dont Need An Extra Baptizm. Do All Prophecy? Do All Heal? Do All Work Miracles? Are All Apostles? those that do not speak in tongues should be glad because perhaps you'll receive a greater gift. paul says to desire those greater gifts. also, i have only been in one church where someone actually interpreted. pretty amazing: the speaker said the same basic few lines yet the translation was more expanded and more complex. those who have the gift i'd like to encourage to go overseas and use it for the kingdom's growth. 50 people talking over each other aloud in service with no real interpretation seems extremely unfruitfull. now i haven't been in all charismatic churches so i dont know your churches to say if things feel right... i wish you all the best and i hope all our fellowships can be of use to our communities and abroad. if we dont share the gospel and compassion in our communities then our fellowships aren't very usefull. the good news is we know where to find those that speak in tongues, now we can bring others with other gifts to make a powerful team to win our communities. some of you have the gifts of healing or miracles and dont even know it...imagine the possibilities!

THE GIFT OF TONGUES is the ability to give a message from God in an unknown language. It needs an interpreter to be understood. The purpose is to edify the church. This gift is different from the use of the prayer language that is received when one is filled with the Spirit initially. The prayer language is given for self-edification. It is given to be used for private prayer to God. The gift of tongues may be the same language, yet it is different gift to be used to edify a body of believers.

Since this is one of the most questioned of the gifts, it is the one we are most often compelled to discuss. It is a gift that is received by many people, and thus also is often discussed in Christian circles. It was the first gift questioned on the day of Pentecost - "WHAT MEANETH THIS ?" (Acts 2:12)

The languages of this gift are said to be the languages of men, or angels. The speaker does not understand the language, but the Holy Spirit uses the vocal cords, tongue, and lips of a Spirit-filled saint and speaks through that one a message from God or Christ. It does not come into the mind first, but flows though the mouth and the speaker listens to it as the others present do. It has nothing to do with linguistic ability, or with the mind, or with the intellect.

There are specific uses for the prayer language that all Spirit-filled believers receive. These are:

1.The tongues, or prayer language, is the initial physical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. As on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), and at Caesarea eight years later when the Gentiles received (Acts 10:46), and at Ephesus, 23 years later, (Acts 19:6), the reception of the Holy spirit was climaxed with the unknown tongues.

2. The prayer language is given to allow Spirit-filled people to speak supernaturally to God. (I Cor. 14:2) On the Day of Pentecost, the people heard the 120 magnifying God in these tongues. We also will glorify God with this prayer language.

3.A third reason for the prayer language is that we may be edified by the worship. Our own spirits pray and request things that our conscience minds are unaware we need.

I Cor. 14:4, 14

"HE THAT SPEAKS IN A TONGUE EDIFIES HIMSELF...I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, AND I WILL PRAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO."

Romans 8:26-27

"...THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES; FOR WE KNOW NOT WHAT WE SHOULD PRAY FOR AS WE OUGHT; BUT THE SPIRIT HIMSELF MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR THE SAINTS ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD..."

The gift of tongues has a separate purpose. And it is given for that reason to specific ones who are Spirit-filled. A message from God or Jesus is conveyed by the Holy Spirit to a body of believers in an unknown tongue through some saint with this gift. Then a person with the gift of interpretation is given the meaning of the message in the language of the hearers and tells the people what the Spirit is conveying to them. (I Cor. 14:12-13,5,26) This method of God speaking to believers is meant to be a sign to unbelievers that are present.



Can speaking in tongues be counterfeited? All the gifts of the Spirit can be counterfeited. There are certainly strange utterances and sounds that are made by those who worship other gods. They are counterfeits of the true gift of the spirit. Anything that God does, the devil will try to counterfeit. God has promised that he will not allow a counterfeit to take a Christian. (Lk. 11:11-13)

Even though there are counterfeits out there, we are told to desire this gift. We are also commanded to not forbid the speaking in tongues. Many churches are guilty of breaking this command.

I Cor. 14:39

"COVET TO PROPHESY, FORBID NOT TO SPEAK WITH TONGUES."

The test for the use of the gift of tongues is EDIFICATION. Is the gift used at a time that edifies the service? Does the message edify the meeting of believers? Is it done decently and in order?

I Cor. 14:26,40

"LET ALL THINGS BE DONE TO EDIFYING...LET ALL THINGS BE DONE DECENTLY AND IN ORDER."

Here is aletter I wrote to my co-pastor this may help you out:
If itstarts off like this
Dear Co-pastor I have a few questions for you which were:
1.Why do people speak in tongues
2.Why do people fall in line while up for prayer

Answer: Speaking in tongues is edvidence of having power of the Holy spirit. The holy spirit is what we need to fight off the devil.When we speak in tongues it's a prayer from our spirit.We don't know what(there are people who have a gift to interpret tongures) we are praying so it's a pure prayer b/c it's from our spirit man.Meaning we can't pray our own prayer it's not what we want it's what God what's that's what we are praying. Sometime we can be praying for people we don't even know.If you want to know why people fall pm me or start a tread about it

misdeavious said:

my personal opinion is that generally if you dont believe in it, it won't happen...like churches who don't believe in prophesy won't prophesy, churches who don't believe God can heal won't see healings...like if you aren't expecting God to move then most times he won't...i dont know, just a thought...a lot of people don't believe that it still happens today and so they're kinda putting God's power in a box. essentially it's personal preference...

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So basically you are saying God is able and willing to do these things if we ask/invite/allow him to? That it's really up to us how much of God we want?

Here is an excellent audio teaching about Speaking in Tongues.
If you have any questions at all, whether you believe in speaking and praying in tongues or not, please listen to this teaching.
You can choose either Real Player format or MP3 Download.

Real Player: http://media.awmi.net/audio/teaching/h07.ram
MP3: http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1040b_tongues.mp3

That's right I have seen this in many case example spme baptist churches don't believe in speaking of the tongues so what will happen is that someone there might have the gift for it but maybe won't.Baiscally we can either put a limit on God on let him into your lives 100% but with this also comes trails and all well more I might added. I feel that it's God will vs. free will so it's what you or your church decide. I know someone who was a cathlioc and know she is non-demtional and she I guess she kinda believe in it but not alot even though she saw it know she believe it and now she has it.

I have posted on the other tongues threads on this forum, and have included a link that you can explore when you feel that you are ready to receive the gift for yourself.

We do not choose what we receive:

1 Corinthians 12:
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

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Verse 11 is the key. The Holy Spirit decides what gift we should use and operate in. Not what we want. Paul is saying that if we are to be effective members of the body of Christ, that we all need to be operating differently in the body, excersizing one or more of the 9 gifts. Tongues is not the end all of the gifts. In fact, Paul teaches differently. That's why Paul says at the end of Ch. 12 to earnestly desire the best gifts. However, Pentecostalism teaches that tongues it the pinnicle of spirituality and that is IMO, wrong. There are 8 other gifts equally if not more important for today than tongues and as members of Christ we need to strengthen the body by using the diversity of the gifts and not be narrowed minded by excersizing only one gift.

Speaking in tongues is edvidence of having power of the Holy spirit.

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Tongues is A evidence not THE ONLY Evidence or Initial evidence. That train of thought only comes from misinterpreting the events of Acts and not harmonizing the events in Acts with the teachings of Paul. There are 9 gifts fo the spirit that are evidetial of the infilling, this infilling the produces Fruit, which is how we will know others.

Also Paul says this as well...

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

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So what does that mean. It means great people like Billy Graham, Martin Luther, RC Sproul, Spurgeon, CS Lewis who all preached Christ is Lord must have had the Holy Spirit...

There is a gift of tongues, which is meant for edification of the body of Christ. This is not the same as the personal prayer language tongue, which is given to everybody who is baptized in the Holy Ghost, and is meant for personal edification.

Jesus said that them who believe will speak in tongues (Mark 16:17), Jude 20 tells us to be building ourselves up praying in the Holy Ghost, etc. This is not the same kind of tongue that is meant for group edification.