Question on speaking in tongues

[Xnot A citizenX]

I have continuted to pray about this subject over and over...and have talked to many of my friends about it...only like 2 out of the bunch of church going Jesus believing people I know believe in the "spiritual babbling" speaking in tounges...I am going to continue to pray hard and I know I will recieve an answer sometime...it has been about 4 monthes since I started researching and praying about the matter...and I haven't really be leaning either way...I have not been given a clear answer.....I guess it is just hard not knowing what you believe...And even wierder that out of all the time I have been in church that this is the first time that I have ever been confronted with this....it is wierd....I thank you all again for your help Quaffer...and everybody...I just ask that you please pray for me...because this really is weighing on my mind heavily....thanks

God bless,

XnotAcitizenX

 

[SUNSTONE]

Maybe this will help, from the Amplified bible.

"Then what am I to do ? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.
Otherwise, if you bless and render thanks with [your] spirit [thoruoghly aroused by the Holy Spirit], how can anyone in the position of an outsider or he who is not gifted with [interpreting of unknown] tongues, say the Amen to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?" 1cor14:15+16

He goes on to say that he speaks in tongues more than all of this church.
And talks about when you gather together, if you speak in tongues, but no one interprets then you should be silent in the gathering, and speak in tongues by yourself with God.


If people prayed for hours and hours, like Jesus did and wanted the disciples to also do, what were they praying, or saying? Jesus for sure didn't want you to pray real long prayers on one thing, thinking that God will hear you better, so what could one pray for, for that long of a period?

 

[Andrew]

I am going to continue to pray hard and I know I will recieve an answer sometime...it has been about 4 monthes since I started researching and praying about the matter...and I haven't really be leaning either way...I have not been given a clear answer.....I guess it is just hard not knowing what you believe...

how do you know
god is not speaking to you thru some of the posters here? anyway, press on and dont quit. i believe u already know the answer in your heart.

 

[Xnot A citizenX]

Today at 09:51 AM Andrew said this in Post #63

how do you know
god is not speaking to you thru some of the posters here? anyway, press on and dont quit. i believe u already know the answer in your heart.

I honestly really do wish I knew what I believed....and I don't know what I believe in my heart...because nothing has really been forth coming...I have post on here and several other boards about the subject...this one has been the most helpful...so far...but I still don't now....I haven't even been in a church where "spiritual babbling" has occured.....the only place I have seen it is on those Jesus channels on tv ....and those people look like a bunch of fools...wacking people in the head and all...But I shall press on like you said until I get an answer...I am not the type to leave something alone just because finding the answer is hard..I will find out...whenever God feels he wants me to know...

God bless,

Xnot A citizenX

 

[Andrew]

Get a hold of these books if you can. The authors (i think once skeptics with lots of doubts and questions) present a very balanced view (with research studies) on this topic.

¥ They Speak With Other Tongues
by John L. Sherrill

¥ Beauty Of Spiritual Language, The
by Jack W. Hayford

it may help you in your search. God bless.

 

[Xnot A citizenX]

Thanks I will see if I can find those books anywhere around here...I will try the Christian bookstore first I guess ..You all on this board have been very helpful...unlike this guy on the Apostolic board telling me that I am going to hell if I don't speak in tounges and that I am not really saved...I swear it is people like that ..that scare people away from Christianity....uggg...Well thanks once again for you help..and the booklist

God bless,

Xnot A citizenX

 

[aus_koala]

Next time you are sitting quietly in prayer on your own just start allowing the sounds in your throat to come out without putting words around them. See what comes out. You may find you already have the gift but you are not using it.
I know that I can speak some Italian but no Italian word comes out of my mouth until I open it and make an attempt. The sound may not have the right accent but so what.
I found that after you start it becomes hard to stop. You know it is right as it takes on a form of language just like speaking English.

Some people are NOT given the gift (1 Corinthians 12) so if nothing wells up in your throat then don't be too concerned. Your salvation is a free gift and cannot be taken away after you have accepted it.
I would like to know if you try this and what happened.....

 

[Xnot A citizenX]

After much talk, debate, and research....oh and lets not forget lots and lots of pray.  I have come to the conclusion that sorry again for a lack of a better way of putting it speaking in tounges in the "spiritual babbling" sense isn't true.  It isn't something that happens or is helpful.  I searched the Bible up and down for anything about "spiritual babbling" and I came up with nothing.  I talked to many close friends and othe Christians about it.  And this is the conclusion I have come to.  Thanks to all of you for your help though.

 

[Andrew]

well, its sad you came to this conclusion. perhaps you were looking at/for the wrong thing.

 

[Alabare]

 

[Alabare]

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit will interceed with our spirit because we don't even know what we should pray for. 3 years ago a pastor said "Praise God not for what He has done for you but just because He is God". It was then that I realized that I had never really worshiped God for who He is but only thanked Him for what He has done for me. I believed that I was a Christian just because I knew Jesus is God. But the Bible says that even they demon know that and tremble. It was at this time that I truely started to worship God for being MY GOD.
2 weeks later when I was searching for God with all my heart and worshipping Him with all my heart and soul I began to speak in praises to the Lord God Almighty with a language that no man could teach. It has totally changed my life. There aint no party like a Holy Ghost party cause a Holy Ghost party don't stop.

 

[aus_koala]

Not a citizen,
what makes you think God undertands/speaks in English? The reality is your prayers may just be babbling to him if his native language is not English.......think about it....

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Yesterday at 10:52 PM Xnot A citizenX said this in Post #68

After much talk, debate, and research....oh and lets not forget lots and lots of pray.  I have come to the conclusion that sorry again for a lack of a better way of putting it speaking in tounges in the "spiritual babbling" sense isn't true.  It isn't something that happens or is helpful.  I searched the Bible up and down for anything about "spiritual babbling" and I came up with nothing.  I talked to many close friends and othe Christians about it.  And this is the conclusion I have come to.  Thanks to all of you for your help though.

Xnot A citizenX,

If you are looking for the term "spiritual babbling" then you will not find it in the Bible.  As I've said before that is a term that man has given it.

What do you mean when you say you have searched the Bible up and down and came up with nothing?   I gave you several scriptures where speaking in tongues was talked about. 

1 Cor 13 starts out with "if I speak with tongues of men or angels".   What exactly do you consider the tongues of angels to be and how are they different than the tongues of man and how exactly are we able to speak it?

I'm not trying to convince you to believe something you do not want to believe but the reasoning does not make sense to me.  I have found it several times in scripture and even gave you the references.

Quaffer 

 

[Xnot A citizenX]

Well I am sure God can speak whatever language he wants to.  Because well he is God...and you know he knows all and sees all.  Yeah he may have spoken in the language of angels, but is there any other record of anyone else doing it after that.  And why would we need to?  There isn't an answer

God Bless All,

XnotAcitizenX

 

[All4Christ]

Speaking in tongues IS a prayer language, but it's nothing really that you can do on your own to receive it. All you can do is to be open and ask God to enable you as He wills. I don't believe it is ESSENTIAL to your salvation. Like Andrew said, it is a sign of God's empowerment for ministry. But don't let your search for speaking in tongues take over your search for communion with God and becoming more like God. I'm Pentecostal, but I believe that this quote from one of the Orthodox Ancient Fathers explains this well:

"All these myseteries we have received at our baptism [or salvation], but we are not aware of them. When, however, we condemn ourselves for our lack of faith, and sincerely express our belief in Christ by performing all the commandments, then we shall acquire experience within ourselves of all the things that I have mentioned; and we shall confess that holy baptism is indeed complete and that the grace of Christ is invisibly hidden within us; but it awaits our obedience and our fulfilment of the commandments."

Maybe this doesn't make sense, and maybe it doesn't completely follow the Pentecostal way of thinking, but I do believe it points out the need for 'sanctification' that comes along with your search for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I believe that all too often, people desire to speak in tongues and to have the signs of the Holy Spirit in their lives, when it is just as important if not more important to continually strive to "express our belief in Christ by performing all the commandments" or by being more like Christ. Strive to purify yourself, and pray that God empowers you with the Holy Spirit. God is faithful, and in his timing, He will fill and empower you with His Spirit if you are willing to let Him do so.

 

[All4Christ]

By the way, xNot a Citizenx, besides the references in the Bible, there also are many references historically back to the Church Fathers such as St. Augustine, etc. plus at the Council of Nicea, etc. that also support the idea of speaking in tongues. God Bless and Keep you all Safe from Harm!

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Today at 10:18 AM Xnot A citizenX said this in Post #74

Well I am sure God can speak whatever language he wants to.  Because well he is God...and you know he knows all and sees all.  Yeah he may have spoken in the language of angels, but is there any other record of anyone else doing it after that.  And why would we need to?  There isn't an answer

God Bless All,

XnotAcitizenX

What does the quantity of times recorded have to do with it?  I don't know that Pauls letters are in time order.  Here's a few more scriptures.

Mark 16:17 (KJV) And thees signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Acts 2:4 (KJV) And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:11 (KJV) Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Acts 10:46 (KJV) For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.

Acts 19:6 (KJV) And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues,

1 Cor 12:10 (KJV) To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues;

1 Cor 12:28 (KJV) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diveristies of tongues.

1 Cor 13:1 (Amplified)  If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels.

1 Cor 14:2 (Amplified) For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no onoe understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths adn hidden things [not obvious to the understanding.

1 Cor 14:4 (Amplified) He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself

1 Cor 14:5 (KJV) I would that ye all spake with tongues

1 Cor 14:13 (Amplified) Therefore, the person who speaks in an [unknown] tongue should pray [for the power] to interpret and explain whe he says.

1 Cor 14:14 (Amplified) For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays,

1 Cor 14:15 (Amplified) Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me],  but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind adn understanding also.

1 Cor 14:18 (Amplified) I thank God that I speak in [strange] tongues (languages) more than any of you or all of you put together.

1 Cor 14:39 (Amplified) and do not forbid or hinder speaking in [unknown] tongues. 


 

Edited to add more scriptures

 

[SUNSTONE]

Speaking in tongues is fun Its one way of constantly acknowledging God is present, to yourself. So often I don't know what to pray, and so I speak in tongues. I can do this for very long periods of time, all through out the day.

It helps with stress and pain as well.

 

[Xnot A citizenX]

Thanks for your help...but I have come to my conclusion, and unless something freaky happens or I am slapped with the big fat hand of FACT I won't be changing my mind.  Thanks for the help though  

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Today at 03:45 PM Xnot A citizenX said this in Post #79

Thanks for your help...but I have come to my conclusion, and unless something freaky happens or I am slapped with the big fat hand of FACT I won't be changing my mind.  Thanks for the help though  

OK. . .well. . .thanks for listening anyway.  The Lord will bless you either way.