Tongues

[Disciple7723]

The apostle Paul wrote in the book of corinthians that he wished that every one would speak in tongues. I am ready to speak in tongues I want to speak in tongues. How do I go about doing it. Do I just start praising God and The Spirit of God the Holy spirit will it just fall on me. I believe that this language does edify oneself like the apostle paul said. I am ready to edify myself, I am ready to take my praise to another level. How do I go about speaking in tongues, how should the atmosphere be, what are some of your experiences the ones that have spoken in tongues and what did you do. Thank you.

 

[jc4life]

Personally, I have been speaking in tongues for about 9 months now
and its all about God's timing. Honestly practice makes perfect. Its like a baby learning how to talk, the baby starts off with a mmmm, then a mama, then a mother. Same way with tongues ! ! Get into Gods presence and just start talking anything ! "Ask and you shall receive!"

 

[jc4life]

As far as experiences, tongues has helped me more with intimacy with God.
Plus the enemy cannot understand it ! Its a serious weapon to have. Also God will not give you something that He feels you are not ready for ! !

 

[Nathan8906]

Personally, I have been speaking in tongues for about 9 months now
and its all about God's timing. Honestly practice makes perfect. Its like a baby learning how to talk, the baby starts off with a mmmm, then a mama, then a mother. Same way with tongues ! ! Get into Gods presence and just start talking anything ! "Ask and you shall receive!"

Speaking in tongues cannot be practiced. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and is only given when God chooses to give it.
Notice in the book of acts that nobody who received the gift of speaking in tongues had to "practice." It just happened.

 

[Symes]

Speaking in tongues cannot be practiced. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and is only given when God chooses to give it.
Notice in the book of acts that nobody who received the gift of speaking in tongues had to "practice." It just happened.

Most of the time speaking in tongues cannot be seen as a gift from God as Paul says there must be someone there to interpret when speaking in tongues. That does not happen very much today at all. So be very careful that when you speak it is not the spirit of the devil speaking in you and through you.

 

[Symes]

1 Cor 14:5

"5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[3] but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues,[4] unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified."

Paul wants us to prophesie, he thinks this is better than speaking in tongues.

Verse 18 says

"18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue."

 

[Sonworshiper]

I won't knock anyone who wants to speak in tongues/already says that he/she speaks in tongues. My advise...be careful when reading 1-Corinthians 14, VERY careful. I personally think Paul's true meaning of the chapter is that we should glorify the church and not ourselves. Paul does state that speaking in tongues edifies oneself and he does say that he wishes all of "you" (to) speak in tongues. HOWEVER...he also says that he who prophesies is greater than one that speaks in tongues. Paul says that he would rather have "you" prophesy than speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues should edify the church. And the tongue needs to be interpreted so that it will edify the church. Verse 13 in chapter 14....for this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. Good luck and I hope this helps...

 

[jc4life]

Nathan I don't know if you can speak in tongues, but when I received tongues, after, I did have to practice my tongues so that they could expand, just like I practice prayer daily and worship daily and praise daily.
There are those that interpret in my church. Tongues is something that God gives, but its not something that He gives in full force right of the bat. In Acts when they received it is said that they sounded drunk, ever heard a drunk person, practiced tongues almost sound like a different language. Read Acts, you'll see ! And I know what I have is tongues of God, not of devils.

 

[Heinrich]

Hi Disciple7723

It great to hear somebody seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Go look at Acts 19. (There more similiar instances in acts)
When Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came upon them and the spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Firstly you must obtain this "fullness" of the Holy Spirit. Now don't get yourself confused over all the doctrinal debates around this.. they will not help you.
Its Simple: Ask Jesus to baptise you with the Holy Spirit. John 1:33
But if you know somebody already "spirit filled" (baptised in the Holy Spirit) ask them to lay hands on you. And pray WITH you. remember you must ask.

Praising God for this and for whatever comes to mind is a good start.. (this coming to mind is prophecy)
If you start to speak in tongues.. great if not.. don't worry.

Here's my experience:
I recieved the Baptism of the HS when somebody laid hands on me and I asked for Jesus to fill me with the Holy Spirit. (exact wording doesn't matter to God)
Well he did! i recieved an supernatural peace in me that everything is going to work out.. (My life was in a mess at the stage)
No I didn't speak in tongues nor prophecy (I didn't even know about it)

Anyways sometimes later I got informed.. and it still didn't happen..
I was somewhat scared and pressured.. and confused maybe also... so nothing happen.
Later a friend told me to just try and speak what he says.. then he started praying in tongues.. He said some really weird stuff (something totally impossible to resay)
And I started speaking.
So I opened my mouth A stream of weird sounds flooded out of my mouth.. I almost couldn't get time to breath as this "praise" exited me..
From then I learned to obay the "utterings" of the my spirit.
Now (8 months later) I can pray in the spirit any time I like... sometimes I still really suprise my self at what I'm saying.

3 of the most common reasons people struggle to speak in tongues:
1. They can't accept that this "babbling" is from God.. ie. there "mind" is in the way of the spirit (mine was for more than a month)
2. They don't know they should move there mouths. The Spirit gives you utterance.. you do the "physical" part. ALL THE GIFTS WORKS BY UTTERANCES FROM THE SPIRIT. (althought I have experience really)
3. They are figthing this Baptism of the Holy Spirit thing.. and thus they are RESISTING the spirit. not a good thing I'll say.

Hi jc4life. Great stuff! I agree.. I really sounded like a baby at first.. Now I sound like a 2 year old trying to speak some weird language..
Tongues helped me to in intimacy with God. And with fighting against the urges of the flesh

Hi nathan. Yes well you don't really practise tongues.. But the spirit gives the utterance.. and over time one will learn to better follow these utterances.
And it is commonly so that usually when people start speaking in sounds they make more "baby" like sounds.. or pray in just a word or 2.. and then later this "language" grows..

Hi Symes.
one problem with 1 Cor 12-14 is that the word speak is many times used when "pray" would better fit.
1 cor 14:4 (edifies one self)
1 cor 14:14 (understanding void)
Paul is saying that when you stand in front of the church and speak in tongues.. then somebody must interpret else nobody understand and nobody is edifies. (accept that person)
When one prays in prayer in his inner room there is no need for interpretation.
Then there are the case of speaking in another language..
Sometimes there is somebody in the church from another culture/whatever.
(this actually happens) Then the person might actually speak in tongues without interpretation. With those people/person hearing the message in his mother tongues. Interpretation is also a gift of the spirit and will only manifest if needed. And if the person that is given the utterance actually comes forth and shares it. DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT (1 thess 5)
There is also made a difference between the "personal prayer language" form of tongues which all believers can practise and the gift of speaking in other tongues as one of the 9 gifts from the Holy Spirit.

The same Paul that says he wants us to prophesy also says:
1 Cor 14:18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.
and:
1 Cor 14:15 I will pray with my spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.
1 Cor 14:39 desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.

Hi sonworshipper.
1 Cor 14:4 He who speaks in a tongues edifies himself.
1 Cor 14:5 I wish you all spoke with tongues.
Yes God wants us to prophesy, and indeed we all can:
1 Cor 14:31 For you can all prophesy one by one.
But just one thing: Most (all that I know off) people that prophesy (in different degrees) do actually pray/speak in tongues.

ok enough about this.
In the end you can argue months on end about is and all the things around it ect ect ect and throw around stones.
Or you can ask Jesus to baptise you with the Holy Spirit and open your mouth and praise him in understanding/prophecy/tongues as the spirit leads you and reap the benifits.

O one more thing: when I got spirit filled the scriptures opened up to me! they got filled with spirited breathed life!!! HALLELUJA! I pray that all the believers in this world might recieve the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

And another thing: I believe in adult/believers baptism! AMEN

 

[KleinerApfel]

Note that Paul says it is his desire that all would have the gift of tongues, so that indicates that not everyone did! So it is a desirable gift, but not essential for us all. God will give His gifts as He decides is best, for His glory to be shown, for His work to be done, and for building up our life in Him - 1 Corinthians 12.
The greatest gift is the Holy Spirit coming to live within us, and that is guaranteed to all Christians from the moment they trust in Christ. Amazing.

 

[Symes]

When tongues are spoken about in the Church Paul always said there must be someone there to interpret. If that does not happen then they should not speak in tongues.

Tongues is only another word for language. So if I get up and speak in a language that no one understand someone will interpret that for me so that the members will know what I am saying. Then no more than three people should do that.

Then there is another gift that God gives. I may speak in my language (English) in front of non-English speaking people and God gives them the ability to understand what I am saying in their own tongue. This happened at Pentecost. It still takes place today, not very often though.

 

[Heinrich]

Hi Symes
1 Cor 14:39 DO NOT forbid to speak with tongues.
When tongues are interpreted it is equal to prophecy.. (1 Cor 14:5)
When not.. it is for the edification of the believer. (verse 2)
why not more than 3 people? Because God is not the author of chaos.. and also when 3 peoples interpretation is the same it is confirmation that they really hearing from the spirit and not making it up.

I've never heard of you "another gift" where somebody speaks in his language and then other people understand.. I also don't understand how you interpret this into Acts 2?
What I do now and have recieved many testimonies of is of people that spoke in "tongues" (just as praying in tongues.) in a language they never heard and does not understand but then they actually speak in the language of the people listening.
and the problem is not that this don't happen anymore.. there's just not that many people open to this so that God can use them.
God doesn't just want to bridge the gap of languages.. he also wants to talk to go way over our understanding.

The Lord is my banner:
jip.. everybody didn't speak in tongues.. for different reasons as I already stated.
And no it's not essential for salvation.. neither is reading the bible or praying daily.. but it's a good idea.. something to be desired.
Yes the Holy Spirit is with us from the moment we come to salvation..
But there is a second work of grace called the "baptism of the Holy Spirit".

hi all
If you spend your time fighting this God will defnitely wil not give you the gift... you abviously don't want it.
It is clear from scripture that "tongues" is there for "edification" and it is not something bad or evil or whatever. So you can either seek the fullness of God or you can fight against it.. it's your choice. God cannot bless you with the manifestation of tongues then.
Because when the spirit does give you utterance then you will Quench the Spirit and NOT speak in tongues.

1 Thess 5:19 DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT

The also the group of people that did try to speak in tongues.. then it didn't work for them.. now they try to somehow explain why tongues is not for everyone or something like that. Rather just keep on seeking God and his fullness. God will never respond to somebody that throws a tantrum

 

[Symes]

Heinrich

hi all
If you spend your time fighting this God will defnitely wil not give you the gift... you abviously don't want it.
It is clear from scripture that "tongues" is there for "edification" and it is not something bad or evil or whatever. So you can either seek the fullness of God or you can fight against it.. it's your choice. God cannot bless you with the manifestation of tongues then.
Because when the spirit does give you utterance then you will Quench the Spirit and NOT speak in tongues.

The so called speaking in tongues used by many today is no other than the devil. In most case it cannot be interpreted. Until Biblical processes are followed then I am not going to get caught up in it.

 

[EdmundBlackadderTheThird]

Symes that claim is baseless. The church in Corinth was practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a disorderly fashion, so Paul corrected them. He never once said they were not speaking in tongues as a gift of the spirit. To call a gift of the spirit the work of the devil is outright insulting. Yes Paul did tell them how do it properly but just because it is not done properly does not mean that it is still not a gift of the Spirit. You should be careful what you call the work of the devil. The pharisees called Christ's miracles the work of the devil right before Christ talked about the unforgivable sin. It is thin ice to call the gifts of the spirit the work of the devil and in fact there is no Biblical backing for it. Show us one place in the scripture wehre tongues is ever called the work of the devil.

Heinrich: The scripture is also clear that tongues is for the edification of self and not the body, prophecy is edifying for the body. Paul in fact says to seek the greater gifts. I think that seeking tongues instead of prophecy is going against the scriptures as there are laid out instructions for these things. I am even willing to say that most Charasmatic churches are not practicing tongues according to scripture. I would never say that it is not from the Holy Spirit however. You can see where this leads though, by not practcining tongues properly you end up with people wanting the gift of tongues and praying for it when Paul is clear that we should be praying for the greater gifts.

 

[jc4life]

Hi SYMES, I speak in tongues and use it to edify, in fact I pray in tongues almost as much as I pray in English. Your comment on tongues being of the devil is the most unbiblical and miseducated comment I have heard anybody say on this website and there have been a lot on this site.
I am not going to say that God won't give you tongues because you are against it. I'm not God to say anything like that, but maybe God will give you tongues to prove that you're wrong which I pray that He does.....or maybe He won't. Symes, it sounds as if you have asked for tongues in the past and never received it and now you are totally against it ? Be patient Buddy, God is real and tongues is real. Be careful what you say is from the enemy though! Tongues is from the Holy Spirit, not of the enemy Symes.

 

[Tangnefedd]

I went to a Pentecostal church, as a child, where one of two members of the congregation would 'perform' in tongues on a Sunday, much to the acute embarrassment of the rest of us! It sounded like gobbledegook and as there was no translation it was a totally pointless exercise. It was also noted that the members of the church that went in for this freedom of expression had mental health problems!

 

[Symes]

I went to a Pentecostal church, as a child, where one of two members of the congregation would 'perform' in tongues on a Sunday, much to the acute embarrassment of the rest of us! It sounded like gobbledegook and as there was no translation it was a totally pointless exercise. It was also noted that the members of the church that went in for this freedom of expression had mental health problems!

Tangnefedd

You have made a very interesting comment. It seems to me that you are right from what I have heard others say about it.

I had an experience where a person had severe mental health problems and was very much involved with tongues.

I only ever went to two of their meetings, at one they tried to start it off and when I asked what was being said no one could tell me. Then the speaker came out and said if there were any in the audience that were sick it was because there was sin in their life. What a discouraging way to address those who were sick.

 

[Symes]

Symes that claim is baseless. The church in Corinth was practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a disorderly fashion, so Paul corrected them. He never once said they were not speaking in tongues as a gift of the spirit. To call a gift of the spirit the work of the devil is outright insulting.

flesh99

There is a false way of speaking in tongues and a true way of speaking in tongues. The false way is an abomination and is insulting to God and the Christian Church

The Bible tells us that everything must be done in order. Speaking in a tongue that is not interpreted and no one can understand what is said is not in order and is not from the Holy Spirit. It can only be from the devil himself.

 

[Symes]

Symes, it sounds as if you have asked for tongues in the past and never received it and now you are totally against it ? Be patient Buddy, God is real and tongues is real. Be careful what you say is from the enemy though! Tongues is from the Holy Spirit, not of the enemy Symes.

jc4life

I have never asked God for the gift of tongues. If it was necessary for me to have it then God would give it to me.

The only time it would be necessary for me to have it would be if I was at a place where they could not understand my mother tongue (English) and those in the crowd could only speak their own tongue and God allowed them to hear what I was saying in English in their own native tongue.

That is the Biblical speaking in tongues. All the other noise and stuff that is uttered is not from the Holy Spirit. It becomes an abomination to God.

 

[Heinrich]

At my church there is almost never somebody speaking in tongues "publicly" (in front of the whole church)
But there is alot of prophecies, words of knowledge and words of wisdom..
People get healed, delivered and saved.
Now if this practise of tongues is an 'abomination' to God? why do he still give visions and healing and affirm the preaching of the church?

Symes:
Your explaination of speaking in english and listeners hearing is in contradiction to:
1 Cor 14:14 "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitfull"
Paul did write against un-oderly practising of the gifts. And many churches do this.. mainly cause they don't know better. This is wrong. Yes.
The "noises and stuff" you are so against have actually been proved to be more than just "noises". Anyways I'm not going into that sinse it makes no difference.

flesh99:
Hi, sorry I must have said something wrong somewhere, I never meant to seak tongues instead of prophecy. But if tongues is interpreted it is for the edification of the body. But Paul does put prophecy above tongues. your right!


Symes:
James 4:2b Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
Many great men of God searched for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit for long times. Escpecially in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Many of them was greatly against this and also contributed tongues to demons ect.
But many of them turned and went into the world to have great ministries and see throusands come to God.

Yes your right, there is a false and true tongues. There is infact I believe demons to try and fake every act and gift of the Holy Spirit. I guess you also attribute the phenomina of being slain in the spirit to some demon? Go read a bit about the life and ministry of Maria Woodworth Etter.
But one cannot just go out and proclaim something of the devil.. What do you think the "gift of descerning between the spirits" are for?

One Man is Smith Wigglesworth. He also at first didn't believe in the Baptism of Hs and in tongues.. But later asked God for it and was Spirit filled and started speaking in tongues.
By his faith God healed MANY MANY MANY people and he even raised the dead..
Now if this tongues is such an abomination, why would God use him so mightely? or is it the devil that healed the people?

BE exstremely carefull to attribute something like this directly to the devil. You might be spitting in the face of the Holy Spirit.. Rather attribute it to the ignorance or stupidity of people.

There is much evidence for tongues out there.. yes there is many churches that practise it disorderly.. (like the Corinthians did)

Maybe you should take your questions to God? I was also against tongues for some time at first. Infact I was against God allover
If we are not open to God to give us revelation then God cannot provide it. Many People have made this mistake of thinking somewhere they are absolutely right, and then not allowing God to show them the truth.