Praying in tongues makes people conscious of their sins, and of God’s power and forgiveness. It floods them with an intense awareness of His presence!
Paul asks in the Bible, “Do all speak in tongues?” The obvious answer is no. However, Paul also wrote: “I want you all to speak in tongues…”
When the first 120 Christians were gathered in prayer, “They all began to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.” They did that by moving their mouth, tongue, lips, and vocal cords as the Spirit supplied the words. They did the speaking. The Holy Spirit gave them the words to say. Even Jesus’ mother, Mary, spoke in tongues. (Acts 2)
So, why don’t more Christians speak in tongues today?
1) They’ve been incorrectly taught what the Bible says about speaking in tongues.
2) They have been falsely taught that the gifts of the Spirit, including tongues, aren’t for today.
3) They believe that it’s up to the Holy Spirit to move their mouth, tongue, lips, and vocal cords, so they passively wait for Him to do that.
4) They are too proud to speak out in words they don’t understand.
5) They are afraid of being embarrassed, humbled, or disappointed.
6) They don’t ask God to give them the gift of speaking in tongues. “You have not because you ask not.”
7) They ask with the wrong motive.
8) They are afraid that if they get closer to God, He will show them their sins and call them to repentance.
9) They are afraid they might receive a counterfeit gift of tongues.
10) They believe they don’t need a supernatural gift that bypasses their brain and connects them directly, heart-to-heart with God.
11) They believe that God doesn’t want them to have it.
12) They say speaking in tongues is the least of God’s spiritual gifts and imply that it’s not good enough for them.
Praying in tongues is so powerful that the Bible calls it a gift of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) It’s so powerful that the first time the earliest Christians gathered and began speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, 3000 men (not counting women and children) became Christ-followers. (Acts 2) It is so powerful that whenever I pray in tongues, I sense an overwhelming awareness of the presence, power, and love of the risen Jesus.
I pray in tongues many times every day. I even sing in tongues. God uses the gift of tongues to strengthen me, encourage me, and help me hear and obey Christ living in me. I even quietly pray in tongues throughout the night.
I highly recommend that everyone who wants a closer relationship with Jesus set aside their pride and ask God for the gift of speaking in tongues. Then open your mouth and start the act of speaking, but not in a language you know. At that very moment the Holy Spirit will release a supernatural stream of words, and rivers of living water will overflow from within you.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Glory disrupts the status quo with an overwhelming sense of awe. It doesn’t turn Christians into a passive church audience neatly lined up in rows. “Stir up the gift of God within you.”
More about tongues @ What About Tongues
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