Tongues the “Spiritual Gift” vs Tongues the “Prayer Language”
In this post, I am addressing one of the biggest points of confusion that I find when discussing the Baptism with the Holy Spirit with people. It is the misunderstanding of the use of speaking in tongues.
There is an entire chapter devoted to this subject in the Bible, and it should not be confusing at all. However, because of wrong teaching (or a lack of teaching) there seems to be a large number of Christians that really do not understand this very important subject.
I believe that once you see and understand it the first time you will say “…this is so simple, why did I not see this before?”
Let’s begin with a couple of definitions that will help make things clearer.
Tongues as a “Prayer Language”
(Note: Although the term “prayer language” is not completely accurate, I am using it here because so many people are familiar with it.)
When a Christian receives the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, he (or she) receives the power and ability to speak in tongues (Acts 1:5, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4) any time he or she wishes (1 Cor 14:14-15). It is a new way for us to speak and to communicate with God (1 Cor 14:2) that goes beyond our natural intellect (1 Cor 14:14). For this reason, many people also call this a “prayer language” even though it can be used for things other than just prayer.
The Bible tells us in several places that we should make use of this ability as often as possible (1 Cor 14:14-15, Eph 6:18, Jude 1:20, etc). It also tells us of many ways that it benefits the person that is doing it. We are specifically told that no one will understand this language. It is meant for communication between you and the Lord.
1 Corinthians 14:2 – For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him ; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
This is a faith activity between you and God. If other don’t people understand what you are saying, it is not an issue because what you are saying is not intended for them. When you are using your “prayer language,” no interpretation is required or expected. If someone complains, just say “I wasn’t talking to you.”
In the Bible, we are told that sometimes in our midst there will be people that don’t understand, or that don’t believe. It says that people like this may think we are “out of our minds” when we are doing this. The implication is that it would usually be better to avoid doing this in front of them (1 Cor 14:23).
But, on the other hand, if you are around other Christians that understand and believe the Bible, then it is OK to do it in a group setting (Acts 19:6-7) – assuming that you are doing it for the right reasons. Personally, I don’t do it in front of non-Christians, and I don’t go out of my way to do it in front of Christians that don’t understand it. But a group of Christians that believe the Bible should be comfortable with this. If not, then something is wrong somewhere.
Tongues as a “Spiritual Gift”
According to 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, there are nine gifts of the Holy Spirit that are called “manifestations of the Spirit.” These are instances where the Holy Spirit makes Himself known to us in supernatural ways. He gives you a temporary “burst of power” to do something that goes beyond your normal ability in order to accomplish something for Him.
1 Corinthians 12:7 – But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all
When one of these “gifts” (aka manifestations) is given to a person, and that person exercises that gift in faith, then other people receive a divine benefit. The purpose of these gifts are for the believer to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to bless others.
Included in these nine “manifestations of the Spirit” or “spiritual gifts” are three that are have been called the “speaking” or “vocal gifts.” These are:
- Prophecy
- Diversities of Tongues
- Interpretation of Tongues
These three temporary abilities only come when the Holy Spirit gives them to someone to use them (1 Cor 12:11). The purpose of these temporary abilities is to bless other people (1 Cor 12:7).
When the gift of prophecy is given, a person will generally speak a message from God under divine influence, and the message will be given in the language of the intended audience.
In general, when the gifts of “diversities of tongues” and “interpretation of tongues” are given, a person will speak a message from God under divine influence, but it will usually be a language unknown to the intended audience. This is “diversities of tongues.”
Then that same person (or someone else present) will be given the meaning or “interpretation” of that message by the Holy Spirit. That person will then speak out the interpretation in the language of the intended audience. The end result is that the people get a message from God that they understand.
In both cases, a message from God is delivered through a person to another person or to a group of people. The message will come from God, but it will be delivered by the person(s) that received the gift(s). The result is that others are blessed by the Lord. God speaks through someone in order to bless another person or a group of people.
Similarities between the two
In both the “prayer language” and the “spiritual gift,” the speaker will be speaking in a language that he/she does not understand.
Both the “prayer language” and the “spiritual gift ” will require the speaker to act in faith.
Differences between the two
In the “prayer language,” you are the one that usually initiates it. In the “spiritual gift” it is the Holy Spirit that initiates it.
In the “prayer language” the speaker is the main beneficiary. In the “spiritual gift, other people are the main beneficiaries.
In the “prayer language” you are talking to God. In the “spiritual gift” God is talking to others through you.
In the “prayer language” you are encouraged to do it all the time. In the “spiritual gift” you only do it when the Holy Spirit tells you to.
In the “prayer language” no interpretation is needed or expected because God is the intended audience and He understands it. In the “spiritual gift,” the gift of interpretation of tongues will likely be given so that the people can understand the message and receive the benefit God intended for them.
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Brother, really enjoying this website. Regarding your comment about not praying in tongues around nonbelievers or the unlearned. What about where Paul points out in 1 corinthians 14:20-33 “Tongues then are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers” Paul goes on to explain that this sign will provoke the unbeliever into an unrighteous judgement thinking they are all mad. But if everyone is also prophesying then the secrets of the unbeliever heart will be revealed and they will be convicted. When tongues are a regular part of a meeting those that dont operate in it are exposed. They need to be because they are missing out on Gods precious gift. Unbelievers need it and uninformed Christians need it even more so. Paul is pointing out that exposing them to the gift serves as a sign and a way of bringing them to repentance when prophecy is added to the situation. Your thoughts?
Thanks for your comment! To clarify something…in my post when I referred to speaking in tongues around people that don’t do it, I was not referring to a meeting of believers. I was talking more about when I am at work or in a store or other public setting.
I agree that people need to find out about this because of what an amazing blessing it is. One of the best places for people to be exposed to this is in a Christian group with mature believers who are experienced in the things of the Spirit and who walk in wisdom and maturity. When it is demonstrated properly, it should stir a hunger in those who are open but have not received it yet.
As far as what point Paul is trying to make in the passage you referenced…I have read many commentaries on that over the years and I have yet to find something that seems to fit 100% correctly in my mind. So I do not have a dogmatic opinion either way. Your interpretation is definitely one of the ones I have seen, and I see no problems with it.
Be blessed!
Thanks Neal, looking forward to reading more of your materials. Great work and thank you for posting this stuff!
Thank you! It blesses me to know that people are getting some kind of benefit from it.
Pleasant Day Neal, I thank our Lord and God Jesus Christ for your teaching on this topic. It’s very refreshing.
However as I read your post and listened to your sermon, I realized that you’ve said that people will still make it to heaven even if they’ve never spoken in tongues.
Since the scriptures have shown us that the INITIAL sign of one receiving the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT is one speaking in tongues and Jesus teaches that EXCEPT a man be born of the water and of the SPIRIT he CANNOT enter into the Kingdom of God.
How then would one never spoken in tongues and still make it to heaven, if tongues is the sign that one has been baptized of the SPIRIT?
Hi Franklyn. Thank you for your kind words and for your question. I apologize in advance for a long answer, but I want to take time to give context.
In John 3:16-18, Jesus tells us that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life. In John 1:11-13, we learn that anyone that receives Jesus and believes in his name will be a child of God. In Ephesians 1:13, we see that when someone believes, they are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit.
These verses (and many others like these) tell us that eternal life and salvation take place at the moment one puts his/her faith in Christ. At this instant the person becomes a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), and the person is now “in Christ.” And once we are joined to the Lord, we are now one spirit with him (1 Cor 6:17). The Holy Spirit takes up residence in the person begins helping him change from the inside out.
Once you are a new creation, born again, born of spirit, in Christ, you are now eligible to receive further gifts that are available to God’s children. One of those many gifts is the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the included ability to speak in tongues. That gift is available to all God’s children. It is a gift and a promise, but it is not a requirement.
Proof of this can be found in a careful reading of Acts 19:1-7. Paul comes across some individuals that he believes to be disciples of Christ. He asks them “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
This question tells us that Paul was of the opinion that an individual could be saved (because you are saved when you believe), but still not have been baptized in the Spirit and spoken in tongues.
After Paul asked some questions, he found out that these men were disciples of John the Baptist, not of Jesus. So explained to them about Jesus. They believed…and Paul knew they believed because he then baptized them in water. As I mentioned above, those men were saved at the point that they believed. Then after they believed and were saved, they were baptized in water. And then after that they were baptized with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
So here we see three separate events:
1 – Belief in Jesus for eternal life/salvation
2 – Then baptized in water
3 – Then baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.
I hope that helps!
reading this passage i have understand much clearly about tongues but one thing i can speak clearly on we dont have control over speaking in tongues but have control in presenting ourselves for the spirit of the lord to use us and guide us
Thank you for your comment, and for your question.
As far as the “prayer language” goes, God provides the ability but we choose whether to act on it or not. So, we have do actually control over when we do it, and how often. That control was given to us by God as a gift., and He wants us to use it. That is why we are told in passages like Eph 6:18 that we should do it often.
Eph 6:18 “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”
Thank you for the very good and powerful teachings. I just have a question I believe it will make sense.
I received Jesus in 2020 towards end year but till this very day I don’t know how to pray in tongues. My question is how will I pray in tongues as I have a desire to do so?
Hi Victoria.
I have a video where I lead an entire audience to receive the Holy Spirit baptism and speak in tongues for their first time. I suggest you listen to it and follow along, and you will receive it along with everyone on the recording. I have had people email me telling me that they received it by watching and following along with the steps in the video, so I encourage you to expect that to happen for you as well.
Here is a link: https://bornofspirit.net/the-promise-of-the-father-video/
Hey I don’t think the bible is saying that those who don’t operate in it are exposed. The bible is very clear In this chapter. Paul is encouraging the church to rather prophesy in a known language rather than tongues so as not to confuse non believers or those who don’t understand. He says he’d rather speak 5 intelligent words that speak in tongues even though he thanks God for the gift. Paul also says that if there is no one there to interpret the tongues then it is best for that person to be quiet and speak to God alone. Even then he goes on to say that we should ask God to be able to interpret what we say. I read this many many times trying to underhand it. Paul is really just trying to get us to use our gifts effectively (those who have the gift of tongues), if we can’t then it’s best to just preach in the known language so that the whole church is edified not just the one with the gift. There are many different gifts we can’t all speak in tongues as well so those who don’t participate are not examples of people who don’t believe… we are called to believe in Jesus Christ follow him….if I can’t speak tongues doesn’t mean I’m going to hell. We should not be divided over this matter nonetheless which I believe is exactly what Paul was trying to avoid
There are many Christians going to heaven that do not speak in tongues. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It is available to all believers.
Thank you so much.
This helped me so much.
God has been using me lately to teach about autism to a group of Christian believers in Facebook. I now understand how my answers come to me and how I intend to write something one way but it comes out another or even something I could not know. I knew it was God but you put together the pieces for me.
God bless.
Thank you and God bless you for what you are doing!!! That is awesome!!
Hey I just discovered this post. I just gotta ask…
How do you discern the gift of tongues? Like, how do you discern whether the so-called “tongues” you have are authentic and are from God? Is it really just “random gibberish” that is uttered or does it have a certain structure to it?
And how about the Holy Spirit’s gift of earthly tongues?
And how do we discern the Holy Spirit of God from different spirits?
I’m a little doubtful because all these things that we claim to be from God, if we don’t discern carefully, might be the devil’s counterfeit?
Thanks for your questions!
In Luke 11:9-13, Jesus makes a very clear and definite promise that if any child of God asks for something good regarding the Holy Spirit, there is absolutely no way that he/she would receive something bad or demonic.
Therefore, since we believe that Jesus is telling the truth here, as He always does, then we can be absolutely certain that what we received is from God and not from the devil. Otherwise, we would be believing more in the power of the devil to deceive that in the power of God to keep His promises. God is faithful, and infinitely more powerful than the enemy, so there is no need for anyone to fear or doubt in this area.
Since there is no human that knows all of the thousands of languages and dialects in existence, it is literally impossible to determine, just from a logical standpoint, the “validity” of a language…whether it is real communication or just gibberish. There are multitudes of real languages out there that sound like absolute gibberish to me…but they are not gibberish, they are real forms of communication.
It comes down to faith. Is Jesus trustworthy? If so, then you have to take a step of faith, believe it, and take action.
As to your question about discerning…there are times where there is demonic activity going on, and yes that is something we can and do discern. The Holy Spirit is well able to make that clear to anyone who is in communion and communication with Him. And this would come through revelation rather than suspicion.
But, back to my original point…the Christian who is acting in faith to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues never needs to be afraid of receiving something demonic instead. Or else Jesus was not telling the truth in Luke 11.
I hope that helps!
Hello Neal,
Thank you very much for the work you are doing on this blog. I hope you will continue by the grace of God. My question regarding this article comes from criticism I’ve heard by many theologians and Pastors who insist that the tongues spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14 or Acts 2 is merely languages of human origin instead of something divinely given by God like the prayer language. Could you perhaps speak a bit on this to help me out in some doubts I have about tongues being for a private prayer language. Thank you very much for reading my comment, God bless you.
Thank you for your question. If I understand correctly, you are asking me of the “tongues” mentioned in Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 are of human origin.
The “tongues” or “languages” mentioned in these passages (and other passages like them) can be either of human origin, or of angelic origin (1 Cor 13:1). Sometimes when you are speaking in tongues, you are speaking a human language, but it is a language that you as the speaker do not understand. Other times, it may be a language that is an angelic language. The important point is that the language is unknown to the person who is speaking it. It is supernatural. When you speak in tongues, you are speaking supernaturally from your spirit, not from your natural knowledge of a language.
1 Corinthians 14:14 says “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my understanding is unfruitful.” That means that when you speak in tongues, you are speaking in a language that you do not understand. You are not speaking from your mind or your intellect, you are speaking from your spirit.
Consider also 1 Corinthians 14:2 – For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for
no one understands him
; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
So to summarize: when you speak in tongues, you are speaking a real language that can be either human or angelic in origin. But it will be a language that you do not understand or know. You are only able to speak in this “unknown” language by using a supernatural ability that is given to you by the Holy Spirit.
I hope that helps. If not, feel free to reply with any follow up questions.
Be blessed!
Neal
Hey Neal,
So sorry to have responded late. Thank you for this great comment. God bless you and your ministry.
Sincerely,
Samuel
Wow! Thank u all, I must say I am blessed here, and pls can something be discussed on today’s tithing in churches, whether is right or wrong to pay
Thank you! Yes, I wrote an article on tithing and giving. Here is a link to it: Tithing and Giving
Dear Neal,
I have been a believer for over 40 yrs. Does every christian have a prayer language? Am I incorrect in assuming if you earnestly desire the gift and the LORD doesn’t give it to you it’s not for you? Or is there a sin issue that keeps it from happening?
Thanks,
Carla
Hi Carla. Very good questions!
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit and the ability to speak in tongues (prayer language) is available to all believers. I have an article that explains this from scripture. Here is the link:
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is for All Believers
To answer your second question, if you ask for this, the Lord will always say yes. But you have to take a step of faith and begin to speak, just like it says in Acts 2:4 “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them”. Notice is says that the Holy Spirit gave them the ability, but they had to begin to speak. It is a step of faith just like when Peter had to step out of the boat in order to walk on the water. God did not force him to take the step, but God met him when he did take the step. When Peter’s foot hit the water, God enabled him to walk on the water. Likewise, when you ask to receive the Holy Spirit Baptism and your prayer language, you will need to take that step of faith and just begin to speak…and God will meet you right there. He will enable to you speak in a language that you do not understand, but God will understand. You will be talking to God in a way that goes beyond the limits of your intellect. (1 Cor 14:2, 1 Cor 14:14-15)
I would encourage you to listen to the audio from a service where I led the group in receiving this from God. Then you can participate at the end where people take this step of faith for the first time. Here is a link to the audio for it.
Holy Spirit Baptism Service
Thank you. Be blessed!
Neal
Hi, in the first paragraph you state that there is an entire chapter in the bible so this should not be confusing. Can you please tell me which chapter. I need to explain to someone the difference in facts that make sense, as this person believes that there is the gift of tongues where you only speak in tongues when there is a “translater” and that this was given on pentacost to those who had to preach the gospel to other nations. She says that these are actual languages that you yourself do not understand and that the other tongues are giberish. I have tried explaining to her the difference, but she wants to know where in the bible does it actually say that the two are different from each other. When I said the one is spirit in prayer tongues which you have a private conversation with God, the other is a message sent from God, it did not make sense to her. She also does not get how satan can intercept prayers if God already knows what you need before you do. Now i understand that amongst unbelievers they would think one is insane.
PS: I also think that the enemy is trying to provoke me through her and that this is why she comes up with these questions (yesterday it was about anointing oils)
Hi Belinda. The chapter I was referring to was 1 Corinthians 14.
It sounds like your friend wants to argue about doctrines. In my experience, I do not feel like it is really worth the time or effort to have a dialog with someone that just wants to argue.
Here are a few facts you can share, based on a few things you mentioned:
1 – At the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, the Bible does not say anywhere that tongues were used to preach the gospel to other nations through a translator. That is not in the text. Rather, it tells us that when they were speaking in tongues, they were “declaring the wonders of God” or “the mighty deeds of God” (Acts 2:11). They were not preaching the gospel, they were worshiping God in tongues. A crowd gathered around amazed because they could all understand them in different languages. Then, AFTER the crowd had gathered, Peter preached the gospel in the common language they all shared (Acts 2:14-36).
2 – In order for someone to say that a language is gibberish, they have to know all the thousands of languages that exist on the earth, plus any heavenly or angelic languages that exist. If someone does not possess that knowledge, then there is no way they can say that something is gibberish. There are plenty of valid languages that sound like gibberish to me. When I hear people speaking these languages (Chinese for example)…because I do not understand the language, it sounds like they are saying the same things over and over. But they aren’t. They are communicating in a real language. So I cannot accurately judge whether or not something is gibberish. And neither can anyone else.
3 – In 1 Cor 14:2, it says that when you pray in tongues, you are speaking to God, not to people. No translator is needed because God is the intended audience, not other people. This is conversation between you and God.
4 – In 1 Cor 14:14-15, it says that when you pray in tongues, it is your spirit that is praying, not the Holy Spirit, and not your mind. And it implies that you can do this whenever you want to. You decide when.
5 – In 1 Cor 12:7-11, it tells us that there is are different kind of gift, where God uses us to speak to others, either in a language they understand (prophecy), or through tongues and interpretation. It says explicitly that this is initiated by the Holy Spirit, not us. So this is different from a conversation between you and God. It is a conversation between God and those around you.
Personally, if a person keeps wanting to have arguments about things, then I limit my time with them and I do not feel any obligation to participate in disputes. If someone wants to learn, or have a discussion to seek truth, then that is different. But I have better things to do with my time than to argue.
I hope this helps!
Help ! I’m a Baptist trapped in a Pentecostal Body ? I am 59 years on this planet and I cannot remember an age that I didn’t know Jesus. There were times when I rebelled; the prodigal son. I have taken my relationship with The Lord closely and seriously for about 10 years now. I believe ALL of The Bible, including The Gifts of The Spirit. I have asked for The Prayer Language many times, but to no avail. Now I avoid the topic because it makes me feel deficient compared to other Spirit Filled believers. I DO NOT deny ANY Gift from God, or the evidence all around. I’ve brought it up multiple times in Church Groups and it seemed to divide rather than unite so I’ve come to a place of “leave it alone”. I feel alone because The Prayer Language is available to “Everyone who asks”. Maybe someone out there understands ?
Hi David. Thank you for your comment. I prayed to receive it many times for about 10 years. Then I met someone that actually led me to receive it. What I learned was that God said yes every time I asked, but I also had to take a step of faith and take action. So, I understand what you are saying and how you are feeling, at least to some degree. Those experiences, and all of the confusion and everything, are some of the main reasons I keep this website going. I want to help other people that were in the same situation I was.
I have many recordings and videos here on my site where I lead groups of people to pray for and receive the Holy Spirit baptism, and to speak in their prayer language for the first time. I have received emails from people that followed along, and received it themselves while watching or listening. I encourage you to do the same. Here is one example: http://bornofspirit.net/the-promise-of-the-father-video/
How can I know if I am praying with the gift or praying in the spiritual language. I am able to hear Gods voice after. Not sure if I am interpreting what I was praying or just communicating with our Lord. I also have been singing in the spirit as I call it. My tounges but the spirit gives me melodies. I am seeking the Lord and want his spirit to be poured out on me. I desire to prophecy , any way I can receive this gift ? I’ve been asking. Do I just claim or wait?
Hi David. Great question! My advice would be that if you are in private, do not be too concerned about whether it is the spiritual gift, or if it is your prayer language. Both are good. If you are in a group setting, that is when you should take more care to determine if God is prompting you to speak out loud and interrupt the meeting, or if you should pray quietly under your breath or wait until later.
God’s Spirit has already been poured out on you (Titus 3:5-6). If you are praying in tongues, then you have been Baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Since the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, all of His gifts live inside of you as well, including the gift of prophecy. It is there for you any time the Lord prompts you. So, just tell the Lord you are available, and ask him to train you. And then when He does give you something to prophecy, then you take a step of faith and speak out what He is moving you to say.
I hope that helps! God bless you!
I hope that helps. God bless!
I understand you, the bible says there are many gifts of speaking In other languages isn’t yours it doesn’t make you any less of a believer and you shouldn’t compare yourself to others thT should be the least of your worries and it definitely shouldn’t be causing division because dissension, factions and other kinds of division is sin
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit and the included ability to pray in tongues is absolutely available to all believers. We are all encouraged to seek and receive that. There is a separate “gift of tongues” that is mentioned in 1 Cor 12:10 and 12:30 (among other places), and that only happens when the Holy Spirit desires it to happen. That is a different thing altogether and that is the purpose of the article on this page.
Thank you for this post brother! I have a question. Is speaking in tongues, praying in tongues and praying in the Holy Spirit the same or all different?
Thank you and Bessings!
They are all different ways of saying the same thing. Paul uses the terms interchangeably in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15. Hope that helps!
Pls. You are doing well.
Can you explain 1Cor 14:27-28
1Cor14:2 and 1Cor13:8
Hi Dennis.
In 1 Cor chapters 12-14, Paul is bringing correction in the area of the gifts of the Spirit, as opposed to the use of your prayer language that you receive when you get baptized with the Holy Spirit. The believers at Corinth seem to be confused as to when it is appropriate to speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues is encouraged for private prayer and edification (1 Cor 14:2, 4) when you are by yourself (14:18). The gifts of the Spirit, including tongues and interpretation, are encouraged when you are in a group setting (14:5, 18-19).
In 1 Cor 13:8, Paul is telling the believers that someday when we are present with the Lord, we will no longer need things like tongues, prophecy, knowledge, etc. At that point, knowledge will be set aside and tongues will cease. But until that day, things like prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are very much needed.
Hope that helps. Feel free to reply with any follow up questions.
Hi there, I’m just stumbled upon this today after leading a young believer in receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit at a birthday party yesterday. I explained to her and a group of others who began to question me about what is the difference between having your prayer language and having the gift of speaking in tongues. I explained to them much of what you posted here. However, I have a question about whether when praying in tongues, is it our spirit man praying to God or if praying in tongues is it the Holy Spirit Himself praying through our spirit directly to God? From my understanding when we choose to pray in our prayer language, it is we ourselves taking the initiative to yield our tongue to the Holy Spirit and He then begins to speak to God through us in a different language which God understands and He is praying for us the perfect will of God in a different language which we don’t understand, yet He can certainly reveal to each of us what is being prayed to the Father, and allow us to interpret our prayers. Could you clarify if this is accurate, because when I read your initial post you stated the following, “The Bible tells us in several places that we should make use of this ability as often as possible (1 Cor 14:14-15, Eph 6:18, Jude 1:20, etc).”
And when I read one of your points in the response to Valerie, you stated the following, “4 – In 1 Cor 14:14-15, it says that when you pray in tongues, it is your spirit that is praying, not the Holy Spirit, and not your mind. And it implies that you can do this whenever you want to. You decide when.”
I guess my question is how is it only your spirit that is praying, when we do not know what we ought to pray and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is evidence that the Holy Spirit is living inside of every believer. I know that the Holy Spirit is waiting on our yielding to Him in prayer whether He leads us to pray in our native tongue or in our spiritual language. So is it or is it not the Holy Spirit praying a spiritual language through us once our tongue has been yielded to Him? I ask because the scriptures you listed concerning prayer as often as we can in the Spirit, have capital Spirit not spirit with a little s. I’m referring to:
Eph 6:18 and Jude 1:20
Blessings to You,
Hi Liz. These are great questions!
In 1 Cor 6:17, we are told that “he who is joined to the Lord in one spirit with Him.” That means that your spirit and the Holy Spirit are one unit, and cannot be separated. Your spirit is a combination of you and the Holy Spirit. It is no longer just you by yourself. So, to me that means that whatever your spirit is doing, it is not just your spirit, it is a combination of you and the Holy Spirit. This is one of the most precious truths I have ever come across in scripture, and it is almost too amazing to grasp. But it is true nonetheless.
That being said….the Bible tells us in 1 Cor 14:14 that when I pray in tongues it is my spirit that is praying (as you quoted). And since I am told as a believer that I should do this as often as I can, then that implies that I am the one that initiates it under normal circumstances. But even when I am the one that initiates it, and I am the one praying, it is never just me because my spirit is joined to the Holy Spirit, and we are one. Whatever my spirit is doing, it is always in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. He is with me helping me do whatever I am doing. But I am the one doing it with His help.
The reason I made the point in my article is to deal with confusion and questions that I often run into when I teach on this topic. There are many people that believe they just need to sit and wait on God to force them to speak in tongues. They use different language for this (like waiting for an unction…etc), but it all adds up to waiting on God to take over their body. And I like to clear up that confusion by using 1 Cor 14:14. It is you the believer that speaks in tongues, and you decide when it happens. And when you decide, the Holy Spirit will give you the ability every time.
There are times, as you alluded to, where the Holy Spirit will prompt me, and He is urging me to pray in tongues, and He is the one behind it (Rom 8:26 for example). But it is still left up to me whether or not I will cooperate. (There are exceptions to all of this…I am just speaking generally).
Thank you again for a very good question. I hope this is helpful. Be blessed!
I am blessed, I read through the comments… Very interesting. Pls keep it up. Question: when one is praying in tongue and had an understanding that he is asking for a car? Can that be seen as speaking in tongue? You are speaking in tongue but you have an understanding in your spirit, what is that? Pls if I got this right, Praying in tongue is praying in ones native or whatever language and speaking in tongue is praying in the Holy Ghost?
Hi Daniel. Thank you for your questions. If I understand you correctly, you are asking specific questions about what language you speak when you pray in tongues. Simply put, praying in tongues is another way of saying “praying in a language you do not understand.” Your born-again spirit is praying to God using your vocal cords, but you are not speaking in a language that you know. It is supernatural, and you are doing it by faith as a spiritual action.
Sometimes when you pray in tongues, the Lord will reveal things to you. He may reveal to you what you are praying about. Or He may give you some insight into a situation. Or He may give you some wisdom about future events. Or a variety of other things.
This can be called “receiving the interpretation of what you prayed.” We are encouraged to do this in 1 Cor 14:13 “Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.” That option is always available to you, and I would encourage you to be open to hearing from the Lord as you pray in tongues.
I hope that helps. If not, please reply and let me know.
Be blessed!
Question(s): Hello, I really enjoyed your post – it has blessed me tremendously! And I’ve actually learned that I’ve been “praying” in tongues rather than “speaking” in tongues for a large part of my life. I had a question regarding the validity, if you will.. – I received my gift at an early age – around 9 or 10 when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior after being baptized by water – growing up, my father would always pray in his tongues out loud in our house and I earnestly wanted the same gift – growing up I was always told that if I earnestly desired it in my heart, God would give it to me (regarding spiritual gifts).. After I received gift of the spirit and now after 21 years (now age 31) of my prayer language, I noticed that my tongues sound the same, as in, the same 5-6 words (thats I don’t understand).. I get discouraged at times, because the body of Christ is so divided on this topic and say that it should “sound” more like a language, opposed to the same “repetitive words or sounds” which they consider to be “fake” tongues.. This “prayer language” has been imbedded in my heart since a child.. But, I have to admit that I let people’s opinions/teachings hinder me. Some people even say that your tongues should be continuously developing, ie: adding more words.. I really need a little more light shed on these areas. Can you please expound?
Thank you for your time.
Hi Elena. I am so glad when I hear that my posts have been helpful. Thank you. And thank you also for your question.
Here is my answer for you:
1 Cor 14:2 tells us that when you pray in tongues, only God can understand it…no human can understand it.
1 Cor 14:14 tells us that when you pray in tongues, your spirit is praying, but mind will not understand it.
To you, it may sound like you are repeating the same sounds over and over. But that is because you are trying to figure it out with your mind. Praying in tongues is not a mental exercise, it is a spiritual exercise. So you should never worry about how it sounds, or if your mind thinks that you are doing something repetitive. When you pray in tongues, your spirit is praying…not your mind. It is not something that you can analyze. It is something that you have to do by faith.
I have been around many (hundreds) of different people praying in tongues, and there are all kinds of languages. Sometimes it even just sounds like the same syllable over and over. Sometimes it sounds like all kinds of unknown words. Sometimes it even sounds like just noise and clicking sounds. And there is all other kinds of variety. So there is nothing wrong with something sounding repetitive to our natural minds.
Aside from that, I have also heard many natural human languages from different countries and cultures, and some of those even sound repetitive to me because I don’t understand them.
What you are doing when you praying tongues is real, and you should not let anyone hinder you in that. It is a private language between you and your heavenly Father, and He is able to understand you just fine. It doesn’t matter if it sounds repetitive to your own natural mind, or to anyone else. God is your audience, not other people.
I hope that helps! Be blessed!
Praise God! This has blessed me tremendously! Thank you again! You’re time & response is valued and appreciated.
I have been blessed with the holy spirit and recieved diverse tongues as a gift. I can read any language and speak any language. It is such a blessing and I know God will take me places to minister to his people in their native tongue. I cam use this gift also at will. I think I would like to speak Welsh or Greek and I just start speaking. I dont understand what I am saying mostly. But some words I do. In about every language I do understand the word for God. He works thru.me for it is not me that says this words but the holy spirit. But like I said I can think of a language and I just start speaking it. This gift is to exalt our God in high and do his bidding. Praise his name. Bless you all and keep the faith.
Wow that is amazing!!
Bless you Neal. It is absolutely amazing. I can read any language even syllables and heirglyphs. I am so humbled to have this gift as I dont hear of many around that do. It is all for his glory. He will.speak hru me to minsiter to his.people. I am glad be that vessel. It’s truly amazing even to unbelievers I will speak these languages. I love God so much to him in prayer tongues throughout the day. He did give.me the understanding in every language to know when I am saying God and amen. :) He is outpouring his spirit during this time.on earth. Keep up the good work my brother. Bless you
This is most definitely the gift of tongues! Just like in acts just like the examples of tongues in the bible
Neal – your teaching on the speaking in tongues is right on , it is exactly what I have experienced over the years , I will use your comments in a home group that I am attending and their is a lot of confusion about
tongues and the gifts . You say it so much better than I do . hopefully maturity in the spirit will come upon my home group as well as some of the saints who have made comments before me on this Web page.
My spirit bears witness
Thank you Gary. I pray that God’s wisdom is with you whenever you speak on this topic, and I pray for all confusion to be removed in Jesus name!
Neal
I have looked for many years in the San Diego area for a spirit filled church and finally God has lead
me to a good one . The upper room and the Crucifixion were a surprise to the disciples , Jesus spent
most of his time teaching on the Kingdom , what are your thoughts on the Kingdom , have you heard of Mark Hoffman ?
I am currently working on some articles where I will share my views on the Kingdom. But if you are interested, I did an introductory sermon on it a few months ago. That video is located here: The Kingdom of God – Video Sermon
To your second question, I am not familiar with Mark Hoffman.
Mark and his brother Dave are lead Pastors of Foothills Christian in El Cajon , Ca . I caught your sermon on the Kingdom of God and you teach it like I am taught at Foothills . you don’t know each other but we have the same Holy Spirit . Mark authored the book “On Earth As It Is In Heaven” the book has changed
my spiritual walk .
Whenever I heard a worship songs even along the road or work place my speaking in tongues will come up with force, and I can’t pray with native language anymore even if I must pray for the whole day, I need guide line please.
If it is prompted by the Holy Spirit, then I would go with what He is prompting you to do. Sometimes that means you are being used to intercede for someone or something that you are not aware of.
Hi
Thank you for this article. It Left me in awe. So much fell into perspective. I’ve had the strangest experience with tongues when I got baptised by the spirit. I have for so many years asked so many people if they experienced the same. As I was getting baptised by the Holy Spirit I continued praying in my mother tongue, but what I uttered was a completely different language. Have you come across a case like that? What does it mean? For me it was a once off experience that I’d like to learn about. I’m not even sure if I am asking what I should. Thank you
Hi there. Thank you for your comment. Yes, I have seen cases like that several times, and it has been used for different things. Here is one example:
One time we were praying for someone in our home. One person tried to pray in English but it kept coming out in a different language. She kept trying to pray in English but it kept coming out in a different language that we did not understand. After the prayer time, the person that we were ministering to told us that she heard the prayer in her own native language (that none of us knew), and that the prayer was speaking to her about something from her childhood.
There are many varieties. You can trust that the Holy Spirit is working with you to accomplish something, even if you don’t know what it is in the moment. Always trust the Lord and follow the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to tell you whatever you need to know, and I promise you that He will.
God bless you!
Thank you and God bless you
My name is Emmanuel . I was made an assistant pastor of a growing church.Every time my mum and I and some other people with the gift of the Holy Ghost speak in tongues in the church,the senior pastor gets annoyed . Simply because he doesn’t have the gift in speaking in tongues.He a general motion that; “people who speak in tongues a possessed with an evil spirit “. Because of that and some other reasons,we had to stop the going to the church without his notice or any explanation.Supprisingly, he’s never bothered to know why we have stopped coming to church either by calling or visitation.I guess he’s happy!But I pray that he will one-day know the truth and probably speak in tongues too!
Thank you for your comment Emmanuel. I will join you in praying that the senior pastor will receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit! I believe the Lord wants every believer to receive it.
Just want you to know this blessed me. God bless you more.
Thank you very much Bukola! God bless you as well!
This is the best Scriptural explanation about this subject that I have read so far. Thank you, and may Father God continue to use you in this manner. The body of Christ needs these teachings.
Thank you for the kinds words and for your blessing and prayer. I receive that!
Thank you for providing this format for questions regarding tongues. I received my prayer language shortly after I was saved in 1979. For many years, I didn’t use my gift, because my husband was opposed to my beliefs and I became discouraged. I have since then, resumed my private prayer language and have been blessed with peace because of it.
My question is whether a private prayer language can be an actual language? What scared me is that I googled words that sounded like words I use in my prayer language and it seems Arabic. Is it wrong for me to do that? Some of the words were interesting and seemed like real warfare kinds of words. But why would God have me speak Arabic? I don’t know though, if it would technically be a conversation in Arabic. Should I not do that and just accept what was a blessing before I tried interpreting my language as an actual language? This is really bothering me, so I hope you can help. God bless.
Hi Janine. That is a great question.
There are some very bizarre languages on the earth, and there are so many varieties and dialects of each language. Add that to the idea that there are also “languages of angels” (1 Cor 13:1). Those two facts make it impossible for us to determine with 100% certainty whether a language is “real” or not. At some point we have to choose to believe based on our best understanding of what scripture teaches.
I believe that each individual prayer language is a real language. It is just a language that we do not know. I base this on my understanding of 1 Cor 14:10 and 1 Cor 13:1. I take the combination of those two passages to mean this: speaking in tongues is “speaking in a language of humans or angels,” and “every language has meaning.”
When I pray in tongues, I believe that I am speaking a real language, even though it is a language I do not understand. And I believe that the same is true for everyone that speaks in tongues.
The scripture tells us that we can pray for the interpretation of what we say when we pray in tongues (1 Cor 14:13). The scripture does not tell us about using Google or asking a friend or anything like that. So I can only offer you my opinion. Here is my suggestion, but this is just my own opinion:
It is ok to look on Google, but don’t put too much weight into what you find on Google regarding your language because it may not be accurate. It is better and more reliable to take it to the lord in prayer and let him tell you what to believe about what you are speaking.
I hope that helps. Be blessed!
So I have read this and read the comments. I am confused. If I pray in tongues and it is between the Lord and I, and if I am in a meeting and I pray in tongues, out loud, without an interpretation, is that really where I should be doing it? Seems like if it is for God and I, it is selfish to do it in public…. prayer language then maybe it isn’t for a public forum? And if it is Tongues and interpretation, then it is for the public….which would be something that would be a sign to unbelievers…..still totally confused on all of this. I have been in places where as soon as the Pastor says let us pray the entire congregation is speaking in tongues and as soon as he says Amen, the moment is over. Just never has seemed genuine. I want to DO what the Lord wants me to do to be 100% HIS….and if this is something I need for that to happen, then I want it. But I do want to be clear on the Bible and what it says concerning it all……
Thanks for your comment. I want to reply to a couple of points:
1 – When you are baptized with the Holy Spirit, you are given the ability to speak in tongues whenever you like. This is a new way for you to talk to God and God is your audience
2 – If you are in a group setting with other believers, and you all want to pray to the Lord together, it is ok to do this in your native language (English, for example). And it is also OK to do this in your spiritual language (praying in tongues). If you all understand and believe, then this is perfectly fine and should not be chaotic. You all know that each individual is talking to the Lord, and you are all doing it in a group.
3 – There are also times where the Holy Spirit may prompt you to speak out in a group setting to deliver a prophetic message from God to the group. This may be done in your native language (English, for example), and this is normally known as the gift of prophecy. This may also be done through the combination of the gifts of tongues plus interpretation. Either way, the communication is initiated by the Holy Spirit and the intended audience is the group, and not God.
4 – In the situation you described with the pastor, I cannot say whether or not it is genuine or not. Based on my own experience, I would say that in any large group you will have a mixture of people being genuine and people not being genuine. That is just the nature of people and groups. Personally, I like to err on the side of liberty, allowing people to make mistakes and learn and grow, rather than waiting until everyone is doing everything 100% correctly every time. If we wait until everything is 100% perfect, then we will never get started and never grow.
5 – Whenever you do anything with God or for God, it is always a combination of you and God. It is never 100% God. It is always a combination. God prompts you, then you choose to participate. The prompting may be very strong or very weak, but you will need to choose to participate. And the way it is expressed comes through you, affected by your personality and expressed by you as a dearly loved child of God who is acting on his/her Father’s behalf. This is why in 1 Cor 12-14, Paul is giving instructions on the proper ways to cooperate with God to express His will. If it was 100% God, then there would be no need for instruction or correction.
I hope that helps.
I have been raised in a Pentecostal church my entire life. I’ve had moments I’ve spoken in tongues but I’ve never felt that I could do it whenever I wanted. I see other believers that most definitely do this because I’ve heard them say I’m about to pray in my prayer language, as to explain to unbelievers that are present. I also had a woman tell me she always prayers over her children in her prayer language at night before they go to bed. I actually feel like somethings wrong with me because I don’t possess this ability. So many times I’ve been in the alter praying for others and I feel so inadequate because others are speaking in tongues and I am not. I don’t feel I am holding any part of myself back from God but I also don’t feel like being used fully for some reason. Please help me understand what may be going on. Thank you.
Once you have received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, you can pray in tongues as often as you like. The main hindrance would be if you don’t believe that you can do it. The Bible tells us to pray in the spirit at all times (Eph 6:18). The fact that we are encouraged to do it often proves that it is up to us. There are times when the Holy Spirit will prompt you, and there are also times when you can decide to do it. Both are valid uses.
Is it okay to pray in the holy spirit without an interpretation. If God is using you to speak in tounges to send a message to his people. Would you then need interpretation?? I was told if you are praying in the holy spirit you do not need a translator which i believe my self to be wrong information. I believe you do infact need and interper.. please help clarify this. And back me with scripture.
Hi Allyssa. Thank you for your question.
Yes it is OK to pray in the spirit without interpretation. Here are a few examples from scripture that speak to this:
1 Cor 14:2 – For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
Praying in the spirit is when you are talking to God. There is no need for interpretation because God understands you. You aren’t talking to other people, so no interpretation is needed.
Eph 6:18 – praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
We are encouraged to pray in the spirit at all times, and there is no mention of needing an interpretation during your private prayer time. It would be difficult to pray in the spirit at all times if interpretation was always required.
1 Cor 14:18-19 – I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Paul says he prays in tongues more than all of the Corinthians. He contrasts this with being in the church. This tells us that when he speaks in tongues, it is not normally in church. He is not in a group, and no interpretations is needed. He says that when is is speaking to others, he would rather speak in his normal language. He speaks in tongues mostly when he is by himself.
I hope that helps. Be blessed!
Hi Neal
Thank you so much. I’ve been so confused by this subject. God bless you for explaining this to us. I have 1 question I need clarification. Is it ok to pray in your prayer language in a group setting? Or pray for people in your prayer language? I think there’s one scripture where Paul says that no one should say Amen to what they don’t understand.
Another unrelated question. What are your thoughts of people praying loud at the same time, vs 1 person leading prayer. Scriptures say God is a God of order
Thank you again, and God bless
Hi Elaine. Thank you for your questions.
1 – Is it ok to pray in tongues in a group setting? Acts 2 and Acts 19 both contain examples of praying in tongues in a group setting. 1 Cor 14 warns us to be wary of our motives when doing any spiritual activity though. And it also cautions us to be sensitive to whomever is present. But if you are in a group of believers that understand about speaking in tongues, there is nothing wrong with doing that together. Our motive is the biggest factor.
2 – Is it ok for people to pray out loud at the same time? Yes it is as long as everyone’s motive is pure. If it is done to show off or to draw attention to yourself or something like that, then it is not good. But if you are in a group of people sincerely praying to God, there is nothing wrong with people praying at the same time. Again remember that in Acts 2 the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and they all were praying out loud and the onlookers thought it was chaotic. But God initiated the whole thing, so it was not chaotic to him. Our idea of order can be very different than God’s idea of order.
I hope that helps.
I read that praying in the spirit (prayer language) is to edify myself. What does that mean? If I’m praying (privately) for someone’s healing or salvation and my human praying doesn’t feel adequate can I pray in my prayer language and be sure that the Spirt would be praying appropriately for that healing/salvation. Another words, praying Gods will over the person.
Thank you!
The word translated “edify” means “to build up, restore, or repair.” This is only one of the uses of praying in the spirit. You can also use this type of prayer to pray for others, or to worship, or many other things. I have an article on this here on my site. Here is a link to it:
Baptism with the Holy Spirit Part 5 – The Purpose and Benefits of Tongues
Thank you SO much Neal Leazer! I will be using my prayer language a lot more now that I understand.
God Bless!
Mary
You are very welcome! Be blessed!
I know this is 2 years later. Hope you see this. But yes. When you speak in tongues someone described it perfectly to me and I was able to confirm it. With my experience. You are surrendering the sounds of your vocal cords, the movements of your tongue and the syllables that comes out of you to Jesus in most Holy Faith that the Holy Spirit is the one that is forming his intention and prayer and words from it. And so it is that if you don’t know how to pray, or what to pray, you pause and you pray in the spirit, and A way to guarantee praying fully in the spirit without any of your personal desires or biases is praying in tongues. So when you’re by yourself and you want to pray for someone, you can feeling an impulse to pray for someone specific or a group of people or over a situation, set yourself apart away from distractions, and just let your lips, tongue, and vocal cords go, and trust in most holy faith that the spirit has taken over. Over those sounds to create moans and prayers for whoever it is intended to be for. When you speak in tongues the very action of that ultimate Faith behavior, that work of Faith, actually increases your spiritual power, it increases your connection with the Holy Spirit, and in that moment you are in full sync with God, and your natural self is pushed aside. Therefore anything of God is allowed into that moment and into your body. You are edified, and built up even when you are praying over someone else that conversation out of you to the father. Father. That conversation between the Holy Spirit within you and the father, builds your spirit and builds you up closer to the father. Amen. Please excuse all the lower caps, I’m using Google voice. I really hope this finds you or someone else so that they can be edified. Right now I am acting in Faith that someone who is supposed to see this and get a better understanding, will. And if so. Drop me a reply. Blessings to you reader in Jesus name. God loves you so much that it hurts.
Very well said Joseph!
Thanks for this. In Acts 8 v 24 to 17…phillip had preached. The gospel to the Samaritans… When Peter and John heard, they went the same way re to baptise them with the HolySpirit. This probably was the practice in the early days. The disciples didn’t merely stop at preaching the gospel, they also baptised them in the spirit. It’s sad the a lot of churches do not see the need for the baptism of the spirit in the present day.
I’ve been in a church where people didn’t speak in tongue on the pulpit and the repercussions of that was that a large percentage of the church never spoke in tongues or even understood it.
Thank you for your comments. And I completely agree that teaching on the Baptism with the Holy Spirit should be in the regular rotation at any assembly of believers.
Be blessed!
Very good! Very rare to have accurate presentation of tongues in a practical and biblical manner. I will save this site. Outstanding job!
Thank you Edwin! There is definitely a need for people to share the info. This is by far the most viewed page on my site. Be blessed!
Hi Neal, I just wanted to thank you so much for your teaching on this subject. I received my prayer language a few weeks ago, and bc I am inquisitive I began researching to learn more about it and imagine my surprise to find out about all the controversy surrounding tongues (and I know that’s not a coincidence). I struggled between is this really gibberish – mind you I’d never spoken gibberish before or desired to so why would I just start now? – to reminding myself that God is the giver and can/does absolutely still utilize tongues if He sees fits. You also confirmed for me the context of 1 Cor 13:8, I understood it the way you explained: that when we are present with the Lord we will no longer need tongues,. …etc. However I’d read articles from trusted sites that seemed to negate or misunderstand this. So after reading about the controversy, I decided I would still continue praying in the spirit while seeking the answers I need, and I truly believe God led me to your article and comments section. It is here that I found the answers to soo many of the questions that have arose since receiving this gift. Thank you so much Neal for your patience and willingness on this topic, I can sense your kindness in every response. Thank you for leaving this article open (as I see it was written a few years ago), it has truly blessed many including me. I definitely will be saving this to share with others should the topic arise. Thanks again, I am most grateful. May God continue to bless and strengthen you.
Hi Kara. Thank you for the kind words and the encouragement. I am so glad to hear that these resources have been helpful.
My experience was similar to yours in some ways. There is a lot of resistance to this topic. I think many of the opponents mean well, but I believe they are misinformed. At the end of the day, we each have to decide what we are going to believe. For me, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and the included ability to speak in tongues has been one of the greatest experiences in my life with God. I cannot imagine what life would be like without this wonderful gift, and my desire is that everyone could experience it and make use of it. Our Father gave it to us to help us, and it seems to me we need all the help we can get.
Be blessed!
Hi I just read your message it was great glory To God I believe in speaking in tongues like you say is a way for God to communicate to his people🙏 A year ago an accident happen to me at my pass church that broken me I was in the spirit and speaking in tongue’s and praying for people and when you are in the spirit you don’t realize how loud you are speaking I was praying for this young girl and then the preacher say stop really loud in front of the church and that hurt my feelings because I never had no one do that to me in front of the church but now that my husband and I are going to a new church I am healing little by little that God is doing something new in me that making me realize that I should not me ashamed of myself because God has given me a gift that is not for me to keep but share it to his people that need to hear God’s presence in there life’s
Hi Julieta. Thank you for your comment. I am sorry for the way that was handled. I don’t know all the details, but I believe it is best to forgive quickly, and help each other learn and grow in the things of the spirit. I can understand that the way that was handled could have been hurtful, but I am glad you are still moving forward in faith.
Be blessed!
Hi Neal
I thank God for this piece on the Holy Spirit Baptism and the gifts of speaking in tongues. I have taken quality time to go over it more than once, it has really added to my understanding on the subject matter, I can now as a teacher teach more confidently on it.
My question though is, if the vocal gifts are temporary does it means the gifts are given for a season or purpose and taken away.
Hello and thank you for your kind words.
To answer your question, the nine gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Cor 12 are all temporary, in that they are given to you for a purpose in a moment, and when you use them for that purpose, then they are no longer active. The are like matches that you use to like a fire. The Spirit gives you a match, and then you use it to start the intended fire. Then that match is gone. But the Holy Spirit will continue giving you a wide variety of matches to start different fires over and over as long as you are willing to participate.
Each gift is a temporary and specific manifestation of the Spirit for a specific intended purpose.
I hope that helps! Be blessed!
I have been used many times in the Meaasge of Tongues. My question is when I am giving the message I want to continue on and not stop giving ghe message. I have to just stop speaking and always feel like there is more.
Hi Jerry. Thank you for your question.
If I understand correctly, I believe you are asking me about when you are operating in the gift of diverse tongues, how do you know when to stop? Personally, I stop when I feel that sense of release, like the internal “pressure” is no longer there. However, that is how the Holy Spirit works with me personally. That may be different for you. I would suggest looking back on your past experiences, and asking the Holy Spirit to teach you about how He wants to work with you in this area. As you know, He is the best teacher.
I hope that helps. Be blessed!
I like the way you describe that. There’s this powerful, overwhelming sense while operating in the gift of tongues, and then it feels almost like a deflating and whispering. Whispering it almost subsides and I feel like I am now breathing calmly. At some points. I have felt more intense energy than others. There have been moments where once the release occurs I am actually fatigued. And that is only because he shows and manifests more of his glory through my physical body to that person. But two things very important to note for whoever is reading this. I always could stop whenever I wanted to, and he never overwhelmed my body more than it could take. Or then I wished. I once said a prayer you have full permission to take over and use my body. Whenever you want. I give you back my freedom. And ever since then I received the gift of tongues. I have always had the prayer of tongues.
Thank you Joseph. Very well said.
The prayer tongue and the gift tongue which one was spoken by the apostle in Acts 2:1_6
Thank you for your question. Personally, I believe that since the disciples received the Holy Spirit baptism in Acts 2, that they were praying in their prayer language. I also believe that God wanted to use this as a sign and a wonder, so He caused their prayer language to be understandable to the people present.
My future son in law was inquiring about this gift as he and his family are unfamiliar with it’s practice. Thank you so much for providing this information! Thank you for giving of your time to explain, teach and look up verses for us! This is going on my home page! Blessings on you brother!
Hi Tim! Thank you for your comment and for the kind words! I am glad it was helpful. Be blessed!
Thank you Neal for this teaching. It was by far the best I have heard and your replies to questions are the most humble and respectful I have seen. Bless you!
Wow thank you Gail! I very much appreciate that! I’m glad the info was helpful. Be blessed!!!