On my walk home from grade school, I would sing songs in a made up language. Later in life I realized this was singing in tongues. Often when children get born again they exhibit the freedom to yield to the Holy Spirit by speaking or singing in their new God-given language. What about teens and adults?
There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about speaking in tongues. People think a spirit takes over and it’s like in the movies where a person’s eyes roll back in their head, they get possessed and then they speak in a different language and are totally unaware of it. NOT! It’s just the opposite. The person speaking or praying in tongues is in complete control of their actions. The spirit from within gives the words (that’s the cool part), but the person does the speaking. They can start or stop anytime, just like speaking in their native language.
So, besides being proof that’s there’s something really different about you now, what’s the point of singing or speaking in tongues?
Everyone instinctively knows there’s more going on than what we see in the natural. Speaking in tongues reveals mysteries that lie behind the scenes (1 Cor 14:2). It makes it so we understand and can rise above the darkness of the world around us. The Lord wants us to know the mysteries. He wants us to know the God side of the paranormal.
The devil is getting a lot bolder with his attacks but we are more easily equipped with a bigger arson of weaponry and skill. Speaking in tongues builds us up in these areas. “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself” (1 Cor 14:4). The Greek word for “edifieth” is oikodomeo and comes from a word meaning “to be a house-builder, build up, embolden.”
Praying in tongues also builds up our faith. It’s not good enough to operate in small faith when it comes to caring for ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighborhoods, our world. Bigger faith action is needed. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20). But what about when we don’t know what to have faith for or what to pray?
Romans 8:26 tells us speaking in tongues is a way to pray perfectly for those things. The Greek translation reads: “The Holy Spirit maketh intercession for us in goanings that cannot be uttered in articulate speech.” Articulate speech refers to our known languages. We just don’t know what God knows, but the Holy Spirit within us does. The Holy Spirit gives us the words to pray the perfect will of God for any person or any situation.
When we speak in tongues we are communicating directly with God (1 Cor 14:2). We are bypassing the limitations of our ever so rational, critical minds. The exact words come from within. Jesus said, “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:39). So let it flow.
The Bible has many more things to say about the benefits of speaking in tongues, but I will close with this one, which is precious: “Thou verily givest thanks well” (1 Cor 14:17). We know that being thankful is vital for truly glorious Christian living and speaking or singing in tongues does it well!
Love, Carolyn
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