I want to address what is a controversial subject for some people – speaking and praying in tongues. For me personally, I have been so grateful to the Lord for the gift of tongues to help me in my prayer life. I recently shared on Facebook that probably half of my prayers are prayed in tongues instead of English. I have also noticed that many leaders that I have met who are stewarding large ministries and massive responsibility pray in tongues a lot. It seems that the apostle Paul had the same personal discipline.
I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. I Corinthians 14:18
Every Believer Can Speak in Tongues
I believe that every spiritual gift is still active today (I Cor 12:8-10), and I believe the Holy Spirit can manifest any gift in any believer as He sees fit (I Cor. 12:11). That means that any spirit-filled Christian can pray in tongues. Paul says “ I wish you all spoke with tongues” (I Cor 14:5). While teaching proper order, Paul gives the example of the whole church coming together and everyone speaking in tongues, as if that is possible (I Cor 14:23). We must obey the commands to “pray in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18, Jude 20), which is praying tongues (as I show later in the article). Throughout the book of Acts, the baptism of the Holy Spirit was nearly always accompanied by believers speaking in tongues as they were filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4, 10:46, 19:6).
So if you do not pray or speak in tongues, I would encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to baptize you with his power. Ask him to fill you completely with His Spirit and for the deep communion of praying in tongues. Begin to speak out in faith (Romans 12:3) and watch the Holy Spirit release the river of His spirit through your mouth!
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalm 81:10
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit. John 7:38-39
Tongues of Men and Angels: Multiple Types of Tongues
I believe the New Testament gives us examples of a few different kinds of miraculous tongues. Different Bible teachers divide up tongues into various categories, but I do not think there is a hard and fast way to categorize the various manifestations. However, it is helpful to know that the manifestation of tongues takes on multiple forms in the New Testament.
I Corinthians 13:1 gives us a hint of at least two categories of tongues.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. I Corinthians 13:1
Here we see at least two categories: 1) tongues of men and 2) tongues of angels.
Tongues of Men
What we read as “tongues” in the Bible literally means languages. The gift of tongues was first manifested at Pentecost in Acts 2 as believers began supernaturally speaking other human languages. This is obviously not the same manifestation that Paul describes in I Corinthians 14 which requires an interpretation. Acts 2 required no interpretation because believers were supernaturally preaching the Gospel in a human language so that people from other nations could understand the Gospel clearly.
From what I understand, this type of tongues still happens regularly in the context of frontier missions, where language barriers can be a hindrance to the Gospel. Additionally, I have heard multiple stories of people speaking in tongues and someone who is bilingual understands what they are saying in a different language. A lady commenting on my Facebook post about tongues said her husband, who speaks Hebrew, understood part of her tongues to be speaking about “the world to come” in Hebrew (the lady speaking in tongues does not know the Hebrew language).
Tongues of Angels
The term “tongues of angels” indicates that one manifestation of tongues involves believers speaking in a heavenly language that humans will not understand. Not all tongues will be other human languages. Many times, the sounds we make will be unintelligible to our minds.
This is the kind of tongues Paul is addressing in I Corinthians 14.
Here are a few purposes of heavenly tongues, according to that passage:
- To speak to God, not to men (14:2)
- To edify oneself (14:4)
- To be interpreted supernaturally as a prophetic word (14:13)
- To pray and worship (14:14-15)
So “tongues of angels”, the gift of tongues that Paul is describing here, is not meant to be understood by our minds. It is a spiritual language, a heavenly language. It is spoken to God for our spiritual edification, and at times it may be interpreted by others. This gift of interpretation is not understanding the language with our minds, but it is receiving supernatural revelation from the Holy Spirit of what is being spoken in tongues.
Some people would create more categories here and designate a type of tongues for our personal “prayer language” and then another type of tongues that is meant to be interpreted in a church gathering. I can see how that categorization could be helpful.
What Speaking in Tongues Feels Like
My personal experience is subjective, but for those who have never spoken in tongues, I thought it might be helpful to try to describe what it feels like for me.
Speaking in tongues does not ever feel like God moving my mouth for me and vibrating my vocal chords without my involvement or free will. It is always a partnership with my own choice and the supernatural empowering of the Spirit as I walk by faith.
When I first spoke in tongues in my teens, I was not sure if I had actually done it or not. It felt so “unspiritual” that I thought I had made it up or forced myself to do it. For those filled with the Spirit of God, speaking in tongues is actually natural. We are spirit beings, citizens of heaven and partakers of the divine nature. Of course we would speak in a heavenly language!
Honestly, for me, most of the times it starts with nothing more than making nonsensical syllables over and over again. Yet after a few moments, I begin to feel God’s presence, and it starts to “flow” in a way where I am not thinking about my mouth or syllables or the specific sounds. I become tuned to God and the spirit realm, but my mouth just keeps moving. Brain studies have shown that people speaking in tongues are not actually engaging the part of their brains connected to language.
Nonsensical syllables without the Holy Spirit is useless. But for a believer who is baptized in the Holy Spirit, opening your mouth in faith realizes a river of supernatural tongues that builds you up, prepares you to receive revelation, helps you hear God’s voice, strengthens your faith and wars against the enemy of your soul.
Every gift of God is one that must be operated in faith. Every spiritual gift requires our cooperation with the Spirit and our free will to engage. Speaking in tongues is the same way. You have to open your mouth and speak.
I will say that there are times, usually after some extended time of worship, where tongues will seem to “burst” out of me. This usually happens if I’m singing worship and it suddenly shifts to tongues. Even so, I always have the capacity to close my mouth and stop it. I’m never “possessed” by God’s Spirit and lose self control (which is actually a fruit of the Spirit). But I do want to be so yielded to Him that His Spirit can flow freely through me.
Praying and Singing in the Spirit
Let’s look at this idea of “praying in the Spirit” from I Corinthians 14, and then connect in some other verses on this topic.
13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Praying in tongues and praying in the spirit are synonymous here. This is important because there are other New Testament verses about praying in the spirit that we can look at below.
Remember that praying in the spirit is utilizing that heavenly language – praying with the tongues of angels. The goal is not to speak another earthly language or to understand before you speak. The impact of your prayer in tongues is first in the spirit realm.
The emphasis throughout this passage in I Corinthians 14 is the value of interpretation. Even as we speak in tongues we are encouraged to simultaneously be praying (ie. praying in the Spirit) that we may interpret or understand what it is we are praying in tongues. Many times as you pray in tongues you will begin to receive revelation and understanding from God. You will hear God’s voice. You will receive visions, ideas, wisdom and insights. In verse 4 where it says tongues “edifies” oneself, that word edify is related to the word edifice, which means a building or structure. As you pray in tongues you are building yourself up – literally creating space and structure in your spirit to receive revelation from God! This also happens as you sing in the spirit.
There are other benefits to praying in the Spirit, such as the strengthening of our faith. Jude agrees with Paul that praying in tongues is a way for a believer to build themselves up. Praying in the spirit can be extremely rejuvenating and refreshing.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Jude 20
Praying in the spirit is an act of spiritual warfare. At the end of the passage on the armor of God it is mentioned along with the word of God as a key to spiritual victory. Satan and demons hate when believers begin to pray and sing in the Spirit.
…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints Ephesians 6:17-18
An Amazing Gift for Our Prayer Lives
As we begin to understand the purpose and power of praying in the spirit, we realize that tongues really is a gift to us! I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit also helps me in my weakness. I regularly struggle with prayer, and I frequently do not know how to pray well (Romans 8:26). But the gift of tongues has been invaluable in energizing my prayer life, empowering my spiritual warfare and deepening my communion with God.