Can You Tell Me More About Speaking In Tongues?
"Can You Tell Me More About Speaking in Tongues?"
This is a question I hear often—and it’s a great one. Speaking in tongues is mentioned repeatedly in Scripture, and for those seeking to live a Bible-based life and experience everything God has for them, it’s a topic worth exploring.
To start, let me share my journey with this spiritual gift.
A PERSONAL TESTIMONY
When I was seven years old, I attended Sunday school at my family’s church in St. Louis, Missouri. Like most kids my age, I wasn’t particularly thrilled about sitting still for lessons. I would have much rather been outside building forts, riding bikes, or playing ball. But one Sunday, something happened that changed my life.
The lesson that day was about Noah’s Ark. After the teacher finished, he asked us to bow our heads and pray. Normally, this was just a routine—pray, get dismissed, and head out. But this time was different. As we prayed, I felt something powerful. While the other kids left, I couldn’t stop praying. God’s presence was so tangible that I stayed behind, captivated by what was happening in my heart.
A few weeks later, a similar experience occurred. My dad was ministering at a church in Nashville, Tennessee, and during his message, he invited people to pray. As I bowed my head and began to pray, I felt that overwhelming presence of God again. At just seven years old, I found myself deeply moved, caught up in worship. This time, I felt an urge to speak words I didn’t understand. I had heard about speaking in tongues but didn’t fully grasp what it meant. Still, I obeyed that nudge, and those unfamiliar words began to flow.
Later, my parents explained that I had experienced speaking in tongues for the first time. That moment marked the beginning of my journey with this incredible gift from God.
Navigating Skepticism
For years after that first experience, I didn’t speak in tongues again. As I grew older, I became aware of how easy it was for people to “play church.” By the time I was 9 or 10, I noticed that some people seemed to fake certain spiritual expressions, including speaking in tongues.
This unsettled me. I’ve always valued authenticity in my relationship with God, and I didn’t want to play around with something so sacred. As a result, I became skeptical, even resistant, to the idea of speaking in tongues.
During my teenage years, I stayed committed to reading the Bible and praying, but I avoided anything to do with this spiritual gift. It wasn’t until college—years later—that I revisited it in a profound way.
A Rediscovery in College
College was a challenging time for me, both academically and emotionally. One day, after a particularly tough morning, I decided to stop by my church to pray instead of heading to the cafeteria. The sanctuary was empty, dimly lit, and quiet. I knelt at the front and poured out my heart to God.
As I prayed, I began to weep. My tears turned into worship, and as I worshiped, I felt God’s presence overwhelm me once again. Then, for the first time in over a decade, I spoke in tongues.
This time, it was different. I had spent years resisting this gift because of my skepticism. But as I studied Scripture, I realized that speaking in tongues was in the Bible. It wasn’t just a ritual or fleeting experience—it was a powerful gift with depth and purpose. I couldn’t ignore that truth.
Answering Common Questions
To help others understand this gift, I’ve found it helpful to structure the conversation around six basic questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Let’s walk through these together.
WHO CAN SPEAK IN TONGUES?
Who is this gift for? Simply put: everyone.
In Acts 2:4, we see the first instance of speaking in tongues: "And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Spirit gave them this ability."
This wasn’t just for apostles or spiritual elites—everyone present received the gift.
Paul reinforces this truth in 1 Corinthians 14:5: “Now I want you all to speak in tongues.” The gift is available to anyone who desires it.
WHAT IS SPEAKING IN TONGUES?
Speaking in tongues is the supernatural ability to speak a language you don’t naturally know, given by the Holy Spirit. It’s an incredible gift that allows your spirit to connect directly with God, bypassing your intellect.
Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 14:14: “If I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying.” Here, Paul makes it clear that speaking in tongues isn’t about the mind—it’s a spiritual act of communication with God.
In fact, Paul often uses the phrase "praying in the Spirit" to describe this experience. For example, in Ephesians 6:18, he says, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.” While he doesn’t always explicitly mention tongues in these passages, 1 Corinthians 14:14 helps us understand that "praying in the Spirit" is often synonymous with praying in tongues.
Is It Always an Earthly Language?
Sometimes, speaking in tongues involves an earthly language, as we see in Acts 2, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in languages understood by people from all over the world. Other times, it’s a heavenly or angelic language, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:1: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels…”
This heavenly language, though unintelligible to others, is a powerful way to connect with God. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.”
WHEN SHOULD YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES?
The best times are during prayer and worship—moments when you’re deeply connected to God. For example, in Acts 10:44–46, people spoke in tongues while listening to Peter preach. Paul also modeled speaking in tongues frequently as part of his personal prayer life (1 Corinthians 14:18).
WHERE CAN YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES?
Anywhere! Whether you’re at home, in the car, or at church, the location doesn’t matter as long as it’s done in order and with the right heart posture (1 Corinthians 14:40).
WHY SHOULD YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES?
This is such a deep question—one I can only scratch the surface of here. The truth is, the “why” behind speaking in tongues carries layers of meaning that you grow into over time as you walk with God. But let’s start with this: speaking in tongues is not just an end in itself. It’s not simply about saying, “Well, I spoke in tongues, so I’m done.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. There is tremendous value and purpose in this spiritual gift.
Speaking Directly to God
1 Corinthians 14:2 says, “For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God.”
Think about that for a moment. When I pray in tongues, I’m not just speaking words into the air—I am speaking directly to God. That’s an incredible privilege! It’s a divine conversation, Spirit to Spirit, that transcends human language.
Strengthening Yourself Spiritually
Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 14:4, “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally.”
When I pray in tongues, I’m edifying myself—I’m building myself up spiritually. This isn’t just an opinion; this is Bible. And this is one of the reasons I want us, as a church, to pursue all the gifts of the Spirit. The Bible encourages us to do so, and I want us to be a Bible-based church that doesn’t shy away from the things we might not fully understand.
Praying for Others in the Spirit
Jude 1:20 says, “Build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.” When we pray in tongues, we not only edify ourselves, but we also have the ability to intercede for others, even when we don’t know the specifics of their needs.
Paul further explains this in Romans 8:26: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
Here’s how this works: Sometimes, someone might be going through something they haven’t shared with anyone. Yet, through the Holy Spirit, God can place that person on my heart. By praying in tongues, I can intercede for them, trusting that the Spirit is praying exactly what needs to be prayed—even if I don’t fully understand it.
A Tremendous Impact
Think about how incredible this is. By embracing this biblical truth, we can have a profound impact on our own lives and the lives of others. Speaking in tongues is not just about personal edification—it’s about allowing God to work through us to build others up, sometimes in ways we may never fully comprehend.
Like Paul, I want to be able to say, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you” (1 Corinthians 14:18). Not out of pride, but because I see how valuable this gift is. It helps me grow in my relationship with God and enables me to lift others up through prayer.
HOW CAN YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES?
And finally, we’ve come to the last question: how? How do you speak in tongues? I’ll be honest—this is the hardest part for me to explain. Let me tell you why.
How many of you, when you buy a gift for your kids, skip the instructions and just try to put it together? Be honest! This is church—you can tell the truth here. Now, I’m not that person. I’m the opposite. When I’m assembling something, I lay out all the pieces, carefully read the instructions (sometimes twice), and make sure I’ve got it right before I even start. Why? Because I don’t want to mess it up and have to redo it. Nobody wants to deal with an angry dad on Christmas morning, right?
I love step-by-step instructions. And I especially love it when they include pictures. But here’s the thing: the Bible doesn’t give us a checklist or picture guide for speaking in tongues. God didn’t lay it out as step one, step two, step three. So, howdo we figure it out?
Learning from the Bible’s Stories
While there’s no step-by-step manual, we can learn from the stories of people in the Bible who spoke in tongues. In every instance, we see the same key elements: the people had set their hearts on God, surrendered their lives to Him, and were engaged in prayer or worship.
If you want to explore this for yourself, read these passages: Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10, and Acts 19. In each story, people were focused on God, fully surrendered to Him, and deeply engaged in prayer or worship when the Holy Spirit moved in their lives.
A Personal Experience
For me, that’s exactly how it happened. I was in a moment of complete focus on God, praying and worshiping Him with all my heart. Suddenly, I felt something—a nudge, an urge—to speak out syllables that didn’t make sense to me. At first, it felt awkward and difficult. My logical brain wanted to fight it. But I pressed in because I wanted everything God had for me.
At first, the words felt foreign and unnatural, but as I allowed the Holy Spirit to guide me, it became more natural. It didn’t happen because I forced it or pretended—it happened because I surrendered to God and trusted Him to lead me. It took faith and a willingness to let go of my own control.
Practical Guidance
If you desire this gift, here’s what I’d encourage you to do:
Believe: Start by believing that speaking in tongues is a biblical gift. The Bible is clear that God has made this available to believers. Trust that this is for you.
Pursue God: Spend time in prayer and worship, focusing entirely on Him. Open your heart to His presence. Whether you’re at home, in the car, or at church, create space to connect with Him deeply.
Surrender: Let go of any fear, skepticism, or doubt. Surrender your heart fully to God and invite the Holy Spirit to work in and through you.
Respond: If you feel the Holy Spirit nudging you, don’t hold back. Begin to speak the words or syllables that come to mind, even if they don’t make sense. It takes faith, but trust that God will guide you as you step out.
Remember, you don’t have to fake it, force it, or pretend. Just let God move in you.
It’s for Everyone
This can happen anywhere—in your home, in your car, or right here in the house of God. And here’s the most important thing: this gift is for you. It’s for everyone who wants it. If you seek God with your whole heart, He will meet you right where you are.
A GIFT FOR YOU
Speaking in tongues is a gift available to every believer. Whether you’re skeptical or curious, I encourage you to explore this biblical truth. Pray, study, and seek God with your whole heart. If you do, you may find that this incredible gift becomes a powerful part of your relationship with Him.