The power of speaking in tongues

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18,21 (NKJV)

 ^“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16,17-18 NKJV)

It's a fact: the life Jesus is calling those who believe in Him into is no ordinary life.

It's not normal to drink something deadly and not be hurt. It’s not normal to lay hands on a sick person and they recover. It goes beyond human logic.

The words Jesus spoke in Mark 16,17-18 are words He told His disciples just before He ascended into heaven. He also said to them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1,4-5 NIV). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1,8 NIV)

This extraordinary life is only made possible through the person of the Holy Spirit, the gift the Father had promised: the Spirit of God, the third person of the trinity.

Now, the day finally came when the promise arrived. The apostles and the other believers were gathered together and “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit [Holy Spirit] enabled them” (Acts 2,4).This was the first instance where believers spoke in other tongues.

We see it also happening afterwards to Cornelius and those in his household, although it was less ‘dramatic’ if I may say so. "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision [the Jews] who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles [non-Jews] also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. (Acts 10,44-46 NKJV)

From these two stories of people speaking in tongues, we see one common denominator: the Holy Spirit.

It is the Holy Spirit who gave them utterance.

In fact, the Apostle Paul explained that speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift.

A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to the believer in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12,10).

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.  God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.” 1 Corinthians 12,4-6 (NLT)

Here, I would like you to know or have in mind that when the Apostle Paul was writing to the Corinthians, he was trying to bring a balance; to put things in order when it comes to spiritual gifts. The Corinthians were already functioning in these gifts but they were lacking a certain wisdom.

It is important to emphasize, at this point, that spiritual gifts are not a mark of spiritual maturity.

Spiritual gifts are freely given but spiritual maturity is something else: it is submission and obedience to God.

In the third chapter of the first book to the Corinthians, Paul called the Corinthians carnal, worldly, mere infants in Christ. Because they were still subject to their senses: there was jealousy, envy and strife among them.

In the 12^th chapter of the same book, Paul was emphasizing that spiritual gifts are for the common good; to help each other, that spiritual gifts should not be a cause of division.

Also in the 13^th chapter, Paul says: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (Verse 1-3)

And this love is described further: love is patient, love is kind, love does not envy, and more. (Verse 4-7)

In the following chapter: the 14^th chapter, the Apostle Paul juxtaposed speaking in tongues and prophesying. He was showing the Corinthians that, for the sake of the church as a whole, revelation, knowledge, prophesying and teaching were more important. He did not, however, dismiss speaking in tongues and said it should not be forbidden (Verse 39).

Fortunately with his argument, we get to learn more about speaking in tongues.

“Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31,8-9 (NKJV)

Before this article gets too long, I will assemble a few thoughts into points:

• Who can speak in tongues?

Every believer in Jesus Christ, having received the Holy Spirit is the perfect candidate to receive the gift of speaking in tongues. Jesus did not put a condition on who. He just said “those who believe”.

• What is speaking in tongues?

We learn from 1 Corinthians 12,10 that there are different kinds of tongues.

From the story of the first apostles, we see that the tongues they were speaking were actually languages as spoken in other nations. But these were foreign to them, it is people from those nations who were in that place who recognized the languages.

Much more, the Apostle Paul reveals that there are tongues of men and tongues of angels (1 Corinthians 13,1). And that there is a tongue that is addressed to God: “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.” (1 Corinthians 14,2). This is what would be praying in tongues.

In addition, as kings and priests of the Most High, the way we exercise the authority given to us in Christ Jesus by declarations and proclamations, I believe there is a provision for the same in a tongue (unknown to our human understanding); a language for the spirit realm.

There are also instances where it is the Holy Spirit Himself speaking/praying through the believer in a tongue. “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.” (Romans 8,26-27 NLT)

•   Why speak with “tongues” specifically?

You see, when a person accepts the Lordship of Jesus Christ, they become born again. Their spirit becomes alive and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in their spirit.

And by this, the spirit of the person receives things from God. For example, divine knowledge and wisdom. However, some of these things are not reconciled with the mind or the intellect. It’s like when people say, ‘I know from within but I can’t explain how I know’. But God does not want these things to end there (to pass unchecked). He gives a language for the spirit to express itself: a tongue that is unknown to the mind.

“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.” (1 Corinthians 14,14 NKJV)

• What is the purpose of speaking in tongues?

The answer is edification.

To build up, to fortify the person or the church.

“A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally” (1Corinthians 14,4 NLT)

The tongues spoken for the edification of the church need interpretation so that words spoken may be understood by everyone in their normal understanding (in their known language).

• What are the benefits of speaking in tongues?

In addition to being built up in faith, speaking in tongues helps with being attuned with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will reveal and remind things. The Holy Spirit can even give the interpretation of the tongue and there will be a translation from the spirit to the mind. The person will be able to articulate clearly the matter.

It is also an opportunity to be carried by the Holy Spirit. By Him, we pray according to the perfect will of God. By Him, we can even pray for things that are yet to come, in generations to come.

•   How does a person speak in tongues?

"I wish you all spoke with tongues” (1 Corinthians 14,5).

“desire spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 14,1).

We speak in tongues by faith. Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth time.

If you’ve never spoken in tongues, ask: ‘Father God, thank you for your precious gift of the Holy Spirit, my helper and comforter. I desire to speak in new tongues. And now by faith, I receive the gift of speaking in tongues in Jesus' name'. Believe God has heard your prayer.

By faith, open your mouth and start. Yes, it's that easy.

• When does a person speak in tongues?

Speaking in tongues should not be a one-time event or a rare occurrence.

It is true that the Holy Spirit takes over in the moment but we are also participant. This means we can end it or we can start it. It all depends on how much we are willing, yielded, trusting and vulnerable before God.

Speak in tongues as much as possible. Especially when you feel stirred in your spirit. Speaking in tongues doesn’t have to be loud, it should not be rowdy.

Speak in tongues. Speak in tongues more often.

“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” —  the things God has prepared for those who love him — these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2,9-12 (NIV)