Speaking in Tongues: Is it Wrong, Super Weird, or a Wonderful Gift?

Imagine someone very close to you purchasing you a gift. Not just any gift, a perfectly thought out, priceless present that would be unimaginatively useful to you. But you never opened it because you didn’t know what it was, or you may have heard whispers of the strange contents inside. There are many Christians who are exactly like this. Jesus has given us the gift of speaking in tongues; some of us never receive or utilize this life-changing gift. Maybe you never even knew Jesus left you a gift …

Hi, my name is Brittney!

I was raised in the church. I experienced the Holy Spirit and His many gifts from a young age. My church had its fair share of people sprinting through the isles, prophesying freely, and rushing to the altar for prayer. This included speaking in tongues. When I was older, I realized many people had no clue about the moving of the Holy Spirit and were quite weirded out by simply mentioning anything that had to do with such things. You may be like me, and speaking in tongues has been explained and may come naturally to you. But, this topic could make you nervous, ashamed, or confused if you aren’t familiar with it. If that’s you, do me a favor and take a deep breath. We will break down the what, why, and how of speaking tongues together. It’s all biblical, no fluff.

This faith-filled gift of speaking in tongues is for everyone, even you!

Wrong, super weird, or a wonderful gift?

What is speaking in tongues? 

1 Corinthians 14:14-15 ESV says, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

Speaking in tongues is a gift we receive after being saved and then filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This gift is a benefit of being filled with the Holy Spirit, not a requirement. When we pray in tongues, it doesn’t come from our mind, but it is praying with the Spirit. Our mind prays for the things we know to pray for—our family, friends, needs, the world, politics, etc. When we pray in the Spirit, we are praying for things that only God knows.  (1 Corinthians 14:2 ESV: “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”)

Why We Speak in Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:4 ESV: The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

Speaking in tongues builds our up spirit-man! Who doesn’t desire to be stronger? I think of speaking in tongues like lifting spiritual weights. When our spiritual muscles are stronger than our flesh muscles, we can stand against the enemy and shut down his voice and plans in our lives. When our spirit is weak, we are more likely to give into sin, shrink back from the things God is calling us to do, and let our thoughts run wild with insecurity, anxiety, and fear.

As I write this blog, I am reminded of times when I personally utilized the gift of praying in the spirit. I’m a mom, and there are days when I feel tired, impatient, and inadequate. I can (and have) gone down the rabbit trail of discouragement in these moments. If I instead take a moment to pray in tongues, I am built up from the inside out and have the strength and patience to keep going with grace and not lose my cool.

Stepping Out in Obedience

Right now, I am in a season where Jesus is asking me to step out and use my voice for Him. This is exciting but can be scary and overwhelming at times. As we obey the voice of God in our lives, we have to be aware that the enemy would love nothing more than to shut us up. He knows exactly how to do it, too. Insecurity, shame, doubt, business, shyness. Fill in the blank. This is when we open our mouths and pray in the Spirit. As the Holy Spirit prays through us, the voice of the enemy is silenced, and we can pray truth over ourselves, and the Holy Spirit strengthens us to do everything He has called us to do.

Receive the Gift of speaking in Tongues

So now that we know what speaking in tongues is and why we do it, we can discuss how to open up that gift and begin to use it! This part is where most people begin to feel weird.

• The first thing we need to do is ask God. Pray and ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
• Then, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the gift of speaking in tongues. Now comes the faith step.
• Quiet your mind and listen for your prayer language. It is not something that comes from your mind but from your spirit. This is a supernatural occurrence. Because it is not natural to us, at first, it may sound and feel different until we get used to it. This may initially seem uncomfortable since we are not used to using our spirit muscles. As you do it more, it will become more natural. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will not take hold of your tongues and move it for you.
• You have to open your mouth and yield your tongue. That means say what you hear! It may be a single syllable at first, but your prayer language will grow as you practice, just like a baby grows in their native tongue as they grow.

Remember, you won’t understand what you are saying!

You can start and stop whenever you want—practice by praying out loud often. You are getting stronger, and the more you use that spiritual muscle, the stronger you will be.

If you don’t receive your prayer language right away, don’t allow shame or discouragement to come in. Continue to ask, and you will receive this wonderful gift. If you have questions, ask them!

Jesus made a way for the Holy Spirit to live inside of us and guide us through this life. He then gave us the gift of praying in tongues to build us up. This is how we pray for the perfect will of God. Don’t leave this gift unopened and unused. Open it up and experience all God has for you.

xx, Brittney

Connect with me in Insta @britbreaksitdown

Also, Comment below with your questions or reach out to a trusted leader or friend who uses this gift to further understand. God is a good Father and will give good gifts to those who ask Him.