You must speak in tongues – you will suffer needlessly if you don’t! The time is now, and there’s no weapon in our Christian inventory that can replace it.

Early in my walk, I had spoken in tongues but it was merely a taste and see what it’s all about…never much more than a “try here and there.”  But then it happened: I met Zheng.

Many moons ago, I used to serve at a homeless ministry called ‘God’s People’ while living in Charleston, South Carolina.  Recently having been born again, and baptized in the Holy Spirit, I was saying “Yes” to everything I even thought the Lord was asking me to do – good, bad and ugly. The Lord was doing amazing things with his fresh-faced believer, and I was joyfully clueless!

At God’s People, we would serve the homeless at a park outside. We would eat with our less fortunate friends, broken up into big groups sitting on blankets.  I can’t remember exactly when, but while cleaning up after our meal, I was just casually talking to a friend of mine about nothing in particular.  And then a mutual friend of ours, Matt, storms up with a young, Asian girl in tow.  Within a moment, Matt, soaring probably 6’ 3” tall, introduces this small 5’1” girl, and immediately Matt says, “This is Zheng – let’s pray for her”. And then she exploded.

I was thrust into prayer. Within seconds, we were knelt down and Zheng was speaking violently in tongues – fast, clear and without ceasing. It all happened so fast that I had no idea what to pray. But right there in the moment I opened my mouth, and I was speaking in tongues! It was contagious! And I was flowing in tongues! I did not try to speak in tongues, I was merely flowing in what Zheng had already started, and what the Holy Spirit was doing!

Everyone was praying. Some in English, and some, Zheng and me for sure, in tongues. And I remember thinking to myself right then and there: THIS is speaking in tongues, THIS is the flow I’ve been looking for! I knew I had this new tool now, a weapon!…but I didn’t really know what it was all about. But I knew I had it!

Today, I don’t go long without speaking in tongues.  One of the biggest reasons I speak in tongues is to hear the Lord when my English prayers aren’t cutting it.  Especially in times of great difficulty, persecution, attack, or change, speaking in tongues is a weapon to commune and hear from the Lord.

I think one of the lies that keeps believers from speaking in tongues is they believe it will be in vain – they believe they won’t know what they are saying and/or no fruit will come of it.  And with all lies from the devil, this is a half-truth.

Speaking in tongues is a faith activity – you must do it and let the Lord inhabit your praise afterward. Sometimes the Lord will erupt through you in tongues, but this is the exception more than it’s the norm. But when you speak in tongues in faith, you will not know what you’re saying…at first.

But in reality, who would speak in tongues, or do anything at all for that matter, if it didn’t bear some fruit or results? Why would you do it at all if you don’t get what you came for?

When your heart is postured toward the Lord, and you being to speak in tongues, several things can happen; you should expect at least one:

One thing that can come from it is supernatural peace. As mentioned, in times of great trial, adversity, attack or confusion, speaking in tongues will help you connect with the Lord even when your mind is a mess. Your connection with the Lord will be direct, even if you are consumed with burdens or responsibilities in your mind.  As you press through speaking in tongues, even while your mind is swirling, the Lord will transform your heart on-the-fly and bring his supernatural peace. In doing so, this will “reset you to rest”, and allow you to pray back in your native (English) tongue i.e. you will think and pray clearly again.  This is one thing the Lord does when you praise in tongues.

Tongues aren’t always for crisis; they are also to be interpreted!  Yes, you can understand what you are uttering in tongues!

When you will yourself to pray in tongues, your mind must go bye bye…for a moment. You will have to give up your right to know initially what you are saying, and start out simply with, “Alright Lord, I’m going to bless you in tongues now” and then just go!

What I have found out, after many times of speaking in tongues, is that my mind begins to praise the Lord without me even willing to! “Oh Lord, you are righteous and there is none like you, never will be any like you, who sit on the throne of heaven and bless your people…”. Just. Like. That.  When I speak in tongues, that flow flows back up into mind and I actually know what my tongues are saying! Can you believe that!

This is similar to what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians:

“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing in my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.”

When you pray in tongues, you are choosing not to choose what to say.  And often the interpretation will flow back up into your brain. But even more so, you can still choose what to pray (like Paul) precisely what you mean to in your mind, all while your spirit sings at the same time! It is both!

As it’s often said, praying in tongues truly is perfect prayer: spirit to spirit. You get to praise the Lord in perfect spirit language, and also still get the benefits! Just be sure to keep your intention and focus on blessing the Lord first, and then receive whatever he wants to give you (e.g. peace, interpretation, revelation, etc.).

If you don’t speak in tongues today, go and flow! Don’t get hung up on tongues in larger corporate and worship settings. There is a place for tongues in those settings but often it can be more distraction at first if you simply want to flow the with Lord. If you have someone you trust nearby that does, do it with them! Take 10 minutes and commit and simply flow – no expectation but to go, fully flow and bless the Lord! 

Otherwise, go and flow in your prayer time and don’t hold back – just give yourself the space to go without ceasing until the he moves; he will meet you there in it and you will be blessed!