Praying In Tongues

If I had known that praying in tongues had so much controversy surrounding it, I probably would have been intimidated into not seeking the gift. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for the detractors, I was blissfully ignorant of the controversies when, back in 2014 as a young believer, I went out seeking for it, with a mix of both optimism and curiosity.

I especially had one goal in mind- to document the entire process of my seeking journey so that if and when it finally happened for me- to burst forth in those glorious unknown languages, I could share it very plainly with others, moment by moment how it had happened. I would, according to my plan then, share everything in my internal environment including my thoughts, feelings, sights and sounds before, during, and after the moment.

I did document all of these mentally and I still have a vivid memory of them, but, I never got to share the story -at least not in the way that I had planned to. There were two reasons why.

One, the experience was so profound that it stunned me into awed silence. It altered my core so dramatically that I could no longer perceive the moment with the dry, journalistic mind I had gone seeking the experience with. The passion had been there and I was sincere in wanting the gift yet when it finally came, I had changed.

The second reason was that I noticed people began to regard me with a strange mysticism. It is like I had crossed the acceptable God-believing limit and entered the realm of “spooky”. Things had suddenly become too real. This was further complicated by the fact that up to almost a week after the first incident when I prayed in tongues, I could open my mouth to have a normal conversation and these words (tongues) would spring forth from my mouth, without intention. It was no longer something we could talk about “just like that” anymore.

That is how I never got to share my story which I had planned so eagerly to do with anyone and everyone who was curious about the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of how praying in tongues happens.

Nonetheless, if you are as curious as I was those many years ago, it might help to know these three (03) things about praying in tongues:

1. It is normal. It is not spooky. 2. It is for every believer. What differs is the when and how it happens for every person. 3. It makes a real difference in the life of the believer- injecting a sort of ‘ease’ in how the believer moves in their faith journey.

Are you a Christian believer who prays in tongues? I’d really love to hear your story of how you got to pray in tongues. Let us demystify this gift of the Holy Spirit together.