Speak In Tongues ANYTIME

I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all (1 Corinthians 14:18).

There are those who believe you can only speak in tongues when you've attained a certain "spiritual high" or ecstasy. They believe if you pray for a long time in your known dialect-in your understanding-you'd eventually get to that spiritual moment of ecstasy, where the Holy Spirit makes you lose your mind and then start speaking in tongues. But that's not the way it works.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15: "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also."

Observe the Apostle Paul's words; he said, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful..." In other words, I don't understand what I'm saying because the words aren't coming directly from my mind, but directly from my spirit. So what do I do? "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also."

Paul is telling us here that we can decide to pray either with our spirits or with our understanding. Thus, we don't have to wait for any "spiritual high" or for the Spirit to take over our lips before we start praying in the Spirit. The Spirit's part is to give us utterance or the ability to speak in other tongues (Acts 2:4), which He has already done. Without that ability, we would be trying to form and force those words out of our mouths, which will fail.

The Bible says in Acts 2:4 that the Apostles were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. They didn't create the words; they spoke as the Holy Ghost gave them utterance. All they needed to do was to open their mouths and speak. So you can speak in tongues anytime; even now! You don't have to try and force the utterance. The Holy Spirit in you inspires those heavenly words in your spirit, which you're to speak forth in other tongues. So it's up to you open your mouth in faith and speak in tongues whenever you choose!

PRAYER

Dear Father, thank you for the indwelling presence of your Spirit in my life. He's the one who gives me the ability to speak in tongues: that heavenly language given to us to commune directly with you. I take advantage of this unique ability today and always, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Rhapsody of Realities     September 17, 2011

-Pastor Chris Oyakhilome