“Pastor, I speak in tongues, but I usually don’t feel it like I did the first time I spoke in tongues. What can I do?”
One of the most beautiful things about praying in tongues is that the Holy Spirit gives the utterance. Which means you can be so synchronized with the Spirit of God that whatever you’d be speaking would be from the Spirit. Even you would be able to tell that it’s not a carnal tongue. It’s really not possible for the Spirit to give you utterance and not feel the power or connection, the same connection you felt the very first time you spoke in tongues.
I remember the first time I spoke in tongues, it was a Holy Ghost Baptism class. The tongues were sweet, nothing that I’ve experienced in the ordinary. Even when I wanted to stop, it just kept flowing. I guess I was too filled to stop blasting in tongues. Before we got dismissed from the class, the pastor in charge told us to nurture the tongues with continuous practice, which means we should speak in tongues more often so that the gift won’t go away.
That would have been a great advice except that I soon realized that I struggled to get the same feeling I had the first day. Which also means that continuous or much speaking in tongues didn’t really nurture the tongues as they said, it probably idolized the tongues.
Speaking in tongues isn’t a carnal language you train your mind to speak, it’s a language of the Holy Spirit. Trying to speak in tongues without active fellowship with the things of the Spirit of God may only produce carnal tongues. That’s why Apostle Paul thanked his God that he spoke in tongues more than all of them. They all spoke in tongues, but he spoke more, and that’s certainly because he had more fellowship time with God.
As I mentioned in my previous teachings, speaking in tongues is one of the first signs that proves that a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. If you check the 3 instances I refered to, which is on the day of Pentecost, Peter’s encounter with Cornelius’s family, and Paul’s meeting with the other disciples of Jesus, you’d discover that they all spoke with tongues after they were filled with The Holy Ghost.
As we all know, that first filling was a gift from God, you didn’t really do much to receive it. It’s almost like saying I gifted someone a car that came with a filled fuel tank. He’d be able to move around with the car as long as there is still fuel in the car. But the moment the tank is empty, he’d either park the car or refill the tank for continuous use. You’d be surprised to know that there are many Christians who could speak in tongues at some point in their lives but are currently barren of tongues.
If you understand what I’ve said so far, then you’d realize that your aim shouldn’t be train your tongues or practice speaking in tongues, rather it should be to keep doing the things that would make you filled and refilled with the Spirit. Let me show you a few things you should always do;
1. STUDY AND MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD
John 6:63 (NIV)
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life.
Notice the second time spirit was mentioned in that scripture, the “S” was in Capital letter. In other words, there’s something about God’s word that fills you with the Spirit of God. And like I said, once you’re filled with the Spirit, tongues will flow naturally. You’d literally feel the connection.
Each time I receive a revelation from scripture, I usually don’t know when I burst into speaking in tongues. It just happens unplanned. Speaking in tongues at the entrance of a revelation couldn’t have been a coincidence.
2. PRAY
I would have put this first except that some believers have now idolized prayer. Prayer is a spiritual thing, and if it’s not done based on what you understand from God’s word, it would soon become an idol to you.
Any gift from God that isn’t used based on a relationship with God won’t stand the test of time. If you neglect the relationship, you can’t possess the benefits for long. Man was supposed to live forever, but when he continued to sin, God had to cut down that possibility. Don’t expect to continue walking in a grace without an active relationship with the one that engraced you.
That said, the disciples of Jesus understood their assignment and were carrying it out until they began to experience oppositions – including from priests. They decided to pray about it, and the result was that they were filled with the Holy Ghost. Let’s see how scriptures put it:
Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Praying from a scriptural understanding will always fill you with the Holy Ghost. Most believers pray in the flesh, that’s why they don’t get filled. Even if what you need is an earthly thing, find the scriptural solution and pray with it. It’s only when you pray according to His will that He hears you. The disciples had the scriptural solution to their earthly problem, and that’s what they prayed with. They didn’t have to bind and cast the devil, they just prayed with an understanding of the scripture they knew.
3. WORSHIP
I’m not explaining this oneš. Let it be your assignment. Tell me how worship can feel one with the Spirit. Leave your answer in the comment section.
That said, none of these 3 can work independently for too long. They are the 3 major tools required for effective fellowship with God. A continuous mixture of all 3 will continually keep your spirit connected.
Remember, it’s not about mastering the tongues, but about mastering fellowship. Fellowship generates the tongues. It’s better and more effectual when you follow this pattern.
I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.
Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!
#EmekaAnslem
