I saw people talking in tongues for the first time when I was a kid. I was scared. It looked weird and sounded strange. I later learned that it is a gift from the Holy Spirit. I had no interest in this gift for many years. I wasn’t even fully persuaded; it was a real gift anyway. As an adult, I got to a point in my life where I wanted to know God and not just know Him but experience Him. I experienced God in my worship and through prayer all the time, but I could feel when I prayed that there was another level I was not able to tap into in the spirit realm. I wanted to know how I could tap into it. God revealed to me that the gift of tongues takes our prayer life to another level because the Holy Spirit prays through us when we talk in tongues, and He prays perfect prayers. (Roman 8:26) There were times when I prayed and could sense something was wrong, but I couldn’t reach far enough into the spiritual realm to see what it was. Speaking in tongues is not only a way to pray perfect prayers but also puts us in a position to receive from God. Whether it be visions, prophetic words, or revelation when we speak in tongues, we open our spirit before God to receive what He wants to communicate to us. Once I understood the gift of tongues and believed it was real, I wanted it, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never get it.
It took me nearly two years after wanting the gift to actually to get it. I was discouraged because I didn’t understand why I wasn’t getting it. It wasn’t until I got a very important message that the gift of tongues manifested in me. I was at church, and my apostle told us when we pray over our situation to pray what the word of God says about us. Well, that seems very obvious, but that’s not what I was doing. I remembered that it is the Holy Spirit that gives gifts unto to men. So I welcomed the Holy Spirit again into my heart, and then I said out loud, “I receive the gift of tongues.” I began to speak and not think about what I was saying. I received the gift of tongues by faith. I knew that I was going to speak in tongues. I truly believed it with no doubt. In Acts 19:2-7, we can see how the Holy Spirit is someone we must receive. To receive means, to be given, presented with, or paid something. So He has already been given to us. We have to accept Him through faith. Acts 19:2-7 also says, “And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying…” The word shows us how we first must receive the Holy Spirit and believe in speaking in tongues and prophesying.
In 1 Corinthians 14:1-2 its says, “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit, he speaks mysteries.” I have gotten many prophesies and revelations speaking in tongues. God showed me the very first day I spoke in tongues that the water where I live was going to be poisoned on purpose and not to drink it. I am a very analytical person, so I started trying to figure out how. When my husband and I went to the store, I told him I think we need to buy water but couldn’t elaborate. I didn’t know how or when the water was going to be poisoned. He didn’t see the point in buying a bunch of water, and I did not convey the full extent of why I was saying we needed to buy water. A week or so later, I saw on the news via a Facebook post that a massive sinkhole opened underneath a gypsum stack at a Mosaic phosphate fertilizer plant in Mulberry Florida and at least 215 million gallons of contaminated water leaked into the Floridian Aquifer. I was taken back because God told me the water was going to be poisoned. I was surprised when the representatives from The Department of Environmental Protection agency told people the water was safe to drink. God knew they would lie, and that’s why he told me we are not to drink the water! You can see more information about this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq9P7HRY28s
Speaking in tongues is a gift for all to receive. It is truly a great help to edify the Kingdom of God and ourselves. Speaking in tongues is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in us. It draws us closer to the father and causes us to be in a place where we can receive from God. I didn’t want this gift at first because it looked weird and was just strange to me, but my desire to be closer to the Lord was stronger than my desire to stay in my comfort zone. There are diversities of gifts but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. -1 Corinthians 12:4-7