The Post Newspaper Contributing Writer
Dear Readers: it is in my heart to share this truth again about a special gift available to every born again believer in Christ Jesus. If you have your receivers turned on, and choose not to be offended, this testimony will bless you above measure.
When our son was a toddler and just beginning to talk he had a slight speech impediment. He could not produce his “r’s” very well. Yup. It was Elmer Fudd’s disease. We knew it was pretty common among children his age so we didn’t worry too much about it at the time.
We had no problem understanding him but others had a hard time with it. With amusement I would watch the reactions of people when he would run up to and in a frenzy of excitement blurt out something like, “Da-wok-woof!” “Da-wok-woof!”
They would smile politely and nod their head pretending to understand,”Yeeeees, da-wok-woof.”
With the fake smile still plastered on their face they would lean in to me and whisper, ‘Uh, what did he say?” With affection for his cute attempts to communicate I’d gush, “Oh, he’s telling you that his Daddy is working on the roof.” (Duh.)
We’ve all experienced this from other people’s children. It sounds like gibberish to us but that parent knows what their child is trying to say. Well this is precisely how our Heavenly Father feels about His children when We pray in tongues to Him.
You know, if you have been born again, and have also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (not to be confused with water baptism performed by men) then you have been given gifts from God. If you will reach out by faith and receive them. And the ability to speak in tongues is just one of them.
I have met many people who have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit but have not spoken in tongues yet. As I’ve said before, it took many years for me to operate on this awesome gift. Mainly because we were taught against it in the church I attended growing up, and my own family were very much against it. So I
had developed a prejudice, this became a stronghold that satan used to keep me deceived for many years.
But as I began studying the word of God for myself two things happened. The truths in the Bible began to break down that stronghold in my mind to the point of casting down any arguments and teachings that had promoted itself above or against the knowledge of God. I had decided to allow the Bible to become true to me and every man is a liar.
So if you are struggling with developing your prayer language here are some things I had to learn.
God will not force you to speak in tongues. As with everything else, we have free will. You have to open your mouth and begin speaking and trust the Holy Spirit to supply the language. Speaking in tongues is like your own fingerprint. My language may sound different than someone else’s but it is unique to me and God knows what each one of His children are saying.
“For he who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”
When we hear someone speak in French or German or any other “known” language to men we may not understand a word they are saying and it also sounds like gibberish to us but to one of their countrymen it is perfectly understandable and sounds quite normal.
There are just some things that you have to accept by faith.
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
You might feel silly at first, and perhaps just a syllable at a time is all you can say. That’s just fine! Keep going and trusting God. Your mind and the devil will try to tell you that you’re not doing it right, or you are not hearing from God. Again, Satan knows how powerful the baptism of the Holy Spirit is and speaks in tongues. He still tries to challenge me at times but too late. I already know that this gift IS for God’s children. I already know that by praying in tongues the Lord speaks to me and has opened up the Bible to me and answered questions/concerns for myself and others in need.
Our spirit is praying but our natural minds cannot comprehend. You are bypassing what your natural mind deciphers through what it can only see, taste, hear, smell and feel, instead, you are drawing on the power of God to give you wisdom, understanding, encouragement, words of knowledge for yourself or someone else, and if we are listening, dangers to avoid and things to come.
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
And here is another helpful truth. The devil cannot understand what you are saying when you pray in tongues because he is spiritually dead to the things of God. The devil is a spirit but he is not connected to the Holy Spirit.
Here’s what Jesus said to (and about) the devil, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not MINDFUL of the things of God but the things of men.”
In other words, Satan is spiritually stupid!!
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
If you don’t speak in tongues God is not mad or disappointed at you and of course He will always love you and bless you but you are limiting Him in what He can do in your life and Satan will take full advantage of this weakened state. So, if you are born again, and have also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then you have been given the ability to speak in tongues.
I hope you choose not to be offended by this, because what I am sharing here will change your life for the better.
Everything I write about is based on God’s word, and motivated by His love, and speaking in tongues is a love language given to us from our “Dad.”
(And someone reading this right now, you have been praying about this gift, you want to go deeper into the things of God. Well, God is speaking to you right now, through me, and He wants to encourage you to step out by faith and receive what He has provided for us by His grace.)
(1 Cor. Chpt. 12,13 and 14, Jude 1:20-21, Matt. 16:23, John 16: 13-15, Acts 6:3-5, 8, 10′ 8:5-8,14-20)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
