How to Speak in Tongues

How to begin to speak in tongues? Or how to get a prayer language?

The easiest easiest way is to say, “Lord, please give me the gift of tongues,” and then open your mouth and make a sound, and then keep making sounds.

Even one word is fine. One of my friends said that he had only one word for about a year and a half.

My mentor Bob Perry, too, only said “Baca” for about a year when he first spoke in tongues. This sounds like a nonsense word, but it’s the word “weeping” in Hebrew. So his very first and (for a time only) word was indicative of who he would be as a weeping intercessor.

And if your mind goes blank and you can’t think of anything at all?

In that case, did you ever decide in your mind that you wouldn’t be “one of them”? Did you have a family member say, “We don’t do that”?

In my language, I would call that an internal vow, or potentially a curse.

The good thing is, Jesus died to release us from the curse, and he’s stronger than any vow.

Here’s my prayer over you: Lord Jesus, I take the sword of the Spirit, dipped in the blood of Jesus, and cut my brothers and sisters free from any internal vow and any curse. Break off every constriction and everything that binds. Thank you, Jesus, that they are free to move forward in all the fullness you have for them, in your holy name.

If the Lord brings specific memories to mind, you can ask for forgiveness or for release or for healing for each memory. You might need to pray this several times in a row. Not a problem.

When you’re ready, ask again. “Lord, please give me the gift of tongues.”

If nothing comes out of your mouth, is it possible that you have determined to always be in control? Or do you take pride in your rational approach to life, or pride in your brilliant mind?

It’s not easy to surrender control! In every other instance, our thoughts and tongues flow together, so it makes sense that this would be awkward and uncomfortable!

Here, too, you can pray a simple cutting-free prayer. Something like this.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for my mind and the clear thoughts you’ve given me. But Lord, I acknowledge that you gave me more than a mind. You gave me a heart and a soul and a spirit. You gave me love, hope, joy, faith, righteousness, peace, and so many others. These are less rational, Lord, more from the heart and spirit. Let me not be a brain without a heart, or rational thoughts without faith, hope, and love. Expand my understanding of what you desire for me. I cut myself free from the need to be in control, and I surrender to you and ask that you would be glorified in me and through me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

I want to add another comment here.

I had a period in my life where I wanted the Holy Spirit in power in my life so much that I gave up things that, in retrospect, I probably didn’t need to.

I have had seasons where I longed for the experiences of others, and didn’t receive them, and felt, as perhaps you have, defective and rejected and unwanted.

This is not God’s best for me.

Here’s how I think about it now. Psalm 103:2-3 says, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

Scripture says that one of the Lord’s benefits is that he heals all your diseases: and yet we know that not every believer is disease-free.

There’s mystery here.

When we pray, something always happens.

If you don’t think you received the gift of tongues, maybe ask for it every day for a month. Or however long the Lord directs. Pull in a bit of your inner persistent widow from Luke 18.

In a month, you’ll either have the gift of tongues, or have trained yourself to be more persistent in prayer. Two great outcomes!

Lord, we thank you for all your benefits. We thank you for all the ways you walk with us in our weakness and pride, our confusion and our longing. We long to be like you, Lord. Teach us your ways.

May we live for the praise of his glory,

Amy Joy

P.S. For readers who shared their stories about speaking in tongues, one of the most common responses was something like this: “I spoke a little in tongues, but because I felt absolutely nothing, I thought I was making it up. So I stopped.”

I wonder if the enemy causes us to doubt what we’ve been given, knowing that the gift of tongues is so powerful and helpful. As my friend Paul said, “It’s not a minor gift. It has a deep purpose. We need it!”

Amen!

And if you’d like more on this topic, you can read more in the short book Speaking in Tongues.