Speaking in Tongues--How to Get Started?
How do you start speaking in tongues? Here’s some practical help for anyone who needs it or wants it.
You already have the Holy Spirit in you if you are saved. Because you have landed your faith in Jesus Christ, you are already sealed with the Holy Spirit. If you don’t have Him in you, you need to accept Jesus Christ and become saved.
Here’s an analogy to help understand the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.
Suppose you drive your Chevy to the gas station. The tank holds 20 gallons of gas. “Fill ‘er up!” you shout to the attendant. “Regular or premium?” He asks.
You can choose standard grade or high octane. Both are gas. Both make the engine run. You get to choose the grade. Both are good. One costs more, and the choice is yours.
So it is with the Holy Spirit. You can have the "regular" (the good Spirit who indwells every believer), or you can get the premium, the “high octane” (the baptism of the Holy Spirit). Both work, but one has greater power. (At an Amoco station, I recently noticed a sign stating, WITH AMOCO PREMIUM YOU CAN GO 300 MILES FARTHER PER YEAR.)
Which will you choose?
Both work, but one has greater power. In Acts 1:8 Jesus promised, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.
I want the premium. How 'bout you?
Know the Promise of God and the Will of God for Your Life
Acts 2:38 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.
Mark 16:17 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues.
This is Jesus' promise available to all God's children. Are you ready?
Get Hungry, Get Thirsty for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Luke 11:11-13 Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
A man came to our house recently. Since I knew the man well, I asked, “Have you received the Holy Spirit yet?” “No, but I’m open to it,” he replied. "Open is not enough,” I countered. Then I shared what Jesus taught about how to receive the Spirit. We need to aggressively ask God for the “higher octane!”
Start Praising Out Loud and Worshiping God with Your Voice
The Hebrews praised God out loud. That was their culture. Today we need to get used to hearing our own voice in praise and blessing. Speaking in tongues is just that. It is speaking in tongues, literal speech! It's not the same as thinking in tongues. No one can ever speak in tongues unless they speak!
Once a lady responded to my altar call to be filled with the Spirit and speak in tongues. She apparently had the mis-impression that God would fill her without her opening her mouth.
I began raising commercial sheep in 1994. One of the most dangerous sheep diseases is lockjaw. The symptom of lockjaw is paralysis of the jaws, in other words, the jaws are "locked" together. Lockjaw is nearly always fatal. This woman reminded me of a sheep with lockjaw. Her mouth was steeled tightly shut. The Holy Spirit visited upon her, but she did not open her mouth to begin to speak in a tongue.
On the day of Pentecost, the 120 were continuing in a ten day prayer meeting! Oh, how I would have liked to hear the sound of their praises! They were hungry for God. They were not only asking in curiosity, they were seeking God. After all, Jesus had promised to fill them. Jesus was alive. They had seen Him. And Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
Accept the fact that Speaking in Tongues is NOT a Miracle
You read that right. Tongues speech is not a miracle!
This may be hard for some to accept. Yet the scripture says, “They began to speak. . .” Who began to speak? Peter and the others began. It was Peter’s mouth, Peter’s physical tongue, Peter’s voice, Peter’s vocal cords, Peter’s choice of whether or not to speak. The same for Bartholomew, James and John. The same for Mother Mary. All of the 120 in the upper room began to speak with their own mouths and their own voice. The Holy Spirit did not speak. They began to speak! Their Aramaic turned to what sounded like gibberish to them because they didn’t understand the words.
Speaking in tongues is not a miracle. The miracle is that Jesus understands it!
And that takes F-A-I-T-H.
Exercise Your Faith!
Galatians 3:5 Faith is necessary for you to receive the Holy Spirit.
Listen to Jesus' teaching in Luke 11:5-12 about receiving the Holy Spirit:
Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“So I say to you, ask (or keep asking), and it will be given to you; seek (or keep seeking), and you will find; knock (or keep knocking), and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
Almost invariably, when someone starts speaking in tongues, that liar the devil, accuses the person of “making it up.” He lies and tries to deceive by saying “it isn’t real.”
He tried with me. I spoke in tongues for 7 years before I knew for certain that my tongues were real. Then one day at a conference, I approached a powerful man of God. His name was Herbert Mjorud.
“I think I speak in tongues,” I said. “But I’m not sure.”
He looked at me and spoke, “Well, you asked Him, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” came my meek reply.
“Well, He gave it to you then, didn’t He?” Mjourd spoke with a powerful voice of faith. There was no doubt in his voice.
From that day on, I never doubted again. That was my story of doubt. But you can do better than I. You can go directly to the Bible and come away confident of the truth just by believing the Bible.
Galatians 3:15 and other bible verses make it clear: We receive the Spirit by faith.
Important: Put sound to what the Holy Spirit is doing. Some people feel something. Some don't. The important thing is to yield to the Spirit and let some sound come out of your mouth. Through faith, God turns those sounds into a language that He understands.
Demonstrate your faith by using your new tongue (new language) and thank God for it. It is perfect prayer and praise.
After Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Tongues. . .
1 Keep praying/speaking in tongues. A new adventure awaits you. Expect new ideas to pop into your head. Some of these ideas will be answers to your praying in tongues.
2 Immerse yourself in Scriptures. Anchor yourself in the Word of God. You need to do this before the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy what God has done. Here are a few truths to get you started:
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. 1 Corinthians 14:2 (NKJV)
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Jude 20. (NKJV)
I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all. (the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:18 NASB)
3 Keep humble. The Spirit and the gift are just that--gifts. You did not earn them. Nor do you deserve them. Each is simply God's gracious gift to you.
4 You don't have to tell anyone if you don't want to. I suggest, however, that you tell you spouse if you are married. To pray together in tongues can be a bonding and wonderful experience.
5 Prepare for trouble. As soon as Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit came on Him, the devil tried to attack Him (Matthew 4:1-10). This does not mean you have done something wrong. On the contrary, it most likely indicates you've done something right! Bob Mumford, a well known leader from the past, noticed, "The proof of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is trouble."
But don't worry. Jesus came through more powerful than before (Matthew 4:11ff), and so will you!
I recommend this 22 minute video from respected Bible teacher John Bevere. It's 22 minutes about speaking in tongues and well worth the time. Bevere will clear up several questions about tongues.
