Glossia

In this article, I would like to encourage you to speak in tongues more. It seems that there has been a diminishing emphasis in the charismatic and even Pentecostal movement on the power of speaking in our personal prayer language. I’m not sure if the seeker-friendly movement has influenced this, or if it has just fallen “out of fashion” in the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and River streams. But I’m feeling the Lord wants to pick up this weapon again.

My Journey of Speaking in Tongues

I was raised in a conservative Christian stream that discouraged speaking in tongues. There came a time early in my pastoral ministry when I realized my small church, and I, needed more power. Something was definitely missing .

In May of 1984, I was reading a book called "Walk in the Spirit" by an Anglican priest named Michael Harper. He shared a statement that “God will not do anything through you unless you gave him permission.”

I put my book down and prayed: "Ok Lord, do anything you want in me and through me."

It was 11:30 pm in Northern Ontario. I was in my in-laws’ living room, and everyone in the house had already gone to sleep. At that point, I felt like a cloud of heaven came from the outside through the living room window towards me. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it. That cloud landed on me, and my hands shot up, and I spoke in tongues for 3 hours. It was glorious!!!

Something deep down in my belly felt like it was becoming alive. I was aware of a presence I had never known before. My mind was struggling with what was happening, but my inner man was thrilled! I’ve been trying to figure out that mind-versus-spirit journey ever since.

With this baptism of the Spirit, I knew a new season was starting in my life. As a side note, I now tend to lean toward a definition that there is one initial baptism of the Holy Spirit, but many fillings. I went to bed that night at 2:30 am with three questions running through my mind. One, I wonder what Gwen, my dear, relatively quiet wife, was going to think about this very expressive experience? Two, I wonder what my elders at the church I led were going to think about this? And, lastly, I wonder what my father was going to think about this? My godly dad had been an admired pastor in our denomination for many years.

To fast forward the story, eventually we had to leave that church, as a few of the elders did not buy into my encounter. Nevertheless, that new baptism launched us into a new level of communion with God.

As time went on and I studied tongues, I came to understand that there seems to be three distinct expressions of the gifts of tongues.

Foreign Language

Speaking supernaturally in a known foreign language that you did not learn. Others who know that language then hear a message from God that they can plainly understand. This is what happened in Acts 2:11: "And we hear them speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done." (New Living Translation)

Heavenly Language

Speaking in a heavenly language in a public Christian gathering, which then needs interpretation. This seems to be two of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

Personal Prayer Language

A personal, private prayer language between you and God. In my opinion, this is not one of the nine gifts of the Spirit as mentioned above. It is a distinct personal gift for your own edification and is extremely private.

1 Corinthians 14:2 in the Message Bible reads, "If you praise Him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and Him." Sharing intimacies. Wow, I love that wording in the Message Bible, especially because that is the Greek word “mysterion,” which in many translations is translated "mystery."

But “mysterion” is not a mystery that can never be known. It is a mystery that is revealed through intimacy. That Greek word is not a religious word. It was a word used in that culture 2,000 years ago when you were a member of a secret society and went through certain rites to gain the understanding of the secret words that empowered that group. You were then "in" the group. Your shared language gave you authority in the group.

You have your own secret club with God. Your heavenly Father wants to share his intimate revelation knowledge with you. This applied to our personal lives as well as to ongoing ministries—to know His will.

The Holy Spirit speaks through Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:13 -15 (Amplified), saying, “Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may be gifted to translate or explain what he says. For if I pray in a tongue my spirit prays but my mind is unproductive because it does not understand what my spirit is praying. Then what am I to do? I will pray with the spirit, by the Holy Spirit that is within me and I will pray with the mind using words I understand. I will sing with the spirit by the Holy Spirit that is within me , and I will sing with my mind using words I understand.”

I agree that this may initially seem to refer to a public context of publicly speaking in tongues and then publicly interpreting in a church assembly. But the principle is also applicable to our private prayer language. If you speak in private tongues in a personal prayer language, you can ask God to translate into your known language to bring clarity about what you just prayed in your spirit.

The answer may not come immediately, but God is faithful. I find that translation of your personal prayer language can come through an impression, being directed to a story or passage of Scripture, a picture in your mind, or even possibly a physical sensation. You will learn this language of translation with your Heavenly Father one-on-one. He will teach us all individually.

This is the revelation of the “mysterion”. This is just one of the rewards that happens to us when we speak in our prayer language. Tongues is a bucket that draws the benefits of what is deep in our spirits through the gift of salvation (Isaiah 12:3).

To be continued in part two.