1) Ask for it.
If you are a believer in Jesus then you have the Holy Spirit within you. Tongues is therefore PART OF your inheritance. So:
Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you
2) Eagerly Desire it.
1 Corinthians 12:31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit…
1 Corinthians 14:12 Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.
3) Step Out In Faith.
Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him
***
Now, how to overcome some common obstacles:
-What if I’m making it all up?
Is it your heart’s desire to speak in your God given Spiritual Language? If yes then you will have to operate in Faith. Another way to spell Faith is RISK. Open your mouth and speak out the sounds that are formed in your mind and your heart and remember that:
Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him
So what if some of the words are made up by you. Never mind, if you are operating in faith be encouraged in that God is pleased with your faith. He will help you get things right!
So form the sounds, speak them out loud. You may only have one or two syllables. Wonderful! Say them in every possible way you can say them. Don’t despise the days of small beginnings. Over time you’ll grow in confidence and vocabulary.
1 Corinthians 14:39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid
speaking in tongues.
-What if I’m lead by the wrong Spirit?
Luke 11:9-13 Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he
asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil,know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
John 16:13-15 “…when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak
on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring
glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
-I open my mouth but nothing comes out
It’s true that some people will open there mouth and words will just gush out without any effort on their part. While this is a wonderful testimony of many people who receive the gift of tongues, it doesn’t always happen this way. Remember we can’t put God in a box or designate a strict formula to the way the Spirit of God wants to operate.
Often people expect to be literally possessed by the Holy Spirit. But remember God has given us a free will to choose. Chances are the Holy Spirit will not overtake you and move your mouth and tongue for you.
1Cor 14:32 You are in control: the spirits of the prophets are subject to the control of the prophets
-But you are to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit of God.
Speaking in tongues is often just like speaking a foreign language. The words sound strange and they can seem very unnatural when forming them with our mouth!
It’s our responsibility to speak the words as we heed the instruction of our Language tutor – the Holy Spirit.
At time, for some people it may even feel extremely uncomfortable. That’s O.K. This is why the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. Be encouraged that God is in the midst of your learning experience to comfort. It’s what he’s promised!
[Much of the above material has been either taken, quoted or re-worked from the article on the following link: http://revtrev.com/theology/how-to-pray-in-tongues/ ]
Other ministry resources-same topic:
An hour plus church service, where the message that was preached was:
Tongues-a spiritual force !
The Holy Spirit. Who is He?
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