Monday, 21 June 2010
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Speaking In Tongues? Count Me Out
I don’t speak in tongues, have a prayer language, or whatever you want to call it. I don’t mind if other people have this ability, but I don’t want to. And when I say I don’t want to, I am not telling you I don’t understand how supposedly awesome having a prayer language is. I am actually telling you I simply don’t want it.When I was little, I would always go and play out in the yard until being called in for dinner. When I was 5 or 6 years old, I had a tendency to murmur random words and make silly noises while I played. I don’t know why, just that I did. One day, some probably well-meaning Christian adult heard me making goofy noises while I played. That person told Dad, who then sat down with us and explained the idea of having a prayer language.
I had no clue what Dad told us. I was too little to really understand what was happening or what it had to do with me being silly during playtime. To me the silly noises were just that: silly noises that I did during play.
Later on, during junior high and high school, I attended a Foursquare church. Each summer from 2001 to 2005, I went to the summer camps. Sometime during the camp session, there would be a night set aside to get the kids to speak in tongues. The regular camp kids all knew it was coming. During the week, there would be pressure to get everyone to speak in tongues, which would get worse on the day chosen for pushing the kids into having a prayer language.
Finally in 2004, I caved to the pressure and went forward for the altar call to receive prayer languages. For some strange reason, the leader that I went to actually had me pray for myself. I came up with some fake prayer on the spot, making sure it would sound real to anyone who happened to hear it. Then I waited a couple minutes and listened in as other kids began to receive prayer languages.
Then it was time to mimic what I heard from others. It worked perfectly. No one knew that I was faking. I stopped faking my prayer language when I stepped away from that denomination in 2006.
Due to my experiences with both speaking in tongues and the Foursquare church, I don’t speak in tongues -- and I don’t trust that church.
Have you ever felt forced to worship a certain way? Do you think all people are required to speak in tongues, or is prayer and worship something that is different to each person?
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About the Author
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- From: hippiechristian73102@xanga
- Name: Kristin
- About Me: I accepted Christ on December 31, 2009. I'm a 24-year-old with some nontraditional views on Christianity and life in general.
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Comments (68)
I've never felt pressured to speak in tongues (I don't tend to run in those circles), but I have been to the sort of revival where the minister (who WAS speaking in tongues) prays over individuals, who all fall down afterward, "slain in the Spirit." Well, one of my friends had pushed me into a line of individuals to be prayed for, and I was extremely unsettled and disappointed when the two ushers there to "catch" me actually pulled me backward to the ground.
I've never felt forced to worship in an uncomfortable or weird way at all in my faith. I live in the South though and a lot of the Southern Baptist churches down here are into church revivals where people will freak out and speak in tongues. It's seriously unnatural to me. I feel like it isn't right. But, that's just me. I won't get too into detail because I don't want to offend anyone.
sadly... there are many denominations that tell their congregation that speaking in tongues is evidence of the Holy Spirit and that you are only living half the Christian life if you DON'T speak in tongues... sadly, this is not Biblical... not even inferred in Scripture... most of how this occurs is preachers who do not exegete the text but rather isogete the text... proper exegesis would result in the promotion not of tongues, but of the Agape love that is found in 1st Corinthians 13... and even the fruit of the Spirit begins with love... evidence of an apple tree being an apple tree is by the apples it bears thus the apples are the evidence of the apple tree... in the same way, if Agape love is evident in the life of a Christian, THAT is what marks a Christian living in full power to the Holy Spirit...
I literally heard a college preacher say (no lie) that you are only living half the Christian life if you do not speak in tongues... it took all i had to stay silent... haven't gone back there since... maybe once, but I was really leary about going back and I only went back because i was asked to help lead worship... but i just seethed in anger knowing that these people are living in a kind of misplaced fear because some of them may not speak in tongues... and yet, that's not what the Bible says... and that is what is saddening...
@denimmusic777@xanga - I thought it was a ridiculous gift to have at first, I'd rather have prophesy. i probably shouldn'tv had a dark view on it because now I have obtained my spiritual language.
I've had a similar situation happen to me. People in my church have asked me several times if I've wanted to receive the gift of speaking in tongues. I've said no every time. I am not against it in anyway. I just don't feel like it's for me. I believe God could give me the gift if I wanted it, but I don't. I have no need for it and I would be taking it for granted. I think some christians think that if someone doesn't have or want the gift of speaking in tongues, it is because they lack faith or belief. From firsthand experience, that's not the case. If God wants me to have it, he'll let me know.
@denimmusic777@xanga - someone's been reading Peter Kreeft!
@thestylewithin@xanga - you don't choose which gifts you get. ha!
@rusty0505@xanga - actually never heard of the guy...
@thestylewithin@xanga - now I'm not doggin tongues... i believe it can happen and does happen... but when the emphasis is so much on it like some denominations do, it gets to be out of focus and rather than commissioning people to get on board with being empowered to show the world the love of God as we are to incarnate Christ through love by delivering the message of the Gospel... tongues isn't the way to do it unless God uses you or I to be in how the Acts 2 account displays it... but honestly, I don't really need it cuz frankly, other people have it therefore, it's just not a gift I need... would I like to have it? Sure... but my focus more is on showing people the love of Christ found in the Gospel... tongues can come later should God desire to grant me that gift...
I don't think it's right to pressure people into speaking in tongues. I'm sorry that you felt forced to make up your own language, I don't think that's right at all. I spoke in tongues for the first time a few weeks ago, actually. We were all praying for someone and my bible study leader then said "if you're able to, i want you to pray in the spirit" and without even making an effort, and without trying to speak in tongues it just suddenly came out of me. It was so weird hearing my voice speaking things I didn't understand, but it definitely was an extremely awesome feeling and I definitely could feel the Holy Spirit moving through me. I feel like a lot of people feel uncomfortable with tongues because they don't understand it, but i think it's an awesome gift. But definitely not one that should be forced on anyone. It even says you should speak in tongues more in private than in church because it doesn't really do any good to anyone else if you can't interpret it.
"1 Corinthians 14:13-14:19
13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider [2] say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue."
@SirNickDon@xanga - Yeah, some of those churches are just glorified carny acts.
Well, I must commend you for being able to avoid a truly negative view of tongues despite how you were presented with it in your past. Although I have never been in a situation when I felt forced to speak in tongues, I know people--particularly authority figures--who have had similar experiences, and in turn have completely denounced tongues.
I think the issue of speaking in tongues is one of the most badly handled issues in the church today. I have gone to Christian schools most of my life, been to countless churches, and even attended a few Christian retreats; but in that time, I have only ever heard two pastors accurately and accessibly describe the gift.
Speaking in tongues is not meant for everyone to do, and it does not make anyone "more Christian" if they can do it. It is just one of many ways that Christians can interact with God.
When I first was saved, I spoke in tongues. I don't do it anymore either and feel I have grown much more by just studying God's word and praying in English.
What does "speaking in tongues" mean exactly? Do you babble random gibberish, or do you actually speak several other languages?
I'm afraid I don't understand this concept at all. "Prayer language" is a completely unfamiliar term to me. It sounds interesting I guess but what is wrong with praying in the vernacular? God, being omniscient wouldn't need us to pray in a separate language and I personally see no benefit to it. In fact it almost seems counter-biblical in regards to the Tower of Babel when God confounded their language so they could not understand one another. If we all have our own prayer languages, how do we pray and worship together?
@denimmusic777@xanga - But scripture clearly teaches that tongues are a gift of the Holy Spirit, so shouldn't a Christian want it if it is indeed from God?
@black_lie@xanga - From what I understand about it, someone else has to be able to understand what you are saying...therefore, it's more likely some other language... (kind of from these verses: 1 Corinthians 14:13-14:19...not really sure.) I don't know that much about it either really.
I've never experienced speaking in tongues though - myself or watched someone else do it. I've talked to one person personally (a friend of mine) who had an experience with it. She's not one to make stuff up either, so I believe she had a legitamate experience. She didn't elaborate much nor did the ones who were there when it happened and I didn't push for more. At the time, I was too taken aback and kind of blew it off, but after having thought about it some, I was kind of like, no this girl isn't crazy.
@black_lie@xanga - Most people say they speak in so-called "Angelic" languages (Paul mentions this). To the typical person, it sounds like babbling, though the speakers believe they're praying a perfect prayer of sorts to God. Paul says that when speaking in tongues, one does not even understand what they're saying. However, at the beginning of Acts, in mentions the apostles getting actual human languages. I've personally heard of a person who spoke ancient Greek and didn't know it until someone pointed out to her (I obviously heard this second-hand, but I'm just telling you what was told to me).
I think that sort of thing is really strange, not for me. I am not at all a "superstitious" Christian. I went to a service with a friend once where the speaker was talking all about visions and speaking in tongues, and my friend fully believes that some people have died, seen Jesus, and come back to life to talk about it. It just doesn't sit well with me in my heart and what I have learned.
@ashleyannaka@xanga - Actually, praying in the spirit edifies you and is a way to pray the perfect prayer, so it isn't necessarily for the benefit of other people. You are supposed to have an interpreter if you are praying in front of a group, because if others can't understand what you are saying, it doesn't help them. But when you are praying alone, or corporately praying in tongues (at my church there is a lot of corporate prayer time where people simultaneously speak in their own prayer languages), the interpretation isn't necessary. Therefore, it could be any language, or some language that doesn't exist in human society.
I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience. It's really unfortunate when people's actions turn us off to the things of God. I think that if people had a better understanding of the Holy Spirit and His power, and the purpose and power of tongues, and how and why people receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, they would approach it differently. I do speak in tongues, and I know a lot of people who do, and others who don't. Personally I have no idea how it actually happens, or why some people receive their prayer language and others don't, or why it takes more time for some people than others. I hope one day to better understand those things myself.
@kk_grayfox@xanga - if you actually use the context of the power/gifting of the Holy Spirit... tongues and prophesying aren't really the gifts as we know it today... those are considered to be called the Operations of the Holy Spirit... the giftings are found in Romans and Ephesians... and remember also... Paul writes 1st Corinthians 12, 13, and 14... the succinctly and beautifully laid out method of how Paul went about this is quite simple... he touches on the operation of tongues... interrupts his thought and asserts that while tongues and such are good, without Agape love, they mean nothing... then continues with Chapter 14 on prophecy and asserts that the forth-telling of the Scriptures and the Word of God (that is the context of what 14 talks about in conjunction with the idea of prophesying) and THAT is the gift we should earnestly seek and ask for because it is in the forth-telling of the Word which ultimately holds the keys of the Gospel with which we are to present I think... but remember... while yes, tongues is a gift from God... the greatest of these is love... For the fruit of the SPIRIT is love joy peace etc... and thus, to answer your question... seek it? Depends really... but ultimately it is from God and God alone and He will give it to you how He sees fit... but the focus SHOULDN'T be on tongues but upon Jesus, the Giver of these "gifts"... and in all reality, Jesus is better than tongues so...
@kk_grayfox@xanga - @black_lie@xanga - Most people say they speak in so-called "Angelic" languages (Paul mentions this).
First off, every time in the bible that we read of an angel speaking, it's in the language of the hearer. Second, the point Paul was making was not speaking in tongues, but that of love. He didn't say that he spoke the tongues of angels but was making a point and that even if he could speak it but did not have love, it was worthless. And third, Paul also states that the language of heaven is not lawful for us to speak. The word tongues means languages and is referring to known earthly languages.
@Suhijaquerida - (at my church there is a lot of corporate prayer time where people simultaneously speak in their own prayer languages),
That completely contradicts what the scriptures teach us. I Cor. 14:23
I sympathize completely...
I believe in plenty of strange things, but "prayer language" is among the most useless things I've seen churches concoct - next to snake-handling and spiritual pratfalls. Our concept of language and information is entirely within two major frameworks: a structure of mortality and a structure of conflict. Take either one of these out of the equation, and our entire system of language implodes. I also have a hard time believing that God would create science, including linguistics, and then ignore His own doing for everything that's crucial.
I understand what your saying the fullest.
when i was going to this after hours prayer group, called "healing rooms".
I became a member and would come evrey thursday and they would basically give me a word if it so happen, that God would provide them one for me, after much prayer over me, one of the woman there told me the Lord had put a thought in her mind of me being washed with the cleanest fresh water, and having all the mud cleansed off my body, which signified my old past life, and being cleaned in the holy spirit.
After telling me that she told me the Lord wanted to put a gift in my life, of tounges, or of dreams.
I wasnt ready to get the gifts of tounges, but i wanted def to get the gift of spiritual dreams.
And i must say i was so blessed that the Lord choose me to put that in my life, and i think whoever has the gift of tounges should be privilged because the Lord choose them for a gift so special.
@poetically_truthful@xanga - why do they ask you if you want to receive that gift? It is not theirs to give. If you believe it is a gift still given by the Holy Spirit (which I don't), it is a gift of the Spirit. Not theirs to give. I don't even understand asking that question.