One of the gifts that is most questioned by people is the gift of tongues. Basically, it is a prayer language. It is a gift of prayer and praise in a language or sounds other than our natural or learned language. It is a prayer between the person and God.  In Romans 8:26, Paul says: “The Spirit too helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in speech. He who searches hearts knows what the Spirit means, for the Spirit intercedes for the saints as God himself wills.”

 

Another way of looking at it is that it is the language of a child of God to the Father. As children, we began communicating with our parents not in their native language, but in a child’s language, which are unintelligible sounds. And yet the parent understands that the child wants to eat, have its diaper change, be picked up, etc. It is the language of the heart of the child communicating to the heart of the parent. So it is with the gift of tongues. As a child of God, my heart is speaking to the heart of the Father, who understands. The sounds do not need interpretation, since it is a prayer between child and God.

 

God has given us this gift. The exercise of that gift, like any gift, waits upon us. If I want to drive my car, I must first press the ignition bottom, press the gas petal and the car moves. It will not move on its own. So with the gift of tongues. I must open my mouth, just speak like a child and focus on the Father in worship and praise. God will do the rest.