We’ve talked about why the gift of tongues, as used in our private prayer language, is so vital to living a powerful Christian life. It produces health in our bodies, thoughts, and emotions. It is one of the weapons of our spiritual warfare, is the seventh piece of the armor mentioned in Ephesians 6, and enables us to pray perfect prayers according to God’s will. It produces a communion between God and us that causes us to walk in greater faith, wisdom, understanding, and discernment. And, combined with the interpretation of tongues, it helps us to hear God’s voice.
The question we might ask at this point is, “Why would I not want to pray in tongues?”
I would like to encourage those of my readers who have not yet received their prayer language to press God for it until you do receive it. It is not that He is unwilling to give it to us; it is that some of us have a harder time than others in pressing past our own issues to get to the point of yielding. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “… He [God] is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him,” and Psalm 84:11 promises, “… No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” As the saying goes, anything worth having is worth fighting for. Great men of God, such as John G. Lake and Smith Wigglesworth, have struggled to receive their prayer language, yet they refused to give up until they received the promise, and they were not disappointed.
(Note: Since first writing this article, I have learned more about how to aid people in receiving their prayer language easily. Please see my article, How to Easily be Baptized in the Spirit with Tongues.)
For those of you who already have your prayer language, may I encourage you to use it abundantly? You can train yourself into the habit of praying in tongues (in a whisper, if you like) while you work around the house, drive your car, and do other everyday tasks. After awhile, it becomes so natural to pray in your prayer language, that you do not consciously make a decision to do it, and you may have been praying for some time before you become aware of it. It enables us to be in constant communion with the Lord throughout our day. It’s one of the ways to bring ourselves closer to Paul’s command to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Paul commented, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all” (1 Corinthians 14:18). If the prayer language was important to Paul, it should be treasured and nurtured by us, too.
Previous: The Power of Your Prayer Language (Part 6)
Excerpted from Lee Ann’s book, The Intercessor Manual
The Baptism in the Spirit: Why You Need It & How to Get It, by Lee Ann Rubsam (CD or mp3)
Out of the Fire 
Do you believe the Bible is the complete word of God?
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Yes, I do believe the Bible is the complete word of God, in the sense that it is the only infallible word of God. It can be trusted completely. However (and I can guess where you are coming from), I do believe that God still speaks personally to His children today through the prophetic gifts, including visions, dreams, the inner voice, impressions, and personal revelation through a Scripture verse coming to our attention. None of these are as reliable as the Bible itself. We can make mistakes in hearing God, but the Bible is without error.
(Lest anyone wants to dispute the Bible’s inerrancy, I mean that the original text is without error. Transcriptions of the original word have some minor problems of little consequence, and no translation is perfect. This is understood by most Christians, when we talk about the Bible being without error.)
I have about 40 years behind me of hearing God speak to me personally, and it is a wonderful thing to know Him and receive His guidance on such intimate terms. I cannot imagine living without that kind of personal contact with Him. It must be pretty lonely!
I am well aware that some Christians believe that we can only receive guidance and light from the Bible in a general kind of way, and that they choose to believe that those of us who hear more personally from the Lord are loopy. Bless all of you who think that way! — but I don’t agree. We can still love each other. 🙂
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You guessed correctly…I believe God only speak to us today through the Bible. My latest post was about this topic and I found your blog through one of the tags that I linked too. (Take a look if you have time, I’ve even had some interaction from a friend on the topic.)
So I guess I would be taking the total opposite position that you would hold.
You say that this other extrabiblical revelation is still available today. How do you know it is God speaking? What does His voice sound like?
Do you think the Bible really supports this view?
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How do I know it is God speaking …
Well, when you know Him, you know His voice — just like when you love a person on earth dearly, when you hear his or her voice, you know it. You are tuned in to it. It’s something you are always listening for, and that’s the way it is in a love relationship with the Lord.
Jesus talked about it in John 10:4, 5 — “And when He puts forth His own sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers.”
It’s a journey, learning to be very accurate in hearing His voice. It’s possible to make mistakes about it — just like sometimes you might hear a voice quite similar to that of the person you love, and if you’re not listening carefully, you might get fooled momentarily. But on the whole you know that voice. And if we do miss hearing Him accurately on occasion, He promises to pull us back in line. Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’ when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left.” God desires for us to hear Him accurately, even more than we desire it.
He never intended for people to stop listening for Him to talk with them. You have probably heard God here and there, and just didn’t recognize that it was Him speaking, because you don’t expect Him to do it. Have you ever read a Scripture verse, and it just quickened something in your spirit, or it sort of leaped off the page, and seemed to be just right for your need right then? That’s one of the ways He speaks. That’s a good place to start.
I think spending lots and lots of time reading the Word makes a huge difference in hearing Him accurately when He speaks in the inner voice.
The other thing that hones our hearing is spending huge amounts of time in His Presence in prayer — worshipping, yielding completely to His will, and asking Him questions and expecting Him to answer.
The inner voice is like a thought that goes through your mind that isn’t from yourself. Or you might feel it deeper, like it’s coming from within your spirit. Different people describe it in different ways.
You get so you can tell the difference between hearing your own thoughts, and hearing God’s voice inside. The devil tries to jam our minds with his thoughts, sometimes, too, but it sounds different than God does. God doesn’t tear down, or bring fear or doubt, and He doesn’t pander to our selfish motives.
As we hear God speak to us, and then see what He has said bear out over and over again, that helps to give us confidence that we have really been hearing Him along the way. I’ve had God tell me some phenomenal things about my future, and then it didn’t look like those things could ever happen. When He speaks destiny-type things into us, our faith gets tested. But when what He has said happens, you just feel so thankful for how faithful He is. He’s faithful to back up His Word in the Bible, and faithful to back up His personal words to us, too.
But of course, it always has to be in agreement with the Bible.
Hope that helps some!
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How do you reconcile this view with Deuteronomy 29:29?
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Deuteronomy 29:29 — “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
I think Scripture itself probably answers this question best. Although the secret things belong to the Lord, He shares them with those who delight in being close to Him:
Proverbs 3:32 — “… his secret is with the righteous.”
Psalm 25:14 — “The secret of the LORD is with those who fear him; and he will show them his covenant.”
As far as the second part of Deut. 29:29, “those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever,” God says in Isaiah 42:9 — “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, without revealing his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Joel 2:28, 29 says, “… I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.” The Apostle Peter, in Acts 2:16-18, took that word from Joel and applied it to what was happening on the day of Pentecost. He said the prophet Joel was speaking of “the last days.” “The last days” have not yet come to a close, and we are currently seeing God “pour out His Spirit upon all flesh” in as great or greater a measure than He did among the early Church. More of God’s people across the earth are receiving the prophetic word and dreams and visions than at any other time in history. Although not all of these people hold the office of a prophet per se, it seems to be the heritage of God’s children in these last days to be a prophetic people, who would likely fit the mold of what Amos 3:7 is talking about.
So, those are a few ideas that came to mind, based on the Scripture verses listed.
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Well, I am certainly not one to propose that the secrets of the Lord are only for the “elite” in the Body of Christ. In God’s eyes, there ARE NO elite. The Holy Spirit wants to share His secrets with anyone who chooses to revere Him and seek Him out. In our day, when every Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling within in some measure, we all have revelation available to us (Amos 3:7) — if we want it. We can have as much of God as we want. He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), and He desires intimate relationship with each one of us.
Paul encouraged the Corinthians, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:1). He also said, “Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:5). Yes, it is “whosoever will,” all right! For those who don’t want to, bless you! 🙂
Since this dialogue is going on between a Calvinist and myself, I’d like to state that I have no problem with either electionism or the view of man having a free choice. Both of those doctrines are clearly outlined in the Bible. Both are true, and God is able to join the two together in perfect harmony. The problem is with men. We tend to see things from a limited viewpoint, instead of understanding that God is multi-faceted.
Very likely, from this point on, I won’t be taking much time to comment on the question of whether revelation still goes on today or whether it ceased with the original apostles. I think I’ve stated my personal viewpoint, as I see it from the Scriptures, adequately.
If anyone else wants to duke it out between the Calvinistic/reformed theology and free-will theology, that’s your privilege. 🙂
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Thank you so much…. I’ve needed to hear these words….
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Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. I thank God for bumping into your teachings. I am yearning to draw closer to God in order to hear His voice. More often I have heard that praying in tongues is the key as is the heavenly language. I seem not to reach this level. Please share with me how I can receive this precious gift. I just say few words and get concerned if is the right language as I always thought it would be a language spoken by some nations but unknown to me.
God bless you for your free teachings
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Hi Daryl,
I just want to clarify for anyone else reading your comment that praying in tongues and the heavenly language are the same thing.
If you already have a few words of your prayer language, you are already baptized in the Spirit and have the whole thing. What you will want to do now is pray in the few words that you have very often. Many people worry if they have only a few words, and think they have not got the real thing, but they do. As you pray in tongues more, you will probably find that more words will come over time. However, keep in mind that some languages spoken among tribal people DO only contain a few words. The variety in what they say is all in the voice inflection, so even if you only continue to have a few words, have faith that what you have is genuine and is all that the Holy Spirit needs to pray through you perfectly.
The more you pray in tongues, the more likely that you will hear God speaking to you as you do it. Thoughts and phrases that are from the Lord will come into your mind, and you will know it is Him because it won’t be in the regular flow of what you were thinking. You may find yourself switching back and forth between speaking in tongues and praying in your native language as you pray. When you find this happening, listen to what you are saying in your native language. It is probably interpretation of tongues — a wonderful way to hear what is on God’s heart. You can also actively ask God to interpret what you are praying in tongues. He may not always do so, but He will a lot more of the time, if you ask Him to.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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Dear lee ann,i am new to this site and i have just read your post ‘The Power Your Prayer Language’ and i must admit it has really helped me to understand my prayer language i recieved some time ago.But lately i have heard about using our prayer language to sing.Is it possible?if yes,have you ever tried it and how will it work for me?please,i really want to know.thank you.
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Hi Senam,
Yes, you can sing in the spirit just like you can pray in the spirit. It works the same way. You may want to step into singing in tongues as you worship the Lord in song.
If you were to attend a Pentecostal or Charismatic church where the gifts of the Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-10) are operating, often those groups of believers will at some point during the corporate worship be moved by the Holy Spirit to spontaneously sing in tongues. As they sing in tongues, the Spirit also enables them to harmonize beautifully with each other. Occasionally in such churches, you will even hear someone give a public message to the Body in tongues by singing it — and the interpretation may be spoken or sung in such cases.
But you can also sing in tongues when you are by yourself. Here is the biblical support for singing in tongues, for anyone who might be doubtful about doing this: “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also” — 1 Corinthians 14:15.
Thank you for asking! Blessings, Senam!
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Thank you so much for this information
God Bless you
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I want to thank you so much for this post, it came at a time that I recently started back using my prayer language daily which occurred about two month ago. The Devil, enemy of the body of Christ trick me, into believing that my prayer language wasn’t important, and I neglected prayering in tongues, which cause some many problems in my life. Since starting back prayer in tongues several times a Day, Morning, Afternoon, and Night, My life has been spiritually Illuminated, My health being restored, My mine is clear, My spiritual comprehension is enhance,and River of living Water is following through my life. The Body of Christ must preach this message, so we can be ready to fight the Spiritual Warfare, 2 Cor 10-4-5, Eph 6:10-12. Keep up the good Work Women of God, Be bless, and Favored Highly
Rev Reginald.
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Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful testimony, Rev. Reginald. I’m sure it will encourage others to pray more in their prayer language.
Blessings, Lee Ann
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My prayer language changed and I was very surprised by it, is this normal?
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Hi Jessica,
Yes it can, and you may notice yourself using different languages at different times. Here is the answer I gave in the Intercession/Prophecy Questions and Answers post:
“Can my prayer language change? — Sure! You may find that your prayer language shifts back and forth between several languages. During special times of intercession, I often notice that my prayer language is different. I have a friend who has separate prayer languages for personal use and speaking in tongues in the public setting. God can do it however He wants. All we have to do is be yielded and leave the details up to Him.”
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Hi Lee Ann! Thank you so much for sharing on this topic. I recently received Baptism of the Spirit, and I do recognize that it is an act of faith that is strengthened as we use the gift. Could you please address the mind’s role as we pray in the Spirit? The reason I am asking is because I am so accustomed to praying specific things for specific people, in a SPECIFIC order. lol! What does the “process” look like? How do we implement praying in the Spirit with our regular prayers in English or whatever native language? I’m thinking that surely there are others who are wondering the same. Thank you and God bless you!
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Hi Gina,
These are good questions! There are so many different ways you can incorporate tongues, depending on your unique mode of prayer. Also, you may find you do it one way one time, and at another time, you do it differently.
For instance, if you have an agenda of what you want to pray about, whether it’s a list on paper, or just a mental list, you can start by praying in English on that topic, and when you have exhausted what to say, continue by praying in tongues, expecting that God is continuing to pray through you what still needs to be said on that subject.
Or, you can start by saying, “Lord, I would like to pray for such and such,” and you start off praying in tongues, and then shift into English as you are “feeling it.” We then have faith that the Spirit will actually pray through us in tongues what we asked Him to pray through us.
Oftentimes, when we pray in tongues, we have thoughts arise inside of how to pray it out in English. This can actually be interpretation of what we have already been praying in tongues. Praying in tongues puts us in tune with the Holy Spirit, so that we step into praying in His flow in English, rather than just from the limited understanding of our minds. I often switch back and forth between praying in tongues and English, usually without even noticing when I am doing which.
You may feel a real desire or burden in your spirit to pray on a particular topic, and when you do, as you pray in tongues (and in English), you can have confidence that the burden to pray was put there by the Holy Spirit, so He is going to help you get the appropriate intercession accomplished, whether in your prayer language or English.
Praying in tongues bypasses our minds, and is an interaction between our spirit and the Holy Spirit. However, we can start out praying from the understanding we have in our minds (we all do this at least part of the time) to shifting into praying by the help of the Spirit. The line between the two can be somewhat thin, but as we pray in tongues, we shift over from the mind to the spirit.
So, I would say, if you like to pray through a list of specific things, have confidence that the Lord will help you make that transition from praying from your intellect into praying from your spirit. Praying in tongues is one of the best ways to easily make that transition. But allow yourself to have faith that the Lord will indeed see to it that you pray for the specific need you have in mind when you shift into tongues. (And even if you happen to pray something unrelated in your prayer language, you can still trust Him that He knows what really needs prayer and what doesn’t.)
Does this explanation help?
Blessings in the Lord Jesus,
Lee Ann
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Grace and Peace Lee Ann. Thank you for this teaching it has blessed me. I have not used my prayer language much because I allowed the enemy to convince it is was not authentic although I prayed for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I am praying more now and believing to hear Gods voice more clearly for my life. As well as wisdom and revelation knowledge.
Thank you once again. May God bless you and keep you.
Very Best,
Rachel
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I am so glad the article helped you, Rachel. We can see just how afraid of our prayer language the enemy is, by the way he fights it so much! It’s good to hear that you are beginning to use it again. May the Lord bless you with power in receiving His answers as you pray, and may He bless you with increased revelation from Him. 🙂 ~ Lee ann
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Hi Lee Ann, thank you so much for your response and for your prayers. I receive it all in Jesus name! 🙏🏽🙌🏾❤️
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