It has been six years since I received the gift of speaking in tongues. It doesn’t feel like a long time but I’m amazed at the number of things I have discovered.
Prior to receiving the gift of speaking in tongues, I didn’t know much about it except what is written in the Bible.
But after six years of speaking in tongues, I know that what the Bible mentions is only the tip of the ice berg. I have become like the Queen of Sheba when she visited King Solomon and confessed that what she had seen and experienced surpassed the report she heard.
If you have been speaking in tongues for less than six years, these lessons I have learned should help you know what to expect. If you have been speaking in tongues for more than six years, I believe you will resonate with my experience.
Obviously, I cannot cover all the lessons I have learned in this article. Speaking in tongues is a journey and I’m still learning new lessons every day. With the time God has given me, I will do my best to share all the lessons I learn as they come.
For now, I have compiled the following five lessons.
5 Lessons I have Learned after 6 Years of Speaking in Tongues
1. Speaking in Tongues for Long Matters a Lot
Speaking in tongues will get you any breakthrough you want. The catch is how much time you spend speaking in tongues.
Two people can have totally different experiences when they speak in tongues if they do it for different durations.
I have been close to my friends who received the gift of speaking in tongues around the same time I received the gift but not all of us can confidently say we have received breakthroughs as a result of speaking in tongues.
I am grateful to God that I have experienced countless breakthroughs as a result of speaking in tongues but some of my friends have not had the same experience.
I attribute the difference to the time spent speaking in tongues. From what I have observed, those who have been consistent in speaking in tongues have convincing testimonies of what God has done for them. Those who spoke in tongues in their leisure time have nothing to testify of.
The Bible affirms this truth. We are told that whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully in 2nd Corinthians 9:6.
The Bible also assures us in Galatians 6:7 that everyone will reap what he sows.
I would have felt guilty that some of my friends have not experienced the power of speaking in tongues but I know it was their choice.
Spending more time speaking in tongues matters a lot. The result of speaking in tongues consistently for long versus speaking in tongues occasionally are distinct like day and night.
This realization has made me double down on speaking in tongues. I used to ask some of my friends to attend night vigils with me so that we speak in tongues together but they would refuse to show up.
After learning this lesson, I made it my responsibility to speak in tongues consistently regardless of whether my friends would join me or not. It is certainly paying off and I am glad that God rewards everyone according to their hard work and commitment.
2. Speaking in Tongues is different at different times of the day
There is an infamous debate among believers with some saying the hour you pray doesn’t matter while others say it matters. After 6 years of speaking in tongues, I have learned that speaking in tongues at different times of the day matters.
I have written an article before about speaking in tongues at night and I explain in the article why it is special.
In the early days of speaking in tongues, it won’t matter whether you speak in tongues during the day or at night. But as you grow in the gift, time of the day will become an important factor.
I also realized that speaking in tongues is easier at sunrise and sunset compared to daytime. At first I thought it was a random experience but over time I adjusted my prayer time to align with sunrise and sunset.
The Bible hints about these two periods when it mentions the case of Daniel who used to pray three times a day. We are not told exactly that it was morning, noon and evening but of course that was most likely the case.
I have prayed during other times of the day but it wasn’t as easy as during sunrise or sunset. I am not setting any rules here but if you want to test it yourself, do it.
It works best for me and I believe it is not just my experience but a spiritually backed phenomena.
3. Speaking in Tongues is an Anchor in difficult Seasons
If you are a believer, difficult seasons are guaranteed. God allows us to go through difficult seasons for various reasons. Most of the time it is to test us but sometimes it is punishment for our foolishness.
For whatever reasons you go through a difficult season, one thing is clear; speaking in tongues will be an anchor.
The Bible explicitly asks those who are in trouble to pray in James 5:13. We are also told that on the night Jesus was arrested He was in distress and He prayed fervently.
We are not told that He spoke in tongues but of course we know that speaking in tongues is how the Holy Spirit helps us pray.
In other words, if any of us is in trouble, God expects him to pray. But because praying is difficult in times of trouble, speaking in tongues comes in handy.
Over the six years I have been speaking in tongues, I have sailed through difficult seasons by speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues doesn’t necessarily make difficult seasons easier but it gives you hope.
An anchor doesn’t stop the boat from swaying but it guarantees that the boat won’t be carried away by the waves.
If you are consistent in speaking in tongues, when difficult seasons come, you will have something to hold on to.
4. Speaking in Tongues becomes Easier and Enjoyable with Time
If you asked me in my first year of speaking in tongues if I had the gift of speaking in tongues, I would have hesitated to answer. That is because speaking in tongues didn’t feel any special and I had a hard time understanding how a gift of the Holy Spirit can miss to be enjoyable.
But as I persisted in speaking in tongues, I began experiencing joy and fulfillment. Finally, speaking in tongues felt like a gift from God.
Nobody had oriented me about this experience but I am grateful that God helped me sail through the difficult part.
Anytime I talk to someone who is starting out in the gift of speaking in tongues, I do my best to let the person know that the early days are going to be tough.
Some people may not experience the toughness in their early days of speaking in tongues but that is the exception not the rule.
It is better to prepare for a difficult season and not experience it than hope for a smooth sail then experience trouble.
I learned that I should not expect to enjoy speaking in tongues in the early stages. Any enjoyment in the early stages of speaking in tongues should come as a surprise.
When you finally start experiencing the sweetness of speaking in tongues, you won’t need anyone to tell you how sweet it is.
5. Speaking in Tongues is more Mysterious than what we are told
The fifth lessons I have learned about speaking in tongues in my six years of practicing the gift is its mysterious nature.
When I received the gift, I expected it to be an average experience. And sure enough, it was an average experience in the early days.
But as I kept practicing it, I realized speaking in tongues is deeper that what people say. Today I am confident that speaking in tongues is mysterious beyond explanation.
Most of the experiences I have had about speaking in tongues can’t be expressed in words. I would just say I felt great peace but I wish someone could experience that peace.
I have discovered many things about speaking in tongues that I never thought were possible. Nowadays when I hear a man of God talking about speaking in tongues I know he is only scratching the surface.
The true experiences of speaking in tongues are beyond what words can describe. These experiences baffle you regardless of how much you have invested in your spiritual life.
There is A LOT about speaking in tongues waiting to be discovered by serious believers who are hungry for God.
This is also why I no longer bother when someone wants to argue with me about speaking in tongues. I don’t let their narrow spiritual reasoning distract me from the deep mysteries that God is willing to reveal.
You can learn from people about speaking in tongues but nobody will teach you about speaking in tongues more than your own experience.
I understand most peoples’ encounters regarding speaking in tongues primarily because I have experienced them too. It is easier to say “Yeah, I experienced that too” than to explain an experience.
If someone says he spoke in tongues and saw a bright light and felt weak afterwards, I remember a time I had a similar experience. Though I may not fully describe what it was, at least the person will know he is on the right path.
Therefore, expect deeper experiences when speaking in tongues beyond what you’ve heard men of God talk about.
Lessons I have Learned after 6 Years of Speaking in Tongues: Conclusion
Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit with unspeakable dimensions. You will learn many lessons the more you soak in the gift.
The above lessons were the ones I could remember. As I mentioned before, learning never stops and that includes learning about speaking in tongues.
When I set out to share about speaking in tongues I was concerned there was too little information. I thought I would run out of ideas but surely God knew there was a lot to be covered.
I hope you find these articles helpful.
Peace!