One time, someone asked me, “How do you manage to pray in tongues so boldly?”
“I’ve struggled for the longest time to pray in tongues boldly. I have so many doubts, and I don’t know how to get rid of them. Did you have these doubts at some point in your praying in tongues journey?” He added.
“Well, I know a few things that could help you. I totally understand your struggle.” I responded.
“And yes, I had similar struggles when I was new to praying in tongues. I battled doubtful thoughts endlessly, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, I overcame.” I added.
“Let’s find a good place to sit so that I can explain to you,” I suggested. “Sure!” The brother responded.
The Mistake of Many Praying in Tongues Believers…
“From your narration of the problem, I noticed something that troubled me.” I started. The brother leaned in with his full attention on what I was about to say.
“I’ll be honest with you. You are falling for the deception of the devil.” I told him.
“How? Please tell me.” He pleaded.
“You are paying attention to the seductions of the devil, while thinking it is your logical reasoning. The devil is taking advantage of your carnal reasoning to choke your flow in the spirit.” I told him.
The brother seemed confused, though he was still eager to understand how the devil was deceiving him.
At that point, I decided to use scriptural examples to explain to him what was happening.
Solution Context…
“Your situation is similar to what Cain was facing in Genesis 4:6-7. Let’s read it so that you see for yourself…” I suggested.
So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
After reading the scripture, the brother said, “But I’m not angry.” “But you are discouraged, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, kind of…” He admitted.
“Well, maybe I should give you another example.” I suggested. “It’s okay, as long as you explain to me so that I understand. I really want to pray in tongues boldly as you do.” He responded.
“Okay then, let’s read 2 Samuel 13:12.” I said while scrolling my phone to open the Bible app.
But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!
“Haha! Augustine, this is an obscene story. You want to mean I’m that bad?” The Brother asked.
“Well, if you were the judge, you would think what you are doing is not that bad, but actually, this scripture explains exactly what you are doing.” I responded.
“Let me keep quiet.” The brother said, feeling as if I was attacking him unfairly with scriptures.
“There’s one more scripture that I feel we should read.” I said.
“I hope it’s not another scripture that attacks me. I need help, not attacks, please.” The brother pleaded.
“What if the attacks are the solution you need? I’m giving scriptures just as I receive them from the Holy Spirit.” I responded.
“Fine. Let’s read…” He said.
“This is a familiar scripture; you must have heard of it. Ephesians 4:30.” I said.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
“Yeah, I’m familiar with that verse. But do you want to say I’ve grieved the Holy Spirit? How?” The brother asked.
“Let me explain…” I told him.
The Revelation…
“In the book of Genesis, Cain was enticed by the devil to kill his brother Abel. God warned him that the devil desired to entice him into sin, but that did not stop him from falling into sin.”
“Ehe, that’s clear enough! Tell me more.” The brother said.
“The half-sister of Amnon pleaded with Amnon in 2 Samuel 13:12 not to defile her for it was a disgraceful thing, but Amnon would have none of it.” I continued.
“Okay, I’m listening.” The brother said.
“In both these cases, the good voice was ignored in favor of the evil voice. The same thing is happening to you right now. The devil is whispering to you lies about praying in tongues, and you are listening.” I said.
“So you mean I should stop paying attention to the voices that make me doubt my tongues?” The brother asked.
“Yes! When you pay attention to those voices, you grieve the Holy Spirit. And remember the scripture you said you were familiar with commands us not to grieve the Holy Spirit.” I affirmed.
“Okay, that’s clear enough. But how exactly do I stop listening to those voices? Because, to be honest, it is a struggle.” The brother asked.
“Every time there is a doubtful thought in your mind, affirm boldly, saying, ‘I will pray in tongues for it is a sweet gift of the Holy Spirit’. After a while, the doubts will disappear, and you will be able to pray in tongues boldly. That’s what I did, and it worked for me.” I explained to the brother.
“Very well understood brother. Thank you!” He replied.
If you are like the brother I spoke to, stop falling for the deception of the devil. Your tongues are real, and they have great impact in the spiritual realm. Otherwise, the devil wouldn’t be after you.
God bless you!
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