The ability to interpret your own tongues is an essential attribute for every believer blessed with the gift of speaking in tongues. In the Bible, Apostle Paul points out the need for people who pray in tongues to desire and request for the gift of interpretation.
I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
1 Corinthians 14:5
As you progress in your gift of speaking in tongues, you need to reach a stage where you can interpret the tongues by yourself.
This is more like the nature of small children who make babbling sounds, but as they mature, they learn to communicate effectively. Similarly, when we first start praying in tongues, we may not comprehend the language we are speaking.
However, we should not remain stagnant at that stage; instead, we should strive to progress to a point where we can interpret our own tongues.
The benefit of being able to interpret your own tongues is that it allows for speedy spiritual growth. This is because God mainly communicates with us while praying in tongues. Sometimes, God uses our very own tongues to speak to us.
By interpreting your own tongues, you can understand these messages quicker. This enables you to implement them faster, resulting in accelerated spiritual growth.
In many instances, individuals who pray in tongues may not interpret their own tongues, leading them to rely on alternative forms of communication. This is when God may send dreams or prophets to deliver messages.
The reason God uses dreams or prophets to communicate instead of directly speaking to those who pray in tongues is due to the inability to self-interpret tongues. If you are able to interpret your own tongues, God can communicate directly to you.
The biggest question when it comes to praying in tongues is how one can make meaning out of the tongues spoken. My basic response would be that the ability to interpret tongues is a gift that is given, just like the gift of speaking in tongues.
This means that one may also be given the gift of interpreting tongues, allowing them to understand their own tongues. However, from personal experience, I recognize that the journey to being able to interpret tongues is more complex than this.
There was a period when I only had the gift of praying in tongues, and there were only a few believers in the church I used to attend who could interpret these tongues.
Despite the fact that the majority of the congregation could speak in tongues, only a small number could interpret them. This goes to show the significant disparity between these two gifts, as the focus tends to be more on praying in tongues than interpreting them.
The shortage of people who could interpret tongues made it challenging to understand how they acquired this gift.
However, I am grateful that I learned how to interpret tongues through prayer and guidance from God.
Based on my observations, there are different levels of interpreting tongues. While you may possess the full gift from the very beginning just like praying in tongues, the levels are essential for your growth in the gift.
Level of Direction
The first level of interpreting tongues can be referred to as the “Level of Direction.” This level involves interpreting the general direction of the tongues you are speaking while praying.
In this level, God will provide you with guidance regarding the nature of the tongues you are speaking. You will be able to discern whether they are tongues of worship, warfare, intercession, or thanksgiving.
This level allows you to identify the type of tongues you are speaking. It is considered the simplest yet the most crucial part of interpreting tongues.
The level of meaning
The second level of interpreting tongues can be referred to as the level of meaning. At this level, you are able to understand the meaning behind the tongues you are speaking.
However, it may not be possible to accurately translate every single word that is being spoken. This is the level at which I primarily operate. Many individuals have sent me written tongues for interpretation and I have been able to share the meaning.
There have also been instances where I have been able to understand the meaning of tongues being spoken by others. I can discern what God is speaking through those tongues, but providing a word-for-word interpretation can be challenging.
For example, if someone speaks in tongues and the Lord says “I am pleased with your level of faith and humility” I can understand that God is pleased with the person’s faith.
However, I may not be able to articulate it exactly as God has spoken word for word. Essentially, I can comprehend the meaning of the tongues, but providing a precise word-for-word interpretation can be difficult.
This intermediary level is usually sufficient for fruitful and successful praying in tongues and interpreting your own tongues.
Word for word interpretation.
The highest level of interpreting tongues is the word for word interpretation. This level requires an exceptional level of skill, as it involves speaking the exact words that God has spoken.
In some cases, God himself takes control of the interpreter’s tongue, allowing them to speak on his behalf.
This phenomenon is seen in the Bible where prophets would speak and then conclude with the phrase “thus says the Lord,” indicating that they were conveying God’s precise message to the people.
The same principle applies to Jesus, who is both God and man. Every word He spoke was the exact word that God the Father would have used in that situation, using the same language and phrasing.
I have personally experienced this level of interpretation a few times, when the Lord Himself would completely take over my tongue and speak through me. During these instances, I would not even be aware of what I was saying, even though the words were spoken in English.
Those are the three levels of interpreting tongues, and I trust that you now have a starting point if you wish to pursue interpretation of tongues.