I have observed some believers complain that praying in tongues is not working for them. From a human perspective, I completely understand why that can be the case. As a matter of fact, I have had periods in my life when I really struggled to pray in tongues.
However, because I chose to be a diligent believer, I decided not to complain but to figure out how to enjoy praying in tongues. I told myself, “There is no way I will continue struggling to pray in tongues while others are enjoying the gift and getting results.”
Sure enough, as Jesus said, those who seek will find. I found a solution that made praying in tongues very enjoyable for me. The solution was not some complex revelation, but a simple biblical principle hidden in plain sight.
While implementing the solution requires effort, it is far from impossible. I implemented it when I was still a teenager, which proves that anyone can do it.
I went from questioning whether praying in tongues was worth it to praying in tongues daily. At the same time, my life greatly improved.
Now, let’s get into the simple finding that transformed my whole praying in tongues experience.
The struggle
I first noticed a problem shortly after receiving the gift of praying in tongues. Before receiving the gift, I had heard many testimonies about how powerful praying in tongues was. Naturally, I expected similar results once I received the gift myself.
I was not alone. My friends who had also received the gift faced the same challenge. Their expectations did not match the reality of their experience. As a result, some began expressing doubts about praying in tongues. A few who were particularly dramatic even left the group altogether.
As a leader in church, I did not want to display a lack of faith in the gift of tongues. Yet deep down, I had similar concerns. I could not point to any obvious results from the hours I was spending praying in tongues.
“Am I doing something wrong?” Were the people sharing these testimonies exaggerating?” These and many other questions filled my mind.
The radical experiment
After wrestling with these thoughts for some time, I decided to conduct an experiment.
My plan was to become as disciplined as humanly possible in praying in tongues and see whether I would experience any results. At the time, I was already fairly disciplined, but I wanted to reach an entirely different level.
If praying in tongues still did not work after that, I was prepared to boldly proclaim it from the rooftops.
My experiment began from a rather unspiritual angle. I searched for the best books on discipline because I wanted praying in tongues to become a deeply rooted habit.
I read several self-help books and studied Scriptures on discipline. I left no stone unturned. Whether through physical effort or spiritual empowerment, I was determined to make praying in tongues work.
Study findings
During my study, I learned several valuable lessons.
First, I learned that an activity is more likely to become a habit when you genuinely believe it is good. I immediately asked myself, “Do I truly believe that praying in tongues is a good habit?” I answered with an audible “Yes.”
Second, I discovered that habits are often influenced by the people around us. Based on that insight, I decided to attend every prayer service I could. By consistently surrounding myself with people who prayed, I would increase my chances of developing a solid praying in tongues habit.
Third, I learned that fasting is a powerful tool for spiritual discipline. As a result, I committed myself to fasting as often as possible to support my efforts.
The plan sounded good, but it came with challenges.
Silent struggles
First, despite verbally affirming that praying in tongues was a good habit, I still struggled internally to justify my claim.
Second, most prayer services were located far from where I lived. Attending them required money for transportation, and at the time, I was as poor as a church mouse.
Also, some church services were held overnight, meaning I would spend the entire night praying in tongues. Since I was not yet enjoying the praying in tongues experience, staying up all night for prayer was intimidating.
Lastly, fasting is difficult. That hardly needs an explanation.
Despite these obstacles, I pushed forward. I attended a remarkable number of prayer services, roughly ten per week. Yes, there were days when I attended two or three services in a single day.
I was operating on a level of dedication that would easily bring down the heavens.
Interestingly, I never lacked money for transport as I had feared. In addition, I joined every fasting program available, whether it involved the entire church or only a department.
After all that effort, it was time to evaluate my progress.
The progress
The first change I noticed was that I could now begin praying in tongues on short notice. Previously, I would struggle just to get started praying in tongues.
Second, the discouraging thoughts that used to plague me while praying had disappeared. Praying in tongues no longer felt burdensome, although I still could not say I fully enjoyed it.
However, that changed during one particular prayer service.
The breakthrough moment
As usual, we began praying in tongues. Each time the person leading the prayers instructed us to pause, I felt a strong urge to continue. Repeatedly, I was the last person to stop praying.
Then something unusual happened.
During the next pause, while everyone else became silent, I simply could not stop. My tongues became louder and more vigorous. At that point, I stopped resisting and yielded completely.
With no way to stop me, everyone else joined in, and I continued praying for nearly two hours before finally containing myself.
After the prayers, I experienced a depth of peace and quietness unlike anything I had ever known. It was incredibly sweet. I knew I had unlocked something great.
Not only had praying in tongues become effortless, but it was now accompanied by a very sweet feeling. I became curious to know what had changed.
The revelation
Sure enough, the Holy Spirit gave me a revelation of what had happened. He helped me recognize an important principle in Proverbs 25:28. The scripture says that a person without self-control is like a city whose walls are broken down. This means that for that man, anything goes.
Previously, I had allowed fleshly desires to dictate my life. Although I was attempting to be disciplined, I was not consistent. But when I committed myself fully to discipline, I became like a city with strong walls.
The secure environment that I had created within myself through discipline attracted the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit revealed to me that He measures the amount of power to deposit in believers based on their level of discipline. A very disciplined believer by default gets more power from the Holy Spirit.
This principle is reflected in Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16:10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
As my discipline increased, praying in tongues became more enjoyable and fruitful.
Sadly, some believers complain that praying in tongues is not working for them, yet they have not yet cultivated discipline in their prayer life. Discipline requires effort, but its rewards are sweet.
Therefore, if you desire to enjoy praying in tongues and to experience greater spiritual power from the Holy Spirit, cultivate prayer discipline in your life.
God bless you.