Giving the Holy Spirit Control when Praying in Tongues

In this article, I will be discussing feeling out of control when praying in tongues. This is a key topic for tongue-speaking believers because of how frequently it happens.

Understanding it will prevent confusion and unnecessary self-doubt during prayer.

When you know how surrendering while praying in tongues works and how it feels, you are less likely to fear or assume you are doing something wrong when you are actually moving in the right direction.

Praying in Tongues is a Partnership

Praying in tongues is a partnership between you and the Holy Spirit. This is the first and most important thing to understand. Because it is a partnership, you do not have full control, and this is where the feeling of being “out of control” comes from.

The Holy Spirit is a Spirit and does not have a physical body. In order to express spiritual things in the physical realm, He must use your body. At the same time, you live in the physical realm and cannot naturally access the spiritual realm on your own. This is why you need the Holy Spirit.

How much control you surrender to the Holy Spirit determines how deep you can go spiritually. As you move deeper into the spiritual realm, you naturally lose more control in the physical realm. This happens because you are giving the Holy Spirit greater freedom to work through you.

Many believers struggle to go deeper when praying in tongues because they are afraid of losing control. It may seem scary, and understandably so. We are used to controlling our thoughts, emotions, and physical responses, so the idea of surrendering that control can be frightening.

However, when the Holy Spirit is in control, rest assured that you are in safe hands.

Personal Experience of Surrender

When I was new to praying in tongues, I struggled with giving up control. I initially assumed the Holy Spirit would always regulate how much control I had. Over time, I realized that while the Holy Spirit may prompt you to surrender more, He often allows you to decide how far you are willing to go.

There were moments during group prayer when I would feel a spiritual lightness come over me. At the same time, I would begin to feel out of control. My heart would start racing, and sometimes I would sweat. At first, I did not understand what was happening.

Later, I realized that these moments marked the times when I was beginning to surrender more control to the Holy Spirit. He was taking greater control over my speech and my physical body, allowing me to go deeper spiritually. The experience was both satisfying and frightening.

At first, I would hold myself back. But one day, I chose to let go completely, and that was when I had my first powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit.

Over time, I learned that the more room I gave the Holy Spirit, the deeper and richer my prayer life became.

Manifestations and Spiritual Depth

People experience different manifestations when under the power of the Holy Spirit. Some fall, while others dance, cry, shout, or even run. These manifestations are only possible when a person has yielded to the Holy Spirit.

Also, as you allow the Holy Spirit more control, praying in tongues becomes more fluent and enjoyable.

When tongues feel dry, it is often because the Holy Spirit has been given limited room to work. In such cases, the experience remains mostly physical.

The sweetness of praying in tongues is found in the spiritual realm, and reaching it requires deeper surrender.

How to Give the Holy Spirit More Control

1. Pray in Tongues Exclusively

I am a firm believer in focused and intentional praying in tongues. While praying in tongues as you carry out other activities is not wrong, it limits how much control the Holy Spirit can take.

If, for instance, you are driving or cooking, the Holy Spirit will not fully take over your physical control for safety reasons.

When you set aside time to pray in tongues without distractions, the Holy Spirit has more freedom to lead you deeper.

2. Desire Spiritual Depth

Your desire matters. Entering deeper spiritual realms can feel frightening, and you may experience physical reactions such as shaking or trembling. These reactions are natural responses to stepping into the unknown.

The more you desire spiritual depth, the more control you give to the Holy Spirit. This also helps you overcome the fear of going deeper into the spiritual realm.

When I want to go deeper while praying in tongues, I intentionally focus my mind on that desire. At one point, I repeatedly thought, “I want to see Jesus.” As I meditated on that thought, my tongues became more fluent, and I could feel myself going deeper spiritually.

Desire, focus, and meditation create space for the Holy Spirit to take over naturally.

Regaining Control After Deep Encounters

When you give control to the Holy Spirit, He leads you as He desires. When the prayers are over, the Holy Spirit gradually gives you back control. Some people may feel disoriented or confused afterward. This is common and not alarming.

In deep encounters, it may take longer to return to normal awareness. I personally noticed that after such experiences, I preferred silence and minimal interaction for a while.

One time, we held an extended praying in tongues session during a fellowship that was scheduled to run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A strong manifestation of God’s presence caused several people to get deeply caught up in the Spirit.

Some appeared almost unconscious and remained lying on the floor, making it impossible to conclude the meeting as planned. Prayer continued as we waited for them to regain awareness, but time passed with no change.

By around 11:00 p.m., a few were able to stand and walk, but one person was still barely responsive and had to be carried to a car and driven home. She later shared with us that she woke up from the spiritual experience feeling extremely hungry.

After spending extended time in the spiritual realm, a person may feel extremely hungry or physically weak. This is similar to when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter and instructed that she be given food.

Because of this, it is wise, especially in the early stages of surrendering control, to have someone nearby who understands what is happening and can assist you where necessary.

Summary

Feeling out of control when praying in tongues is not a bad thing. It is often a sign of surrender. With time, this experience becomes less frightening and more fruitful.

I hope you are now better prepared and more informed as you grow deeper in your prayer life.

God bless you.