It is very frustrating when you spend all your time praying in tongues, hoping for change, but barely seeing any. You begin to wonder why praying in tongues, though so powerful, doesn’t seem to be working for you.
This is a position I found myself in some time back. But thankfully, I quickly figured out what was happening. Today, I’ll explain what I learned in case you are in a similar position with the same question.
Understanding the power of praying in tongues
First, let’s set the record straight. Praying in tongues is very powerful, no doubt about it. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit who carries the full power of God. This means that by praying in tongues, you tap into the full power of God, and as we know, nothing is impossible with Him.
But let’s be honest. It is not a surprise to hear of believers who pray in tongues but see no change in their lives. So, what is going on in the spiritual realm when a believer prays in tongues but sees no results?
To understand, you need to consider two main things: How praying in tongues works and the responsibility of a believer when praying in tongues.
Anytime someone prays in tongues and sees no change, the problem lies in these two factors. Let me explain.
1. How praying in tongues works
Praying in tongues is the highest level of prayer available to human beings. When human beings sinned against God, He hid Himself from our sin, as Isaiah 59:2 tells us. ‘But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.’
God choosing to hide from our sin was an act of mercy. Had God not distanced Himself from us, He would have been forced to give us the punishment of sin, which, as Romans 6:23 tells us, is death.
To prevent instant death for all people, God distanced Himself and introduced prayer. The good thing about prayer is that it enables a sinful person to speak to a holy God without the risk of death.
God put in place mechanisms to filter prayers before they reach Him. These mechanisms ensure our safety when we make foolish prayers or when we are defiled. The Book of Leviticus gives us a glimpse of those mechanisms.
The Holy Spirit grace
However, the very mechanisms put in place to ensure our safety also make prayer very complex. The laws governing how we approach God in prayer are many and difficult to keep.
When God saw that it was hard for people to follow these laws and commune with Him, He came up with a wise solution: He introduced the gift of praying in tongues through the Holy Spirit.
In simple terms, when you pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit handles the many complexities that govern prayer so that you can speak with God easily.
Think of it like driving an automatic car. You may never understand exactly how stepping on the accelerator makes the car move, but it happens. The car manages fuel flow, gear changes, and other complex engine functions, giving you a simple driving experience.
Despite this simplification, you still have to step on the accelerator for the car to move. You still have to fuel the car, and steering remains your responsibility as the driver.
2. The responsibility of the believer
Just like an automatic car, the heavy lifting is made easier for you until the car breaks down. When it does, you must understand the complexities of how the car works to fix it.
Likewise, when you pray in tongues and don’t see results, it’s time to dive into the complexities of the laws of God governing prayer to understand why your tongues may be ineffective.
As much as the Holy Spirit facilitates praying in tongues, there comes a time when the believer must understand the laws that govern prayer.
By default, it is the believer’s responsibility to pray in tongues and implement any instructions that the Lord recommends. The Holy Spirit supplies the power required to deliver results and guides a person through navigating God’s laws.
Disconnect in the partnership
Praying in tongues is a partnership; it is not immune to misunderstandings. The Holy Spirit is gentle by nature, which is good, but it also makes it easy to ignore Him. For many believers, their partnership with the Holy Spirit breaks down for two main reasons.
One, they don’t understand important prayer laws that the Holy Spirit wants them to know.
Two, they don’t take the actions the Holy Spirit recommends.
When this partnership breaks down, the Holy Spirit withholds His power and any further guidance from the Lord.
As a result, the believer may be praying in tongues without the power of the Holy Spirit and without His guidance.
The Solution
This continues until the believer humbles themselves and asks the Holy Spirit why their praying in tongues is not producing results.
When He responds, the Holy Spirit first reveals the prayer law that the believer has ignored, then recommends an action to take.
If the believer listens and follows this guidance, the Holy Spirit restores His power and provides further direction. As a result, the believer’s tongues then begin bearing fruit again.
Conclusion
Therefore, if you have been praying in tongues and not seeing the impact, it is time to humble yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal which prayer laws you have ignored and what actions you have failed to take.
Trust me, He will reveal them gently. If you accept them and follow His guidance, praying in tongues will become powerful again and deliver results.
God bless you.