One of the frequently asked questions that I receive from fellow tongue-speaking believers is about the involuntary physical movements they experience while praying in tongues.
Many people are often curious to know what exactly is happening and whether it is a call for concern.
The first thing you need to understand is that our physical bodies are vessels. Because they are vessels, they will respond to whatever spirit is operating within them.
When God created human beings, He placed in each person a human spirit. That spirit permanently dwells in the body.
If the spirit leaves the body, the body dies. This is clearly highlighted in the book of James 2:26, For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Your human spirit is your link to the spiritual realm. Through it, you interact with spiritual realities. However, your lifestyle determines what kind of spiritual influence you allow into your life.
A sinful lifestyle creates an environment that invites evil spirits, while a holy and pure lifestyle creates an environment that welcomes the Holy Spirit.
Access and influence
Since they cannot operate on earth without a physical body, spirits often seek to inhabit human bodies.
This is the same reason why, despite being God, Christ had to become a human being to fulfill his work on earth.
However, access by these spiritual forces to a human body is not automatic. It is granted.
Your human spirit is the custodian of your body. Other spirits only gain influence through the access given to them through lifestyle choices and sometimes through lineages.
When you pray in tongues, you are allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through you. But notice: you must yield.
If you choose to pray for ten minutes, that is the measure of access you have given Him. If you pray for two hours, you have granted Him greater access.
The more room you give the Holy Spirit in your life, the more His presence fills you. And as His presence increases, evil spirits that may have attached themselves to your body become uncomfortable and eventually get forced out.
Why Movements May Happen
When you begin praying deeply in tongues, the spiritual atmosphere within you shifts. This may result in physical manifestations such as involuntary movements and sensations in the body
In the bible, when Jesus cast out evil spirits, people sometimes fell or cried out. The screaming and falling were involuntary actions that were as a result of the deliverance that was taking place.
Discerning the cause of the movements
So, are the movements you are experiencing from the Holy Spirit, or from something else?
The primary test is your lifestyle.
If you are living in repentance, reading the word of God, fellowshipping with God, and seeking His holiness, then you are creating an environment that glorifies the Holy Spirit.
Over time, His influence will increase, and anything not of God will be pushed out, resulting in physical movements.
Some believers focus only on casting out spirits but neglect cultivating a lifestyle that keeps the Holy Spirit fully occupying that space. Yet, true freedom is sustained by lifestyle, not just by one spiritual event.
Spiritual sensitivity and physical response
Some of the movements you may experience are as a result of your spirit actively engaging in the spiritual realm and not necessarily evil spirits coming out.
For example, I once dreamed that I was protecting a chicken and its chicks from a bird that was trying to attack them. In the dream, I kicked the attacking bird only to wake up and realize I had physically kicked the wall.
I was very spiritually sensitive in that moment, and what was happening in the dream translated into physical action.
Similarly, when people dance, jump, or move in the spirit during prayer, it’s often a sign of deep spiritual engagement and sensitivity.
Summary
If you experience involuntary movements while praying in tongues, do not panic. Examine your lifestyle and ask the Holy Spirit to give you further understanding as He leads you deeper into holiness.
If you are in need of deliverance or suspect that you are, you can also seek prayer and counsel from other mature and grounded believers.
I hope this has been helpful. God bless you!
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