Have you ever found yourself shaking while praying in tongues? This is a common occurrence among believers including myself. Sometimes, I feel vibrations in my belly while praying in tongues, and the shaking can be quite intense.
The Holy Spirit has provided me with an explanation for this phenomenon and in this article, I will share three main reasons why it happens.
Impartation of the Holy Spirit
The first reason for people shaking when praying in Tongues is due to an impartation taking place in their lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As human beings, our capabilities can be limited. Just like babies, we lack understanding and the capacity to receive some of the gifts that God has for us. Therefore, God waits for us to grow in understanding before imparting these gifts to us.
This impartation occurs throughout our lives as we continue with our walk with God. Additionally, God has called us into different Ministries and there will be times when we need new impartation to handle the assignments He has for us.
This means that we will receive impartation from the Holy Spirit at various points in our lives.
For instance, the disciples of Jesus still required an impartation of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost despite having been close to the Lord Jesus. In spite of Jesus breathing on them and praying for them to receive the Holy Spirit before His crucifixion, they needed another impartation in the upper room.
This is because our capacity to hold spiritual power depends on our level of understanding and knowledge. As we grow, the initial impartation may become insufficient, leading to the need for fresh impartations.
Our physical bodies have limits in containing spiritual power, causing manifestations like shaking when the power exceeds what our bodies can handle.
Driving out evil spirits
The second reason for experiencing shaking while praying in tongues is the Holy Spirit driving out evil spirits. There are actually instances where the Holy Spirit actively removes evil spirits from us as we pray in tongues.
This spiritual battle within can lead to discomfort and shaking as the evil spirits are expelled. The power of the Holy Spirit while driving out evil spirits can be intense, causing physical reactions such as shaking.
This shaking may also be attributed to the chaotic nature of the evil spirits as they are being expelled.
Fear of the Lord
The third and the main reason people tremble while praying in tongues is because they are approaching God. This concept is often mentioned in the Bible, yet sometimes it is not taken seriously.
The fear of the Lord helps us to give God the reverence and honor He deserves. It is the defining factor that distinguishes God from everything else.
The fear of the Lord intensifies as you draw nearer to God. When praying in tongues, you are essentially energizing yourself in the spirit, with the Holy Spirit preparing you to communicate with God. The closer you draw to God, the deeper the experience of the fear of the Lord.
The fear of the Lord can cause a person to tremble, as seen in the encounters with angels or the presence of God in the Bible. This natural fear stems from feeling unworthy to be in the presence of divine beings, leading to a sense of fear and trembling.
Manoah, the father of Samson was overcome with fear when the angel of the Lord appeared to him and his wife to announce the birth of their son, Samson.
And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”
Judges 13:12
The fear of the Lord all comes down to the awareness of our sinful nature in the presence of God. This uncertainty can make it frightening to be in the presence of God, as seen with Isaiah when he appeared in the courts of heaven.
He expressed doubt about his own purity and felt pity for himself, but it took the seraphim to purify his tongue and reassure him that he had been purified and had no reason to fear anymore.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
Isaiah 6:5
Angels often start by telling people not to be afraid when appearing to them in order to reassure them that the encounter is not for any negative reason.
As humans, we may feel afraid and uncertain when experiencing strong encounters, but receiving verbal assurance from the angels or God can help us drive out that fear.
Just like how we tremble when we are scared in the natural world, we may also tremble in the presence of God, leading to shaking while praying in tongues.
These are the common reasons for shaking during prayer. These experiences make you stronger in the spirit and there is nothing to fear. Always remember that the Holy Spirit is the one leading you through all of these experiences, ensuring that no harm will come to you.
He is a good teacher who will take care of you and provide you with the peace and comfort you need to navigate through such intense spiritual experiences. Blessings!