There are exactly four types of tongue speaking believers. If you usually pray in tongues, then you fall in one of these four categories.
1. The Faithless Tongue Speakers
Faithless tongue speakers are very common. These are believers who want to speak in tongues but can’t get over the first hurdle of believing and receiving the gift of praying in tongues.
From the outside, you will pity them because they are struggling to get the gift of praying in tongues but God despises them. The Bible is very clear in the book of Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please God without faith.
Faith is a gift from God and no believer should struggle to receive the gift of praying in tongues. The struggle to receive the gift of praying in tongues usually comes from the pride of the believer.
Faithless tongue speakers are willing to do anything to speak in tongues. Some of them will even fake speaking in tongues hoping that they will receive the gift in the process.
If you fall in this category, you need to repent for trying to trick God to give you the gift of praying in tongues. On top of that, you need to humble yourself and get rid of ill motives.
A believer who wants to receive the gift of praying in tongues must have a desire to get close to God. Faithless tongue speakers usually have other motives when asking for the gift of praying in tongues.
Another characteristic of the faithless tongue speakers is the habit of quitting praying in tongues shortly after receiving the gift.
God is so generous with His gifts and sometimes He gives the faithless tongue speakers the gift. But as you would expect, the faithless tongue speakers quickly trash the gift and start questioning its authenticity.
They will often say things like ‘Speaking in tongues is fake’ or they will call it empty babbling. Others even claim the gift ceased.
All the speaking in tongues skeptics, those who fake speaking in tongues and those with ill motives fall in this category. They study the gift of speaking in tongues but they don’t speak in tongues. They are the Pharisees of speaking in tongues.
2. The Shallow Tongue Speakers
Slightly above the faithless category of tongue speakers are the shallow tongue speakers. These ones are better than the faithless tongue speakers. They have no ill motives neither do they have good motives; they just speak in tongues.
The main trait of shallow tongue speaking believers is that they are loud when speaking in tongues but their character doesn’t reflect their vigor.
These are the believers the Bible talks about in 1st Corinthians 13:1; they speak in tongues of men and angels but have no love. They are noisy empty shells.
If you ever go to a fellowship where people are praying in tongues and you feel it is too noisy, then be assured it is full of shallow tongue speakers.
Genuine speaking in tongues usually gets loud but you will always feel power of the Holy Spirit behind the loud voice. Shallow tongue speakers are loud but there is no power behind their loud tongues.
This type of tongue speaking believers are quick to get behind the microphone and speak in tongues so that they are heard. They enjoy more being heard over having communion with God.
Jesus referred to them in Matthew 6. They usually want to be seen as prayerful and deep but in real sense they are shallow.
Some people get fooled by their noisy empty tongues and think that they are deep. They are usually soaked in sweat after their ‘speaking in tongues’ sessions.
If you are in this category, value the commands of God. Praying in tongues is valuable only after you have fulfilled the most important aspect of salvation; loving the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and your neighbor as yourself.
3. The Joy Rider Tongue Speakers
Joy rider tongue speakers are what Jesus describes in Revelations 3:15; they are neither hot nor cold. These are tongue speakers who will pray in tongues fervently when they are among other serious tongue speaking believers but they won’t speak in tongues on their own.
Their tongue speaking heavily depends on prevailing circumstances. If it is convenient and they are motivated, they will speak in tongues but they won’t speak in tongues when they are discouraged.
They go with the wind and they like discussing how others speak in tongues. They secretly watch when others are speaking in tongues and make fun of them later on.
For them, speaking in tongues is a fun activity rather than a means to commune with God. A speaking in tongues session is powerful to them when they get to see people rolling on the floor and get a good laugh out of it.
Joy rider tongue speakers blend in fellowships so well and are actually liked by many. They have good stories about praying in tongues and they speak well of the gift but they have no desire to get close to God.
If you are in this category, do what Jesus said in Revelations 3:15; choose either to be hot or cold or else God will spew you out of His mouth.
4. The Deep Tongue Speakers
Deep tongue speakers are the perfect breed of tongue speakers. They love God and they pray in tongues with the intention to get closer to God.
They are willing to suffer for the gift of praying in tongues and their lives are full of praying in tongues testimonies.
Deep tongue speakers are usually secretive about their tongue speaking. Most people will never know how much they are invested in praying in tongues.
They follow perfectly the command Jesus gave for believers to go into their rooms, lock the door behind them and pray to their Father in secret.
Unless they are asked to lead prayers, they will comfortably pray in tongues from their corners. They have no desire for human attention.
Every manifestation from them is pure and led by the Holy Spirit. They will pray in tongues loudly when the Holy Spirit leads them but when they are not led, they will pray moderately.
When discussions about praying in tongues arise, they will often prefer to listen than to speak. For them, they would rather be praying in tongues than be discussing about praying in tongues.
If you are in this category, the Lord sees your faithfulness and your reward will not delay. Keep it up!