For four years, I longed for the gift of speaking in tongues. These years were filled with agony as I attempted various methods to obtain the gift of Praying in Tongues. Unfortunately, all my efforts were in vain, leading to frustration as I was unsure of the exact steps needed to receive this gift.
Despite my strong desire, I found myself unable to receive the gift. I vividly recall dedicating an entire day to prayer, even resorting to a dry fast in hopes of speaking in tongues. To my disappointment, my prayers went unanswered, leaving me questioning why I was unable to receive the gift of speaking in tongues.
It was only after finally receiving the gift that I realized God had been working behind the scenes all along. Looking back, I now understand and appreciate the reasons behind the delay in receiving the gift of praying in tongues.
When I joined a new church, I heard people talking about praying in tongues, but no one seemed to actually be doing it. This lack of demonstration left me feeling frustrated.
However, during my final year at Desiring the Gift, my prayers were partially answered. A close friend of mine, whom I used to fellowship with, began speaking in tongues after returning from a holiday break. He was the first person I knew personally who desired and received the gift of speaking in tongues.
I was able to ask him questions and seek guidance on how to receive the gift myself. While his answers were somewhat helpful, they didn’t provide me with the exact solution I was looking for. He simply advised me to desire the gift and shared that he received it when a man of God laid hands on him.
This led me to believe that I needed a similar experience to speak in tongues. Therefore, I shifted my prayers from asking God directly for the gift to seeking out an opportunity to meet men of God who could pray over me to receive the gift.
Nothing changed until five months later. A friend invited me to a night vigil at their church. Everyone in the church was speaking in tongues, which was very interesting to me. It was a big church with almost 500 people, all speaking in tongues!
The only people not speaking in tongues were my friends and I, who were attending for the first time. It was a challenging night for us, as we couldn’t pray in tongues like the others.
This experience made me desire the gift of praying in tongues more than ever. I prayed to God that night, asking Him to grant me this gift that I had desired for four years.
Towards the end of the night vigil, those who desired to receive the gift of speaking in tongues were asked to come forward for prayers. When it was my turn, the person leading the prayers laid hands on me and began speaking in tongues.
I followed suit, feeling a mix of wanting to please him and sensing a Heavenly presence. It was my first time speaking in tongues. After that experience, I continued to practice speaking in tongues at home, initially doubting myself but eventually gaining confidence.
I spent about 20 minutes speaking in tongues that first time, and in the following days, I continued to exercise the gift.
After receiving the gift of praying in tongues, I soon realized that my desire to pray in tongues was stronger than that of my friends.
Even though some of them had been speaking in tongues for years, I found myself praying in tongues more frequently and for longer periods.
It was then that I understood that the grace given to me by the Lord for praying in tongues was superior to that of my friends, simply because I had desired the gift for a longer period of time.
This revelation made me grateful for the four-year wait before receiving the gift, as it taught me the value of patience and perseverance in desiring spiritual gifts.
I hope this serves as an encouragement to those who wish to pray in tongues. Ask the Lord to increase your desire for the gift and that He may baptize you with deeper tongues once you have received the gift. The reason for this is that the more you desire, the greater the hunger you will have, and the greater the hunger, the more capacity you will build within you.
So, don’t give up if your tongues feel dry or empty. God may be holding you back so that you desire enough to the point that when He finally gives it to you, it will satisfy you beyond your imagination.
Personally, my desire to pray in tongues cannot be satisfied. I sometimes pray for almost four or five hours continuously in tongues alone. The difference is because of how much I desired the gift before I received it.
The more you desire and hunger for the gift, the greater it will be when you receive it. Blessings!