For a long time, I yearned to speak in tongues and have divine encounters. Therefore, I dedicated myself to learning and acquiring as much knowledge as possible to reach a point where I could experience these encounters.
One day, I decided to go to a nearby church to pray. My intention was to pray from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and then engage in other activities afterwards. As planned, I commenced my prayers and after praying for an hour and a half, I began to feel an overwhelming sense of joy and a pleasant burning sensation in my heart.
It was an incredibly heavenly and delightful experience. Motivated by this, I decided to continue praying, even though my initial plan was to conclude at 5:00 p.m. As time passed, the experience became even more blissful.
By the time it reached 5:00 p.m., I was immersed in the most profound moment I had ever encountered while speaking in tongues.
I found myself torn between carrying on with the prayers and proceeding with my planned activities. Although my time was up, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever have another opportunity to experience such a divine feeling.
I then made the decision to continue praying for as long as the sweet sensation persisted, regardless of the time. Eventually, I ceased my prayers, but the sweet sensation lingered.
As I embarked on other activities, the peaceful sensation still clung to my heart. I began to wonder whether this feeling was permanent and if it would last for the rest of my life.
As time went, the peaceful feeling began to fade away. To revive that sweet sensation, I resorted to praying in tongues again at night.
From then on, each time I prayed, I felt that sweet sensation, making it challenging to know when to conclude my prayers. I struggled with the thought of potentially restricting the Holy Spirit thus quenching the fellowship with God. I felt incredibly guilty whenever I stopped my prayers.
This raised the question of how much praying or speaking in tongues is sufficient, especially when balancing spiritual devotion with daily responsibilities. The allure of the sweet sensations during prayer made it difficult to set boundaries. I realized that there was need to find a balance between spiritual connection and my human obligations.
When one reaches a point where they have profound spiritual experiences while speaking in tongues, they may be tempted to neglect their physical needs. However, if the physical needs are not met, it can lead to physical problems that can ultimately affect our spiritual well-being.
Some individuals have become ill because they excessively fasted, while others have experienced physical sickness due to intense spiritual encounters that frightened them.
As a human being, it is crucial to understand that there are limits to how much spiritual stimulation one can handle. God is also mindful of this and typically permits only those who are capable of balancing their spiritual stimulation to experience it.
This is why self-control is crucial. The same Holy Spirit that enables you to pray in tongues and receive knowledge and revelations also empowers you with self-control. It is important to utilize this self-control to manage both your spiritual and physical needs.
Ensure that you prioritize taking care of your physical needs in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Your physical body is the vessel that allows you to host the spirit of God, and it is essential to keep it healthy and strong.
By attending to your physical needs such as eating well and exercising, you are creating a suitable environment for God to dwell within you. Even as you engage in spiritual practices like speaking in tongues, set aside specific time for self-care and make an effort to adhere to it.
Do not feel guilty for ending a prayer session, as it is necessary to take care of your physical body as well. This is not quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit, but rather following God’s command to prioritize your physical well-being.
By taking care of your physical needs, you are ensuring that you will have the strength to continue your spiritual practices and experience the presence of God in your life.
After experiencing divine encounters, individuals often develop a fear that they may never experience such again. This fear drives them to prolong the experience for as long as possible.
However, it is not advisable to continuously seek these encounters without considering other aspects of life. The spiritual realm is boundless, with endless opportunities for revelation and encounters.
Relentlessly pursuing these experiences until the end will only lead to physical and spiritual exhaustion. By doing so, you may even miss out on the chance to serve God based on the revelations you have already received.
During my University days, we held fellowship gatherings which often run late into the night, breaking the school’s rules regarding meeting times. Despite the school’s lenient regulations, which required meetings to end by 9:00 p.m., we would become deeply immersed in prayer by that time, making it difficult for us to conclude.
This resulted in clashes with the hall guards, and causing internal conflicts among team members who had differing opinions on the nature of the prayer sessions. While some preferred a more structured approach, others advocated for allowing the Holy Spirit to guide the prayers.
However, it became evident that there were physical limitations to how long we could pray. For instance, some members of the fellowship lived far from the school and risked being locked out of their rental houses by guards.
These challenges underscored the importance of mastering self-control when engaging in spiritual practices such as speaking in tongues, as it is ultimately up to an individual to set boundaries and exercise restraint.
In summary, God provides limitless opportunities for spiritual growth and revelation, but it is essential to balance these experiences with practical considerations to avoid unnecessary complications.
This is one of the most profound lessons I have learned regarding praying in tongues which every believer needs to take into account. Blessings!