Tongues

Shalom, shalom. Check your doubt at the door and don't pick it up on the way out.

I prayed in tongues all night while I slept. I've had this happen in the past but it's been a while since the last occurrence. It usually happens - I believe - because I've prayed in tongues so much during a season that my spirit enters this higher realm of prayer and begins to take on an assignment from Heaven. 

My spirit doesn't want to stop. I'm still praying in tongues two hours after waking up. 

Holy Spirit is doing something. 

When someone speaks in tongues, no one understands a word he says, because he's not speaking to people, but to GOD--he is speaking intimate mysteries by the Spirit. ~ 1 Corinthians 14:2

I've prayed in tongues daily for several years. I started out praying 30 minutes a day, increased to an hour, and now it's between two and four hours most days depending on how much time I set aside. I prefer to pray in tongues over my natural language because those prayers are perfect and always in Yahweh's Will which means they get answered. Every time. 

Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before Him, if we ask anything agreeable to His Will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we also know we have obtained the requests we asked of Him. ~ 1 John 5:14-15

I didn't have tongues for more than 20 years of my Christian life. I began to hunger for a deep relationship with Holy Spirit after witnessing Dr. Mike Murdock's love for Him and my desire was compounded after hearing Sid Roth share that he'd prayed out his Destiny in tongues years ago and was living it out in his current ministry. I definitely wanted to pray out my God-Designed Destiny after having been laid off from the teaching career I'd loved. 

To receive Jesus' Baptism (Luke 3:16), I took cues from Dr. MM, Sid Roth and his guests and Kenneth Hagin, Sr., and went into my prayer room for an hour a day, lights off with head covered if it was light out and sought Holy Spirit. I heard Hagin share that he meditated on Ephesians 1:17-21 for 60 days on his knees in the chapel each evening and then his spiritual senses and experiences matured. It didn't take me 60 days because I'd already been seeking more of The Godhead for a while, but I was willing to spend 60 or however long necessary. I'd say it took two weeks, three maximum of mediating on Ephesians and some other verses to build my faith to receive. And, FYI, I came from a lot of religion.

Tongues didn't come the way I thought it would either. I thought it would come in one of those sessions praying alone, but it actually came in a corporate setting. After two or three weeks seeking alone, one Sunday morning at church, the pastor announced if anyone wanted tongues to get ready because it was time. I ran down to the front of the church - unnecessarily, mind you, because they weren't laying on hands. When I realized it wasn't that type of party, I went back to my seat. I don't even know what he said other than the basics of pay attention to your spirit, the bubbling up and move your tongue. And, my prayer language came.

Some ask for tongues and get it right away. Some get baptized without being conscious they're asking for it. Some fight doubt and mental strongholds for seemingly years before they get it. I remind you, it's a gift (Luke 11:13), and you have to receive it. Easier said than done sometimes. Right? Well, let me say it this way: Dad gives the desires of your heart. If your heart longs for that intimacy with Holy Spirit, you will have Him.

In the natural there are people who will wait years and do anything, spend any amount, to finally get the man or woman they've always wanted (or job, home or car). It's the same with Ruach. If you set your mind that you can't live without Him and do whatever righteous thing required to prove that desire, He'll be given. Witness. 

A saying I heard recently has been resonating with ever since: Heaven meets your expectations. I had a purpose for my seeking. I saw that Holy Spirit could be a best friend who gave unconditional love that could be experienced in the core of my being. I wanted that. I needed that. Then, I learned I could get on my Kingdom Path by speaking to Dad in a special way for He and I that the enemy couldn't decipher, and therefore, couldn't hinder. I was all in.

As a prophetic intercessor, I must pray in tongues. I get prayer requests daily and some of the things people believe is prayer, is not. People get offended if you say they're praying wrong, but if it has no Biblical basis, no faith and is soulish it's not something you want to waste your time on. When I pray by The Spirit for their requests, I'm in The Father's Perfect Will regarding their need and He meets it. That's why I can intercede with confidence and I get results. The same and greater is available to you. 

Not to mention, there are so many prayer needs in life, tongues is the only way to hit on everything. Prayer languages are supernatural, so we're often praying multiple things per syllable whereas if we try to tackle a list we'd need to invest at least three minutes for each issue. Tongues builds up our spirits and faith so we're able to pray quick prayers and make decrees and get answers worked for our good (Romans 8:26-28).

Most times when I begin praying by The Spirit I start out saying, "Holy Spirit, I submit my tongue and my spirit to You to pray perfect prayers through me that prophesy my Destiny into the Earth realm, that agree with Yeshua's intercession for me, that loose angels into their assignments with excellence and I ask for Holy Spirit interpretation according to Your Perfect Will and Purpose." If I'm praying for someone else or about a specific issue I adjust. Sometimes I just jump in and pray. Like this morning. I said, "Good morning, LORD. I'm seeking Wisdom and direction for today," and went to it. Sometimes I start praying in tongues and don't realize I have. I do use a timer to make sure I get my hours in each day, and often I keep praying after my timer goes off. My spirit doesn't want to stop.

There's so much more I could share on supernatural languages because it's a regular practice for me, but I'll end here with a testimony. In December 2016 I suffered a huge loss and it shook my foundation. I was so distraught I couldn't pray or worship. Selena prayed in tongues on the phone the last week of December while I just cried. I was a mess for the next two months. Then in March 2017, I decided I had to snap out of that and get myself together. I wasn't in the mood to talk to GOD naturally so I decided I would pray in tongues as much as possible every day until I'd been delivered. Halfway into the second day, I lifted my hands in honor of The Most High. By the fourth day, I had regained my sound mind, remembered who I was in Christ and had returned to testifying and teaching of His Goodness and Mercy.

I pray something here blesses you, dear ones. 

© 2012-2021 Zari Banks, M.Ed