Praying in Tongues
Welcome to the Holy Spirit Untethered. My name is Amber Beals, and it is my job and my mission to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through me, to help demystify who he is, what his role is, and to deeply encourage you to seek a relationship with him. Alright. Let's get started. Hey, guys.
Amber:Welcome back to the Holy Spirit Untethered podcast. If you don't already know, my name is Amber. I'm the host of this podcast, and I am so glad that you are here and listening to this episode. If you haven't had a chance, go ahead and listen to last week's episode. It was a really big treat for me because I got to have my husband, Eric, be on my podcast, and we talked about untethering the holy spirit and where that title came from and why it resonates with us and resonates with me specifically and why I chose it.
Amber:It's really good. And, you know, I really love the opportunity to be able to have Eric on my podcast because it really is a blessing to have your significant other be on a similar spiritual journey as you and be able to talk about these things and dissect these things and really just get deep into it. Like, I pray that that happens for everybody, that you are similarly yoked as the scripture says so that you can have these conversations because not only does it edify you, but it also allows you to be able to have that spiritual bond that I think the Lord really wants you to have with your significant other. Like, there's the, you know, physical bond. There's a relationship bond, but then there's a spiritual aspect because we all are spiritual beings.
Amber:So being able to connect with your partner like that on that level is just it's really, really cool, and I I really enjoy it. So if you get a chance, if you haven't already, go ahead and listen to that podcast. I just released it last week, and it let me know what you think. I really enjoyed that conversation, so I hope you do too. But before we get started for today's topic, I would like to start with prayer.
Amber:So if you're driving, you wanna keep your eyes open, pay attention to the road, but otherwise, go ahead and bow your heads with me, and let's lift this up to the Lord. Dear heavenly father, I just thank you so much for this opportunity to be able to have this podcast. I pray, holy spirit, that you would just speak through me today and just allow your message to be heard. I pray that you would prepare the hearts of everyone who's listening to this podcast, whether it's right when it comes out or years from now, Lord, your message is everlasting, and you are everlasting, and you are never changing. So we just thank you for that, and I just pray that this message does what it needs to do.
Amber:And we pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. All right. So for today, I know I've teased this topic a couple of times in some of my past episodes, and that is the topic of tongues. And I know that this topic is kind of a weird one.
Amber:It's good, but it's kind of I don't know if I wanna say controversial because I know there are some people who don't believe that the gift of tongues exists anymore. There are some scriptures out there that say that which has that which is perfect has come to pass. It will cease all gifts, something like that. And some people believe that that which is perfect was the scriptures, the bible, but it also says that knowledge will cease and all these other things will cease, but we haven't seen those things cease. Like, technology is going crazy, especially with AI and everything.
Amber:Like, knowledge has definitely not ceased. So I don't think that which is perfect has come. I think in the scripture, when it's talking about that, it's talking about Jesus. When Jesus comes back, that is when these spiritual gifts will cease. And I am going to do an episode that talks about the spiritual gifts, and I actually have a really special guest that's gonna be on this podcast to talk about that.
Amber:And I'm not gonna tell you her name, but she's amazing. So keep an eye out for that. It'll be coming out, I think, later this, later in August. So really excited about that. I think you guys will really enjoy that topic.
Amber:But for today, we're gonna talk about tongues. And I'm going to be in first Corinthians 14. It's kind of where I'm gonna live for this topic because Paul goes into this gift quite extensively in the scriptures. I am just gonna be touching on it today. There are 4 different types of tongues.
Amber:There is tongues for interpretation. There is tongues for a sign. Those are the 2 types of tongues that are for a sign. Those are for other people. So if you start speaking in, I don't know, French, and you don't know French, but you're just praying in French.
Amber:And a French person is around you, and they're like, oh my gosh. You know French super well. And you're like, no. I don't know French. That you speaking in French was for that person as a sign to that person.
Amber:And I use the French example because, like I always reference, in messenger x, the course called Holy Spirit and Introduction by John Berber, he talks about that, and he gave an example of somebody praying in French in like a perfect dialect and the person behind them spoke French or was a French teacher, and it was just like, incredible for that person because he was like, not only did you speak French perfectly, but you were saying what the speaker was saying before he said it. So that type of tongue is for a sign. It's for public use. Tongues for interpretation, that is not a language that is of Earth. So it's not like French, German, English, Spanish, whatever.
Amber:It's not a language that is known. It is a heavenly language, and you can't translate a heavenly language. You can only interpret it. So if you've been in a situation, maybe you have, maybe you haven't, maybe you've heard of it, but somebody in a church or in a big crowd or revival, whatever, will stand up and start speaking in a language that does not sound familiar, then there should be someone in that crowd that can interpret what that person just said. And if there's no one in that crowd that can do that, then it's up to the person that said the words to interpret it themselves.
Amber:And none if none of that happens, then that wasn't good. That wasn't that wasn't the Lord. Or maybe somebody in the crowd was meant to interpret it, and they just didn't obey the call to interpret it. That's another thing. But those are 2 different kinds of tongues, and there's a total of 4.
Amber:So those are the 2 that are for a sign or for public use. The other 2 are for private use. Now one is for intercession. So say you're driving and the Lord just the Holy Spirit puts it on your heart, and he says, I need you to pray in tongues right now, and you just start praying in tongues. In that situation, you are most likely praying and interceding for somebody else.
Amber:It may be somebody that you know or maybe someone on the other side of the world you have no idea. That is prayer for intercession in tongues. And that is the that is the purpose of that one. The last one is the one I'm gonna really talk about today because it's the one that I use. I don't have the gift of tongues for interpretation or I've never prayed in tongues in, like, another language that I don't know.
Amber:And I've also I don't think I've done the intercession one. I know sometimes when you are praying in the spirit, sometimes it'll turn into intercession, so that might have happened for me at one point. But the one that I'm really going to focus on is the one that is for personal use between you and your father. That is the one that we're going to focus on today. And that is for you and the Lord and the Holy Spirit and Jesus.
Amber:That's it. Like, you're not supposed to use that publicly, and there's a reason for that. And in the scriptures, Paul goes into that. So I wanna start let me grab my scripture. In 1st Corinthians 14:1, Paul writes, pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
Amber:Now he puts a huge emphasis on prophesying. And later on in the chapter, he explains why, and it's more for edification purposes. And if you don't know what edification means, it basically is just a fancy word to say builds up. Does it build you up? Does it build up the church?
Amber:Does it build other people up? And if it doesn't, then, you know, to him, his point is, like, what's the point? If it's you're just spouting out words that don't make sense and they don't have understanding with what you said, then why are you saying it out loud? So he he's a very practical man when it comes to that. So he talks a lot about prophesying because it does edify or build up the church.
Amber:So verse 2 says, for he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him. However, in the spirit, he speaks mysteries. Verse 3. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
Amber:So he's talking about praying in a tongue that other people don't understand, the tongue that is meant for you and the Lord. If you do that in public, then it's not really doing much for anyone else. It's just edifying you because, oh, look at me. I can pray in the spirit. I can pray in tongues, which, you know, the Lord didn't create it for that reason.
Amber:Also, it could be, you know, can be kind of crazy. So say you walk into a church and everybody is just praying in tongues, they're praying in the spirit, and they're praying real loud. And you have no idea. You're a non believer. You're just walking into this church because somebody invited you, and everybody just sounds like they're speaking gibberish.
Amber:Like, it's not making sense and they're being all emotional, and they're either, like, singing or, you know, saying in tongues, like, really loudly. What would you think if you walked into a place and everybody was just doing that? Right? That's crazy. Like, they would think that you're in some kind of cult.
Amber:You are just insane. You have some kind of mental issue. Like, it's not good. It does nothing for the unbeliever, and it does nothing for even a believer who doesn't quite know about praying in the spirit or about tongues or anything about spiritual gifts like a baby Christian. Like, it's not going to do anything for them.
Amber:All it's going to do is freak them out and scare them. So that is definitely not electrification. Paul wants us to build up people. He does not want us to scare them or, you know, think that we're crazy. So we don't want to do that.
Amber:It's not for that purpose. And I know there are some people who want to do that with other people. I have prayed in the spirit with one other person and they were praying the spirit. I wasn't praying in the spirit. And it was a beautiful thing in that situation because we both understood what we were doing and we both were just basically glorifying God in a heavenly language.
Amber:And it was an awesome experience. Like if you are with a trusted group of people and you're doing it, like, as a way to worship the Lord or glorify the Lord or maybe pray for a certain situation, then then I feel like that's okay. It's just when it goes to a place where it is not building either you or other people up, then it is not okay. So let me dive a little deeper into what does it mean to pray in a tongue for just for personal use. I'm gonna actually read in 1st Corinthians again.
Amber:I'm gonna I'm back in here in verse 14. So this is chapter 14 verse 14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.
Amber:I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with understanding. So when you pray in the spirit, you are essentially allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through you or to sing through you. As he says in the scripture, pray with the spirit and I sing with the spirit. So when it comes to this 4th type of tongues, the type where you're praying in the spirit, it's for you and your father, it's you allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through you. I'm gonna just tell you my experience because that's what I know, and it's what I can speak on.
Amber:And I can speak on what other people have experienced and what I think is normal, but I wanna tell you what my experience was like. When I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I tested myself to be able to pray in tongues in the shower, and I think I've I've I've shared that story before. When I was in the shower, I was like, okay, Lord. You know, I tried it on my own. Obviously, I wasn't baptized yet.
Amber:I thought I was. I wasn't, and I'm just going to speak and allow you to speak through me, and he did. And I spoke for, like, 5 seconds, and I stopped because I was, like, what the heck? Like, I was expecting it, but, it was still the weirdest thing. Like, I'm gonna be honest.
Amber:The first time you do it, it's very strange because you have to utter something. Like, you have to say something, and then the Holy Spirit takes your vocal cords and then starts speaking. He won't just make you talk. Like, that's not how it works. You have to start praying or saying something, like, getting the the noise started, and then he takes it and he runs with it.
Amber:And it's an amazing experience, but for me, I was very spiritually kind of traumatized because I have experienced things in my life that were scary and that were not of God. And so even though I know I knew that this was good, it was still scary for me. And the Lord is good. He, was very patient with me because, like, I did it for the 5 seconds. I stopped him and I was like, okay, we're good.
Amber:That that's enough for tonight. And the next day, I tried it again and we spoke for a little bit longer. And every day, I would do it just a little bit longer, a little bit longer. And one thing that I noticed was, for me, the first couple months of me praying in the spirit, it was all singing. It was all songs.
Amber:And a lot of the times, it would be the same song. And I wasn't it wasn't me. Like, I knew it wasn't me because sometimes, like, it wasn't my favorite song that I was singing. I was like, lord, you really like this jam. Like, I don't know.
Amber:Can we, like, pray for intercession? Can can we do something that's, like, more important than singing? I actually got frustrated because I felt like all I was doing was singing and that that wasn't important. But that's so wrong. And the Lord convicted me of that because He dwells in the praises of Israel.
Amber:He dwells in our praises. He loves it when we pray. And it's not me that's doing this. This is the Holy Spirit that is speaking through me, that's singing through me. And if he thinks it's important, then you know what?
Amber:It's important. And I need to do that right now. Like, who am I to question what the Holy Spirit wants to do with me? I am just a vessel. I am just I am his daughter.
Amber:Don't get me wrong. I'm not degrading who I am, but I wanna be a good and faithful servant. And if he wants to use me to sing praises to him, then amen. Let's do it. But that took practice for me to get there.
Amber:It took me first getting used to him even using my vocal cords. And then from there going to, okay, whatever your will is, the holy spirit knows the will of the father. He's gonna be doing whatever it is that the father wants me to do. And if that's singing praises to him, then we're singing praises. If that's prayer for intercession, that's prayer for intercession.
Amber:If it's for, you know, whatever, like, that's what we're gonna be doing, and my heart needs to be in it. My heart needs to know what and why we are doing this. Why am I yielding to the spirit right now? And I'm doing it in private. I'm not doing it to pump myself up or be like, hey, look at me.
Amber:I can pray in tongues. Like, no. I am in private, and I'm doing it in my alone time with my father because I wanna get closer to him. And if I wanna get closer to him, that means I need to obey and allow him to use me how he sees fit. And that took some learning.
Amber:That took some trial and error. It took some convicting. But you know what? It's still going. Like, I'm still being convicted.
Amber:I am still learning. And I don't believe that stops until I'm in heaven with my heavenly father until I go home. It's gonna be a learning journey, and it's gonna be me learning to turn to him, obey. And to obey, I need to learn to listen and hear his voice and hear what he's telling me to do and yielding to them. So praying in the spirit, it's an amazing experience.
Amber:Like, I've gotten over the fear over it, and I encourage you that if you haven't done it yet, if you haven't tried, first, you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And if you haven't had that done, first, go listen to that episode to understand what that means and then either ask, like, your pastor or somebody to lay hands on you, or you can even just ask the Lord yourself. Like, holy spirit, I understand what this is, and I'm asking for you to come on me and empower me so that I can be fully used by you. Once you have that, then you will have the ability to be able to pray in the spirit. Because this is the one set of tongues, this is the one kind of tongues that everyone has the ability to do, everyone.
Amber:The gift of tongues for interpretation, tongues for a sign, like those things, those are more of spiritual gift that the Lord puts on you at a certain time. And I believe that sometimes that you could have that gift for your entire life because that's the gift the Lord chose you to get. But this tongue, being able to pray in the spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through you, sing through you, use you, use your vocal cords, everybody has that ability. And I know some people really struggle with that because it's just not a matter of saying something or allowing a noise to come out. It takes a lot of faith to be able to do that, to expect him to use you, to say a prayer beforehand, say, holy spirit, use my mouth.
Amber:Use me to pray for other people, to pray for my family, to communicate with my father on his level because I can't do that. Use my spirit to connect with your spirit. And it's amazing. But like the scripture says, like Paul says, it's for not understanding. Like, we don't understand when we pray in the spirit.
Amber:I don't know what I'm saying. I don't know what I'm singing, but I get inklings of what I'm singing or what I'm saying. And what I mean by an inkling is he reveals to me, like, you're glorifying me right now or, you know, we're praying for peace over your home right now. Like, it's not a direct translation. It's more of a sense.
Amber:This is what you're praying for right now. And it's an amazing way to connect with your father on his level even if you don't completely understand. Now I'm not saying that you just pray in the spirit and that's it. Paul says, I pray in the spirit and I pray with understanding. Like, you're supposed to pray in your native tongue so that you understand what you're praying about, But there should be time made to pray in the spirit because what it does is it draws you closer to him.
Amber:And every time that I pray in the spirit, there is a huge sense of peace that comes over me every time that I pray in the spirit. It's a heaviness. And I only use the word heaviness because it's the closest thing that I can really describe it to. Another person had described it as I feel like I'm just waking up. Like that feeling where you're in a deep, deep sleep, and then all of a sudden you wake up, and you're kind of foggy a little bit.
Amber:It's like that. That feeling is what you feel when you pray in the spirit and you come out of it, and it's it's an amazing experience. And Paul even writes, I wish you all spoke in tongues. And you know who wrote the scriptures. Yeah.
Amber:Paul said it and he wrote it down, but Holy Spirit is the one that wrote he's the one that wrote it. And so that means that that's our father that wants us to do that. He craves that we do that because he wants to communicate to his children on his level. Not only does it do that, but I'll use it also when I'm praying for someone and I don't know how to pray for them. Like, they come up to me and they're asking for prayer.
Amber:Like, a lot of the times during camp I do youth camp for my church, and so, like, I just went last weekend, and there's a time when they allow the kids to kinda go to leaders and ask for prayer. And so sometimes kids will come up to me, and they won't exactly share what's going on in their life because maybe it's too personal. What whatever it is, they just ask for prayer. And so when I don't know how to pray for them, I pray in the spirit. Now I only do that under my breath so that they can't hear because I don't want to freak them out.
Amber:Unless they understand what I'm doing, unless they understand what tongues is, and I know it's not gonna freak them out, then I'll do it more audibly for them to hear. But say you're in a group and so everybody's laying hands on somebody, I'll say a prayer under my breath in the spirit because the Lord knows what is going on in that person's life more so than I do, and so he knows how to pray for that person. Or if the Lord puts a person into my heart and says like, hey, I want you to pray about this person, and I don't really know what's going on, I'll pray in the spirit, because he does. He knows exactly what's going on. He knows exactly what they need.
Amber:So I'm gonna let him pray and just use me as a vessel to be able to pray for that person. That's the power of praying in the spirit. Now I believe that you can pray in the spirit in English. And the reason why I believe that is because my prayer life before I was baptized in the Holy Spirit was, let's just say, it was very simple. Like, my prayers were very straight and to the point and simple, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Amber:Nothing wrong. If your prayers are super simple, that's okay. It's just a reflection of your personality and how you communicate with the Lord, like, in front of other people anyway. That's okay. Like, hopefully, in private, you are a little more open to your father and talking to him and, you know, requesting things or praying for other people.
Amber:But, like, I know for me, when I prayed in public, it was very like I felt like a student that was in class and somebody like, we were doing popcorn reading, and I didn't want somebody to say my name because I was like, don't say my name. I don't wanna I don't wanna read out loud right now. That's how I felt about prayer. I didn't wanna be asked to pray for other people because I was, like, I'm just not good at it. Like, it's just it's just not good.
Amber:Like, I I I would rather somebody else do it. Other people are way better at this than I am, and their prayers probably work better than mine. Like, that was my mindset before before I became a life group leader and before I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Yeah. I'm just thinking.
Amber:I'm like, yeah. I was baptized in the spirit, but even then my, like, public per life wasn't all that transformed. It wasn't until I was asked to be a life group leader for my church that my prayer life changed, and I was able to allow the holy spirit to pray through me. It was because I knew how it felt to be asked to pray for other people, and I didn't wanna subject my people in my group to that. This is this was my train of thought.
Amber:I was like, I hated it when people ask me or call on me to pray for other people. So I'm not gonna make other people do that. I'm just gonna pray for everybody because I don't want to create that kind of quote unquote anxiety in my life group. It's, it's silly that I think about that, but like seriously, that that was my turn to thought. So I was like, okay, Lord.
Amber:Like, I pray in the spirit a lot. I had already been baptized, and I had been praying in the spirit at this point. And I was like, holy spirit, you can help me pray in the spirit. Please help me pray in English for all these people here because I don't want to force someone that doesn't want to pray or be called on in my group. And ever since then, my public prayer life has completely transformed.
Amber:I can pray now. Now that is not me though. And it's interesting because I can tell and so can my husband, Eric. He can tell when I am praying in my own, like, strength versus when the Holy Spirit takes over. It is a very audible difference when it's me versus the Holy Spirit.
Amber:Because when it's me, I'm hesitating. I'm trying to think of words. I'm trying to grasp at, like, what I should be praying for. But when it's the Holy Spirit, I'm on fire. Like, I am praying for things I don't even know about.
Amber:I am not hesitating. I'm not stuttering. I'm well spoken. I am speaking with authority when I'm praying with authority, when I'm praying in the spirit in English. And it's a very, very audible difference.
Amber:You can tell when the switch happens. And it's really interesting because I can feel it and I can feel it when I'm, like, taking back the reins because it I'm starting to stumble again. I'm starting to just, you know and there's nothing wrong with you praying. Like, there's nothing wrong with that. The Lord wants you to pray.
Amber:But when you are so closely knit with the Holy Spirit, that as you're praying in the in the spirit, he starts taking over and you're praying as 1. Oh, it is amazing. And I know I use that word a lot. I really gotta come up with a different word for amazing because, like, I know I'm tired of hearing it. I can only imagine you guys are tired of hearing it, but it is truly awesome.
Amber:Like the true definition of awesome to be so close with the holy spirit that he is praying through you and you are just like 1, just on fire. And it feels amazing because there is a strength that comes up in me that is that authority feeling of like, yeah, like, let's pray for this person because they deserve it and because I know my Lord can do it because he's awesome, and it's just like, you just keep going and going, and it's just amazing. Again, I know I need a different word, but for now, it's amazing. Okay? It is truly unlike any other thing, and I believe that's why the Lord wants us to be able to do it.
Amber:To pray in the spirit, whether it's in English or your native tongue or in a heavenly language. Like he wants us to pray in a heavenly language for different reasons than when we pray publicly in in your native language. My native language is English, obviously. That's what we're speaking. But, like, it's just an amazing experience.
Amber:And he wants us all to be able to do that because if you are on that level where you can do that, you have a connection with the Lord that is, I wanna say, untethered. It's untethered because you are it's freeing. Like, I I have no other word other than it's freeing, and I know there are people who struggle with it. There are people who struggle with being able to pray in the spirit because it does require you to yield. And for those who are very analytical and are very aware of themselves and what they're saying and their body and everything, it's hard.
Amber:It's very difficult to be able to get to a place where you let go. And I know John Brevere, he uses this analogy of standing in the river. You can stand in the river and the river's flowing, but when you pray in the spirit, you go with the river. Instead of standing there and letting it flow around you, you flow with it. And that's what it feels like.
Amber:You're allowing him to take over and it just flows. And if you struggle with it, if you've been trying, I just want to encourage you, keep trying. Ask the Holy Spirit, is there something that's blocking me from being able to allow you to pray through me? Do I have unforgiveness in my life? Do I have whatever it is, reveal it to me, Holy Spirit, so that I can experience this with you because I know this is what you want for me.
Amber:I know this is the level of relationship that you wanna connect with with me, and I want that too. So please help me yield. Reveal to me if there's something that's that's blocking me from yielding. Ask your father. Seek the Lord.
Amber:He'll answer you. He always does. And if there's nothing that's blocking you, just keep practicing. It's like anything else. You just gotta practice it, and he'll do it.
Amber:He'll take over. And there's no shame if you struggle with it. You've been struggling with it for years and you can't do it. That is okay. It's not that the Lord loves you less.
Amber:I I wanna put that out there. The Lord doesn't love you less because you can't do it. And you're not unsaved because you can't do it. That's not the point. It's tool.
Amber:And it's a level of relationship that he wants to have with all his kids, but he still loves you even if you can't do it. But I just wanna encourage you, keep trying because that's something that he wants for you because your level just goes completely higher than where you were before because you're able to do it. Because you can sense holy spirit, because you're allowing him to use you in a different way. So that is praying in the spirit. I know this episode is a little longer, but I I am so passionate about this topic because I know for me, in my relationship with the Lord, it really was elevated after I became baptized in the Holy Spirit, after I started praying in the spirit, and I just got closer with him.
Amber:His voice got clearer. And when that happens, your hunger for him increases, and everything else changes. And I I just want everyone to be able to experience that because it really is life changing to be able to know your creator, to know the one who knew you before you were formed, the one that wants a relationship with you, to be able to be that close with him is just awesome. Alright, guys. Well, I hope this message blesses you.
Amber:I hope that it makes sense. I know I was a little kind of all over the place because I know it's a big topic, and I know it's important. And I may do another one just based on this one as well. I'm gonna go into the other tongues in a different episode. I just really am passionate about this one because this is the one that I use and the one that is for everybody, the one that I think is really important.
Amber:So if you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. I have an email. It's in the show notes, and I have access to it. So I will receive emails if you have questions. And also, I I wanna ask that, you know, this is episode 7 of my podcast.
Amber:If this podcast has helped you in any way or has impacted you or cleared some things up for you, please go rate it. Leave me a review on whatever platform that you listen to this podcast. Leave me a review at I'm trying to build the audience for this podcast because I I have been given a word by the Lord to equip his saints. And I think teaching believers about the holy spirit and who he really is is really equipping for the saints. So I am doing this in obedience.
Amber:So if you can leave a review, it helps with the algorithm. But other than that, I will see you guys in the next episode.
