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*This is the final post in my five-part series on the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. If this topic is new for you, this blog will make more sense if you read the rest of the series for context. You can start the series here. For immediate context to this article that defines the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues and its purpose, read THIS BLOG.

What Is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit/Being Filled With the Holy Spirit?

Okay, we’re going to get practical, but first let’s clarify something. Every Christian who has repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus for salvation has the Holy Spirit living inside you and working in your life. The Bible says the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian the moment you become a believer and trust Jesus to save you, and He lives in you forever. (Ephesians 1:13-14 // 2 Corinthians 1:22 // Romans 8:14-16 // John 14:16-18) What a promise! So, we’re not talking about salvation here.

I’m aware that Christians from various theological traditions and denominations might articulate this topic differently, and some may even find this topic new or challenging to consider and embrace. And that’s totally okay if that’s where you find yourself currently. Let me frame it this way, for some common ground, and then elaborate.

As you read the book of Acts, in particular, something becomes clear: whatever you might call it, there are encounters with God in the Christian life, where the Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit’s power in such a way that they begin to experience and walk in the supernatural gifts and power of God either for the first time or in a deeper way, impacting both their personal relationship with God and their ministry service to fellow believers and sharing the gospel with nonbelievers. 

So, whether we articulate the theological technicalities of this experience in the same exact way or not, my humble question/exhortation to you is this: If God makes an experience like that, and a lifestyle like that, available to you as a Christian, do you want it? And are you willing to ask Him for it and see what He might do in your life?

As we discussed in Part 3 of this series, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience a Christian can have with God that’s about receiving power:

• power to minister in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit (also called the manifestation gifts, found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11) either for the first time or in an increased way (Acts 2:17-18 // Acts 19:6)
• power to be a witness of Jesus and share the gospel with increased boldness (Acts 1:8 // Acts 4:31)
• power to communicate with God in a spiritual language of prayer called speaking in tongues, which He gives to us (Acts 2:1-4 // Acts 10:44-46 // Acts 19:1-7 // 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; 14-17 // Romans 8:26-27)

These are consistent expressions/results outlined in the Bible of what generally happens when a believer is baptized (or filled) with the Spirit, either for the first time or as a refreshing experience, so we can know what to expect.

What You Should Know About the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Speaking in Tongues

The baptism or infilling with the Holy Spirit is available to every Christian. It is the promise of the Father–a gift from Him to equip us in our Christian life (Acts 1:4-5 // Acts 2:33; 38-39).

The baptism or infilling with the Holy Spirit is a definite, discernible experience you have with God. In other words, you’ll know when it happens to you. You’ll recognize it either because of a tangible experience you have with the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in a specific moment when you are filled, because of the effects of having been filled with the Spirit starting to show up in your life and ministry over time or, most commonly, both. I’ve heard preachers say being baptized/filled with the Holy Spirit is both a moment and a lifestyle. I really like that verbiage, because it’s true and it mirrors what we see in Acts.

Your experience receiving the Holy Spirit’s power and starting to walk in His gifts may be more overt or more subtle. You may receive the baptism with the Spirit suddenly when Holy Spirit falls upon you, or when you are praying in private for this experience and waiting on God to meet you, or when another Christian lays hands on you and prays for you to receive. Don’t get too locked in to one idea of how it may happen for you personally. God knows how to meet you exactly in the way that you need. 🙂

And while speaking in tongues is not the only resulting spiritual gift/evidence of being baptized/filled with the Spirit, it is usually the first one (though not always). Most commonly, Christians will speak in tongues for the first time in the moment they receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit (or very soon after), with other miraculous gifts of the Spirit to show up in their lives as well, either in that moment and/or over time. Because every baptism in the Spirit account in Acts either clearly states or implies they spoke in tongues, I believe every Christian baptized in the Spirit can speak in tongues as personal prayer to God, whether you yield to God and release your prayer language in the initial moment of being filled or sometime after.

All this describes the experience of Christians throughout the book of Acts who had an encounter with God in which they were filled with His Spirit (Scripture references are below), what my experience was like, and that of many other Christians today. It makes sense to expect and have faith that when a Christian receives the baptism/filling with the Spirit today, or when God brings the gifts of the Spirit to life in a Christian’s life in a fresh way today, it would be similar in nature to what we see in Scripture. Trust God’s Word and believe Him for everything He has for you!

So, how do you ask God for this experience in your life?

How to Pray for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and/or to Speak in Tongues

Based on Scripture, my personal experience with God and with ministering to others, and godly counsel from pastors I trust, here are a few steps you might take if you want to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and/or receive the ability to pray in tongues.

*Before you start: I’d suggest, before you pray, read through these steps first to get an overview, then if you need to, you can go back through them one-by-one as you pray for God to fill you with His Spirit. Also, read the biblical accounts of Christians being baptized in the Holy Spirit and receiving the gift of tongues so you can see in Scripture what this looks like and build your faith. (Acts 1:4-8 // Acts 2:1-11 // Acts 4:29-31 // Acts 8:14-17 // Acts 9:17 // Acts 10:44-46 // Acts 19:1-7 // 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; 14-17)

Step #1: Pray and ask God to baptize/fill you with the Holy Spirit and give you the ability to speak in tongues.

Have a Spirit-filled believer lay hands on you and pray with you that God would baptize you–for the first time or in a fresh way–in the Holy Spirit, give you the ability to speak in tongues, and stir up the gifts of the Spirit in your life. We see this pattern throughout the book of Acts. Or, you can pray on your own and ask God to fill you with His Spirit and give you your prayer language.

You might pray something like what Pastor Dennis Rouse models in this sermon or something like this in your own words: “Jesus, You are the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and giver of every good gift. Thank You for Your promise to fill Your people with supernatural power so we can grow in relationship with You, glorify You, and minister to others as Your witnesses. Please baptize me with Your Holy Spirit, give me the gift to pray in tongues, and stir up the gifts of the Holy Spirit in my life for the first time or in a greater way. In Your Name I pray, amen.”

“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
(Luke 11:11-13 NLT)

Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT)

Step #2: Linger in God’s presence and speak out what He gives you to say.

Quick note on what to expect:
Remember, speaking in tongues is praying with your spirit in a spiritual language God gives you, not praying with your mind in an earthly language you already know by your natural knowledge or understanding. You’re not going to understand what you’re saying, but God does.

And remember this a partnership between you and Holy Spirit. He fills us and gives us the utterance, but we must take a step of faith and release the utterance He gives us (Acts 2:4). He stirs, prompts, and empowers the gifts of the Spirit in our lives, but we must step out in faith to express them (1 Corinthians 14:2-3; 1 Corinthians 14:32). Receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit/gift of tongues is an experience God initiates (often in response to our asking) and we yield to Him and receive from Him by taking steps of faith in response to His prompting. So, if you don’t sense God giving you anything to say in the moment, don’t feel pressured to fake or force anything to happen. Don’t make anything up. But do have an open heart, seek God in faith, and be ready to respond if He does.

• After you pray, wait on the Lord by calmly lingering in God’s presence for a while and see if you sense the Holy Spirit giving you anything to say. It may help you more to wait in silence in God’s presence for a few minutes or it may help you more to start out speaking praise to God in your native language. Don’t hype yourself up and don’t put pressure on it; just do what helps you step out in faith best.

• As you wait on God, do you sense God’s tangible presence? Do you sense God bringing any words in tongues (syllables or phrases) to your mind or bubbling up from your spirit? Do you feel a prompting or urge in your spirit to speak out anything? (Acts 2:1-4). If so, take a step of faith and speak out the phrases in tongues you sense the Spirit is giving you. Don’t stop speaking right away. Give yourself a few minutes to get comfortable with it and let your prayer language mature a bit.
  
  *Side note: Speaking in tongues is like a baby learning to talk or a person becoming fluent in a new language. At first you may only have a few syllables or phrases, but as you put into practice the language you do have, your language will expand and mature. The same is true with praying in tongues. The more you use it both in this moment and over time, your prayer language will develop and mature.
  

Again, keep in mind that speaking in tongues is an evidence of being baptized/filled with the Spirit, not the only one. And while it’s most often the first spiritual gift/evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit that surfaces, it doesn’t always have to be the first one in every case. The other supernatural gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (such as prophecy, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, discerning of spirits etc.) being activated or increased in your life and boldness in your faith and sharing the gospel are evidence too! 

So ask God for and look for those things in your life as well! You might even sense in an unusual or more tangible way God’s presence and power coming upon you as you pray to be filled with His Spirit and receive the gift of tongues. (I did.) That can be a sign of His work in you as well.

Step #3: If nothing seems to happen in the moment, try these next steps.

If you don’t seem to receive anything in the moment, that’s okay. Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up! The point is to open up the conversation with God and grow closer to Him. If this is more of a process for you than an instantaneous thing, that’s okay too.

In that case, here are some helpful thoughts on how to move forward:

• As you’re seeking the baptism in the Holy Spirit and/or receiving the gift to pray in tongues, every now and then, take a few minutes in your private times of worship and prayer with God to pray and worship God in your own native language first. Then, at some point, ask God to give you the ability to speak in tongues and just try to switch over into your prayer language. Just like before, as you worship, pray, and linger in God’s presence, first pay attention to whether you sense Him impressing some syllables or phrases in tongues upon your mind or spirit, or prompting you in your spirit to speak out. And if He does, take a step of faith and speak those words out and any others that come as you step out in faith.
  
• Again, it’s okay if nothing happens. Don’t make anything up. It’s not something you can force to happen. The point is to spend time with God, seek Him, and practice taking steps of faith.
  
• Keep making space like this in your time with God until you get breakthrough. If it helps, read your Bible first before having your worship and prayer time and trying to step out into your prayer language. You could also play worship music in the background if it helps your heart connect with God and creates an atmosphere of God’s presence. You can also ask believers in your life to pray with you again to receive, if you’d like to do so. Be encouraged that God wants to fill you and He wants to give you your prayer language, and He will in His time!

How to Make Praying in Tongues a Part of Your Prayer Life

1 Corinthians 14:4 and 1 Corinthians 14:33 teach us that, although the Spirit is working through us to prompt us and empower us, we are in control of our spirit and our actions when exercising the gifts of the Spirit. Speaking in tongues is no different.

There is an initial encounter with the Holy Spirit in which a Christian first receives the gift of speaking in tongues. But once you have received it, it’s not a one-off thing. Speaking in tongues is a residential gift; you get to keep it. You can exercise this gift and choose to pray and praise God in tongues whenever you want as an act of your will, just like you can choose to pray in the language of your understanding whenever you want as an act of your will.

Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. (1 Corinthians 14:14-15 NLT)

So, before we wrap up, here are some tips that have helped me in my journey of praying in tongues. Feel free to try them all or whichever ones are helpful to you. 🙂

1. Pray in tongues in your devotion time and throughout your day.

Make prayer in tongues a part of your rhythm of prayer and reading the Bible. It’s a spiritual discipline that builds us up in faith and helps us connect with God just like prayer, worship, or reading the Bible. If it helps, try setting a certain amount of time you’d like to intentionally spend praying in tongues each day and make it a part of your devotional time. Start small (maybe 5-10 minutes) and build from there as you get more comfortable with it.

As you pray in tongues, pay attention to what God puts on your heart. God may bring Bible verses to mind, people or topics to pray for. There might be phrases of prayer or praise to God that come up in your heart. Feel free to speak those things out to God and go back-and-forth praying in tongues and praying in your understanding.

God may speak things to your heart as you pray in tongues. Journal any thoughts God speaks to you or prayers you pray that you want to remember. You can also pray in tongues throughout your day if you’re alone and in an environment where it would be appropriate (and not disruptive or weird) to do so–in the car driving, on a walk, cleaning your house etc. Connection with God is not confined to your formal devotional time. He’s with you at every moment throughout your day.

2. Focus on God or a prayer topic as you pray in tongues.

In my opinion, two of the biggest hindrances to Christians praying in tongues consistently is that you don’t understand what you’re saying and you can’t see the Person you’re talking to. That can understandably make it hard to engage in prayer and remember that this is a conversation with God who is listening to you and understands every word you’re saying.

Think about God’s nature as you pray in tongues. Maybe open your Bible to a passage describing the character of God and meditate on those verses as you pray. (Passages like Revelation 1, Revelation 4, Hebrews 1, Colossians 1, Philippians 2, John 1 have great verses in them.)

The more I did this, especially when praying in tongues regularly was newer to me, the easier and quicker it became for my heart to feel connected to God when I would start to pray in tongues (even at times when I didn’t have a Bible passage open in front of me) and to know He’s right there with me and He’s listening. You could also meditate on a verse of Scripture as you pray in tongues and ask God to speak to you about it.

If there’s a specific prayer burden on my heart (a need in my life or a person I know etc.) I’ll pray in tongues for a while and ask God to direct me how to pray in English for that prayer need as well and to speak to me about it. If I am about to lead worship or preach, I’ll spend a few minutes praying in tongues and asking God to strengthen me, speak to me about anything that He wants to do in that ministry moment, and help me pray over that moment.

3. Listen to worship music.

I’ve found worship music helpful because it connects my heart to God and creates an atmosphere of His presence as I’m praying, whether in tongues or English. (And let’s be real, if you’re just getting used to praying in tongues and building a spiritual discipline of it, it helps the time pass by while still keeping your thoughts on Jesus instead of wandering. 🙂 ) Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14 that we can also in sing in tongues and we are giving thanks and praise to God when we do. So, you can try that too if you want! Just put melody to your words as pray in tongues.

You’re not always going to feel God’s presence super strongly when you pray in tongues. Sometimes I feel nothing, but God is still working through it, so don’t get discouraged. 🙂

If you have more questions about this topic, feel free to message me. The work of the Holy Spirit in and through us is so precious to me! I wouldn’t be where I am in my walk with God without it, so I’m praying in faith for a fresh encounter with His presence and power for you as well as you seek Him.

Resources:

Start With These:

• Sermon: Who Needs to Be Filled With the Holy Spirit? by Tim Clark
• Sermon: Baptism in the Holy Spirit by Dennis Rouse
• Sermon: Every Person Filled sermon by Jabin Chavez
• Book: Spiritual Gifts: A Guide to Understanding and Activating Spiritual Gifts by Reggie Roberson
• Book: Receiving The Holy Spirit and His Gifts by Terry Virgo and Phil Rogers
  
  Go Deeper:
• Book: The Beauty of Spiritual Language by Jack Hayford
• Book: Understanding Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms
• Book: The Holy Spirit: An Introduction by John Bevere

Your Turn: If you’re ready, take time to work through the steps to pray for God to fill you with His Spirit, to give you a prayer language, and to stir up the gifts of His Spirit in your life. If praying in tongues is already a part of your life, consider the tips on how to implement it as a regular practice in your communion with God and what that can look like in your life. Discuss this post in the comments below.