May 2024 marks exactly 1,987 years since the Day of Pentecost occurred. This is an opportune moment for Christians to claim our Pentecost. The phrase “claim your Pentecost” is not a phenomenon, a slogan, a ritual, nor something perceptible through sense, but a genuine call for spiritual awakening and satisfaction.
It’s about experiencing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in a profound and transformative way, igniting a fervent passion, zeal, and enthusiasm to live out one’s faith boldly and authentically, which eventually leads to a transformative journey of growth, empowerment, and a deeper relationship with God.
This article aims to explore the phenomenon of tongues speaking, examining its significance within religious traditions. Tongues is a deep and direct spiritual communication between your spirit and God with no interference in this conversation since the language spoken is foreign to the mind, avoiding the marking of tenses, and correct usage of phrases and clauses. This allows the free flow of prayers as the Spirit desires. From a biblical viewpoint, I would like to classify tongues speaking into two main categories: the different kinds of tongues/Earthly tongue (Xenoglossia) and the Unknown tongue/Heavenly tongue (Glossolalia).
XENOGLOSSIA:
Xenoglossia is derived from two Greek words; Xeno’s, which means foreign and Glossia, which means “language or tongues.” Therefore, Xenoglossia is the ability to spontaneously speak a foreign language without any previous knowledge about it. For instance, when a person whose only known language is English, suddenly starts praying in a Ghanaian language like Twi and Ewe, that’s an example of Xenoglossia.
This was the exact experience witnessed on the Day of Pentecost when all believers were together in the Upper Room praying. The Holy Spirit gave them utterance, and the people who had come from various nations across the earth could hear their own native languages, although they were not related to those languages. This bewildered them.
In Acts 2:6, when they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
GLOSSOLALIA:
Glossolalia is also derived from two Greek words “Glossai” which means language and “Lalian” means to speak. Hence Glossolalia is the ability to speak in an unknown language. No one can understand a message given in tongues until the meaning is revealed by God through the gift of interpretation. The word “interpretation” means to receive supernatural power or ability to interpret what has been supernaturally spoken. This is different from ordinary translation to the meaning of a foreign language.
‘For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto men but unto God; for no man understandeth him, howbeit in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries.’ 1 Corinthians 14:2, KLV
THE EFFICACY OF TONGUES SPEAKING
1. For Edification
To edify means to improve someone’s character or mind. The edification work of the Holy Spirit transforms the vessel in which he dwells to suit his nature. Tongues speaking is also valued for its role in spiritual growth. Individuals may engage in glossolalia during private prayer or meditation to deepen their spiritual connection and receive guidance or insight from the divine.
1 Corinthians 14:4, “He who speaks in tongues edifies himself but he who prophesies edifies the church.”
2. For effective and efficiency
Tongues speaking is the best means to align prayers with the will of God. By speaking in tongues, you bypass all limitations of human language and communicate directly with God, enhancing the effectiveness of prayer by fostering a deeper connection with God.
Romans 8:2, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
3. As a United Force
In communal religious settings, tongues speaking can foster a sense of unity and solidarity among believers. It’s often practiced during group worship services or prayer meetings, where participants collectively experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. This binds us as a family, body of believers and an endtime army of God’s kingdom. If God devastated the work of humanity in Genesis 11 by confusing their language, he in the same method brought all together with the unity of language (Acts 2:4-5).
4. Evidence of Holy Spirit Baptism
Tongues speaking is initial evidence of the Holy Spirit baptism as it is the language that is spoken when a person receives the Spirit’s baptism. The baptism of the Spirit is based on the condition of the heart, how desirous and prepared you are. However, the baptizer is Jesus Christ. The baptism is a confirmation and a tangible manifestation of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in one’s life.
5. Tool for Spiritual Warfare
Tongues speaking is seen as a means of building up one’s own spiritual strength and resilience in the face of spiritual attacks. By speaking in tongues, believers feel empowered by the Holy Spirit to assert their authority over negative spiritual forces and to claim victory in the spiritual realm.
6. Tongues Refreshes
The Christian journey is not always smooth. Because of that the believer becomes weak and tired. In such circumstances, all that comes to mind is to quit, but whenever we pray in tongues, we become renewed, revitalized, stirred, energized, and enthused for the Lord. The Holy Spirit searches the deep and secret things of the heart and knows when we are weak and down, therefore using our tongues to refresh and strengthen us. Tongues is like a stream of living water that releases spiritual stress, tension, and fear.
Conclusion
Ivor Powell once said, “It is very doubtful whether any promise of Christ was more related to the effectiveness of the Church than, “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you” (Acts 1:8). The fulfillment of that mighty promise turned midgets into giants, and a hesitant company of believers into a machine capable of upsetting the strongholds of heathenism. Thrifty people, with an eye to the needs of the future, were utterly transformed so that, with rare abandon, they sold their possessions and placed their money at the disposal of God’s servants. Pentecost changed the world!
By Elder Patrick Turkson (Asenemaso District Youth Ministry Leader, Abuakwa Area)