Prayer and Speaking in Tongues

I have heard there is power behind your words when you speak in tongues. I have heard people speak in tongues and sometimes it sounds forced and other times it flows with such beauty and peace.

With that said, I do not speak in tongues, at least not that I’m aware of. I do get lost in my time with the Lord and deep in prayer to where I’m not aware of anyone or anything around me, it’s just my God and me. Could I be speaking in tongues then? Don’t know, what I do know is my God hears me and my prayers are answered. I know my Father is with me and wants a relationship with me, He wants me to talk to Him, to praise Him, to give Him my every care, to trust Him and to walk in faith.

The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous Proverbs 15:29

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Romans 3:21-24

He hears the prayers of the righteous and I have been made righteous through the blood, through my faith in Jesus Christ.

I wanted to look up the original Greek words in a couple passages.

I used www.biblos.com

The first Scripture is

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

The first word ‘building’ - Definition: I build upon (above) a foundation.

2026 epoikodoméō (from 1909 /epí, "apt, fitting on," which intensifies 3618 /oikodoméō, "to build up, edify") – properly, appropriately build on, following aplan with pre-designed (pre-defined) specifications

Holy –

40 hágios – properly, different (unlike), other("otherness"), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."  The fundamental (core) meaning of 40 (hágios) is "different" – thus a temple in the 1st century washagios ("holy") because different from other buildings (Wm. Barclay). In the NT, 40 /hágios("holy") has the "technical" meaning "different from the world" because "like the Lord."   [40 (hágios) implies something "set apart" and therefore "different (distinguished/distinct)" – i.e. "other," because special to the Lord.]

Faith –

Definition: faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

4102 pístis (from 3982/peithô, "persuade, be persuaded") – properly, persuasion(be persuaded, come to trust); faith.

Faith (4102/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, 4102/pistis("faith") for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).

Faith (4102/pistis) is also usedcollectively – of all the times God has revealed (given the persuasion of) His will, which includes the full revelation of Scripture (Jude 3). Indeed, God the Lordguarantees that all of this revelation will come to pass! Compare Mt 5:18 with 2 Tim 3:16

Holy –

Definition: set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred

40 hágios – properly, different (unlike), other("otherness"), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."

The fundamental (core) meaning of 40 (hágios) is "different" – thus a temple in the 1st century washagios ("holy") because different from other buildings (Wm. Barclay). In the NT, 40 /hágios("holy") has the "technical" meaning "different from the world" because "like the Lord."

[40 (hágios) implies something "set apart" and therefore "different (distinguished/distinct)" – i.e. "other," because special to the Lord.]

Spirit –

Definition: wind, breath, spirit.

4151 pneúma – properly, spirit (Spirit), wind, orbreath. The most frequent meaning (translation) of4151 (pneúma) in the NT is "spirit" ("Spirit"). Only the context however determines which sense(s) is meant.

[Any of the above renderings (spirit-Spirit, wind,breath) of 4151 (pneúma) is always theoretically possible (spirit, Spirit, wind, breath). But when the attributive adjective ("holy") is used, it always refers to the Holy Spirit. "Spirit" ("spirit") is by far the most common translation (application) of 4151(pneúma).

The Hebrew counterpart (rûach) has the same range of meaning as 4151 (pneúma), i.e. it likewise can refer to spirit/Spirit, wind, or breath.]

Praying –

Definition: I pray, pray for, offer prayer.
4336 proseúxomai (from 4314 /prós, "towards, exchange" and 2172/euxomai, "to wish, pray") – properly, to exchange wishes; pray – literally, tointeract with the Lord by switching human wishes(ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith ("divinepersuasion"). Accordingly, praying (4336/proseuxomai) is closely inter-connected with4102 /pístis ("faith") in the NT. See: Ac 6:5,6,14:22,23; Eph 6:16-18; Col 1:3,4; 2 Thes 3:1,2; Js 5:13-15; Jude 20.

And then I looked up a passage about tongues

I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. I Corinthians 14:5

Speak –

Definition: (I talk, chatter in classical Greek, but in NT a more dignified word) I speak, say.
Word Origin  from lalos (talkative)

Tongues –

Definition: the tongue, a language, a nation (usually distinguished by their speech).

1100 glṓssa – tongue, used of flowing speech; (figuratively) speaking, inspired by God, like the evidence of tongues-speaking supplied by the Lord in the book of Acts to demonstrate the arrival of the new age of the covenant (i.e. NT times).

[The normative experience of the 120 believers received "tongues (1100 /glṓssa) as of fire" (Ac 2:3) and miraculously spoke in other actual languages, i.e. that they could not speak before (Ac 2:4f). This sign was repeated in Ac 10:46, 19:6 – furnishingample proof (three attestations) that the Lord had incorporated all believers into Christ's (mystical) body (1 Cor 12:13).]

After looking up these few Scriptures and studying out the original meanings in the Greek. I believe all prayers, prayed in faith by the person that has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, are answered!

When I hear someone speak or pray in tongues do I discount it? No, I do not.  Who’s to say they are not speaking in a ‘nations’ tongue that we are not aware of yet? I have learned to give it over to God, He knows I don’t understand it, and I pray quietly, giving Him praise and asking Him – if this is from you then please move among us, let us hear what You are speaking to us in a way we can receive and move forward giving You all the glory, honor and praise!

That is my heart’s desire – to glorify my God, my Redeemer, my Savior, the Creator of everything, the Bright Morning Star, my Provider, my Healer….the list goes on and on.

He’s these things to you too!

If you have never received Him as your Savior, call out to Him now, repent of your sins and let His cleansing come in. It doesn’t have to be a wordy or flowery speech – just talk to Him and then listen and receive. If He puts it on your heart to sing – sing, to dance – dance – to speak works of Hallelujah then speak!

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: 

it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad 

in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.