Receiving the gift of Tongues

[JacktheCatholic]

OK I am interested in prayer in tongues and I believe this gift is available to any that ask for it.

Can I ask for this gift on my own and receive it?

Any information is helpful since the Charismatics are not too well known to me.

[CatholicFlame]

Hi Jack,

well let me just say that I think that you are at the same place that I was a couple of years ago after I had first heard about tongues, believed it was truly from God, and then had a strong desire to receive it from our Lord.

Let me just tell you a little of my testimony about this because I think it may be more helpful for you than anything else right now.

So after the aforesaid things happened to me, I happened to meet a woman just a few days after this desire for the gift of tongues came to me. We had always prayed together at mass but we did not know each other at all. We only prayed together. So this day, she starts to talk to me after the mass. And it turns out that I was going through a rough time then, I told her that and this kind woman said that if I was going to be at mass the next day, she would bring me a book to read to help me with my struggles.

She did the next day and as we talked a little bit, she looked at me and asked if I might be willing to go to a charismatic prayer night. Wow, how did she know that I was reading about this stuff?? Of course I said yes.

Well when we got there, people were just going up one by one and introducing themselves and sharing a little about what the Lord had done in their lives. They asked me to do the same and I shared a testimony about how I first came to believe in God. They said "thank you brother, amen. The Lord is indeed with you."

and then the meeting was over! !!! well as we were getting ready to leave, An older man and woman were talking with me. They were so delightful! Very nice people. And as my friend and I were just about to leave, the man (who it turns out was the prayer group leader) said to me "Hey wait a minute, did you want to receive the gift of tongues?" !!!!

"Yeah I do" I replied. So he just calls out to everyone who were already literally going out the door "Hey hold on everyone, we are going to pray for our brother to receive the gift of tongues." So they all came back in the church for me. wow

And what happened next I will never forget: I sat there and the man led me in a prayer to turn my life over to Jesus completely and to ask Him to fill me with His holy Spirit. All this while about 20 mature members of the charismatic renewal (most with probably 20 years under their belt) prayed with hands outstretched towards me in tongues. It was unbelievably awesome. I was being filled with the Spirit in a way I did not comprehend but afterwards my friend asked me how I felt. And my only answer was "I feel so good, I feel like I am a new person. I have never felt this way before."

And indeed, I was changed that day, for the Glory of God.

P.S. And I received the gift of tongues. but that part came a few days later... to be continued!

:D :thumbsup:

[JacktheCatholic]

Thanks for sharing that piece of your story.

I am planning on visiting a Charismatic prayer group this Thursday. I have also been praying for the gift of Tongues today. Weird thing is that I feel a bit selfish asking for it over and over again.

If you do not mind saying a prayer for me I would appreciate it.

[CatholicFlame]

Hey Jack, I would be very happy to say a prayer for you. Also there is an answer to your question about if asking for the gift is selfish. Let me finish my testimony for you and for any others who are interested.

welll,

I didn't mention that during the time that the group was praying over me, and after the leader had led me in a prayer of renewing my relationship with Jesus, he also led me in a prayer to receive the gift of tongues.

Now this prayer was very different. Not different in that I asked the Lord to give me something (that is natural for us catholics, we really know about the prayer of petition) but the difference came in what happened in the next part of the prayer.

He asked me if I would just try to speak in tongues. The leader wanted me to simply repeat the sounds that he was making as he prayer in tongues, sitting there next to me. Well it is so incredible because although the sounds he made were as simple as "la la" and "abba", and although I opened my mouth to copy him, my voice was someone nearly non-existant when I tried to copy him. It was remarkable I must say. He kept asking me to speak out the sounds but LOL I couldn't just barely make an audible note. wow. but just wait till what happened later.

So That was it, the prayers were over and we went home. I told my friend that I felt like a brand new person, like anything like I had ever felt, I had all of this love inside of me, I must have been beaming at everyone. I was full of God!!! (who is love).

I told her honestly though that I wasn't sure if I had received the gift of tongues as all I was doing was copying the sounds that he made. The leader did ask me to let the gift flow out of me, lol but I could barely speak, let alone flow.

So. five days later. I was at a prayer group that I normally went to, it was non-charismatic and was being led by nuns. We were in a chapel in the presence of the blessed sacrament. So, these are young nuns who preach. A really miraculous order called Verbum Dei. But as I mentioned, they do not exhibit any of the charismatic gifts listed in 1 Cor 12. They do preach wonderfully though. Why do I mention this? Because it was there as this holy nun preached about giving my life to the Lord completely, that as she spoke, I prayed in my heart "Yes Jesus, yes. I want to give myself to you completely" That all of a sudden:

This fire began burning in my chest. A fire fire FIRE! and it was like I could see these flames there in my heart just filling my heart up big time. And then, I can't explain how I could see this, but I did spiritually I believe, this fire was burning from my heart into my throat and mouth. And I knew these words were in the fire. I could even see them somehow. wow I know this sounds like something else but it really happened. So these wrods just started to flow out of my mouth. Really flow. So much that I had to hold my mouth shut because we were in chapel and this nun was preaching.

I kept quiet and was able to hold back from making any noise, but inside: I was praying in tongues, I knew not what, as my heart burned with the love of saying yes to my Lord.

:)

So that is my testimony! After that I could speak at tongues at will and I started with two prayer languages. I am still trying to understand it all, but I do know that each language has a different use in ministry, one for praise and one for healing I believe. There is alot more to learn, I know that for sure.

peace to you Jack. I pray that the Lord will indeed give you this gift of praise and more. It is fine to ask Jesus for things, we all do. How much more for the spiritual gifts that will praise our God and lead to building up the church (see 1 cor 12-14).

[JacktheCatholic]

Alleluia! Great story.

Thanks for the prayer intention and God Bless. I hope I am speaking to God in tongues soon.

[CatholicFlame]

I hope so too beloved in Jesus

:groupray:

:pink:

:tutu:


Oh and would you come and tell us what happens to you after you go to your first Charismatic prayer group? I am excited to hear what Jesus does!

[MoNiCa4316]

wow thanks for sharing your testimony!! :D that is really amazing!

[CatholicFlame]

Thank you Monica!

It was such a blessing and my heart wants so much now to love Jesus with all my being. I pray that I can someday reach that place.

with love in God our Savior,

your friend and brother

CF

[MoNiCa4316]

:wave: I know what you mean! Sometimes when I really feel His love in me..I want to return it all to Him and to love Him completely...and to love others in the same way...but I never quite get there. I pray too that someday I will - that we both will.

By the way, I just wanted to say before but forgot..that I know what you mean by the 'fire' burning in you. I've felt that too...oddly enough it also happened when someone was preaching. It was my pastor. One day, I was in church, and he said something that just really 'registered' with me..I knew instantly it was the truth, and that what he said had glorified God. And then I just became aware of His presence; and reached out to Him...and suddenly I felt this fire in me too. Only I didn't speak in tongues, but I felt like praising God for sure. I felt a lot of love for Him and it was really amazing.
Then another time I felt like there was 'living water' in me, and I knew it was the Holy Spirit...it was just pure peace and holiness and love. It really did feel like 'living water'..hmm..And..lol yet another time, I felt a great 'spiritual' sort of light around me..I couldn't see it, but it was there and felt very pure..like no forces of darkness (demons) could enter it..this was in a little chapel when I was there alone..I love coming to places like that because lots of people pray there so it feels holy somehow :)
The interesting thing is, every time something like this happened, it really changed me...the whole day, I could deal with temptation so much easier and the Holy Spirit used me to minister to others. Sometimes I get opportunities to share my faith during these times.

God bless!

monica

[Peaceful Dove]

Lots of folks might be interested in this so I will bump it back up.