Speaking in Tongues is Your Bridal Language

Genesis chapter 24 tells of Rebekah, who is symbolic of the Bride of Christ, in the care of the chief steward, who is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

Just as the chief steward was responsible for bringing Rebekah home as a bride for Isaac, the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, is responsible for preparing and bringing home the Bride of Christ. I believe the primary mode of communication between “Rebekah” and the “Chief Steward” is speaking in tongues.

I also believe that in the coming days there will be a greater emphasis on this bridal language. As we see the Bride emerge on the day of Pentecost, God makes her a citizen of Heaven and gives her the language of Heaven. All believers, therefore, who are part of the Bride, will have this language. We can remain mute if we wish and say nothing. That is our choice, but the language is available to us. It’s a heavenly language, a bridal language.

The Holy Spirit is like the steward who came and searched for a bride for Isaac, found Rebekah, and took her home. The steward came to a far country to bring the bride home, and he wanted to communicate with her and tell her all about the bridegroom: what the bridegroom was like, what he desired for her to have, and how he wanted her to conduct herself. In the same way, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal the qualities and characteristics of the divine Bridegroom to the Bride. For example, all the covenant names of God rest in Jesus Christ our Bridegroom. For me, for example, Jehovah Rapha is an entire galaxy full of healing wonders. Then I go to the galaxy called Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our provider. How can I describe the multitude of wonders my spirit beholds? It is beyond the ability of my human language, even if I have the ability of Shakespeare. Jesus is beyond description. We need the tongue of angels. As we pray in tongues, His light, love, wisdom, and discernment are loosed in our lives.

The Holy Spirit is a wonderful witness. He helps in our weakness giving us wisdom and discernment. I remember while in graduate school I was still young in my spiritual walk. Only a few weeks after I came to the Lord, a person came to me wearing a big cross around his neck. I naturally assumed he was a Christian. I thought, “Oh, wonderful another Christian I can fellowship with.” I was so hungry. After we approached one another and he started speaking to me, I felt the Holy Spirit inside saying “Warning! Warning! Warning!” I tried to argue. “But Lord, he’s wearing this huge cross on his chest.” The Holy Spirit insisted, “Warning! Warning! Warning!” This gentleman invited me to a meeting, but I decided not to attend due to my warning from the Holy Spirit. Later on, I found out that he was in a cult called “The Children of God” that harmed many believers in the early days of the charismatic outpouring.

Here is my recommendation for those of you who want to get started in building up your faith by speaking in tongues. It’s very simple. Pray in tongues as much as you can. If you have the time, pray for an hour, pray for five hours. I find personally, that I begin with about 30 minutes and suddenly I hit a spring of living water this brook. It begins to just bubble forth. This is where I begin building myself up in my most holy faith, praying in the Spirit. How much should I pray? The more you pray in tongues, the more you will feel like praying further. I believe at least thirty minutes is needed for us to prime the pump and prepare the way for an explosion in our spirit of joy unspeakable and full of glory. Begin to pray in tongues daily, even if it is only for fifteen minutes. Gradually increase the amount of time you pray in the spirit. If you pray in the spirit, the language of glory, faithfully and consistently for 40 days, you will see a big change in your life, a metamorphosis like that mentioned in Second Corinthians 3:17-18: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” One thing is certain, after this time of praying in tongues you will be stronger in your spirit than you were before.

In a companion volume, The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting, I mentioned that besides carrying out my duties as a pastor, evangelist, parent and husband, I had extensive times of prayer and fasting. Any spare moment available I was in the Word, or praying primarily in tongues. Often there would be seasons where I would spend hours in the Lord’s throne room praying in my heavenly language. During that time I found that while I was praying in tongues I was building myself up in “my most holy faith” according to Jude 1:20, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit.”

We build ourselves up by praying in tongues. We are able to accomplish more than we could have ever hoped for in our own human capacity or strength. Ordinary people start accomplishing extraordinary things. Gideon became a deliverer; Joshua saw the defeat of Jericho; Samson slew hundreds of oppressing Philistines; young David slew the giant, Goliath; Elijah did great miracles, and Elisha doubled them; Peter lost his fear and boldly preached on Pentecost, and Paul raised the dead. The list goes on. What was the key to accomplishing extraordinary exploits in all these heroes of faith? In every case it was the same thing: Holy Spirit empowerment. “‘Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). Jesus was the culmination: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).

All of these spiritual principles can be combined in our lives by watching and praying. It has been our privilege to lead a global prayer movement called The Watch of the Lord™. As we have consistently watched and prayed these last eight years for many hours on Friday nights, an anointed pattern has emerged. At the beginning of the evening we praise and worship for several hours. Afterwards, we participate in a prayer wheel, walking corporately and confessing the Word out loud, and then we often pray in tongues together. This is a pattern that you can also use as a model in your individual life. I also suggest that those who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit become active members of a local church, honoring the pastors of the congregation. It is wise to choose a congregation which welcomes the move of the Holy Spirit. Find an anointed pastor who can further guide you in your spiritual journey.