David Diga Hernandez - How to Pray in Tongues: 4 Keys

Perhaps you’ve been asking the Lord for the gift of speaking in tongues but have been frustrated with the gift not manifesting. The Word of God holds the key to your breakthrough in this area. What I’m about to share with you I have seen work for thousands of sincere believers who were looking for the gift to manifest in their lives. I’m going to give you four simple biblical keys to speaking in tongues, but it’s important that you know that this gift is not something that can necessarily be taught. What I can do is give you the biblical truths that will help position you to receive, but only Jesus Himself can baptize you in the fire of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by the gift of speaking in tongues. My prayer is that you would be praying in tongues after watching this video. Now, before I give you those keys, I want to address three myths that raise doubts, which can become obstacles to you receiving the gift of speaking in tongues.

Myth number one: Speaking in tongues is not a prayer language; it’s an earthly language. That’s simply not the case. On these matters, we can’t assert our opinions; we have to let the Word of God have the final say. Here’s what the Bible says: «For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God. Since people won’t be able to understand you, you will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious» (1 Corinthians 14:2). So, how can speaking in tongues be an earthly language if people can’t understand you? There are, in fact, three expressions of the gift of speaking in tongues. First, there’s the personal tongue found in the verse you just read; that’s your personal prayer language for self-edification. Then, there’s the prophetic tongue found in 1 Corinthians 12. The prophetic tongue is the public expression of the gift of tongues that commands the attention of an assembled body of believers. This expression must always be accompanied by interpretation; otherwise, there’s no need for interrupting the church service. If the prophetic expression of tongues has no interpretation, it serves no purpose and is out of order. Finally, there’s the proof tongue. Some believe that the believer should never pray in tongues in front of a non-believer, but this can’t be true, for the Bible says, «So you see, speaking in tongues is a sign not for believers but for unbelievers» (1 Corinthians 14:22). So, how can the gift of speaking in tongues be a sign to the unbeliever if you’re not supposed to pray in tongues in front of the unbeliever? An example of this expression of speaking in tongues is found in Acts 2: «They were completely amazed. How can this be?» they exclaimed. «These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages» (Acts 2:7-8). Each person in the crowd of onlookers heard the entire group of believers speaking in their own languages. Because each individual heard something different from the entire group of believers, it can be concluded that the supernatural intervention was on the hearer’s end. That was a sign to unbelievers. Those are the three expressions of the gift of speaking in tongues, two of which are not earthly languages.

Myth number two: Speaking in tongues is not for every believer. Now, those who believe that speaking in tongues isn’t for every believer point to Paul’s rhetorical question found in 1 Corinthians 12:30: «Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?» In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul is teaching on the spiritual gifts when he asks, «Do all speak with tongues?» The answer is no. However, in this specific instance, Paul isn’t addressing the believer’s personal prayer language found in 1 Corinthians 14:2; he’s addressing the public use of the gift of speaking in tongues, the one that requires interpretation. Remember, there are indeed three manifestations of the gift of speaking in tongues. Some say the gift isn’t for every believer, but here’s what the Bible says: «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» (1 Corinthians 14:5). It’s important to realize that Paul is comparing the gift of prophecy to the gift of speaking in tongues. He’s saying that prophecy is better; he’s not saying that tongues are bad.

Myth number three: The gifts have ceased. Now, there’s no verse in the Bible that clearly states that the gifts have ceased, but here’s the verse that is most often misused to assert that point of view: «For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away with» (1 Corinthians 13:9-10). Those verses teach that one day there will be no need for prophecy and thus no spiritual gifts. Some say that means the completion of the Bible; others think it’s when Christ returns. But Paul tells us when this will happen just two verses later: «For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known» (1 Corinthians 13:12). The gifts will cease when we’re face to face with God. Since you’re not yet face to face with God, let’s now help you receive the gift of speaking in tongues.

Here are the keys to speaking in tongues.

Number one: request it. It really is that simple; you simply must ask Him for the gift. When you do ask, you don’t need to worry about receiving another spirit because Jesus promised this: «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? That’s Luke 11:11–13.

Number two: realize, once you’ve requested the gift of the Holy Spirit accompanied by the evidence of speaking in tongues, that you’ve received it. Don’t doubt it, don’t debate it, don’t question it. The gift is in you now, even if it hasn’t manifested yet. Remember that it’s that simple. Now, I know that may be hard to believe sometimes, but that’s why you need to—

Number three: relax. And no, I don’t mean relax in the New Age sense; I mean that you need to stop overthinking everything. I can tell you this: if you’re a sincere believer who is asking the Lord for this gift, then there is only one thing that is blocking the gift from manifesting through you. It all comes down to this: it’s ego itself. While you’re praying for the gift to manifest, you’re likely thinking things like, «Is this just me? What if I get a demon from this? What if I upset God because this isn’t for me? How do I know this is really God? Everyone is looking at me; I’ll probably look silly. This is weird.»

Look, you have to stop cluttering your mind with questions, doubts, and insecurities. Are you going to look silly? Probably to some, but you’ll have to get over that if you want the fullness of what God has for you. Make no mistake: this is the issue—self and ego. Your own overthinking is getting in the way; it’s blocking you from receiving the gift. If it doesn’t work for you, if what I’m teaching you right now in this video doesn’t work and you’re a believer, this is why: it’s the overthinking and doubting. No matter how many times you try, it will always come back to that. So, until you decide to stop allowing the overthinking to block the flow of the Spirit, you won’t receive.

Now you might say, «Well, I’ve tried too many times before, and it never works for me, ” but that’s what I’m trying to teach you right now. It hasn’t worked for you up to this point because you keep overthinking it. You must—

Number four: just release it. The Holy Spirit isn’t going to come up to you physically, grab your tongue, and begin moving it around; it’s not going to be something outside of your control. In fact, Paul the Apostle used all of 1 Corinthians chapter 14 to teach you how to control the gift. Now, why would he instruct the church to control the gift if the gift couldn’t be controlled? In other words, it’s up to you.

There’s a popular story about a father who was teaching his young daughter to pray at bedtime. Eventually, he allowed her to say her own bedtime prayers without him being in the room. One night, the father walked by his little girl’s room and overheard her saying, „A B C D E E F G.“ She was singing the alphabet; she was praying the alphabet. The father overheard his daughter praying this way for several nights in a row until he decided to correct her. He gently corrected her, saying, „You’re supposed to be praying to God, but you’re just saying the alphabet.“

The little girl replied, „Yes, Dad, I am praying, and I’m using the alphabet. I just give God the letters, and He rearranges them to whatever He wants them to be.“ And that’s what it’s like to pray in tongues: you simply must release the syllables and sounds. Don’t attach your meaning to them and trust that the Holy Spirit will use your expressions to pray through you. So, what do you do now? Ask the Lord to give you the gift, realize that you can trust Him to give you the gift, relax, and stop overthinking it. Then release the sounds. You may look silly, and you may ask, „Is this just me?“ Yes, it will be just you, but only in part. The Holy Spirit will see your faith, and He will add His power; He will add His meaning to the sounds you surrender to Him.

Praying in tongues is like starting your car: you have to turn the key, but the engine will move the car. Just turn the key, give Him sounds, and you’ll know by faith that He will take it from there. Stop doubting, stop analyzing, release the sound of faith now, and receive your prayer language.