WRITTEN IN MY HEART
14) Spiritual Gifts: Speaking in Differing Tongues – 2024
In late January of 2002, I was participating in a Bible Study. The material we were exploring was titled “Becoming a Vessel God Can Use.” As we were studying together, this message popped-off of one of the pages of the book. “God LONGS to have a personal relationship with His children, even more than He wants us to serve Him.” The knowledge that God literally longed for an intimate relationship impacted me greatly. I had been working hard to obey the assignment the Holy Spirit had revealed to me in October (see Post 10) and was devoting more time to trying to do what I thought God wanted me to do than I was spending time rejoicing and enjoying my relationship with Him
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I put aside everything I had been working on and spent the next several weeks just expressing love, sitting in God’s presence and exploring His Word. During this time, I read Experiencing the Holy Spirit, a book by Andrew Murray. After the first week of devoting myself to experiencing and seeking more of God, I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit. I sensed I was to ask for tongues. I thought this was kind of strange. However, I was not really afraid of the idea of speaking in tongues. After all, my brother and his wife spoke in tongues. I obeyed and started in prayer asking for the gift of tongues.
Three weeks later, on Tuesday, March 5, 2002, at about 4 a.m., I woke up and went into the bathroom. Upon entering the room, I heard the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit inside me clearly say, “speak in tongues.” As I walked into the living room, I started feeling strange words forming in my throat and I began speaking them out loud. Yes, the Holy Spirit had given me the gift of tongues. I spent the next three hours, until my husband came home from work, sitting in my recliner and speaking in tongues. I experienced language changes. I believe I spoke in five or six differing tongues during these three hours. One of them sounded Scandinavian.
With the gift of tongues, the Holy Spirit put into me the sense of being cemented. I believe He was telling me I was sealed in Christ Jesus. This is confirmed in God’s Word.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 NKJV
With a feeling of great joy, I drove to my local church to share this experience with the pastor. He was not in, but as I was about to drive out of the parking lot, I met him in his car. Rolling down my car window, I told him the Holy Spirit had given me the gift of tongues. His first utterance was that he wondered what spirit the tongues came from. My joy left me and I felt pierced in the heart by these words of skepticism. My emphatic response was: “I worship God. I do not worship Satan.” The feeling of hurt went very deep.
I shared the experience and comments with a church member whom I knew spoke in tongues. She shared some thoughts and experiences with me and told me I should kind of be quiet about speaking in tongues. This response was also not expected. However, she must have discussed the subject with the pastor because the next time he made comment about speaking in tongues, he said to me, “well, it’s one of the lesser gifts.” What a voice of caring and encouragement! I experienced firsthand the skepticism many church leaders have concerning the gift of tongues and the lack of knowledge and understanding concerning the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts. After receiving these negative responses, I aggressively read and reread the Scripture passages about speaking in tongues.
For this precious gift from God, I am filled with praise and thanksgiving. I sure do believe that I received what is described in 1 Corinthians 12: 7-12 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit. . . . to another different kinds of tongues . . . .” NKJV
The gift of tongues given by the Holy Spirit allows me to pray and praise God in diverse tongues whenever I desire to do so. I truly believe that in the right place and at the right time, the Holy Spirit will nudge me to speak in tongues and the edifying message God wants to relay will be carried through someone who has been given the gift of interpretation of tongues.
Paul wrote, “14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
1 Corinthians 14: 14-15.
This is what I do. It is natural, uplifting and comforting. Often, I experience the manifested presence of the Holy Spirit as I pray, praise and sing in tongues.
2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God . . . 1 Corinthians 14: 2
In 2010, I became a member of a Pentecostal church and when I spoke with the pastor, he said that actually speaking in tongues is “not a lesser gift”. He spoke of this Bible passage:
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26
And he pointed out that many Bible verses instruct us to pray in the Spirit, example: the whole armor of God
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints- Ephesians 6:18
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. – Jude 1:20
Personal Testimony of
Dorothy von Lehe
2024