How do I receive the gift of tongues?
Answered by New Wine
Seek the Spirit, Not the Sign
You receive the gift of tongues by asking for the Holy Spirit in faith and then yielding your voice to Him. Tongues is what happens when the Spirit comes, not a prize to chase.
Acts 2:4 sets the pattern:
"They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."
The disciples were waiting for a person, and tongues was what happened when He came.
Tongues is the normal and expected accompaniment of Spirit baptism, and Derek Prince taught that every believer baptized in the Spirit has the right to speak with the Lord in another tongue at any time. It isn't the test of whether you belong to Christ or have encountered the Spirit.
Open the Faucet
Several teachers in the library use the same picture: the Spirit already lives in you, so this is less about acquiring something from a distance than releasing what is already there. The water comes from the source, but someone has to turn the handle.
Notice the phrase "as the Spirit gave them utterance." The Spirit supplies the language, and you do the speaking. God does not seize your tongue, so waiting with a closed mouth for something to overpower you is a common misunderstanding.
What Tends to Hold People Back
- A mind that demands to understand — this prayer rises from your spirit, so the intellect has to step aside (1 Corinthians 14:14).
- Fear of what others will think — the pull toward self-protection is real, but Scripture is the guide, not public opinion.
- Performance — approaching tongues as a measure of spirituality turns a gift into a badge.
- Fear of counterfeit — if you have asked the Father for the Spirit, trust that He is not handing you something else (Luke 11:13).
Practical Steps
- Ask for the Spirit, thank Him, and expect Him to answer.
- Begin to speak out in faith, even if only simple sounds at first, and keep going.
- Don't evaluate whether it sounds impressive. Early on it may seem repetitive, and fluency grows with practice.
- Pray with your spirit and also with your understanding, as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 14:15.
- If you are nervous, find a trusted, gentle believer or leader in your church to pray with you rather than a crowd pressing you.
Smith Wigglesworth's counsel is a good guard here: receive the gift, but let the Giver direct its use.
Come hungry for the Spirit Himself, and open your mouth in trust. The gift follows the Giver, and it is meant to draw you deeper into Him and into love for others.
Sources
New Wine drew this answer from these teachings.
- Why Things Get Worse After You Get Serious with God (Shocking Truth!)
- The Gift of Tongues — Smith Wigglesworth
- God's 4 Step Process For Every Person He Calls
- Interpreting And Prophesying — Derek Prince
- The Bible Evidence of the Baptism of the Spirit — Smith Wigglesworth
- How to Grow in the Gift of Tongues (According to Scripture)
