John Bevere - Debunking the Mystery of Speaking in Tongues
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Welcome to another lesson on hearing God. I love this course because I see in my heart that God is going to open up a whole world of communication between you and Him. He’s the one who wants to speak; He’s the one who is speaking. We just need to know how to listen, how to hear. I’m going to talk about something very important, and I can’t emphasize that enough, and that is we’re calling this lesson Heaven’s language. Now, I’m going to discuss tongues, and before you turn this off or say, «Oh my gosh, I’m scared,» I want you to really listen to me because the Bible speaks about tongues. Let’s address this in a very healthy way.
Tongues are something that God has given us that is so powerful that I believe the enemy has fought against it tooth and nail because he doesn’t want people speaking in tongues. The first thing I want to say is: why would the Apostle Paul, who was so filled with the wisdom of God and who heard so much from Heaven, say, «I pray in tongues more than you all»? We have to look into this. First, let me read from 1 Corinthians 14, verse 2; this is from the Amplified Bible: «For one who speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak to people but to God; for no one understands him or catches his meaning, but by the Spirit he speaks mysteries, secret truths, hidden things.»
Now, before we go any further, I want to read it from The Message because it brings it out even better: «If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you, but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him.» Right now, I want to speak kindly and lovingly because I do deeply care about you, my brothers and sisters. Some people have told you that tongues passed away when the Bible came; they say that the perfect is the Bible. No, because if you read that carefully, the perfect is when we see Him and know Him as He knows us. It can’t be the Bible because I don’t know anybody who knows Him the way He knows us. So He’s talking about when we are actually in His presence; that’s when tongues will cease and prophecies will fail.
Now here’s the thing: people will always come to me with this, but the Bible says, «Do all speak in tongues?» The answer is no. So there’s your case: not everybody gets that gift. I was one of those people who didn’t get that gift. No, that’s not true. Jesus said, «These signs will follow those who believe; they will speak in new tongues.» So where’s all this confusion coming from? It comes from the fact that people don’t understand that there are four different types of tongues in the New Testament, and they’re very different. Two are public, and two are private.
The first type is tongues as a sign to unbelievers. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:22, «Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to those who are unbelievers.» What is that tongue? That tongue is from the day of Pentecost! I’m not saying it’s that day; I’m saying that type of tongue occurred on the day of Pentecost because there were unbelievers from every country, and there were the apostles speaking the wonderful works of God in their different languages. Now, wait a minute; let’s go back and read this again: «For one who speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak to people.» Well, wait a minute, they were speaking in tongues to those people, declaring the wonderful works of God in their languages. So you see the difference; those are two different types of tongues.
This tongue right here is not the tongue that was spoken on the day of Pentecost because there were people that understood what they were saying. The second type is tongues for interpretation. That’s the one people bring up: «Do all speak in tongues?» No, because this tongue is a gift that the Holy Spirit puts on a person to speak to the church, and that tongue is a heavenly language not known on the earth, which has to be interpreted. «To another kinds of tongues, and to another, the interpretation of tongues.» They didn’t have to interpret the tongue being spoken on the day of Pentecost; all those individuals from different countries heard exactly what they were saying. This type has to be interpreted because it’s a heavenly language not known on earth. Those are the two public tongues.
Now, the third one is the tongue for intercession. That is when Paul says, «We don’t know how to pray as we ought.» I don’t know what’s going on with my mom right now in Florida, but the Holy Spirit knows. If she needs something, He can prompt me, and I can pray for her effectively because He’ll give me the words. That’s tongues for intercession. But the one we’re talking about here is tongues for personal prayer, and this is what Paul says: «For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I’m saying because I’m not speaking in English.»
«What then shall I do? I will pray in the spirit» (that’s praying in tongues), «and I will also pray in words I understand» (for me, that’s English). «I will sing in the spirit; I will sing in my heavenly language, and I will also sing in words I understand» (that’s English words).
Let’s talk about World War II in the Pacific. The Japanese were clever; they figured out what we were doing. We would show up, and they would know when we would show up because they had English-speaking Japanese deciphering what we were saying, easily breaking our code. A man, whose name I can’t remember, had an idea. He went to the government and said, «Let’s teach our men how to speak Navajo. I have a bunch of Navajos who understand English who can teach your men how to speak it.» You know what? When they started speaking Navajo, the Japanese had no idea what they were saying, and it changed the tide of the war.
Now think about this. God says, «You have an enemy called Satan and demons; there are more spirits of darkness out there than there are people on earth.» If one man in the Bible had 2,000 of them, there are plenty to go around. God says, «There’s an army of darkness out there, and I’ve got Heaven’s army. We’re part of Heaven’s army, so I’m going to give my people a language that they can pray in, and there can be surprise bombs coming into the enemy’s camp that he didn’t even know were coming.» Don’t you love that? Here’s the best aspect of it: the person who prays in an unknown tongue is sharing intimacies just between God and himself.
Now, here’s where it gets good. Picture this. Let’s say the president of the United States invited me to his Oval Office tomorrow. I’m so excited! But listen, am I able to speak to the president on his level of understanding? No! He knows stuff about the United States, things that are top secret; I don’t even have a clue. So basically, he’s got to come down to my level, right?
Lisa just bought a dog, and I really like this dog. At first, I didn’t because she was a puppy and made messes, but now I really like her. It frustrates me that I can’t talk to her. The only way I can communicate is on her level. She understands «Lexi, come,» «Lexi, sit,» and my facial expressions, but that’s about the extent of our fellowship. Can you imagine if I had children like that? When we walk into the throne room of the King of the universe, if we can only pray in English, He has to come down to our level of understanding.
But God has given us a way! He says, «I want to talk to my kids on my level of understanding. I’m going to give them a language and teach them how to speak that’s going to bring them where we can have intimate fellowship.» That’s why Paul said, «I speak in tongues more than you all.» After years of experience, I learned. I was a Christian for four months without the ability to speak in tongues, but when the fullness of the Spirit came, and I began to speak in other tongues, the Bible opened up, and fellowship with God opened up.
Many people are frustrated, saying, «I’ve been asking and asking.» I want to say this: one of two things is happening: either you’re not forgiving someone, or you’re not asking in faith. But when I asked God to fill me with His Spirit and give me the ability to communicate with Him in other tongues, in that heavenly language, I was desperate and believed because I read in the Bible. People told me it passed away, but I saw it all over the New Testament. I was believing, and that’s why I received. Many don’t receive because they lack faith; they allow all the other voices to muddy the waters. You must believe 100% when you ask God for something, or else you won’t get it.
James says, «Let the man who is double-minded not expect to receive anything from God.» So it’s important to go to the word and find out what it says—not what so-and-so or this theologian or that seminary says. Find out what the Word of God says because it is the same yesterday, today, and forever; it is unchanging. If the Word of God says that He has given me the ability to speak with Him just between us through a heavenly language, I want it because I want to experience that intimacy with Him.
So what is the benefit of tongues? There are so many, and I’m going to cover one quickly, found in the book of Isaiah. God says, «For with stammering lips and another tongue, He will speak to His people.» I love that—that’s how God speaks to us! God has often spoken to me while praying in tongues. He says, «This is the rest you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing.» Two things: He says, «You get rest and refreshing when you pray in tongues.»
Why don’t people hear from God? Because they’re so busy. I hear from God when my soul gets quieted. Do you know what my biggest struggle is when I pray in the Spirit? It’s that my mind isn’t engaged; I’m not praying in understanding, so my mind can wander easily. But if I continue to pray in the Spirit, suddenly my mind quiets down.
Let me tell you about a mistake I made. Proverbs 20:5 says, «Counsel in the heart of a man is as deep waters, but a man or woman of understanding draws it out.» What is counsel? It’s advice, wisdom, direction, and purpose. In the heart of a man or woman is deep waters, but a person of understanding will draw it out. Jesus said in John 7, «Anyone who believes in me may come and drink, for the scripture declares rivers of living water will flow from his heart.»
So, counsel in the heart of man is like living water, right? When He spoke of living water, He was speaking of the Holy Spirit who would be given to everyone believing in Him. The language the Holy Spirit gives us to pray in the Spirit, to pray in tongues, releases counsel and wisdom.
You might say, «I don’t really get much from it.» Don’t look for it as you’re praying. I often pray 30 minutes in the Spirit, and suddenly, while driving, this revelation hits me, like, «Oh, that’s what I need to do.» This counsel hits me, and I realize I need to call someone. These are all results of praying in the Spirit because God can pray the greatest needs or desires through me when I yield to Him.
I remember the first time this became clear to me. I shared with a sorority girl in college about it. She grew up in a denomination that taught tongues had passed away. I sat there with my Bible, showed it to her, and she got filled with the Holy Spirit. The next morning, she came running over to my fraternity house, excited. I asked her what happened, and she said she woke up at five and felt prompted to pray in the Spirit. She said her mind was already quiet because she had just woken up. She felt like she was praying for an old man in danger. At 6:00 a.m., her roommates received a call that their father had a massive heart attack, but they were able to save him on the table. The Holy Spirit revealed, «That’s who I had you pray for.» She wouldn’t have known to do that if she had just prayed in English.
Do you see how important that is? God spoke to my heart to give books to pastors overseas. To date, we’ve been able to give millions of resources to pastors in 97 nations in 108 languages. It’s miraculous how it’s happened! But I thought, «God, giving all these books and resources away will cost millions!» I said, «Lord, I just don’t know how to do this. How do I let people know?»
I was down in my basement, walking around a ping pong table, praying in tongues. I might switch to English for a while and then back into tongues; it’s labor to enter that rest. Eventually, I found that rest, praying in the Spirit, and I started having thoughts. Don’t dismiss those thoughts; they’re probably the Holy Spirit giving you interpretation of what you’ve been praying about.
I was walking around the ping pong table, praying in the Spirit for a long time. Suddenly, a thought bubbled up, like a scuba diver’s bubbles rising to the surface: «You’re known for golf.» God gave me golf back; now He’s going to use it! I thought, «Run a golf tournament! The Broadmoor is where the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Women’s Open are held. It’s one of the most sought-out hotels in the country down the road.» So I approached my team and said, «I want to run a golf tournament.» They were shocked; it was only a few months away!
You know what? That golf tournament raised $3.1 million, all going toward books for overseas pastors. For several years, we’ve watched at least $2 million come in annually. That one idea came while praying in the Spirit at my ping pong table.
I could tell you story after story. Once, I was walking on a golf cart path early in the morning, praying in the Spirit. God said, «I want you to write a book on the Judgment Seats.» I had only preached 20 minutes on that topic in my life. But that one sentence ignited something. I wrote the book «Driven by Eternity,» and to this day, it is the longest book I’ve written. While praying in the Spirit, I meditated on the Word, and God downloaded ideas.
There are times when I write and feel stuck, but when that happens, I just start pacing around, praying in the Spirit. Suddenly, one idea comes, and it’s like the edge of a thread. I write it down, and soon more ideas flow in; a whole chapter comes together. If I feel at a standstill, I find a place to pray in the Spirit.
There was one time in Mexico when an authority figure told me I couldn’t preach; if I did, I’d get arrested. There was a small law they had about this, enforced by people who didn’t want outsiders preaching. He said, «You can only speak about tourist activities.» I prayed in tongues in the middle of the street because there were crowds everywhere. There was no private space to pray. I wasn’t concerned—people thought I was just a crazy Frenchman.
While praying, God said, «Put your Bible away and tell them about the greatest tourist who ever came to Mexico: Jesus Christ.» So I preached, and many people got saved. What would have happened if I hadn’t had the ability to draw that counsel from God’s heart?
I want to encourage you that rest is where God speaks, and that real rest comes as we pray in the Spirit—the heavenly language that speaks intimacies between us and God. You may be with a group, or watching this at home, thinking, «I don’t speak in tongues.»
Let me tell you something: Jesus said if you ask the Father for the Holy Spirit, He’s not going to give you a snake or a scorpion; He’s going to give you a good gift. Many people are afraid they might get a weird spirit. You’re not going to; if you ask your heavenly Father, He’s not going to give you a weird spirit. He gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
The first thing you need to do is ask. The second is to ask in faith; you can’t just hope for it. For the ability to pray in that heavenly language, you must ask in faith. The third thing: you can’t speak English and tongues at the same time. It’s impossible. So don’t speak English. Speak, and it will feel like the beginning of a river. You may see one syllable, then two, and suddenly, when you step out in faith, it will come.
Now, the biggest blocker I’ve seen is people who refuse to forgive. If there’s anyone you refuse to forgive—your father, mother, uncle, ex, a former friend, a former pastor—you need to forgive them the way Jesus forgave you. Jesus forgave you before you ever said you were sorry. You need to forgive before they come to you and say they’re sorry.
Let’s pray. I’ll lead you in a prayer to forgive, and then I’ll lead you in a prayer to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When you do, I want you to begin to speak out whatever syllables come, and watch what happens; rivers of living water will start flowing from your being.
So pray this with me: «Father in Heaven, I’m so sorry for holding unforgiveness against (name them). I forgive them the way Jesus forgave me. Now, Father, I acknowledge that Jesus Christ is my Lord. I have repented of serving myself and am following Him. I now ask You to fill me with Your Spirit.»
Now let me pray for you: «Father, in the name of Jesus, right now, wherever that person is, fill them with Your presence. Fill them with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and I command Your wells to open up and for that prayer language to come forth in Jesus' mighty name.»