Does your mind wander when you pray in tongues?
Don’t worry, you’re not the first.
I received my prayer language from the Holy Spirit a year after I was saved. Like any new believer, I was concerned that I was not a “true Christian” because the scriptures said that tongues are a sign of the Holy Spirit…and if the Holy Spirit does not live in you, then you are not a Christian.
If you are like me, you probably went to the nearest church and asked them to pray for you. I did, and sure enough, I walked out of there speaking in tongues. The strange thing was that the Holy Spirit was already interceding for me… in my dream! There were times when I would suddenly wake up to find myself speaking what I thought was gibberish.
There were also times when I wanted to pray and my tongue was so loose I thought I was running out of words! If you haven’t started praying in the Spirit yet, that is, in tongues, just ask God. It’s that easy. If it doesn’t happen right away, don’t panic. Usually a series of events will happen and He will lead you to someone who can help you.
At first
The first night I prayed in tongues on my own was amazing. I said my little prayer and asked the Holy Spirit to take over because “I don’t know what I should pray for.” My lips started to quiver and the next thing I knew I was praying in the Spirit.
The strange thing about this is that, because it is the Holy Spirit praying, your mind can easily wander. I found myself thinking about my family, friends, ex-boyfriend, and career. I began to imagine what he might be praying for. I also began to wonder if I wasn’t making this up.
the devil’s tricks
Praying in the Spirit is very powerful. Then, as usual, our old enemy will come and try to stop you from accessing the power of God. Do not entertain thoughts of him. He’s just doing what he does best: lying.
So no, you’re not making this up. No, you don’t have to know what the Holy Spirit is saying. No, it is not a false language of the devil. When these thoughts come, take them captive to the obedience of Christ. If you call on the Holy Spirit to pray for you, then the Holy Spirit will pray for you, no one else.
Reality
The Word of God says that we must pray with the mind and in the Spirit. When I read this, it was a huge relief. It implies that I have to consciously focus my mind on praying…which effectively means that it is not unusual for my mind to wander.
Because we revere the Holy Spirit of God, I suggest that we surrender to Him and allow Him to pray as long as He needs. Try not to interrupt. Truth be told, it can range from 5 minutes to an hour or two. The Holy Spirit will always give you the option to stop because He loves you, but considering how important his prayer is, I suggest you don’t choose to stop.
Try to pray in the morning or a few hours before bed so you don’t get tired or frustrated when you pray.
Side effects to get used to
Long prayer obviously has physical effects such as jaw discomfort and dry mouth. I don’t know about you, but I also have a strange feeling in my hands, as if they were not mine. I can literally feel the person of the Holy Spirit in me, so I feel like my body isn’t even mine… and you know what, it’s not. It belongs to God.
Get used to these side effects because with just a little work, the Holy Spirit can release God’s power, Grace, Love and blessings into your life.
Jesus: Shepherd, Lord, King 🙂