Praying in tongues means praying in a spiritual language given by the Holy Spirit, which the Bible describes as speaking “mysteries” to God when your own words run out (1 Corinthians 14:2). People who practice it say they begin by being filled with the Spirit, asking God for the gift, and then yielding their voice in faith. Friend, this is a topic sincere Christians see differently, so this article lays out what Scripture actually says, how those who pray in tongues describe starting, the guidelines Paul gave, and where believers agree and disagree. Whatever you land on, the goal is the same: a closer walk with God. If you want a short guided way toward that, our free 5-day journey, Feel Close to God Again, takes about ten minutes a day.
What does it mean to pray in tongues?
Praying in tongues is a form of prayer in which a believer speaks words prompted by the Holy Spirit rather than formed by their own mind. Paul writes, “anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 14:2).
Those who pray this way describe it as a release, a way to pray past the limits of their vocabulary and their understanding, especially in worship or in seasons when they do not know what to ask. It connects to Romans 8:26: “the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
Paul says a person who prays in a tongue “edifies himself” (1 Corinthians 14:4), which he does not mean as a criticism, just a description. In private, it is a source of personal encouragement and spiritual refreshment. People also use it in intercession, praying for a person or situation when English feels too small, trusting the Spirit to shape the prayer. None of that replaces praying with your understanding. Paul is clear he does both: “I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15).
What does the Bible say about praying in tongues?
The Bible mentions tongues in several places, mostly in Acts and in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Together they present it as a real gift of the Spirit and also one that needs order and love.
- Acts 2:4: At Pentecost, the believers “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Here it was understood by foreigners as their own languages.
- 1 Corinthians 12:10: “speaking in different kinds of tongues” is listed among the gifts the Spirit gives.
- 1 Corinthians 14:14-15: “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful… I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding.”
- Jude 1:20: “But you, dear friends… pray in the Holy Spirit,” which many read as including this kind of prayer.
- Romans 8:26: The Spirit helps us pray when we do not know what to say.
Can anyone pray in tongues?
Christians answer this differently. In 1 Corinthians 12:30 Paul asks, “do all speak in tongues?” and the expected answer is no, which suggests the public gift of tongues is given to some, not all.
Many who practice it draw a distinction: the public “gift of tongues,” which is exercised in a gathering and needs interpretation, versus a private “prayer language” used alone with God, which they believe is available more widely to Spirit-filled believers. Others do not see that distinction in the text. This is one of the honest disagreements in the church, and sincere people who love the Bible land on both sides.
How do people begin to pray in tongues?
People who pray in tongues generally describe a few common steps, though they would be the first to say it is a work of the Spirit, not a technique that produces a result on demand.
- Be right with God and filled with His Spirit. Confess known sin, and ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13, Ephesians 5:18).
- Ask specifically. Ask God for the gift, trusting that He gives good gifts to His children.
- Yield your voice. They describe stopping the flow of English in their mind and being willing to speak sounds they do not plan.
- Begin in faith, without overthinking it. The first syllables often feel awkward. Practitioners say to keep going and not analyze every sound.
- Do it privately. Start alone with God, in worship or prayer, where there is no pressure and no audience.
If nothing happens, that does not mean God has rejected you or that your faith is weak. Some sincere, Spirit-filled believers seek this for years and never pray in tongues, and they walk closely with God anyway. Do not let anyone put a timeline or a pressure on it, and do not manufacture something just to fit in. Keep seeking Him. The point was never the gift. It was Him.
Is there a right way to pray in tongues?
Paul gives clear guidelines in 1 Corinthians 14, and they are mostly about love and order rather than a required method. In private prayer he is very positive: “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you” (1 Corinthians 14:18).
In a church gathering he adds limits: no more than two or three at a time, one at a time, and always with interpretation so everyone is built up (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). He also keeps it in perspective: “in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19). And the whole section sits right after 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, on purpose. A gift without love is noise.
It helps to remember why Paul wrote this. The Corinthian church had turned spiritual gifts into a competition, and their gatherings had become chaotic, with people talking over each other to look more spiritual. Paul does not shut the gift down. He does something harder: he tells them to use it in a way that serves everyone else in the room instead of showing off. That is the standard for any gift. Does it build people up, or just draw attention?
| Common question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Do you understand what you are saying? | Usually not; Paul says the mind is “unfruitful” (1 Corinthians 14:14) |
| Is it always a known human language? | At Pentecost it was; Paul also speaks of “tongues of angels” (1 Corinthians 13:1) |
| Can you pray in tongues whenever you choose? | Those who practice it say yes, like turning to a form of prayer (1 Corinthians 14:15) |
| Do you have to speak in tongues to be saved? | No. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9) |
Do Christians agree about praying in tongues today?
No, and it helps to know why. Continuationists believe all the spiritual gifts, including tongues, continue to operate today. Cessationists believe certain sign gifts served a specific purpose in the early church and are not normative now. Both groups hold Scripture as their authority and love Jesus.
If you are exploring this, do it with your local church, stay humble, and do not let it become a dividing line with other believers. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). You can pursue a deeper prayer life either way. The heart of prayer is honest, dependent communion with God, and you can learn a lot about that from how Jesus taught us to pray.
Frequently asked questions
Can anybody pray in tongues?
Christians disagree on this. Paul’s question in 1 Corinthians 12:30, “do all speak in tongues,” implies that the public gift is given to some, not everyone. Many who practice it believe a private prayer language is more widely available to Spirit-filled believers, while others do not see that distinction in Scripture. If you desire it, ask God and seek Him without pressure.
What are the words for speaking in tongues?
There is no list of words to memorize for speaking in tongues, and any “phonetic guide” you find online misunderstands the gift. Those who pray in tongues describe it as speech the Holy Spirit prompts in the moment, not a vocabulary a person learns. The words are given, not studied.
Do you have to speak in tongues to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Most Christian traditions say no. Some Pentecostal groups have historically taught tongues as the initial evidence of Spirit baptism, but many other believers point to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, and the variety of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, as the wider evidence of the Spirit’s work. You can be fully filled with the Spirit without this particular gift.
Is praying in tongues biblical?
Praying in tongues is described in the Bible, in Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, and arguably Jude 1:20 and Romans 8:26. The debate is not whether it appears in Scripture but whether it continues to operate today, which is where continuationists and cessationists differ. Both positions are held by Christians who take the Bible seriously.
Feel close to God again in 5 days
Ten minutes a day. A short passage, a simple prayer, one small step. No pressure and no guilt, just a gentle way back to His presence. I believe that if you give Him those few minutes, you are going to be amazed at what He does with them.