How I Received the Gift of Tongues

It was February 21, 2024, when I received the gift of tongues. It happened during a Wednesday night prayer meeting at my church in Dallas. But before I get into what happened, I want to be clear. No one laid hands on me. This was not a super emotional or loud moment. It was quiet. Peaceful. A regular night with maybe 40 people in the room. We began with a short time of worship, followed by a brief teaching, then we each prayed individually for about 25 to 30 minutes before coming together for corporate prayer. Rob, my husband, was out of town in Philadelphia, so I was home alone. It was actually my first time being alone in Dallas since we moved here the previous July.

Now before this experience, I believed that the gift of tongues existed, but I was skeptical. I didn’t see it modeled much, and when I did, it was usually emotional and dramatic. Sometimes people would even try to hide it. It just wasn’t something I understood. That night, my pastor taught a message about maturing in prayer. He talked about how our relationship with the King grows when we slow down at His feet, listen to His voice, and prioritize His plans over our needs. He shared from Mark 11:24 and Luke 10:38-42. Then he briefly mentioned 1 Corinthians 14, explaining that prayer language bypasses the intellect and activates faith. He encouraged us to read the chapter for ourselves. That stuck with me.

So when we transitioned to our individual prayer time, I pulled out my Bible and began reading. I was in the process of memorizing the book of James, and James 1:5 stood out. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and He will give it to you.” I realized I lacked understanding about tongues, and I asked God directly—“Is this real? Can You give me wisdom?” I read 1 Corinthians 14, maybe twice, because I still didn’t fully get it. But I kept praying. I reminded God of His Word. I prayed back 1 Corinthians 14:1, about eagerly desiring spiritual gifts. I wasn’t used to praying for specific gifts. I thought we just received what God chose. But that night, I said, “God, I’m open to anything You want to give me.”

Right after I prayed, I felt this internal urge to say some sounds. I believed the Holy Spirit was telling me to repeat after Him. But because I process internally, I only said them in my mind. Then I felt Him say, “Say it out loud.” I hesitated. I remember thinking, “God, I don’t want a dumb tongue.” I didn’t want something that looked fake or performative. I whispered a few syllables under my breath. Then I felt the nudge to speak louder. I started to think I was making it up. I looked back at the screen to read the prayer targets, trying to distract myself. And then, without realizing it, I was speaking in tongues. Not loudly, but audibly. I tried to lower my voice so no one would hear me. But I couldn’t stop.

Soon after, our pastor called everyone to the front for corporate prayer. I was going to stay in the back because I had just read that if there’s no interpretation, it should remain private. But I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to go forward. So I did, standing a little off to the side. That’s when the strangest thing happened. A little girl walked up to me, smiled, and stood right next to me. I didn’t even know kids were in the room. I looked around like, “Where is your mom?” Then she walked away. I was relieved. But right after, a little boy came up and did the same thing. He smiled and stood next to me. At that point, I just laughed. It felt like God was saying, “Come to Me like a child.” I don’t know if those kids remember me or why they were drawn to me, but their presence calmed me down and reminded me of God’s gentleness.

After the prayer ended, I was ready to leave. But again, the Holy Spirit stopped me. “Go present yourself to your pastor.” I tried to negotiate, but I obeyed. When I approached him, I couldn’t speak in English. I tried, but the tongues took over again. So I pulled out my phone and showed him a text explaining what was going on. He was kind and calm. He told me he couldn’t interpret but encouraged me to ask God for the interpretation at home. He prayed for me, and I left.

As I walked to my car, people stopped to greet me. I tried to respond, but I couldn’t talk in English. I had to use my Notes app to explain. I was nervous that people would think I was weird, but they were gracious. I finally got to my car and called Rob. I didn’t want to freak him out, so I texted him while I was calling, letting him know what was happening. But of course, he thought I was in danger. He thought I was speaking in code because someone was with me. He was panicking. Once he calmed down, he called his mom, and she was so excited. She told him not to worry, that I had received a gift from God and that the Lord would stop it when He was done.

After that, I called my best friend, another friend, and my sister. They were all happy for me. But I had one friend who didn’t take it well. I was texting them while talking, and I could tell it made them uncomfortable. Thankfully, God allowed me to speak in English again, maybe just to ease that moment.

Later that night, something beautiful happened. I felt like I could talk freely with God. I had so many questions, and I felt free to explore them. I asked Him if the language could change, and it did. I started speaking in five different variations. Then I asked if I could sing in tongues—and I did. I played worship music on Apple Music and began singing in tongues over the songs. It was such a beautiful experience. When Rob got home, I told him about it and showed him that I could still sing in tongues.

Eventually, my language turned back to English, and I thought it was over. But then the uncontrollable version returned. I spoke in tongues all the way until I fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up speaking normally again. But I missed that connection. I went into my prayer closet and asked God if I could do it again. He told me, “Have faith.” I sat in silence, and then I tried—and it came back. I continued speaking in tongues for two full weeks. It became a regular, joyful part of my time with the Lord.

Now, I can still speak in tongues on demand. Not just in emotional moments, but even in quiet stillness. Sometimes I understand what I’m saying. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I sing. Sometimes I just pray. But every time, I feel connected to God. I feel close. I feel seen.

I’ve always known the Holy Spirit dwells in me. But this experience brought it to a whole new level. And I am so grateful.