The following is a series of words that I wouldn’t have believed if I’d read them a year ago when I was sitting in a cubicle enamored with World Race blogs. I would’ve opened something that said “tongues and healings” just to see what kind of craziness people were writing from the other side of the world, but I’m not sure I would’ve taken it seriously. Now these words are the only way I can describe my everyday life.
The first time I ever heard someone pray in tongues was at Training Camp in July. It freaked me right out. I’d read Paul’s writings, and I knew the Bible said that speaking in tongues of men and of angels is like a noisy gong without Love, but I had Love. I had a dependent, growing, love-relationship with God…so I didn’t need to worry about what that tongues thing could possibly be.
I mean, I’m all about freedom in worship, right? Raise your arms, belt out the words on your heart even if they’re not the written lyrics of the song a congregation is singing, dance, giggle, rejoice, praise Papa however you want, I won’t feel weird about it…but if you start talking to Papa in words that sound kind of like rhythmic gibberish, then I might feel weird about it.
After Training Camp I had a lot of questions. I asked people close to me who I trusted what they thought, and the general consensus was that I should keep those weird trigger words like “tongues” and “prophecy” and “miracle” in the box that they’d been in for years, they’re just words in the Bible that God needed then, but doesn’t use now, so I don’t need to understand them.
I’m honestly not sure I believed in prayer languages at all…
until I was given one.
It was quick, it was unexpected, I’ve never prayed for a prayer language; but God wanted to take me deeper. One day in worship I was sitting sort of alone with my head resting on the chair in front of me, and everyone around me started to pray…but God said, “Nope, baby girl, just clear your mind and open your mouth. I have something to say.” And like I would have at age 6 in the middle of summer if I’d been outside with my daddy and he asked me to go get us popsicles, I just said, “Okay!” and closed my eyes and didn’t think twice…and sounds came out of my mouth that I don’t know how to make, words that I don’t know.
I was one part of a two-part conversation, and I have no idea what I contributed, because I didn’t participate consciously.
Afterward I remember thinking, “So that’s what that feels like…” and I was GIDDY with excitement and simultaneously so at peace, like part of my soul that’s always been restless was still for the first time. It was a kind of rejuvenation that I’ve never imagined.
9 hours later I was sitting in a hostel room in Chisinau with my teammate Stephanie and she asked me to pray for her. We had some music playing softly in the background, and it happened again – only this time, God used my singing. I sang in tongues. Stephanie said, almost in tears, that it was the most beautiful thing ever. I didn’t know how she knew that because she couldn’t possibly have felt what I felt in that, which really was the most beautiful thing ever.
So that’s how I started praying in tongues. I don’t know why I’m surprised, Jesus promised us prayer languages in Mark 16:
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation…And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues;… they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” (v.15, 17-18b)
After this, Mark says in verse 20 that they went out and preached everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
That’s what we do on The World Race.
Yes, I saw Mount Everest, and I rode an elephant through a safari, I slept in a mud-and-bamboo hut for 3 weeks, and I’ve had stomach problems that you don’t want to hear about, I got my nose pierced for $6 in Kathmandu, I slept in a hammock and woke up to the sun rising over the Himalayas, and I’ve been stared at by entire villages at one time including the oxen and goats just because I’m white; but that’s not what the race is.
On the race, we go out and we preach everywhere, and the Lord works with us and through us and blesses us with accompanying signs.
I think maybe God had to break down the walls of my box, and that’s why I was given the gift of tongues, but that only builds me up. I can’t strengthen someone else by praying words I don’t understand; God strengthens me by moving His Spirit to pray through me…which is cool, and prepares me and draws me nearer to Him, but it’s just so that I have my eyes open to see what He’s doing through me.
And Papa’s doing REALLY cool things through me, and it’s difficult to tolerate how honored I feel to be a vessel of the power of His love. I called this “Tongues and Healings” for a reason, we’ve covered the tongues…you ready for the healings?? Haha, buckle up and open part 2.
