What do you guys think of praying in tongues? If some of you have this gift, what is your experience of it?
I have heard many people praying in tongues, but personally I am not able to do it. I also witnessed the gift of knowledge many times where someone has prayed over me and told me something about my life.
An Irish speaking Conneamara friend I knew, was at a Charismatic conference some years ago in America. During the praying time, she heard a woman directly behind her praising God in perfect Irish. Thinking it may be someone from her locality she turned around to see and discovered a very dark coloured lady who as it turned out was from New Orleans, and had virtually no clue as to where Ireland was!
I am sure there is a charismatic prayer meeting somewhere near you live. I was looking for one for a long time and eventually discovered a great one in Mayfield, Cork, which is happened to be next to my local parish and led by a woman that my mum knew.
This friend used to do BnB and sometimes held prayer meetings in her house, one night some Belgian fishermen joined in the prayer meeting. One of them heard my friend praying in tongues and told her she was praising God in German. She had no idea what she was saying!
I have gone to several life in the spirit prayer meetings through the years. I understand that praying in tongues is the 'least' of the gifts of the spirit--but I still don't have it. I kinda walk away ashamed. Like something is blocking it. (probably my mother's voice)! My mother would say, "Don't go talking like they do--thats weird!)
I do attend one which, after sampling various ones in my locality, is about an hour's drive from me, it has been running for over 4o years and I would guess some of the members have been attending from day one too. There is usually a good turnout though with approx 100 members.
BC, The Holy Spirit blessed me with the gift of tongues many years ago when my family was actively involved in the Charismatic Renewal. Interestingly enough, when I was overjoyed after receiving Holy Communion today I chose to use my prayer language and quietly prayed in tongues for 2-3 minutes. If I am in a fearful situation, God often calms me down when I use my prayer language. It has had a role in the last few years when I've prayed over my children or when with my beautiful wife, Geralyn, I was asked to be part of a prayer team. The most memorable experience occurred at a Charismatic Conference back in 1988. A priest had processed into the auditorium with Our Lord in a Monstrance and the majority of participants broke out into tongues. The Presence of God became so "thick" it fell upon us like a blanket. As many of us as could, felt led to prostrate ourselves in His loving, holy presence. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord! Safe under the Unction of the Holy Spirit!
It might benefit you to have someone pray with you for that block, and you are probably right, the voices of our parents can affect us long into adulthood as you perhaps know.
No actually. I never received any gifts at the time. I did however become friends with a priest who is very gifted and reads souls and such. We were in Buffalo together and I was dropping him off at his hotel and I asked him if he would take the time to pray over me. He did and he chuckled out loud as he was praying for me. It happened to be the feast of St. Nicholas that day, we had celebrated it with a beautiful Mass that morning with a Bishop friend in his private chapel. Well, my priest friend, as he is praying over me says, "I see St. Nicholas and he has his goodie bag and he has two gifts for you! They are the same gift however. Its the gift of Understanding! " It took me a second, but then I said, "I must be VERY dense to receive two of the same gift...of understanding...." He said, "Hey, I only have the visions...I don't necessarily know why...lol" We laughed a lot about it and still joke about how dense I am that the Holy Spirit had to give me a double batch !! I have also been told by another Holy priest that the Holy Spirit has given me the gift of understanding, and that He wants to give me the gift of Prophesy and the gift of discernment of spirits. I accepted those wholeheartedly, and immediately went on a trip to visit a priest in Denver area that specializes in spiritual warfare. I didn't understand these gifts and he helped me. I still need to do a lot of reading and preparing of my soul for these gifts. I don't think you can just willy-nilly use them. They take a lot of responsibility and prayer time. I definitely didn't understand their full uses when I was anointed to receive them. I'm still learning.
I remember being with my mom at a healing service at a church. People were falling in the spirit and my mom had never seen that before. She leaned over and said, "Don't do that, your skirt might go up and over your head and you'd really be embarrassed!" I moved to the opposite end of the pew and told her that she was going to go alone next time ! She never went up to be prayed over, but I finally was the last to go up...and I giggled the whole time nervously. Yes! Mother's voices are powerful!
Perhaps you have been given the gifts of spiritual understanding and human understanding too? And yes I would agree that one needs to prepare one's soul for the gifts. I've seen a lot of people do more damage than good by exercising some gifts without adequate prayer and preparation. You were blessed that you had a priest to share with.
One of my prayer friends brought some American visitors to a healing mass one evening in Ireland, the house where it was held was well known for late nights. When the mass was over the priest invited people up to be prayed with. My friend had to be up for work the following morning and warned her friends not to take up too much time in the prayer. She was waiting at the rear and observing and thought to herself that things were moving fairly smoothly so she went up towards the end for a simple blessing. When the priest blessed her she was slain in the spirit and received such a blessing that she was unable to get up for almost an hour! When she did manage to come around and went out to her car, everybody was gone home except her visitors sitting on the wall waiting......
