Yes, yes of course – many real languages and your prayer language communicates directly with me.
It’s mostly that my spirit is speaking those words, expressing those thoughts through you that makes the difference – it’s the aptness of the words for that moment or situation – and sometimes they are words in English or a language you understand.
But look at a leaf or someone’s hair – is it all one colour? – no and that is like how even one word takes on many shades within different situations. You know words can be expressed in many different ways to mean different things – even more so with tongues can I use your voice to speak to precise situations (without any note of doubt, fear, analysis, pride and so on that would deflect from the purpose of the tongue).
You can speak realities into existence – it is prayer in a real language, meaning real things with my real authority and presence.
What about when the tongues is very plain, mundane and monotone or sounds as I’m expressing dissatisfaction?
That’s fine – you might be – but it will be what is appropriate and apt in the situation as you give over to me.
Are there times when you shouldn’t pray in tongues?
If you mean out loud – yes – otherwise you can always pray in tongues silently – you can always feel your way in me – you can always quickly ask me what is right at any moment.
What if I don’t seem to get an answer?
Keep asking – keep feeling your way – don’t make assumptions about what I want.
You must remember that tongues is a spiritual language, even if it is ‘real’ language. The meanings go deeper than physical realities. Just as the person is born of the spirit so the tongue is released of the spirit – it’s different. If you just look for physical realities you will miss the important things. This is how it is that different people will make different interpretations of the same section of tongues – but each interpretation will carry the same deeper meaning. Each person interprets the tongue in a way they personally can understand within the context of their own life situation at that time.
Do the angels hear the words of tongues and respond to the words?
Yes but also the angelic realm is called and drawn to the sounds of my glory, my spirit carried on the tongue (or in deep worship in any language or silence).
So is it like there’s an invisible intangible something over and above the actual words in tongues?
Yes – there always is with tongues. However mundane or foolish sounding the words are they carry an ‘anointing’ of my presence.
Well I suppose there are lots and lots of different anointings.
Yes – your tongues could carry any anointing I choose that is appropriate and that you yield to – appropriate for the particular situation (and remember that situations are usually more complex than you could imagine) – but there is always my peace too!
COMMENT: Some people distinguish between ‘tongues of men’ (zenolalia) and ‘tongues of angels’ (angelolalia) based on Paul’s words about love in 1 Cor 13:1. Others think that Paul is just using a figure of speech. Phil Moore (see booklist) considers all tongues to be human languages, ‘based on 1 Cor 14:10 and Acts 2 and the fact that the angels were unaffected by what happened at Babel’.