Tongues: Spiritual or Learned Behavior?

[scotty]

Originally Posted by renee819

Scotty wrote,
.

Scotty, if we were talking about receiving the Holy Ghost speaking in other tongues, your Post would be right on. People can not do that at any time.

However, when a person has the Gift of unknown tongues, they can speak those unknown tongues any time that they want to.

I know by experience. I got the Holy Ghost when I was a teen. Ever once in a while in serious prayer, maybe 2 or 3 times a yr. I would get a refilling.

About 5 yrs later, one night at church, we were all praising God around the alter. I rasised my hands and was praising God, when all of a sudden I started speaking in tongues. Well I kept on and on, as long as everyone was praying. After we got home, I put my family to bed and went into the living room and knelt down and started speaking in tongues again, Seems that I never could get finished, I spoke until 1or 2 am.

For several days, anytine I would think about it and start praying, I would speak in tongues. Day and night, I didn’t know what it was.
Finally I went to my Pastor and asked, Bro ----- What would make a person start speaking in tongues just any time, and never feel like they were finished?

He looked at me kinda odd and said, “Sister, I don’t know why anyone would do that.”
Later, after I studied my Bible and found out that what I had was the gift of tongues, I was surprised that my Pastor didn’t know the difference.
I am still surprised that many Pentecostal’s don’t know the difference in Speaking in Other tongues and the Gift of tongues.

I only have a problem with the line: "anytime 'they' want to".

Whether it is the infilling of the Holy Ghost or simply a refilling as you call it, or what many call 'prayer language' or 'praying in the Spirit', which is what I believe you are describing... either way, it is nothing that 'we' do, imo. It is when we enter into prayer and touch God on a spiritual level that one, even with your gift, can begin speaking in tongues. It is not us or you, it is the Spirit of God.

That being said, I stand behind my statement. I have a hard time believing God would willing be a part or allow the Spirit to move in a situation where man is 'testing' God.