Praying In Tongues?

[Various audio clips of individuals praying in tongues...]

What you're hearing is commonly referred to as speaking in tongues. But it's not. It's just gibberish. No where in the Bible are we told to pray like this. In fact, there's not one verse in the Bible that encourages prayer in tongues.

What about the book of Acts? Well, the gift of tongues was given to share the gospel, so everyone could hear it in their own language.

What about in 1 Corinthians 14? Well it's there Paul says, "If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also." That's not encouraging prayer in tongues, it's discouraging the practice.

But verse 39 says don't forbid speaking in tongues! Right, and the context is to prophesy, not private prayer. What is the gift of tongues for? It is "a sign not for believers but for unbelievers," to hear the gospel spoken in their own language. Read every passage on tongues with that understanding. It's not a prayer language, and it's especially not incoherent babbling.

Jesus said, "When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the pagans do. Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Jesus prayed clear prayers, and so should we, when we understand the text.