I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. (1 Corinthians 14:18)

Speaking in tongues is among the several most effective things that can enhance every aspect of a person’s life. It has a place in any prescription for spiritual, intellectual, physical, social, and ecclesiastical improvement, or for any other aspect of life that you can think of. Anyone who seems to overemphasize it, still underemphasizes it. Anyone who seems to overestimate it, still underestimates it.

Speaking in tongues is not an unintelligible outburst, but it is an intelligent and superhuman ability to speak from the deepest part of your being. It is an ability that God gives to a person who has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After a person has received Jesus Christ, he can also receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus confers his righteousness upon us, but the Spirit confers the miraculous upon us.

Speaking in tongues is one of the effects produced by the infusion of the Holy Spirit, along with such things like enhanced effectiveness in healing the sick and casting out demons. Speaking in tongues is not a nuisance to be managed or suppressed, but it is a priceless treasure made available to God’s people by the outpouring of his Spirit.

Any trouble associated with speaking in tongues is never a matter of overemphasis or imbalance, but a problem with correct understanding and application. This is the issue to address in order to make speaking in tongues more accepted and useful for people everywhere. The more teaching and encouragement that we offer on speaking in tongues, the more we contribute to the health of the church and the kingdom of God.

Praying in tongues is an always-present help. In reality, the Holy Spirit is your always-present help, but he has enabled us to speak to God from our spirits. When you are happy and wish to express yourself beyond your conscious capabilities with words, you can speak in tongues and declare the works of God. When your life is calm and uneventful, you can speak in tongues to build up your spirit and make your day interesting. If you fall into a state of fear or confusion, or if you are distressed beyond words, because you can speak in tongues, you can still cry out to God from the deepest part of your being.

Christians should never slide into a state of depression or despair. Always walk in faith, peace, and victory. Do not let anyone tell you that it is normal to feel sad or defeated, even occasionally. It is never normal. It is never acceptable. And it is never necessary. But if we stumble, the Holy Spirit is there. He is with us, and he is in us. The Holy Spirit will never leave you — speaking in tongues will never leave you. You can always speak in tongues in any situation, and speaking in tongues will always help.

Speaking in tongues is conducive to emotional peace and stability. It is a supernatural help for your mental health. When you speak in tongues, the Holy Spirit can become your therapist. He can offer you personal counseling. He can offer you insights into your own mind, your thoughts and desires. He can guide you to think through momentous choices in the present and deep traumas in the past, and he can teach you how to face the future. Speaking in tongues is a vital part of spiritual and emotional health.

Speaking in tongues can make an effective use of your intelligence, and it can increase your intelligence. It is a supernatural endowment for intellectual development and breakthrough. If you are a student, speak in tongues before your studies, and during your studies. Once in a while, take a break from your work to walk around your room with your hands raised to God as you speak in tongues. You will find that this enhances your ability to retain and process information.

Speaking in tongues will activate your creativity. As you prepare for a business presentation, speak in tongues. Take time away from your desk and pace the floor, speaking in tongues. Your ideas will become more defined and organized. You might receive flashes of insights that will become pillars of your presentation, or you might receive complete sections of content that will make you look like a genius to the audience. This is a mere spark of the creative wisdom of God working through you. Speaking in tongues can lead to solutions to personal problems, or to business and product ideas, and to new methods and inventions. It will build up your spirit and sharpen your instincts.

Speaking in tongues will make you a better theologian — it will help you digest and apply the word of God. Speaking in tongues will make you a better apologist — superior and original arguments will come to your mind. The Holy Spirit will become your teacher, and bring to mind astounding insights and observations. Speaking in tongues will make you a better preacher and evangelist. The Holy Spirit will infuse your mind and work through your thoughts, resulting in surprising and accurate ways of declaring the word of God to the people.

Speaking in tongues maintains your walk in supernatural power. God is faithful and eager to fulfill his word, and so it is easy for miracles to happen as we believe in him and as we perform the works of ministry. Still, there are things that we can do to promote a more effective ministry in the supernatural. Prayer is one of these things, whether we pray with our minds, or whether we pray in tongues from our spirits. We ought to do both. Diligently affirm the supernatural by faith, and speak in tongues always.

Speaking in tongues is not the only thing that will help, but it is one of those things that will bring more power to your preaching, more influence to your writing, and more effectiveness in teaching and evangelism. Speak in tongues and stir up the spiritual and superhuman gifts that are in you by the Spirit of God. Prepare for visions, dreams, and prophecies. Expect signs and wonders. Jump-start your imagination.

Speaking in tongues is itself a supernatural event. Because the Spirt of God is in you, this supernatural power has become a native ability. It might feel so natural that you forget it is a superhuman ability. Let it be a reminder that you are now connected with the supernatural realm of God by his Spirit and by your faith in him.

Every aspect of your life and ministry can be enhanced by speaking in tongues. We have considered only several ideas that come to mind. You might discover other possibilities and experiences when you speak in tongues in the context of your own life and calling. Every day, dedicate time to speak in tongues for as many minutes and hours as you can while you are undistracted and not doing other things. Then speak in tongues throughout the day even while you are doing other things. Speak in tongues as much as possible, and as often as possible.