# 81 - Pray in Tongues

In chapters 2, 10 and 19 of Acts and chapters 12-14 of 1 Corinthians, the Bible discusses ‘speaking in tongues’. When my 73-year old cousin-in-law, and occasional missionary to India, learned how we are exploring 100 Ways to Pray she wrote me, “Have you listed any ways to pray that use the charismatic gifts? I know that it may be controversial to mention these, but really it is just another way to pray.” So, today, I’m mentioning praying in tongues. The charismatic gifts, tongues included, are gifts of passion, soul-passion. Praying in tongues is soul-prayer, prayer with the deepest concern about something or for someone whose need you feel but for which the words you find, if any, are woefully inadequate to the greatness of the concern. Praying in tongues is giving utterance to urgent, unspecific, yet prayerful yearnings within. Often this form of prayer is private, although there are places where in spiritual fellowship it is commonplace. If spoken or sung, praying in tongues may sound like a beautiful mantra, a scream, or just plain gibberish. No matter. God understands, and our prayers are only for God anyway. If written, a tongues prayer may look like scribble or even an alien language. No matter. God understands. God hears and answers. Just pray.