How I started speaking in tongues-Amadi Achinike

This is the story of How I, Amadi Achinike, started speaking in tongues. Based on a true life story.

Am I commending myself to you again?

Of course not.

While there’s a part of me that would prefer to have this locked away in some journal, the reasons to share this story far outweigh the reasons to not. I want you to partake in these experiences, to realize the possibility of speaking in tongues. If I can, you can as well.

As you read on, expect some light bulbs to go off in your head, Expect to find reassurance, relatable moments, some pure entertainment, and insights on what to do next.

Disclaimer: Experiences shared do not and should not take the place of biblical doctrine. The Bible is still the highest authority for Christian dogma. By sharing our experiences, we emphasize the truth of God’s word— not make doctrines out of it.

Chapter 1: Things changed.

It came to a point in my Christian journey where it was pertinent for me to leave the church I was attending to experience further spiritual growth and progress in the faith. With guidance from God, I was strategically positioned and planted in a different local assembly, for the coming stages of my walk with Christ.

Imagine the culture shock I experienced when I attended a service with the new church and found the bulk majority of the congregation speaking in tongues, not of men. Every person who came on stage to minister could pray in the language of the spirit and in their understanding as well. What I was seeing forever changed my views of what I thought Corporate prayers looked like and my level of participation in it.

Because of my inability to pray in tongues, I could only follow on with prayers made with intelligible speech and would lose my train of thought when the minister switches to ‘tongues’.

How do they do that? How is it possible?

In an enthusiastic attempt to understand its modus operandi, I would listen as they prayed for, perhaps, a recurring pattern or logic which would prove my hypothesis that it was premeditated. After failing woefully at that, I gave up and learned to sing along if a song was sung in the background. Yes, for a time, I was a singer while everyone else prayed in tongues(not that there is anything wrong with that).

Chapter 2: Do you want it? How bad?

Even if I tried, I can’t possibly speak unintelligible words, fluently, with breaks and pauses, rising and falling tones over an extended period unless I have lost a nut or two upstairs.

This was a challenge to my prayer life. Rather than embrace its possibility, reconcile the fact that a part of my Christian faith was underdeveloped, and work on it, I remained complacent and in denial. I would comfort myself with false convictions from wrongly interpreted bible verses such as;

“After all, I have love. If these ones have no love they are only a resounding cymbal.” (1 Cor 13:1)

“By the way, the Holy Spirit gave me wisdom and wisdom is way cooler and more important than the ability to speak in tongues. See it even(1 Cor 12:8-10), Paul in his listicle mentions tongues towards the end. It must mean they are of lesser importance.”

I continued to deceive myself with these misconceptions but in truth, I wanted it. I needed it to take my prayer life and relationship with God to a different level. I wanted it so I could fit in; to deliver if and when called upon to lead group prayers.

With every service I attended, speaking in tongues gradually became the new normal for me. One evening, I got inspired and then spoke some tongue words unconsciously. Then I brought myself together and cautioned myself saying, “Ahh, Do not blaspheme the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 12:31)

Come off it already.

Do you want it or not?

Chapter 3: Dig deeper.

From the 12th to the 14th of August, Celebration Church Portharcourt hosted DEEPER(a flagship program of Celebration Church) and received the ministry of Apostle Emmanuel Iren, the lead pastor of Celebration Church and author of Leading Seeks You.

Deeper PH 2022 was a 3-day event having 5 sessions as follows;

Friday- Evening session.
Saturday - Morning(Prayer service). Afternoon, and Evening sessions.
Sunday- Morning Session (Impartation service).

I came into the prayer service on Saturday wearing a smile on my face but emotionally distraught on my inside. Downtrodden over some bad decisions made and preoccupied with self-doubts about an assignment God had given me, I was unable to pray well and long. If I hadn’t chosen to leverage positive peer influence by praying alongside other attendees, the consequence of missing out on the entire service would be actual.

Motivated by the resident pastor’s short charge, I began to pray in my understanding, and boy did I break limits and set new records. I prayed till I thought I could no longer and then I prayed some more.

As I prayed with the spirit’s help, my heart got engaged on a prayer point and then I dug deeper in that direction.

Let there be activation of ministry gifts laying dormant within you.

Soon afterward, there were mental activities that reminded me of a time past when I experienced what I now reckon to be a deposition by the Spirit.

Chapter 4: The Deposition.

It was around 4 am on the nineteenth day of January 2022, that this happened: A few minutes after laying on the bed, everything began to move so slowly. I was dazed and my head was spinning fast.

Then, I felt a mighty gush of wind come on me strong. It overpowered me and I felt drawn and sucked away from my grip on my physical consciousness.

Because I wasn’t fully unconscious, I noticed the sound around me become muffled and unrecognizable. But I could distinguish a weird language from the sounds which I think were tongues. Shortly after, I regained consciousness and became startled but only for a short while as I could do nothing with my tiredness but sleep.

This happened a few days after receiving instructions for an assignment that turned out to be Camp Chieflings. While I felt incompetent and ill-equipped to fully start this assignment, God had already made provisions available even before I knew I needed all the help from the Holy Spirit I can get.

Chapter 5: New Perspective, false beliefs.

In the evening session, later that same day, I was opportune to be engaged in a conversation between Joshua Uwusebe, head of operations of a service unit, and Samuel, a colleague.

With intrigue and honest desire this time, I asked them.

I am curious to know, How did yall start speaking in tongues?

Hands were laid, and I just started speaking

Joshua

It is not a must though. Me, I started speaking in a stirred-up environment.

Sammy

Joshua goes on to say that most people think the Holy Spirit gives only one gift to one person. “It’s a false belief”, he says.

“Ministry gifts —gifts of the Holy Spirit— are not shared one to each man. But are given according to the needs of a ministry. Ministries are more rigid and exclusive to persons.”

This newly found perspective precisely and effectively rid me of the limiting beliefs that had been holding me back from fully expressing the gifts within me.

Chapter 6: The Expression.

On the final day of the program, between the start of service and the moment before impartation, I was able to speak just a few tongue words like sparks of a fire albeit it was effortful, inconsistent, weird sounding, and helped by high music. So I look forward to the impartation as a last resort.

In an orderly fashion, attendees proceeded to the front of the hall where the Servant of God would lay hands on them. After a short while, it got to the row I was seated on. Just as I lined up, Jennifer, one of our department heads, came to me with a request:

We need more hands to help people to whom the Apostle ministers. Come, please.

Jennifer

This was my reply to her;

Let me receive my own first then I would serve as an usher. My turn is nigh. I’ve been waiting for this moment.

Me

She insists and drags me by hand to communicate a sense of urgency. She was pretty convincing I’d give her that.

Would she have picked just about anyone? What are the odds of the timing? Why did she pick me? Perhaps she judged me to be diligent and passionate about serving the body of Christ. I pondered on these things as I made my way to the front. I thought she was taking my moment from me but God’s plan was of a different opinion.

Serving as an usher involves being readily available to render help(if needed) to people ministered to, including those who had evil spirits driven out of them. How fraught the thought of the likelihood that an outcast evil spirit could settle in the nearest convenient vessel. I sought to become hot in spirit as a precautionary measure.

Over at the front, the worship music was louder, distractions were minimal, and creative miracles were wrought before my very own eyes. It was a conducive atmosphere for the supernatural. To my left and right stood familiar colleagues who were praying in tongues. As though a rock cracked open, I began to flow in the supernatural speaking mysteries in a strange language.

Outro.

After the program, I went home grateful and excited for God had satisfied my hunger. I prayed every chance I got as though if I stopped praying I would lose the ability to pray in tongues.

Not everyone will have dramatic experiences. But I needed to welcome the possibility that I too could pray in tongues. And I also needed a push.

For some who can’t speak in tongues yet, this could be the beginning of their own story of how they started speaking in tongues. For others, it is the last piece.

Speak in tongues right now.

Do you pray in tongues? Kindly share with us (only if you want to) how you started speaking in tongues all to the praise and glory of God.