Q & A: What is Speaking in Tongues?
Answer:
God sent the Holy Spirit to give us power, transform us into effective witnesses and to put us in contact with the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 14:4, 2:10).
Before Jesus went to the cross, He gave an invaluable promise to His disciples: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” (John 14:16).
At Pentecost, this promise was fulfilled for those early Christians and all who would follow when “everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability” (Acts 2:4).
Your empowering for ministry comes by receiving what’s commonly called the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit.” When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, an extraordinary thing happens: You are able to speak in another language. The Holy Spirit gives the utterance, but you do the speaking. The Holy Spirit will supply the words—words that are unknown to you—but you have to supply the sound. When you pray in tongues, you are praying “in the spirit.” Just as your language is the voice of your mind, praying in tongues is the voice of your spirit. It is your spirit speaking mysteries to God (1 Corinthians 14:2).
If you desire to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit you can by praying this prayer:
My heavenly Father, I am a believer. I am Your child and You are my Father. Jesus is my Lord. I believe with all my heart that Your Word is true. Your Word says that if I will ask I will receive the Holy Spirit, so in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, I am asking You to fill me to overflowing with Your precious Holy Spirit. Because of Your Word, I believe that I now receive and I thank You for it. Now, Holy Spirit, rise up within me as I praise my God. I fully expect to speak with other tongues as You give me the utterance.
Now, begin to thank God and praise Him for baptizing you in the Holy Spirit. As you do, certain words and syllables that are unknown to you will rise up within your spirit, so by faith just begin to speak the syllables that are on your lips. He will give you the words!
source: kcm.org