The Language.

It’s not for the weird ones. It’s for you.

It’s today. You’re here. Nothing’s missing, no steps skipped. If you want this day to carry more of God’s presence than usual, begin by simply thanking Him - really thanking Him. Bless Him. Praise Him. And while you’re at it, mumble some profound mysteries that should leave you stunned. Awestruck. Amazed. Speak truth your mind can’t quite wrap itself around, but your spirit knows full well. The Spirit of God has been watching over you all night long, working while you slept. Breathing life back into your frame. Guarding. Whispering. Hovering. Just loving you.

Yes, you’ve started to wake up; you’ve guessed it - He’s given you the ability to respond. To glorify, extol, magnify Him with a particular gift that didn’t come from you. It’s supernatural. A fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy. And yet somehow, you hardly touch it. Especially at this time of morning.

Tongues. There we go. Flick the channel.

Not noise. Not gibberish. Not emotional leftovers from last year’s encounter. This is divine language. Spirit-to-Spirit communion. It’s astonishing. Amazing. A channel for mysteries. For intercession. For nearness. It’s for building yourself up when the day feels heavy before it’s even started. But how many mornings do you just skip it, roll over, mutter a sleepy half-prayer, and move on?

Many years ago in my Pentecostal day - back when there were dinosaurs - I might’ve (but didn’t) said this. Legalism-driven, maybe. Encouragement-intended, definitely:

You never know if there’s an angel watching. Don’t get weird about it, just take it seriously. Maybe he reports back at the end of the day. And the report isn’t measured in church attendance or how fast you scroll past temptation. He’s watching for hunger. Watching for people who treasure the tools God gave to draw near. Imagine him reporting back: “That gift you gave them to pray deeply, to carry burdens in the Spirit, to stay close - they didn’t even open it. Again.”

Of course, that would never happen. We are under grace. But even in grace, God remains omniscient - knows everything! <grin>

Let’s fix that.

Romans 8 is compelling. It undoes the snooze button: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” This isn’t performance. It’s partnership. The Spirit knows the Father’s will better than you ever could. So He prays through you. He groans through you. He searches your heart and aligns your desires with heaven. That’s what’s on offer.

And it’s only possible because of the cross. You don’t pray in tongues to get closer - you pray because you are close. Because the Spirit now lives in you, cries out through you, intercedes with power in you.

And when you do pray in tongues, something shifts. Not just in the air - but in you. Your mind starts quieting down. Your anxieties lose their grip. You feel it - God’s nearness. Your soul stops striving. The Holy Spirit isn’t limited by your tiredness, vocabulary, or distracted focus, instead. As you pray in tonues He gives you what needs to be said, even when you don’t have the words.

Don’t treat that lightly. It’s amazing.

You’ve been given something holy. Precious. Infinitely valuable. Few, if any, of your work colleagues have it. And it isn’t just for Sunday mornings, worship nights or emergency moments. It’s for mornings like this. Right here. Right now. Before emails. Before pressure. Before you’ve put your face on. It’s for when you don’t know what to pray, and also for when you think you do but might be wrong.

So here’s the call: Bless God. Out loud. In English. In tongues. For an hour or for five minutes if you’re still unsure. Let your spirit lead before your mobile apps get a say. Don’t wait till you’re in the mood but engage your will and stir yourself. The presence of God is near, and the Spirit within you is ready.

Let Him speak.

Let the mysteries flow.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised.