Rev. Johnson V.
3rd April 2011

Encryption has been used extensively by militaries and governments to facilitate secret communication. During World War II for example, if ships of the Royal Navy needed to communicate with each other, they would send encrypted messages, so that the enemy would not be able to figure out what the message was about.  Wikipedia describes encryption as “the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key.” Today encryption is widely used on the internet and computers. When you enter your password to log into your bank, computer or email, it is encrypted to protect your interests.

The genesis of the concept of encryption can be found in the Bible. God has given us a powerful weapon against the enemy and for our own good – the gift of speaking in tongues. It is a blessed gift and the desire to speak in tongues is a God-given desire.

What is it? Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit, it is not an indication of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Bible is clear that we can have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives without speaking in tongues. In 1 Corinthians 12:3, Paul writes that no one can say that ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit.

Tongues are given to us for a purpose. We can speak the language of angels (1 Corinthians 13:1) or of men – a foreign tongue that we may not know (Acts 2:1-6). The Bible says that sometimes when we pray, the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf with groaning too deep for words. We may not understand what we are saying, but the Holy Spirit gives us utterance and God hears us. Evil spirits cannot understand the language of angels and they also cannot understand a foreign language (since they are territorial). So when we speak in tongues, evil spirits cannot interfere with our prayers because they do not understand what we are saying. When we speak in tongues, we pronounce God’s blessings over our lives.

How do I receive this gift?

1. Believe you are washed by the blood of Jesus. His blood, cleanses our sins. Only the devil keeps a record of our wrongs, God does not. So when the devil attempts to torment you with the past, ask God to cleanse you and take away your sins, and then ignore all that your accuser tells you. Don’t talk or listen to the devil. Leave your past behind and give your future to God.
2. Believe that you will receive the Holy Spirit.
3. God will put an inspiration in your heart. Don’t wait for a feeling, instead wait for the right attitude in your heart – that of thanksgiving and praise (Hebrews 13:15)

Where should I pray in tongues? The Bible instructs us to pray in tongues either alone or in a group where all are speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14).