The “Magic” of Tongues 2
As I continued to sit with the words “the magic of tongues”, the Holy Spirit began sharing things with me. He always does this so gently. One thought opens the door to another, and before you realise it, you’ve stepped deeper into His presence.
Everything He shares leads into His presence and affection. It always does.
He began drawing my attention to Scriptures I had read many times before, but I was seeing them through a new lens. A lens I’d never considered. I had never connected “you shall receive power from on high” with the word magic, and honestly, I never would have chosen to. But the Lord, being such an enchanter, was clearly enjoying Himself. He was quietly undoing the tight knots of my religious thinking and smiling while He did it. 😊
Let’s explore how the power from on high promised by Jesus is released through language, joy, and the living expression of tongues.
When the Words “Power From on High” Began to Feel Alive
As I watched the flames of fire, they continued to move in and out of one another. They weren’t separate. They weren’t competing. They flowed together, crossed through each other, like an enchanting dance.
And as the ‘danced’ they sang.
Not in words I recognised. Not in a tune I could hum. They sang and danced, new languages were formed. Their song created emotion. Their emotion released joy.
Neither was the contained within them alone. It poured out from the Throne. It grew and grew, wave upon wave. And at the same time, I became aware a power or energy building in the heart of the Father.
I knew, without being told, this power wasn’t going to remain there. It was going to be released. And when it was, someone was going to receive power from on high.
A Sentence I Had Read Many Times Before
Jesus spoke about this before He went to the cross.
He told His disciples:
“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
(Luke 24:49, NIV)
I had read this verse often. But suddenly, the word clothed stood out.
To be clothed is not only to be covered. One definition of clothed is to express or enhance something through suitable and meaningful language.
That stopped me.
Jesus wasn’t talking about power dropping from the sky and landing on them like a heavy blanket. He was talking about being wrapped in words.
They were going to be clothed in what we’ve been calling magic. A power allowing people to do impossible things by saying special words or performing special actions. One way we use special actions, among others, is when we lift our hands in praise.
The Promise Kept Widening
This “magical” power was not reserved for a special few.
It was the divine gift the Father promised to give to all of His children.
That includes you.
Jesus made this clear after His resurrection when He appeared to them again. He repeated the promise and explained what would happen once they received it.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8, NIV)
This wasn’t abstract power. It wasn’t theoretical. It was power with purpose. Power expressed through voice, action, and presence.
Their language was about to change.
And when your language changes, everything else follows.
What Changed When They Spoke In Tongues
Once they received the Promise of the Holy Spirit, they carried the same ability Jesus had carried while He walked the earth. Not to dominate, but to speak and bring change.
Words would move hearts.
Words would heal.
Words would confront lies.
Words would create new outcomes.
Tongues were not given to confuse them but to free them from the limitation of their own language.
Tongues are often misunderstood because they don’t come through your mind. They bypass your thoughts and fears. They don’t ask permission from logic. They come straight from your spirit and are spoken directly to God.
When we speak in tongues, we align with the original flow and purpose of language. Language creates, even when we don’t understand what we’re saying. It creates life and it creates death. The gift of tongues spoken in the presence of God always release life.
What Shifted After the Promise
Once the disciples received the Promise, nothing stayed the same.
They spoke differently.
They acted differently.
They carried confidence instead of fear.
Their words no longer echoed the world around them. Their words carried heaven into the world.
This is still true.
When language returns to God, its power returns to its source. When we allow God to redefine words we once feared, freedom follows. Tongues are not strange sounds. They are heaven’s language reconciling all things back to Christ.
Questions That Usually Come Up
Is the power mentioned in Acts 1:8 something I can experience today?
Yes. The promise Jesus spoke about in Acts 1:8 was not limited to the early church or a single historical moment. It is a continuing promise of the Holy Spirit’s presence and empowerment, available now, not reserved for the past.
The promise Jesus spoke about was not limited to one moment in history. It wasn’t a temporary gift or a one-time event. Jesus said the Father would send the Holy Spirit, and that promise continues. The Holy Spirit didn’t arrive, do His work, and then leave.
Neither is the power described in Acts about control or dominance. It’s about confidence, courage, and steady conviction. It shows up in how we speak, how we pray, and how we respond to life. Many people experience this power quietly, others dramatically. Either way, it grows as trust grows.
Receiving the Holy Spirit doesn’t make you someone else. It makes you more fully yourself, anchored in God. Tongues are one expression of this power, but not the only one. The point isn’t the experience itself. The point is connecting with God.
Why does speaking in tongues feel different from normal prayer?
Speaking in tongues feels different because it does not begin with conscious understanding or familiar language. It engages trust before comprehension, allowing prayer to move from spirit rather than thought.
Tongues feel different because they don’t rely on understanding first. Normal prayer moves through thoughts and language we understand. Tongues move through trust. They come from a place deeper than vocabulary.
This can feel uncomfortable at first, especially if you like to stay in control of your words. This discomfort doesn’t mean something is wrong. It often means something new is happening.
Tongues don’t replace thinking or understanding. They complement them. They give voice to things we can’t yet comprehend. Over time, many people find tongues become a place of rest rather than effort. A place where joy rises from communicating with God without explanation.
Does everyone have to speak in tongues?
No. Speaking in tongues is not a requirement or a measure of spiritual maturity. It is one expression of the Holy Spirit’s work, offered as an invitation rather than an obligation.
God does not force gifts on anyone. He has never worked that way. Relationship with Him has always been built on invitation, not pressure.
Tongues are one way the Holy Spirit expresses Himself, but they are not the only way. Scripture speaks about many expressions of the Spirit, each shaped by love and given for the good of others. Some people find tongues come easily and naturally. Others encounter God most clearly through wisdom, compassion, teaching, service, or quiet faithfulness. None of these are lesser. None are missing something.
It’s also important to know tongues are not a badge of spirituality. They are not proof of closeness to God, and they are not a requirement for acceptance. God does not rank His children by how they pray or speak. He delights in relationship, not comparison.
If tongues draw you closer to God, receive them with gratitude. If they feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or simply not part of your journey right now, that does not place you outside His care. You are not behind. You are not excluded. The Holy Spirit meets people where they are and walks with them at their pace.
Openness, not performance, is what God responds to. Willingness, not pressure. God is gentle. He draws. He never rushes. But tongues are a gift He has purposed for you.
Closing Reflection
You don’t need to rush toward any conclusion after reading this. Nothing here asks you to perform, prove, or produce anything. What I saw unfolded slowly, joyfully, without pressure, and this same gentleness still belongs to God.
If tongues feel familiar to you, let them continue to be a place of joy. If they feel unfamiliar or strange, you’re not late and you’re not excluded. The invitation was never about getting something right. It has always been about being drawn closer to your Saviour.
Sometimes language loosens before understanding does. Sometimes joy arrives before explanation. And sometimes the most faithful response is simply to stay, listen, and let God speak in the way He chooses.
First published 29 August 2017. Revised and expanded.
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I’m Yvonne van Wyk, a Christian author, Bible teacher, and business owner. Through God Enchantment, I explore how faith meets wonder and how Scripture comes alive in everyday life. My words invite readers to move beyond religion into intimacy with Christ. I serve as CEO of SA Golden Homes, a national real estate company, and I founded Zahavah Studio, an SEO and content writing company. Through these ventures, I help others bring light into the marketplace through story and purpose. My mission is to reveal the beauty of God’s presence in both work and worship.
I would love to learn more about speaking in tongues.
Hello Woudi
Please contact me on yvonne@goldenhomes.co.za and I will contact you to talk to you about it personally.
Warm regards