Q: Do I understand that speaking in tongues is given to any believer for his personal prayer life and the gift of tongues is for prophecy in the church and is not given to everyone? If this is so, how is it possible to receive the gift of tongues?

A:  You are absolutely correct. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians 14.

It says, “pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”

Now, first of all, I want you to look at the words “desire spiritual gifts.” 

I’ve said this before, as you know, my husband is a Greek scholar. I’ve heard him teach the Bible a few thousand times in over four decades. And this word “desire” is like a STRONG desire. It’s not like “well, you know, I could if I wanted to” it’s a position of the heart. You have to want the Lord to use you. And to speak words that will benefit the church and be a blessing. It’s a desire. 

And you see, it says pursue love. Love is the highest, and immediately it says, desire spiritual gifts. So we are to pursue love, and love as much as possible. It’s a desire to love better, forgive faster, be more patient, stay positive. 

Those are all characteristics of love and we are to pursue that! Our selfish nature tends to ask not how we can love others, but how can they love us. We’re born with this! Think of a little tiny baby, they command the attention of the whole house. Why? Because the baby isn’t getting what it wants. 

We sometimes do this as adults too. We start to command that attention. That is our fallen nature. But the Bible says in Romans 5:5, that when we got born again, the Holy Spirit came in, and He came in with the very love of God. Into our heart. We are equipped to love one another. 

The Apostle Paul  even writes and says to pursue love. Pursue peace! In that scripture, pursue is used as a hunting term. So, you hunt down peace. Now I have some friends and they are hunters. They do the most ridiculous things. They’ll dress in certain clothes so they look like a tree, sit in a tree for hours, so that they can shoot an animal. They are after that animal! This word says pursue love like a hunter. But then it says, desire spiritual gifts. 

Now, why would you desire spiritual gifts? The Bible says when you speak in tongues you edify yourself, give thanks to God well, and your spirit prays. 

So why would the Apostle Paul say pursue love, hunt it down, and desire spiritual gifts? Because spiritual gifts build one another up! When someone moves in a spiritual gift, it opens the door. When we desire it, it opens the door for each of us to receive something special from the Lord. 

When the Holy Spirit operates, He always glorifies Jesus, He always brings the will of Jesus. And it opens up our hearts more to experience Jesus. That’s why we should desire spiritual gifts, and have a heart position to want them. Desire is an action!