TONGUES OF FIRE OR TONGUES OF CONFUSION?

 

TONGUES OF FIRE OR TONGUES OF CONFUSION?

by Ikechukwu Frank

He sat alone in the hospital corridor, shoulders slumped, hands shaking—not out of fear, but because every English word he tried to pray ended in silence. His wife was in the operating theatre fighting for her life. His mind went blank. His emotions collapsed. He had no more strength for “normal” prayers. In that still, crushing moment, something rose from deep within him—not loud, not dramatic, not for display. It was a gentle stream of spiritual language that carried his tears upward. “When we don’t know how or what to pray, the Spirit does our praying in and for us,” says Romans 8:26 (MSG). As those soft syllables escaped his lips, strength arrived like unexpected wind. Hours later, the doctor stepped out with a smile. “She made it.” That night, he came to a conclusion that has the power to shape your entire Christian journey: tongues are either fire that strengthens the spirit or confusion that entertains the flesh—but they cannot be both.

Church, listen carefully. This message is born from real battles, real weaknesses, real tears, and real deliverance. Speaking in tongues is one of the most powerful gifts God gave the Church, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood and mismanaged. Some defend it without knowledge, some fear it without reason, some practise it without discipline, and others mock it without understanding. And as an African adage warns, “Where genuine honey appears, both bees and flies will gather.”

Where there is true fire, there will always be strange fire.

It is no longer enough to shout, “Pray in tongues!” without understanding what tongues are, why God gave them, how they operate, and how easily they can be misused. It is equally foolish to reject tongues simply because some abuse them. What you do not understand, you will either abuse or avoid. What you avoid, you cannot benefit from. And what you abuse will eventually lose credibility—both in your life and before others.

Tongues sit at the very intersection of mystery and meaning, spirit and mind, fire and order. It is a spiritual language and a spiritual technology. A divine sign and a divine tool. It carries both edification and potential confusion—depending on its handler. And do not forget, “God…doesn’t stir us up into confusion; He brings us into harmony” (1 Corinthians 14:33 MSG).

This sermon is to separate fire from frenzy, revelation from noise, and Spirit-led utterance from flesh-driven performance. Because, as the elders say, “If you cannot tell the difference between pepper and powder, your eyes will announce your foolishness.”

1. THE MYSTERY OF SPIRITUAL UTTERANCE

Tongues are not psychological murmurs, emotional babbling, or “prayer fillers.” Tongues are a supernatural communication system crafted by God to assist human weakness. Scripture says, “When you pray in tongues, you are praying to God, not to people…you’re speaking intimate mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2 MSG).

Tongues carry spiritual codes. They transport burdens. They express things your vocabulary has no words for. They bypass human logic and satanic interception. But hear this: like a radio frequency, tongues require correct tuning. When the Spirit leads, tongues burn like fire. When the flesh leads, tongues scatter into confusion.

2. WHY TONGUES ARE CONTROVERSIAL BUT POWERFUL

Nothing weak attracts resistance. Controversy is proof of value. As an African adage says, “It is the tree with ripe fruit that receives stones.”

Tongues remain powerful because:

• They bypass demonic understanding

• They strengthen the inner man

• They allow the Holy Spirit to pray through you

• They activate dimensions your natural mind cannot produce

• They expose spiritual laziness—because praying in tongues requires commitment

Confusion swirls around tongues only because of their unmatched power.

3. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE

This sermon is not entertainment. It is a divine correction. God sent it to:

• Bring clarity where there is confusion

• Bring balance where there is extremism

• Bring biblical order where there is error

• Bring fire where there is dryness

• Bring sobriety where there is carelessness

• Bring boldness where there is fear

• Restore the purity and power of tongues in the Church

Your prayer language should produce power, not confusion; depth, not noise; growth, not spiritual drama.

4. THE BALANCE BETWEEN SCRIPTURE, EXPERIENCE, AND DISCERNMENT

Tongues require balance. Not everything spiritual is Scriptural. Not everything emotional is spiritual. Not everything loud is powerful. As one African elder says, “A child who refuses to learn will swallow sand.”

Believers must learn Scripture, observe experience, and walk in discernment. When these three unite, tongues become a weapon of revival, not confusion.

5. BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS

We stand on Scripture, not assumptions.

• Jesus promised supernatural utterance—Mark 16:17 (MSG): “These are some of the signs that will accompany believers…they will speak in new tongues.”

• Pentecost ignited it—Acts 2:4 (MSG): “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.”

• Cornelius’ household received it—Acts 10:46

• The Ephesian believers received it—Acts 19:6

• Paul taught, corrected, and ordered it—1 Corinthians 12–14

• The Spirit intercedes with groaning—Romans 8:26–27 (MSG)

This is not a modern movement. It is an ancient pattern.

6. GIFT OF TONGUES vs PRAYER LANGUAGE

This is where many get confused.

• The gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10) is for public edification and must be interpreted.

• The prayer language of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:2, 14) is for personal devotion, intercession, and spiritual strengthening.

One is for the congregation.

One is for the believer.

Confusing them creates chaos. Understanding them produces order.

7. REAL-LIFE TESTIMONIES

This isn’t theory. It works.

• Pastors have received direction that saved ministries.

• Mothers have survived emotional storms by praying in tongues.

• Addictions have broken under intense spiritual utterance.

• Churches have erupted in revival because believers prayed in tongues till dawn.

• People have received visions, clarity, healing, and boldness through praying in tongues.

Tongues are not grammar—they are power.

8. WHAT THIS MESSAGE WILL ACTIVATE IN YOU

You will understand:

✓ What tongues truly are

✓ How tongues operate

✓ Why God preserved this gift

✓ How to use tongues effectively

✓ The misuses that lead to confusion

✓ How to maintain discipline, purity, and depth

✓ How to identify true fire

✓ How to avoid emotional frenzy

✓ The future power of tongues in the end-time Church

9. THE FINAL CHARGE — FIRE, NOT CONFUSION

Let me close where I began. The man in that hospital corridor received strength not because he shouted, but because he surrendered. His tongues were not drama—they were fire.

And hear me: The same fire that cooks food can burn the house. The problem is never the fire. The problem is always the handling.

Your tongues can build you or deceive you. They can strengthen or confuse. They can carry power or perform for attention. The Spirit is calling you to purity, discipline, discernment, and depth. Scripture says, “Let everything be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV).

Today, lift your voice. Lift your heart. Let the Holy Ghost burn within you. Pray in tongues that produce alignment, not confusion; strength, not drama; fire, not frenzy.

Let your spirit be ready. Let your ears be open.

“For he that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

WITHOUT JESUS, WE CAN DO NOTHING

If you desire to surrender your life to Jesus and experience the freedom, peace, and hope that only He can give, take this prayer of salvation sincerely from your heart:

SALVATION PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus,

I confess that I am a sinner. I believe You died on the cross and rose again to save me. Today, I turn away from sin and invite You into my heart as my Lord and Saviour.

Cleanse me, forgive me, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit.

Help me to follow You faithfully all the days of my life.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.