How to Strengthen Your Faith Through Praying in Tongues

By Don Bell | ⏱️ 9 minute read

What if you possessed a supernatural ability that could transform your prayer life, strengthen your faith, and deepen your intimacy with God — but you'd barely scratched the surface of its power? God has given Spirit-filled believers exactly that: the gift of speaking in tongues. Understanding how to strengthen your faith through praying in tongues offers you a direct pathway to spiritual breakthrough that countless believers have discovered but many have yet to fully explore.

Whether you're new to this gift or seeking to maximize its power, this article will reveal practical ways to harness its faith-building impact and transform your prayer life. Discover why countless believers have found tongues to be their key to unlocking stronger faith and a more intimate relationship with God.

Why God Values Strong Faith

The writer of Hebrews says, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith is essential. As believers, we believe in God's reality, but we also must have strong faith and confidence in His role as "rewarder" when we seek Him with our prayer requests and when we obey His promptings to step out and minister to others' needs.

Learning how to strengthen your faith begins with understanding that faith is not merely intellectual agreement but spiritual substance that can be developed and increased.

The Substance of Faith: More Than Just Believing

The writer of Hebrews declares, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony" (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith is the "substance" of things hoped for. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to minister to others' needs, we must have sufficient spiritual substance backing us, or we'll fail to obtain what we hoped for. Therefore, we must be prepared by building up our faith.

The Mustard Seed Principle: Growing Your God-Given Measure of Faith

Have you ever found yourself thinking, "If only I had more faith"? Be encouraged that you're not alone. Many believers desire to increase their faith to serve God better, and the apostles were no exception.

Scripture says, "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' So the Lord said, 'If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, "Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea," and it would obey you'" (Luke 17:5–6).

The comparison of faith to a mustard seed is often misunderstood. Many think it implies minimal faith is sufficient, but the true meaning lies not in the seed's size but in its tremendous potential for growth. Earlier Jesus had said to them, "What is the Kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches" (Luke 13:18–19).

Your Responsibility to Grow Your Faith

The apostles had asked Jesus to increase their faith, but instead, He encouraged them to increase it themselves. He implied that faith is meant to be strengthened — that's our responsibility.

The Apostle Paul says, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3).

Let's look deeper at what Scripture actually says about our measure of faith. The Greek word μέτρον (metron) is translated as "measure," implying a small portion — hence, a seed.

Since each of us has been given a small portion of faith, a seed with a God-given capacity for growth, Paul is cautioning us not to have an exaggerated opinion of ourselves and our faith capabilities, but to realize that the "measure of faith" that God has entrusted us with must be nurtured and increased to bring optimum results. Understanding this process is essential for knowing how to strengthen your faith effectively.

Now that we understand faith must be grown intentionally, let's address a common misconception that prevents many believers from doing so.

Love Yourself First: The Biblical Order of Spiritual Strength

False humility would have you say, "My main desire is to build up others!" However, it's not realistic to focus on building up others while neglecting first to build up yourself in faith.

Jesus teaches, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39, emphasis added). You must first love and edify yourself; otherwise, you'll have limited ability to love and edify your neighbor.

God's desire is for each believer to be strong in faith. That's because your measure of faith helps to set the benchmark for how effectively you can love and edify your neighbor!

Jesus promised that signs will follow those who believe (Mark 16:17). As your faith grows stronger, you become more attuned to recognize the Holy Spirit's promptings to minister to people's needs, and the signs that Jesus promised will follow you. 

How to Strengthen Your Faith: 7 Ways

Building strong faith is both a process and a necessity: "For in [the gospel of Christ] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith'" (Romans 1:17, emphasis added).

Since strong faith is vitally important, God has provided practical ways to nurture and grow it: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). When can we hear God speaking to us?

1. When studying the Scriptures
2. When praying and interceding
3. When receiving divine words of revelation
4. When we share testimony with other believers
5. When we obey God and witness the positive results
6. When we open our spiritual eyes and ears to the Holy Spirit
7. When we purpose to spend time praying in tongues

While praying in tongues is a powerful faith-building tool, it works in concert with the other biblical methods we've listed. Think of it as a catalyst that accelerates your growth in all areas of faith.

The Special Role of Praying in Tongues

Jude emphasizes: "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God" (Jude 20–21).

God has planned it that our faith is increased each time we exercise the gift of tongues, or any gift of the Holy Spirit for that matter. Isn't that amazing?

Consider this: Exercising the gifts of the Spirit entails stepping out in faith to operate within the supernatural realm of the Kingdom, and while receiving a supernatural insight (word of knowledge) or speaking a prophetic word (word of prophecy) might take mere minutes, we can easily spend up to an hour or more praying in tongues.

Could our time spent in exercising the gift of tongues be a factor in the gift's supernatural ability to edify and build ourselves up in our most holy faith (Jude 20)? I believe it is!

Our ability to pray in tongues and strengthen our faith can only be realized if we use the gift as God intended. Paul's instruction to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) backed by his example of a faith-filled victorious life should be enough to convince us to make serious use of the Holy Spirit's vocal gift!

Praying in Tongues Builds Strong Faith

The gift of tongues requires an act of faith each time it's practiced, and by exercising your faith in this way, you can increase and strengthen the measure of faith you have. To excel in the gifts of the Spirit and minister effectively to others in God's unconditional love (agape), it's crucial that you know how to strengthen your faith through praying in tongues.

This might help explain why the first gift of the Spirit to manifest after believers receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit (the empowering experience of receiving the Holy Spirit's fullness) is most often the gift of tongues. As we exercise our supernatural prayer ability, our faith increases, thereby enabling us to exercise other gifts of the Spirit and minister to people's needs as God leads.

How to Strengthen Your Faith Through Praying in Tongues (Step-by-Step)

Knowing that tongues builds faith is powerful, but practicing it daily is where the transformation happens. If you are ready to move from "mustard seed" faith to mountain-moving confidence, follow this simple routine. You don't need to be perfect; you just need to be willing.

1. Prepare Your Heart and Environment

Find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Just as Jesus withdrew to lonely places to pray, give yourself the gift of focused time. Clear your mind of the day's to-do list and fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to Lead

Simply ask, "Holy Spirit, help me pray the perfect will of God right now." Remember, you are not praying from your own understanding but from His limitless Spirit. Surrender your tongue to Him.

3. Start with 5 Minutes of Focus

Don't feel pressured to pray for an hour immediately. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Close your eyes and begin to speak in your heavenly language. If you feel hesitant, speak boldly — faith requires action. Let the river flow!

4. Combine Tongues with Scripture

As you pray in the Spirit, open your Bible to a faith-building verse such as Jude 1:20 or Romans 10:17. Read it, then pray in tongues for a few moments, letting the truth of that Word settle into your spirit. This practice illustrates how to strengthen your faith by anchoring your supernatural prayer in God's written Word.

5. Silence Your Intellect

Your mind might say, "This isn't doing anything." That's natural thinking. Paul reminds us that our understanding is unfruitful during this time (1 Corinthians 14:14), but your spirit is being edified. Gently ignore any negative thoughts and continue to pray.

6. Listen for the "Nudge"

Prayer is a two-way conversation. As you build yourself up, you may feel a sudden peace, a specific thought, or a prompt to pray for someone. Pay attention to these Holy Spirit nudges, as this is often how the interpretation or application of your prayer begins to manifest.

7. Journal Your Results

After you finish, take a minute to write down how you feel or any thoughts that came to mind. Over time, you will look back at this journal and see a clear record of how your faith has grown and how God has spoken to you.

Using Tongues to Overcome Spiritual Hurdles

The practical steps you've learned about how to strengthen your faith through praying in tongues become especially powerful when applied to specific spiritual challenges you face. The following strategies show you how to apply praying in the Spirit to those specific moments when you need breakthrough.

When Your Faith Feels Weak

We all face moments when doubts whisper louder than truth. In these times, praying in tongues bypasses your doubting mind and allows the Holy Spirit to pray perfect faith through you.

When You Are Facing Trials

When a crisis hits, we often don't know how to pray as we should (Romans 8:26). Praying in the Spirit allows you to release the burden to God without needing to find the right English words.

When You Feel Spiritually Dry

There are seasons when God feels distant and prayer feels like a chore. Remember, tongues is a river of living water (John 7:38) that wells up from within you — it does not depend on your emotions.

What if I Don't Feel Different After Praying in Tongues?

Remember, faith operates in the spiritual realm, not the emotional realm. Paul reminds us that when we pray in tongues, our spirit prays but our understanding is unfruitful (1 Corinthians 14:14). The edification is happening whether you feel it or not. Trust the process, remain consistent, and watch for fruit over time rather than immediate emotional confirmation.

Moving Forward with Faith and Confidence

You now understand how to strengthen your faith through several means, including one of the Holy Spirit's most practical gifts — praying in tongues. Clearly, we must grow our faith to mature in Christ and excel in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Then, we can effectively minister to others in love. Strong faith enables us to be an open conduit for God's blessings to others!

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About the Author

Don Bell is the creator of the Kingdom Anointing website and a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. He shares insights from his spiritual journey to encourage ordinary believers to seek God's Kingdom and walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

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Hi, I'm Don

Welcome! Like you, I'm an everyday believer whose life was transformed by a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. Kingdom Anointing™ exists to help fellow believers like you build unshakeable faith, walk boldly in the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, and step fully into your God-given destiny in the Kingdom of God. Join me on this journey — the best of what God has for you is still ahead!