Wafare Tongues?

Without sparking off a storm of contraversy, where exactly does the phrase "warfare tounges" come from? Where did it orginate and is there scripture backing it? I have heard people praying in what they describe as "warfare tongues" and it is usually loud and violent sounding. It has been times accoompanied by "prophetic acts" (waving swords in the air, climbimg up faux mountains, kicking doors open) and i just have some question as to the validity of such pratices. Does scripture lend credence to such things? I have studied the Holy Ghost, his gifts and operations etc. am i missing something or is this "off"?

I've never heard of 'Warfar Tongues' with waving a sword around. It sounds like some charismania to me.

well...there have been stranger prophetic acts in the Scriptures. Also, there are PLENTY of things that are not in Scripture how do we know what it sounded like when Paul "prayed in tounges more than you all"? I am sure that if Jesus made "strong cryings" and at other times loud rebukings and other times "Jesus wept" that no matter what language one is speaking natural or spiritual there would likewise be a diversity of emotional expression. I suppose then that what they mean is that while in intercession they felt the best way to describe the emotions of God as "warfare". The Lord is a man of War after all...But in all experience:The question is NOT is this specifically in Scripture, but rather, we test experience by "Does this specifically VIOLATE a Scripture." This is the only safe way to go, so that we dont either 1. Put God in a box.2. Put ourselves in a hole. God does new things (to us anyway) but He never contradicts the "old things" He has done. ALso i would look at the fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Does the person live a Jesus filled life? Do they love the Scriptures? Ask them what it produces in them when they do pray in "war tounges". If it's just flakiness then you'll get a flaky answer. But remember that just may mean they are flakes...not that such a thing doesnt exist. At the end of the day bro you are going to have to learn to use the discernment given by the Holy Spirit. That's the only way not to be decieved. 1 John 2:2020.But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21.I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

1Cr 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 1Cr 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that [by my voice] I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [unknown] tongue. Is this going on in private? Or in big crowds?

It probably comes from the notion that praying in tongues is prayer made directly to God bypassing the enemy. Some hold that praying in tongues is useful among other reasons as the enemy cannot understand the speech. As a Pentecostal (who speaks with tongues) I don't give a ton of weight to that position, though it could be true I suppose. I generally appeal to God's sovereignty when the topic comes up; in other words, God Almighty don't need to "slip up on the Devil", He can reveal His arm whether the enemy likes it or not. If He desires to keep secrets, then it is for His own purpose and not out of fear the enemy will get hold of 'sensitive information' that could thwart God's workings. ;-) With that said, there are times when folk feel God impressing (forgive the loose use of the word) them to do things as an act of faith. This is where the line between spirituality and flakesville becomes blurred. I heard that Smith Wigglesworth once punched a person in the belly at the bidding of the Spirit and the person was healed. I heard another person tried to duplicate the feat and killed the person. The foolishness of God is wiser than men; but IF God has NOT spoken it is presumption and dangerous! Spitting in the ground and making mud for an eye or casting a line and taking out a coin are similar 'weird' things done in faith; but always at the prompting of the Spirit (as far as I know). Gideon and the pots, marching around Jerico, dipping in the river to cure leprosy, were acts of obedience; but God has to speak before one can obey. Walking close to God keeps one safer than lukewarmness in these things. Again, it is all so subjective. And when a miracle happens after one of these acts of obedience suddenly someone wants to set up shop or write a book and a whole segment of the Church population jumps the rails. Maybe even they start a whole movement off that thing? God asked Moses, "What is in your hand?" He did not ask me that; at least not in that way; but He has dealt with me about things that required faith and obedience and He brought it to pass. God moves in mysterious ways, but we have to have the discernment, maturity, and wisdom not to go to seed on these things.

That's a good post Robert. I admit I have done things that would seem 'weird' that I felt God telling me to do. It does seem that God might tell someone to do something... and then you have 100 others thinking, "Hey, that's a good idea! I think I'll try that."I guess I just would have a little concern about folks speaking in tougues, waving swords around, and kicking doors open. Maybe thats just me.. :-P

What's wrong with symbolic demonstrations? Did not prophets like Ezekiel do crazy things like build a mini-city and lay a seige against it? As far as praying in tongues, the Scriptures don't mention anything about some sort of special "warfare tongue," but, so long as they are praying in the Spirit, what's the big deal? Biblically speaking, Paul uses Isaiah 27 in his discussion on tongues, which technically is speaking of a beseiging/invading army.

Perhaps i should rephrase my question, most of the examples given of the prophetic acts are old testament, not that they are not vailid today, but are there any New Testament acts (aside from the acts of our Lord on occassion) that lend to warring in the spirit? The issue is not that i am oppssed to it, so please don't react apologeticaly, i;m simply looking to weigh all the information that i can and pray about it. God tells us to use the mind he gave us. i know that he who prays in tongues speaks not to men but to God and that his understanding is unfruitful--that's not the issue the issue is an unbeliever walking into the church to meet Jesus and insted being met with the whole church being instructed to come to the front of the sanctuary and pray and then being told to pray in the spirit and if the person praying into the mic goes into warfare, then you follow suite. This concerns me as we have many that come to the House of God in need and confused and sometimes they leave worse than they came. That, to me is a big deal,thew biggest deal actualy, as the Holy Ghost is given as a comforter and an enabler to help spread the meassage of Jesus Christ.

“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”(1Cor. 14:2, KJVS) The 'direction' of tongues would seem to be god-wards. According to the Greek, tongues are 'Godwards'; the noun for God is in the dative and there is no preposition. The notion that tongues could be addressed to angels, demons or even human beings seems to be foreign to the scripture. So whatever is meant by 'warfare tongues' if they are not directed God-wards there is no biblical justification for such a practice..

Someone that I know tells of a story about how she came on a car accident and a young woman was in a body bag. This person tells how she prayed in tongues at this place and heard the devil say she can't pray in tongues here. She said she continued to pray and the woman in the body bag sat up and asked for someone to please help her.