Supernatural Saying in Known Languages

David W Palmer

(Acts 2:4 NKJV) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

On the day of Pentecost, Jesus’s followers were all filled with the Holy Spirit and clothed in fire. They spontaneously began supernatural saying; they spoke in tongues—real languages that they hadn’t learned or rehearsed. Jesus and the Holy Spirit had several things to say about this supernatural saying—when words are given to us by the Holy Spirit ready to be expressed.

As we have seen, some of these words are in languages we don’t know or have never learned. They are languages of men and angels (1 Cor. 13:1). But, scripture records several examples of this supernatural saying in our normal languages as well—words given to us by the Holy Spirit to say, declare, and proclaim in Jesus’s name—being the words he would have said if he were here pre-cross and words he wants said now through his body.

Jesus prepared his trainees for this type of experience in advance:

(Mark 13:11 NKJV) “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”

The Lord shows clearly that without premeditation or long preparation, words can supernaturally be given by the Holy Spirit to his followers. He simply takes over the moment and formulates what he wants said, and then allows us the privilege of being able to express it.

This is exactly what often happens when we are preaching. We [should] diligently prepare notes and messages, but when we are delivering in Jesus’s name, other words may come to us supernaturally—words from the Holy Spirit that press to be expressed. Then, by faith, we can leave the security of the prepared message and trust that the Holy Spirit will supernaturally and spontaneously give us the words he wants said.

The Holy Spirit gives us a brilliant example of this in Acts 10 when Peter was the first to announce the gospel to non-Jews:

(Acts 10:34–35 NKJV) Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. {35} But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”

Peter spoke a revelation that he received “in that hour” or at the moment of opening his mouth—or at the longest, it was received that day when he saw the vision from heaven of the unclean food. But it reads like it all came together in his mind when he stood to speak. Suddenly, he just knew something from the Holy Spirit and felt the Spirit prompting him to say it. It was profound and contained essential doctrine for us all. Without doubt, this was supernatural saying—after all, it became part of the written word of God; without doubt, God said it. We should all expect him to do similar things through us. 

You may not be a preacher, but you will no doubt be in situations where you begin to speak about God; and suddenly, you will simply become aware of something that needs to be said. It’s the Holy Spirit giving you supernatural saying.

Even in the Old Testament book of Psalms, God was looking forward to this day and preparing us for it:

(Psalm 81:10 NKJV) “I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”

“Opening our mouth wide” expecting God to fill it is an act of faith—especially when we begin and don’t know what’s to come next. This often happens when the Holy Spirit calls on us to prophesy or to follow him in a prompt or the beginning of a revelation while speaking to someone or preaching. By faith, we open our mouths widely—whole heartedly—expecting and allowing him to fill them. This may feel tenuous and risky to our natural man, but God loves this kind of faith. But remember, this applies to when he prompts us after we prepare in the spirit with a life of devotion, prayer, praise, and