Gift of Tongues
The modern tongues phenomenon does not match the biblical gift. Today’s practice traces to the Azusa Street meetings of the 1900s rather than to the apostolic church, and the restless pursuit of ‘tongues experiences’ is usually doubt looking for proof, not faith resting on God’s word. The biblical gift was the Spirit-given ability to speak real, known languages; today’s practice departs from it, and thrives where Scripture is neglected.
Heavenly speech or made up Language
Speaking in tongues is a common phenomenon among the Pentecostal and charismatic churches. However, the practice may not necessarily be ‘supernatural’ as anyone can produce such language, if they are motivated enough and if they discover what the trick is.
This phenomenon was not always dominant in the church. Interest in the practice was not sparked until a group of people who claimed to have experienced it at the Azusa Street meeting in the 1900s.
While speaking in tongues has its roots in Pentecostalism, it also appears in other pagan religions that emphasize hyper-spiritual talk.
In reality, those who are constantly seeking the modern "tongues experiences" are usually those who aren't rooted in the Word of God. It isn’t necessarily faith that causes people to search for this, it is actually doubt looking for proof.
Such "faith seekers" are also motivated by being exposed to teachings that say, “God wants to do more, you need more of God in your life and speaking in tongues is how you get there.”
This kind of church environment is characterized by a dissatisfaction with the Word of God, and this is not faith, but doubt. This is the result of people who have been disappointed because they lack knowledge of God's Word, therefore seeking some higher level of experience to make up for it.
Below are some relevant articles for a more in-dept study: