When a baby is born, the first thing he does when he emerges from the womb is to take a breath of air. Immediately after this breath, comes the sound of his voice. If there is no sound, there is immediate concern, because this signals he is not breathing.

Jesus compares our spiritual entrance into the kingdom of God to a birth. A baby taking his first breath of life is like us when we are first filled with the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. The immediate response of sound from a newborn is the same immediate response of a person being born of the Spirit: there is a sound. (John 3:8). This sound is speaking in tongues. (Acts 2:4).

Just as a baby does not immediately speak precise and audible sentences, GENERALLY speaking, a person first receiving the Holy Ghost might speak only a few syllables. I say this to compare to birth in the natural. Just as it is a developing process with a baby, speaking in tongues is often a developing process for the new believer.

Speaking in tongues is not a one-time experience, just as speech for a newborn baby is not just at his birth. Just as a baby’s speech goes from syllables to “mama” and “dada,” then, as an adult, complex sentences, speaking in tongues also grows. Tongues become not only used to edify (build up) the believer, but progress to be used in praying for others. A believer can be used in intercessory prayer when he matures from "just self" to concern for others.