It was supposed to be an ordinary flight home. After speaking at a church in Portland, Oregon, Pastor Jack Hayford boarded a plane looking forward to a quiet breakfast, a little prayer, and the beautiful view of the snow-covered Cascade Mountains. Instead, a businessman in a suit took the seat beside him, and the two struck up a conversation.

The man explained that he was a civil engineer who had worked on projects around the world. As they talked, he mentioned growing up in Oklahoma. His mother was a full-blooded Kiowa Indian, and as a child he had spoken her native language before learning English. He admitted that he had always felt a little embarrassed by his accent because other children had teased him.

The moment he said those words, Hayford sensed something completely unexpected. He felt the Holy Spirit prompting him: Speak to him in tongues. He immediately dismissed the thought. It seemed absurd. They were sitting in first class on a commercial flight. The businessman wasn’t a Christian. So he waited.

The conversation continued naturally. Eventually they began discussing faith. The businessman admitted he was skeptical of Christianity, though he listened respectfully as Hayford recommended a few books that had strengthened his own faith. When Hayford offered to mail him copies, the man politely declined.

Still, the prompting wouldn’t go away. Finally, Hayford asked. “I learned a few words years ago in a language I don’t understand,” he said. “Since you grew up speaking Kiowa, would you mind if I said them? I’m curious if they might mean anything to you.”

The man shrugged. “Sure.” Hayford quietly began praying in his “spirit” prayer language. When he finished, the businessman looked at him and said matter-of-factly, “That’s a language related to Kiowa. I don’t know every word you said, but I understood the idea. Something about a Light coming down from above.”

Hayford could hardly believe what he had heard. He told the man he had felt God prompting him to speak those words, even though he had no idea why. He said it seemed to him that perhaps God was simply trying to get his attention—to let him know He was real and that He saw him.

As the plane began its descent into Los Angeles, the businessman sat quietly for a moment. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out a business card, wrote his home address on the back, and handed it to Hayford. “You know those books you offered to send me?” he asked. “I’d like to read them after all.”