What is the meaning when people speak in tongues? Does Jesus hear these people over all others? Or do people speak in tongues to have only a seleted few understand what they say, one being Jesus?

Answer

Good question!

Let’s do a bit of background:
Jesus said that speaking in tongues would be a sign which would “accompany those who believe”. (Mark 16 17)

Tongues is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is available to all believers, and is useful in the ministries of the church, (1 Corinthians 12:10, 28) though Paul implies that not every Christian will speak in tongues in verse 29.

Tongues will cease at the same time that prophecies and gifts of knowledge cease, in other words right at the end of this world. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Speaking in tongues is a lesser gift than prophecy, UNLESS the tongue is interpreted, so people understand what has been said. (1 Corinthians 14:5)

Paul was a great speaker in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:18)

Speaking in tongues must not be forbidden in the church (1 Corinthians 14:39)
And tongues are to be part of ordinary church worship. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Now on to your questions:

Speaking in tongues was part of the disciples’ experience when the Holy Spirit fell on them at Pentecost (Acts 2 4) and the crowd who heard them said they were “declaring the wonders of God”. (Acts 2:11)

Cornelius’s household in Acts 10 were heard to be “speaking in tongues and praising God”. (verse 46)

And in Acts 19 the new believers spoke in tongues and prophesied. (verse 6)

Paul says that when we speak in tongues we are speaking to God (1 Corinthians 14:2) and this builds us up as Christians. (1 Corinthians 14:4)

He says that when you speak in tongues your spirit is praying. (1 Corinthians 14:14)

This can be useful, because sometimes you won’t have the words in your mind to say to God what you need, so you can let your spirit pray. (Rom 8 26)

But you won’t know what the meaning is unless you INTERPRET the tongue. (1 Corinthians 14:13)

So what can we learn from all that?
We can see that tongues were used in the context of praising God, and the person using them is speaking to God.

We won’t know what we have said unless we pray to interpret them. Sometimes others who have the Gift of Interpretation will understand what we have said, and may then tell out the meaning of the tongue.

Jesus certainly hears what we say in tongues! And, of course, He also knows what we mean! But there is no favouritism with Jesus, he doesn’t hear tongues first before other prayers, he hears the whole lot at once! We don’t even have to queue up!