Good morning beloved!
I’m so glad that I am BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. What a wonderful difference it’s made in my life.
Two weeks after I was born again, at the age of 17, hands were laid on me and I was BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. I began to pray more and more in my new prayer language, building myself up on my most holy faith. This is what Jude 1:20 says,
- But you, dear friends, must build yourself up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
Praying in the Holy Spirit is something we can do anytime, anywhere. This is how we can fulfill what 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 tells us,
- Pray without ceasing…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Also, when we pray in the Holy Spirit, we are praying out the perfect will of God. Romans 8:26 says,
- Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT is for every believer. Jesus said to His followers in Luke 24:29,
- Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
Then in Acts 2:1-4 we read,
- On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
I think there are numerous people in the body of Christ that don’t believe tongues are for today or that they’re only for certain people because they read in 1 Corithians 12:30 where it says,
- Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
What Paul was talking about here was one of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10,
- The Word of Wisdom
- The Word of Knowledge
- The Gift of Faith
- The Gifts of Healings
- The Working of Miracles
- Prophecy
- Discerning of spirits
- Different kinds of tongues
- The Interpretation of tongues
They are used in our church services and are for our edification, exhortation and comfort. Different kinds of tongues and THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT with the evidence of speaking in tongues are two different things. One is a prayer language (the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues) and the other is a spiritual gift, used in the church to edify the church.
Paul explains praying in the spirit in 1 Corinthians 14:2. He says,
- For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit, he speaks mysteries (divine secrets).
In comparison to prophecy which he talks about in verse 3,
- But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
When we speak in (unknown) tongues as a prayer language, we edify ourselves. But when we prophesy, we edify the church (verse 4).
Paul admonishes us in verse 5 with this:
- I wish that you all spoke with tongues…
Finally, in verse 15, he says,
- What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
If you would like to hear what praying in the spirit sounds like, go to our website and click on music and listen to one of our THO’s. These meetings are full of the Holy Spirit and are words from the Lord right out of heaven to exhort, comfort and encourage you.
I am praying for you in the Holy Spirit today,
Lisa Gordon
Gordon Ministries