Lesson 5 – Facilitating the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

[Amanda]

Up until recently, a revival atmosphere was my default understanding of the reception of speaking in tongues, yes. I had only ever really seen it in snippets of videos or through word of mouth, always with regards to a revival atmosphere. And often with a negative connotation, unfortunately. When I started attending my current church, however, there was a man who shared his testimony about receiving the baptism of the Spirit around a campfire. My pastor also shared about his own first encounter with speaking with tongues, where he had been alone in prayer when it happened. Those two testimonies, as simple and short as they were, were enough to start to change my understanding.

I think my understanding now is more fluid and more complex than what it used to be. Less theatrical, too. I see speaking in tongues as a much less performative thing than I used to, and I understand it for what it is – a gift. That being said, I do still struggle with doubt. I do still worry about faking it, or seeing others fake it. I actually found this particular lecture video to be very comforting, because it touched on that doubt. It can be difficult to accept or comprehend supernatural happenings as mortal beings, but I can feel my heart softening around this topic. I feel like the more I get to know about the Holy Spirit and the importance of prayer language, the more genuinely I am able to believe.

[Abayomi]

Actually, the gift of the Holy Spirit has been desire and prayer to God.

It is the reason for enrolling in this course; The Spirit Filled Life.

I pray at God’s appointed time, He will impart me with this gift in Jesus name, amen.

[Ethan]

I still get confused when it comes to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I do feel the Holy Spirit around me everyday, I feel his conviction and I know through prayer and tongues it can become stronger. I think I just deal with doubts due to the enemy. I feel like the enemy wants me to think I am faking or that I have not experienced a true baptism of the Holy Spirit yet. I do believe in time God is going to rain Holy rain drops on me. But I don’t need to doubt that the peace and gloss feeling over my life is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is what guides me when I read the word. I pray that those around me can feel the Holy Spirit as well. I also love the way the Holy Spirit feels when you are around other believers.

[Deleted User]

I was not in a revival atmosphere when I received speaking in tongues. I was with my sister and another friend in her kitchen area, we three prayed holding hands. My sister spoke in tongues, and I did not want the gift, until she started singing in the spirit! She sang so beautifully, and I said if that if this is the gift of tongues, I would like to have it too. A bubbling came up from inside of me, and out of my mouth came a myriad of syllables. I was speaking in tongues!

[ECO]

@VGaffney this testimony is so lovely! Thanks for sharing.