Speaking In Tongues
In my twenty-seven years of knowing Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, Jesus
promised "rivers of Living water" but I could not find it.
I experienced God's touch in a powerful way during the many crisis's of my
life, but my daily walk with Jesus lacked power to be a successful Christian.
What was missing in my relationship with Jesus? I had a dramatic conversion--Jesus delivered me from a demon I had invited in by playing the Ouija board. I tried to be a good Christian after my conversion. I read and meditated on the Word. I prayed and attended church. Yet, I was still critical, controlling, co-dependant, selfish, and could not control my temper.
Obviously, the problem was not with the Lord Jesus Christ, I knew that Jesus is all-powerful and perfect. The problem was me. What was I doing wrong?
When I first became a Christian about 25 years ago, I inquired of the Lord about speaking in tongues. I was afraid to try because of my channeling experiences of the past. I knew that there were scriptures concerning tongues in the bible, so I asked the Lord for the prayer language. The language came forth and gave me great peace.
As time progressed, I became involved with a church that said speaking in tongues was of the devil. I stopped speaking in tongues for about 20 years. Speaking in tongues was uncomfortable and seemed weird to me and since the churches could not agree on the experience, I thought I better leave it alone.
Then one evening the hunger for a deeper spiritual walk with Jesus returned, I was reading in the scriptures about the miracles preformed by Jesus and His Apostles. I discussed exorcism and deliverance with a Christian friend who had cast out many demons. She told me that speaking in tongues was a necessity when casting out demons. I was taught by my current denomination that the miracles were a dispensation to establish the Christian church. I wanted to believe that was true. I didn't want to behave like those emotional Charismatics-- yet, I needed the power of God in my life. Is there a Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Either the Bible is true or it is not. It is all or nothing. I began searching for a Charismatic church that was not too scary for me. I began to raise my hands in worship. I became "Baptized in the Holy Spirit" and started to quietly and cautiously speak in tongues again after 20 years of denying the power of the experience. I attended a classes on the Holy Spirit and prophesy. The church teachers began to show me how to hear the voice of God and how to obey God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
