Tongues

Now I was raised Pentecostal and if you are a Pentecostal, tongues is what you seek. You pray as long as it takes until you got “IT.” In those days “IT” was the Holy Ghost. We didn’t talk about Him as if He were a person. We used to sing, “There’s something about the Holy Ghost, I really can’t explain it but I got it.” And when you got the Holy Ghost, you also got tongues. In fact, tongues was the evidence that you had it. You get it?

We had altar calls, first for salivation and then for the Holy Ghost. As a kid my hand went up often when it was time to get the Holy Ghost. I’d go forward and someone would come and pray over me and then listen real close to see if I was talking in tongues. I’d get nervous but eventually I’d start talking in tongues. It was so natural that I could talk in tongues with the rest of them but for some reason I never felt like I got anything special. I guess I wasn’t sure I got “IT.”

So as I grew, I became somewhat of a skeptic. After Bible School I went back to my childhood camp as a counselor. Now Camp had one primary objective - get the kids really jazzed about Jesus and the Holy Ghost. I remember praying over one kid who sincerely wanted to receive the Holy Ghost. I suggested that he just speak whatever word came out of his mouth. By this time, because of Bible School, I knew a whole lot more about the subject. I told him “IT” comes from your belly, not your mind.” He seemed to get a word or two and because it was late in the evening I told him to get by himself in the morning and practice releasing the Holy Spirit.

In the morning the whole camp woke up to the sound of this young man out in the woods speaking in tongues a mile a minute. "There must be some thing to this" I told myself because it definitely was real in him.

After I had moved to Sarnia I continued to pray over people to receive this blessing, while still being somewhat of a skeptic. That was when it happened. I was praying for a young man to receive the Holy Ghost and all of a sudden I heard a new sound coming out of my mouth, words that I had never uttered before. It took me so by surprise and I was so blessed - I became a believer.

For many years it has been a “practice” I have participated in for self-edification, as a prayer language to get me somewhere. I used my prayer language as one of the tools in my belt for when I was in over my head. Lately I am discovering my prayer language as not just the means of accomplishing something bigger than me but an intimate conversation with a friend, from where I am in Him and who He is in me …a point of contact between God and me, the friendship He promised.

Not that I don’t pray in English. Sometimes I wish God would speak English more because I can understand English. I’m also learning that my desire for understanding is often a hindrance when it comes to knowing and living loved.

It is becoming a part of the death of religion in my life. You see, over the years I am discovering that there is nothing religious about the Holy Spirit. He is my best friend and He has promised never to leave me alone.

You’ll now often find me driving the half hour into the office in the morning thoroughly enjoying the nearness of my friend Holy Spirit. I may pray a little in tongues but before long I am laughing and crying as the nearness of His presence enters my consciousness.

My mind may be caught up in the affairs of my day, but as I begin to pray in the Spirit I become tangibly aware of His presence in me in both my reason and my emotions. Now this is where some folks jump ship. They are OK with a mental assent to the truth of His presence with us and in us but some how afraid of their emotions becoming effected....emotionalism it's called.

What I know is that our reason and our emotions are God given. Scripture is clear, "the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness, peace and joy, in the Holy Spirit." It is interesting that two of the effects of the Holly Spirit in us are emotional, peace and joy. And I for one am entirely OK with that, in fact I am rather liking it.

He is not only with me. He is in me. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. WOW! He promised that we would not be left orphaned, that He would come to us. We would never be left alone, never. He, the person of the Holy Spirit is our promise! Remember what Jesus said the night He was betrayed?

One minute I am completely unaware of His presence. I may be self-absorbed. I may be in a difficult place and have no awareness of His presence at all and as I begin to pray in the Spirit, faith enters and doubt and fear are displaced as the spoken or unspoken words spill out of my heart. I'm not actually going for the feelings but more often than not when I dwell on this truth, that He is in me, I become tangibly aware of His nearness. My reason and my emotions are impacted and His peace and Joy flood over my soul. The tangible doubt and fear are displaced by His tangible peace and joy and I know again that I truly am loved by God.

Why is it reasonable for us to have our emotions impacted by fear, doubt, worry, depression, anger etc. all feelings that are a wet blanket over our day and yet be afraid of having our emotions charged by the tangible and real Holy Spirit? It isn't reasonable. That reasoning is based in fear and a lie.

Now it isn’t about the formula, it's about the friendship. LOL He is the “I Am.” I am not alone and will never again be alone. This is the truth! His presence is in me! As I let Him embrace me, the atmosphere around me changes. By the time I arrive at the office I have to compose myself and dry the tears lest they all think I’ve lost my mind. He is becoming my leaning place, my sweet spot. The more I learn to lean on Him or abide in Him….in His love, the more he loves through me. It is called living loved!

But when with the rest of you, I’ll speak in English.