The Baptism of the Holy Spirit: The More You Have Been Looking For – Part 2

Acts 2:4 (NLT) 
⁴ And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

Why is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit not embraced by all believers? As is the case so often, religious tradition and the traditions of man have hijacked it. And, at the root of those factors comes the true source of opposition to the Baptism – the devil, himself. No one stands to lose more than the devil because the Baptism brings a greater level of power to the life of a believer to enforce his defeat.

The sticking point for many believers in resisting the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the experience referred to as “speaking in other tongues.” It brings images of believers being “taken over” by some spiritual power to do something that is not natural. Part of that is right – once a person receives the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, His presence does release power that results in something supernatural taking place. But, it is critical to note that Holy Spirit does not force Himself on anyone (nor does the Father or the Son). There is no “taking over” by Holy Spirit. There is only a yielding on the part of the believer to follow Holy Spirit’s leading.

So, what exactly is “speaking in tongues”? Simply put, it is a “prayer language.” It is a way for the Spirit of God to communicate with the human spirit. It is needed because there are things within God’s Spirit and your spirit for which there are no natural words to express what is being communicated. When you pray in your prayer language, a number of important things can be accomplished:

• 1 Corinthians 14:2 (TPT)
  ² When someone speaks in tongues, no one understands a word he says, because he’s not speaking to people, but to God—he is speaking intimate mysteries in the Spirit.
  When praying in your prayer language, you are speaking mysteries – not hidden from you – but things hidden for you.  In this sense you have crossed over from the natural to the supernatural. Answers to questions that seemingly had no answer in the natural, become clear as a result of time spent praying in your prayer language.
• 1 Corinthians 14:4 (NKJV)
  ⁴ He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself…
  Strong’s Concordance defines “edifies” as to “build a house.”  Praying in the Spirit can be an avenue for addressing health issues, increasing mental clarity, and bringing refreshing and renewal to a believer’s life.
• Mark 16:17 (ERV)
  ¹⁷ And the people who believe will be able to do these things as proof: They will use my name to force demons out of people. They will speak in languages they never learned. In commissioning man to go into all the world, Jesus defined a number of things that would set the believer apart from the world. A believer’s prayer language is a weapon designed to work against the kingdom of darkness. The devil and his minions cannot decipher what is being said when a believer prays in the spirit.

One minister of the gospel refers to the Holy Spirit as the “muscle of God”. These three examples are but a few of the ways that show how receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit helps to flex that muscle. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a GRACE-gift that takes believers from being children of God to being Sons of God, rightfully ruling and reigning over the attacks, obstacles and challenges that are a part of living life on this earth.

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