Prayer in the Spirit- Speaking In Tongues, The Holy Spirit Within

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord and in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance._{Acts 2:1-4}

When one is born-again, he or she is born-again by the person of the Holy Spirit. According to Romans 10:9-10, we declare Jesus to be Lord, we declare that He died for us and that He rose from the dead; we believe that the combination of the confession of our mouth and the belief in our heart solidifies our salvation.

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. _{Romans 10:9-10}

Although we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, Jesus Christ does not physically dwell in our hearts. It is the person of the Holy Spirit who actually indwells us. He acts as the agent or representstive of the Lord Jesus Christ and it is He who causes us to be born-again.

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." _{John 3:5-6}

The operation of being born again by the person of the Holy Spirit is not the same as being filled with or baptized in the Holy Spirit.

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. _{Acts 19:1-2}

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost._{Acts 8:14-17}

These two passages show us that one can be a believer, and or a disciple [student] and not filled with the Holy Spirit. Being Born-Again and being filled with the Holy-Spirit are two different and distinct functions. If this were not so, the scriptures would have no need to distinguish between the two. There would be no need to send anyone anywhere to lay hands so that others could receive the Holy Spirit.

The point would be mute and irrelevant... but this is not the case. The point is valid. God wants us to have all of the fullness of Him as we can contain, and, He wants us to operate in power as representatives of His kingdom and as children of Him as our King. We should be trying to get all that He has to offer instead of debating with one another.

We do everything by faith. We receive Jesus by faith. We receive healing by faith. We even receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost by faith. What I mean is that we begin every adventure with God without any physical evidence. We simply believe.

When we get saved, we may or may not feel anything. We simply believe that we are saved because we acted on the Word of God. When we get healed, we don't start out with any evidence, but once the healing manifests, we have the undeniable evidence that God has healed us.

Well, when we ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit, we do so by faith and, we receive Him by faith...but, God has prepared a sign for us which not only shows us that we are filled, but which also provides us with tools to enhance our prayer life.

There is much evidence of the operation of the Holy Ghost through us, but the initial evidence is that of speaking in other or unknown tongues. Speaking in other tongues is the universal evidence of having received the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. _{Acts 2:4}

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.... For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, ""Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" _{Acts 10:44-46}

And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. _{Acts 19:6}

"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; _{Mark 16:17}

In each case when a person was filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak. Seems pretty consistent as a sign in the Bible days, why should we expect anything different today?

Speaking in Tongues is not something that "hits" you nor is it something that you "catch". It is a factual ability that is given to everyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit.

No!!! If you don't speak, you just don't speak. You can be filled with the Holy Spirit and never speak in Tongues. But,if you are filled then you have the ability to speak, and, for your benefit, you should speak. It is the ability to speak in Tongues that has been given to everyone who asks God to fill them with the Holy Spirit.

As we stated earlier, there are a number of signs that can manist to show you that you are filled with the Holy Spirit; speaking in Unknown or Other Tongues is the initial evidence of being filled.

Our point is not to say that you must speak in Tongues. Tongues do not save you and Tongues don't send you to Hell. Choosing to speak in Tongues is your decision and your decision alone. God never forces Himself or His gifts on any of us.

In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) _{John 7:37-39}

In this passage Jesus tells us that those who believe on Him according to the Word should receive the Holy Spirit. So, if we believe what the Bible says about Jesus, that He is the Son of God, He came in human flesh, was born of a virgin, He was sinless, He died in our place, went to Hell for three days and afterward rose from the dead, is now alive and is coming again; if we believe these things, then out of our bellies should flow rivers of living water...we should receive the Holy Spirit..

The fact that it says "should receive" lets us know that it is a choice. We are free to receive or to not receive. I don't know about you, but, it just makes plain sense to me, that if Jesus suggests something to us, we might want to go ahead and follow-up on that suggestion.

What do you think?