Serly, God looks at your hearts desire, you can ask and recieve it right away, for others it takes years to get. God knows when you're ready. Just till God to give it to you when He sees you as ready. It all depends on how much you desire it. God bless you brother...:)
ur sis, Tanya

Thanks Sis. Tanya, you encouraged me.

I've been praying about this. I deeply desire I could intercede in tongues. Could you help me pray about this?

God bless you more...

Sis. Serly

Serly God loves you, he knows your heart sister. You must CONTINUE to ask God for the gift of speaking in tongues. I can tell you form personal experience I kept praying and supplications for the gift of speaking in tongues, and one day God said to me be PATIENT- about a month from then I began to speak in tongues. It's been a spirit filled change in my life. Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Yes Sister Serly, God bless you. He sees your hearts desire and He knows the perfect timing. I will pray for you:) Blessings, i love you:)
Tanya

Jesus said "If you then, being evil (degenerate,derilict) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your father which is in heaven, give the Holy Spirt to those that ask Him" Luke 11:13

OUr God is a God of the "how much more"

In that last great 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..................out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water............ this spake He of the Spirit......Jn7 : 37 - 39

The last great day of the feast. What an occasion. A tremendous event in the Jewish calander. At the end of it all Jesus cried out "If any man thirst...... After it all, all the ritual, the ceremony, the slaughter Jesus had something more to offer, that would satisfy.

s

God gives the hunger, the mouth to eat of, and the food to eat...ask for His Spirit, and He shall eat with you, and create the hunger within, and the food thereof...all good things come to those who wait, amen.

Serly, That depends strictly on the Lord. I think I prayed for my prayer language for about a month every night at bedtime before God bestowed it on me. He gives it to some people right away, others have to wait. Its up to Him.

SLE

This is exactly the question I was seeking an answer to when I posted the "When does the Spirit enter" thread in the 'Study the Word of God' forum. I guess if I were better at speaking in my own tongue, I might have gotten the answer a bit sooner, lol. Thank you all for posting and discussing this great topic.

Amen!

I think I was baptized in the Holy Spirit at a mens retreat 2 yrs ago. I say "think" because I sorta repressed it, and didn't speak it out very loudly. I was a little afraid, mainly because I believe I've witnessed some people "pretend" to speak in tongues not to edify the church, but to edify themselves, and I wanted to make sure I was not doing it for me.

In my church, there are several who speak and several who interpret, and I don't feel led to speak out loud. I have heard my spirit language speaking in my head, but not knowing weather it was my spirit speaking to God, or God speaking to my spirit. Either way, I just let it go, and they work it out themselves. ;)

I have never prayed for the gift of speaking in tongues. The word even says that this is the lesser of the gifts of the Spirit. Rather, I pray for wisdom and understanding, and I have received it several times. Often I will address someones question or concern with biblical principals that I can't ever remember reading. Then I'll search for it, and sure enough I am led rite to the passages that confirm what I thought.

I certainly don't shun the gift of tongues, but I also don't hold it higher than any others. The Spirit tends to use whatever gifts are needed for a particular situation. He does this with a much greater understanding than you or I have.

To serly I'd say, pray that you receive whatever gift will allow you to serve our Lord with the greatest glory for Him. I wouldn't limit your prayer to just tongues. There are other gifts that serve to lift up the name our our Lord and Savior Jesus. They are all wonderful gifts. And they are all from God.

Be blessed,
Nigh

Greetings in the precious Name of Jesus.

A very interesting thread. I like the opening post but would have liked to have seen comparisons with water baptism "unto repentance". Maybe the discussion could be developed.

For me there also seems to be an ommission of emphasis. In Mathew 3:11 (cited in the opening post) John the Baptizer said, " ...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

I believe there is a lack of spiritual understanding and therefore a lack of spiritual effectiveness to effectively witness unless the born again believer has also recieved the baptism with fire.

I have a very firm conviction on the baptism of fire. I believe the Bible teaches us that we are ineffective (powerless) without bapism with fire and this explains most of the apathy and ineffectiveness we experience.

Would anyone like to discuss?