I never knew how powerful a life I could lead until I got baptized in the Holy Spirit. It was in November 2018, when I went to Spirit of Faith International (SOFI) Bible School for the Minister’s conference.
All thanks to Flora, my friend, who had graduated from Bible School that year. Even the way I booked the tickets was a miracle, cause at that time I was just a CA student with hardly any savings.
And yet just days before the conference, a relative put in some money in my account and the first thing I did was book a flight to Dimapur, Nagaland.
When I reached the campus with Flora, I saw some really ordinary looking people. Some were cleaning the campus, yet others were washing the dining area, and so on.
We reached Monday afternoon and started helping with the preparations. Everything looked normal until the evening, when we gathered together to plan and prepare.
The Glory of God Personified
It was when we were gathered together that Sis Linnet called everyone to pray.
In all my life, I have never had such an earth-shaking, breath-taking experience. By prayer, I presumed to hear some intelligent words I could say “Amen” to- similar to the prayers I had heard all my life at my local church.
I was born and brought up as a Syrian Christian and had no encounter with people praying in the spirit. It was “deafening” to hear all of them pray in tongues. There was such an immense power that I could tangibly feel it across the room.
To be very honest- for the first 10 minutes, I literally lost my footing.
I didn’t know what to make of it, and it was real bold faith on Flora’s part to take me to such a gathering- especially considering I had no previous experience of praying in tongues.
And yet amidst all that noise (it was just noise for me at that time, because I was ignorant), I felt a peace that surpassed my understanding. I’d never felt more secure than there, right then.
I remember breaking out in a song, ” Christ is enough for me…everything I need is in You, everything I need.”
Fast Forward Few Days- 25th of November 2018
After that one experience, nobody (at least not in front of me) spoke about tongues or prayed in it. The entire conference went by with excellent sermons and healing encounters, until the last day, which happened to be a Sunday- the 25th of November 2018.
I remember very vividly how Pastor John Roughton, founder and lead pastor of SOFI, gave the altar call. I gave my life to Christ and that was easy for me, because I was already preparing my heart for Him.
But what came next was interesting and intimidating at the same time. Pastor John asked whether we wanted to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and receive the gift of tongues.
You see, the thing is many make it seem way more complicated than it actually is. Speaking in tongues and praying in the spirit are the one and the same. And every believer is entitled to it.
When we are saved, we receive Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. But when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit comes over us, empowering us to be powerful witnesses to Christ everywhere we go.
There is no ministry without the minister, who is the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps that’s the reason why so many of us live defeated, oppressed and powerless.
The Doubt Before the Leap
Interestingly, even at that moment I had my doubts about praying in tongues. A well-meaning sister from another church who was there at the conference considered it all to be hogwash. And to be honest, her words made sense, logically speaking.
But thanks to another Bible school graduate, sister Mary Wangsa, who gently prodded me to go on. She looked at me with the most compassionate eyes and whatever hesitation I had disappeared the moment I saw Flora leaping towards the front.
I didn’t give it a second thought but followed right after.
We reached the altar and the believers who were already baptized in the Spirit came over and placed their hands on us. I still don’t know who was behind me, but I heard a sister pray over me and ask me to speak in faith.
And so, I did. The first words that I uttered was “Naba” and “Bana” which I later googled up to see meant “pour forth” and “rebuild/ restore” in Hebrew.
At that moment, I felt something getting deposited in my heart and I heard a still small voice that asked me twice, “Sany, who makes you bold?” The third time, I answered, “The Holy Spirit”.
My life has never been the same since.
From 2018 to Now, Even unto This Day
True, life hasn’t been a bed of roses, but I have found new strength in my every day. The past few days I had the strongest urge to pray in tongues. And now as I type this on the evening of the 8th of May 2023, I know why I had that urge.
Something happened today, which I don’t want to delve into. But it was so ugly that if it hadn’t been for the Holy Spirit, I wouldn’t have the strength to type this out.
Praying in tongues is neither a luxury nor an option. It’s the highest form of spiritual warfare there is against the forces of darkness that constantly try to claim our mind, our peace, our prosperity.
For more information on what speaking in tongues can do for you, check out my blogs here:
Praying In Tongues | SeeCaptions
Listening to the Still Small Voice
Every day there will be a thousand reasons for you to feel discouraged, lonely and dejected. The world we live in is no place for the simple and yet we can thrive, provided we be “cunning as serpents, yet innocent as doves.” (My rhema word for the day!)
When it all goes wrong and you are in the depths of despair, there is a still small voice that calls out to you. But like every radio that needs to be tuned to a particular frequency before it can catch the waves, your spirit needs to be tuned to perceive that voice and bid its calling.
Thats what speaking in tongues does. It aligns your inner man to the Holy Spirit, matching their frequencies so you can speak unto reality the hidden mysteries of God.
I don’t know what the future holds. But I know it’s going to be great.
For the Spirit bears witness with my spirit and He convicts me that the best is yet to come!
