How to Pray in the Power of the Holy Spirit (3)

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Session #3

How surrendering helps our prayer life

One of the supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit is the gift of tongues. What’s the purpose for it? How does it help us to experience more of the Holy Spirit’s power and help?

Now pray with this song, I Surrender by Hillsong:

Questions for discussion (please post a comment):
If you have experienced the gift of tongues, share how it happened. (This will help those who have not yet experienced it.) What difference has it made to your prayer life? And to your relationship with God?

Comments from the live event

E.F. shares her experiences: I started speaking in tongues in 2002 after my baptism in the Holy Spirit on the second day of a 3-day Life in the Spirit Seminar. It was a very extensive, Friday to Sunday with general confession. Months before the actual seminar, a shepherd was assigned to me to guide me spiritually for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Her name was Josie. Saturday morning we were all anointed and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Immediately I was slain and rested in the Holy Spirit. I have never been slain before and was curious to know what was happening around me as I heard people crying. I tried to get up, but I could not move. Then I started crying myself, and in front of me saw I saw 3 silhouettes and later felt the physical touch of a hand caressing my cheeks, comforting me while I was babbling speaking in tongues. During lunch I asked Josie, “When I was slain and crying, were there three people in front of me and were you comforting my cheeks?” She said, “No, only your shepherd is allowed to be with you and we are not allowed to touch you.” She said what I saw was the Holy Trinity and she perceived it was the hand of the Lord. WOW! To this day, I still sometimes, at Couples for Christ prayer meetings, speak or sing in tongues. Also I get slain when anointed and miraculously don’t feel a thing or get hurt when my head hits on a hard surface if no one catches me.

L.R. wrote:
1. I have not personally experience the gift of tongues, but I’ve witnessed it. This happened on a mission trip in Guatemala where, after Mass, the mostly indigenous community came to the foot of the altar for prayers from our group. The Spiritual Director for our traveling team was powerful, and during our healing prayers I could hear a different language being spoken by her and some of our team members, but I could not understand a word. We worked very late that night and it was very hot, but despite the intensity of the long session we did not get tired. It was something incredible to witness.

2. This experience did not change my prayer life. However, when I listen to my Christian music in the car or at church during Mass, sometimes, I am touched by the lyrics or simply the background sounds, and I immediately find myself praising God very quietly with great emotion or tears. This is very spontaneous. It does not happen all the time.