Would You Help Me Write a Book on How to Be Filled With the Holy Spirit?

Destiny Image has agreed to publish a new book with me, titled How to Be Filled With the Holy Spirit.  It will be a practical book on how to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and how to release the nine manifestation of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7-10).

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:7-10).

I want to illustrate this book with many practical testimonies of how people have 1) received the baptism in the Holy Spirit 2) begun speaking in tongues, 3) begun operating the other eight manifestation of the Holy Spirit, 4) and the wonderful impact this has had on their lives.

So to kick things off, here are a few stories from me, which I will be including in the book. You can email your stories to me at Mark@cluonline.com. I have received a couple more stories (below) within hours of posting this blog. I really appreciate your help! Thanks.

A tough time getting baptized in the Holy Spirit

Because I was hungering for the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues, my wife and I drove several hours to a group of believers well known for ministering such spiritual gifts. At the close of their Spirit-led service, I went forward to be prayed for. I received prayer for the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues. However I felt nothing and no tongues flowed.

Reflecting back, I assume the reason I felt nothing is because as a left-brainer and a choleric, I had cut off all emotions.

A few weeks later, as I sat in my rocking chair at home, I pondered Acts 2:4, and realized that when the disciples spoke in tongues, THEY did the speaking while the SPIRIT gave the utterance. I had been expecting the Holy Spirit to do BOTH. So I altered my strategy, and choose to speak in simple child-like faith, not consciously forming the syllables, but believing that whatever sounds tumbled out would be the Spirit manifestation called, "kinds of tongues."

I spoke haltingly at first, and then over the next weeks, more freely. As the weeks progressed, I began to sense an energizing in my spirit, which is exactly what 1 Cor. 14:1-4 said should be happening. I was speaking mysteries to God and building up my spirit.

Then one year later, as we softly worshipped in tongues at the close of a time of ministering deliverance to an individual, a person in the group translated some of what I was saying. They told me that in Portuguese I was saying, “Hooray!  Long live Jesus!”  What a neat confirmation that this simple step of faith, that of choosing to speak syllables not directed by my mind, was actually a spiritual language, edifying my spirit as I worshiped my King!

Summary reflections: Had I known how easy this was, that it was me who had to speak, and that I simply needed to choose not to form the syllables with my conscious mind, but to ask the Spirit to form them, and then to just speak whatever flowing sounds tumbled out, I could have spoken in tongues weeks earlier.

Protected from calamity by two words of knowledge

While returning with friends from a road trip to explore Christian communities, it was late on a Saturday evening and we were on an expressway in Canada.  The thought lit upon my mind that "there are more drunk drivers on the road in the evenings and on weekends, so I should stay alert." This flowing thought was a word of knowledge from God, to protect me from what could have been an upcoming tradegy. At the same instant, without me saying anything, a deacon from our church, who was riding in the back seat with his wife, had the thought come to him to pray for our safety, so he began praying quietly in his heart. This was a second word of knowledge, given by God to keep us safe.

I instantly checked my rear-view mirror and saw a car in the distance swerving as he approached me at great speed. I slowed down, pulling off to the edge of the thruway. The car came roaring past us and as he tried to pass the car in front of us, he sideswiped the car, and from there swerved, bouncing off the side rails on the edge of the thruway. Next, his car spun around and came to a complete stop, in the middle of the highway, facing our car. As we rolled closer and stopped, my headlights revealed the reddened dazed eyes of the driver who appeared to be spaced out and high on drugs.

Unbelievably, he started his damaged car, swung it around and tore off, continuing down the thruway at a breakneck speed.

We had been protected from an accident by the hand of God through two simultaneous words of knowledge, which were both acted on. Thank you, Lord, for Your amazing protection!

Summary reflections: I have learned to honor the flowing thoughts which light upon my mind. I know they are the voice of the Spirit granting me words of wisdom, words of knowledge, prophecy, interpretation of tongues, discerning of spirits and rhema words which build faith so I can step forward, believing for a healing or a miracle. 

Healed of an involuntary twitching eye 

During a “Hearing God’s Voice” seminar a few days ago, I was having people practice Bible Meditation by speaking personalized Scriptures over themselves, using heightened Kingdom emotions, generated by imagining a Bible verse.

We were confessing aloud “By His stripes I, (insert your name), AM HEALED (Isa. 53:5)!  They were instructed to see the stripes Jesus had received on His body, so they could feel the GREAT PRICE He PAID, to purchase their healing. Feeling grateful and thankful, and choosing NOT to squander this gift, we received His gift of healing knowing it WAS ACCOMPLISHED by Jesus and the healing is complete! We spoke aloud, 4-5 times over ourselves incorporating vision, emotional passion and faith, By His stripes, I, (insert your name), AM HEALED!!!

The next morning, before the seminar began, a woman came up to me and told me the involuntary twitching of her eye had been instantly healed the night before as she confessed, “By His stripes I am healed.”

Principles: Seeing the spiritual reality, feeling intense Kingdom emotion and speaking truth over herself, allowed this woman to experience her miracle of divine healing. 

Whole-hearted abandonment and I received - by Kelly Haynes

At age 20 I began actively pursuing the Baptism of The Holy Spirit.  The experience was happening to my beloved friends as well as many youth group members that I was ministering to at the church I attended at the time but had not happened to me yet!!   I was really sore about it and began reading every book written about the topic, studied the Scriptures fervently, stood in prayer lines, talked to my Spirit-filled friends about Him, etc.  However, none of those things played a part in the recipe for my receiving the Baptism of The Holy Spirit. 

One evening returning home after a Wednesday night church service I had to use the restroom and I was all alone with The Lord and I began telling through tears how sad I was and that I felt so left out and rejected and wondered if there was something wrong with me and as I was talking to Him I raised my hands to Heaven and told Him with an honest & pure heart that I only wanted what He wanted for me and BAM!!!!!! 

I could feel His presence throughout my entire being from the top of my head to the tip of my toes I buzzed, tingled, quivered, trembled & shook and was filled with overflowing joy & tears and began speaking in tongues immediately praising Him all the while!   That was 27 years ago and I am a life forever changed because of walking & talking with The Holy Spirit everyday! 

I love how personal The Lord is...He didn't want me to follow a recipe or a step-by-step process to receive more of Him, He just wanted my heart to pour out to Him, loving & seeking Him one-on-one!

Key Principles: total abandonment, the prophetic action of lifting hands to heaven, whole heartedness and heightened emotions all played a role in Kelly’s receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues.

I received while I was jogging - Tim Lindsay

I was really afraid of being deceived, and God led me to a crazy, "hanging from the rafters" kind of church were all sorts of manifestations were happening. God did give me a dream to tell me he wouldn't let me be deceived. I had wanted to speak in tongues for ages and had tried and had been prayed for by the movement's chief prophets a number of times but couldn't seem to get anything. 

One day I was jogging and talking to God when the words "God is good" appeared inside my chest and a phrase came out of my mouth. I could literally see the words inside my chest. So I just repeated that phrase for a while. 

I didn't get anything more for some time, but eventually I got some other words, and then finally a free flow now. I don't usually know what I'm saying, but sometimes I get a vibe for what it is about. I've noticed different tongues for different purposes, (i.e. war, praise). Sometimes I get a bit bored and ask him for a new language, which he usually gives me.

Key Principles: Tim needed to overcome fear, which was accomplished through a comforting dream from God. Tim received while alone and relaxed. Reception came with a word of knowledge, seen as a picture/vision which simply appeared, meaning it was experienced as a flowing picture, which Biblically is called a vision. Flow is the River of the Holy Spirit FLOWING within (Jn. 7:37-39). This vision affirmed how MUCH God LOVED him and desired to give him the Spirit. Speaking in tongues came forth as a flow from Tim’s lips, beginning slow, and enlarging as he went along.