The morning of my water baptism (later in the day) I do not believe there was a happier person in the world despite me loosing millions of dollars put away for my retirement, my girlfriend, and recently being ordered to report to Federal Prison. All that really mattered to me was I knew there was a God in Heaven who loved me, and everything else going on at the time even as bad as it was did not add up to anything of any importance to me. God loved me and everyone else could go fly a kite
While laying face down on my bedroom floor and praying out loud I became aware of some strange sounds in the form of words coming from me several weeks before I read about speaking in tongues.
It was not until after I read of speaking in tongues that I asked a man who was instrumental in the beginning of my prodigal son return home journey, if he thought I had been speaking in tongues?
His reply was he knew people who spoke in tongues, but he did not, and he was sure I had not spoken in tongues either. Unfortunately this added up to a good/bad example of one believer becoming a stumbling stone of another believer through quenching the spirit within a newly "reborn" follower of Christ. Not surprisingly God soon removed him from being in a position of influencing my spiritual development.
How I feel about tongues today.........
When that which is perfect is come (knowledge of the truth of what is and what will be) tongues will cease being spoken by the person gaining said knowledge. (1Cor.13:9-11 KJV)
Other than one brief incident years ago, and one episode last year when I woke up in the middle of the night praying in tongues over someone I already knew God had a special anointing for, (God would not give me what to say over them in English until I finally and reluctantly agreed to obey Him and anoint the person).
Although much easier for me not having to do it, unfortunately, the person missed their opportunity to "come up hither". Equally unfortunate is I am less than confident the opportunity is going to come around again despite my own desire to see this person receive the fulness of what our Father has for them. At the least it will not be coming through me anytime soon. Consequently, I have asked God to raise up someone else to get done what I have failed to accomplish.
Unfortunately, and a shortcoming I have yet to overcome, I have never found it easy to pray over people despite a divine occurrence practically being guaranteed to happen...... at least that is the way it has been in the past in all but one time
I never could understand persons who go around laying hands on anybody who is willing to wait in line; after all, what makes them think God does not have mercy on those of His choosing rather than those of their choosing?
1 Timothy 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.
No one on earth has been given a gift to heal others, and no one can pass on an anointing they do not already possess (the lessor can only be blessed by the greater)
What God does is first look at the person making the request........ then all decisions are up to Him and not us.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
