The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

“Welp, if casting demons out of myself literally is a thing, then speaking in tongues must be real too. Maybe I should pray for that?”

Those were my thoughts a few days after reality sank in about what was really going on with me.

I didn’t know a single person that spoke in tongues (to my knowledge). I was taught it wasn’t important or necessary. God understands English perfectly well, it was cynically explained to me. So what would be the point anyway?

At the time, I didn’t know why I suddenly felt an urgency to pursue that gift.

Now, I know. I needed it. Desperately.

I’d reached out to several ministries in search of deliverance help to no avail.

I had people pray for me over Zoom. Nothing.

I shared my sorry spiritual state with the Pastor at the Church I was attending at the time. Bupkis.

I’d sent emails asking for help to churches all over Europe and America. I didn’t get a single reply.

Something in the back of my mind told me I was hitting brick walls by divine design. That whatever I was about to experience, I had to go through it, not around it. For me, there would be no quick fixes.

Having no idea where else to turn, I began watching YouTube videos on the baptism of the Spirit and speaking in tongues.

Thank God for the internet!

Every single day I prayed for that baptism.

Weeks went by. Nothing happened.

I kept asking. Kept seeking. Kept knocking.

One day I came across a Derek Prince video where he shared the story of one young man who was blocked from receiving the gift because he’d been to a fortune teller once as a teenager. As soon as he repented, he was filled with the Spirit.

Immediately I renounced my involvement with all the occult health care practices I’d ignorantly touched, as well as repented for any generational ties to the occult or witchcraft my family had. Nothing happened.

More weeks went by.

I apologized to the Holy Spirit for belittling the gift of tongues, and believing it to be unimportant. Still nothing.

I reached out to a team of three Anglican prayer ministers in the United States to intercede on my behalf for the baptism.

That time, something DID happen…but, it wasn’t the Spirit moving. That’s a story for another day.

I asked prayer partners in an online Healing Prayer Course I was taking to pray for me. A fellow participant instructed me to examine my heart for any wrong beliefs regarding the baptism that I might be holding on to. He encouraged me to repent of any beliefs I had that I had to do something to earn the gift.

I did that and kept praying. Nothing happened.

As the weeks went by, I had continued with self-deliverance on my own. I’d search out and find pre-written prayers online on various sins, read them out loud, and then by the name of Jesus stand over the toilet and command things out.

I was having consistent success - so much so that I started to become prideful about it.  I was blinded by my own spiritual pride and self-righteousness. I had no idea how my spiritual journey to freedom was about to derail and take a serious turn for the worst. If only I had known then what I know now.

More on that another day.

After several weeks, when it dawned on me that my deliverance process might drag on indefinitely, I stopped keeping track of what was coming out.

Mary Magdalene had nothing on me.

I was starting to wonder if I was more in league with the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5:1-20.

As I made steady progress, I began to sense something sinister rising to the surface. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew it was pure, unadulterated evil. I grew increasingly concerned yet still blissfully ignorant of what was about to be unveiled in my soul.

At night, I was being terrorized with unusual pain traveling through my body as well as horrific nightmares. I became fearful of going to sleep, not knowing what to expect from one night to the next.

Growing more fatigued by the day, I was becoming increasingly desperate for freedom.

Now it was late November.

At a Thanksgiving-themed holiday party I had attended here in Switzerland, I'd spoken with a young woman who was in one of my Bible study groups. She suggested I contact another woman who'd recently returned home to the Caribbean. She thought this second woman might be able to provide some guidance or insight.

I’d waited until nearly the end of the year before I followed up on her advice. I'd delayed because I thought I could handle things alone, and was still hopeful it would be a relatively short process.

As it turns out, that suggestion was pivotal.

Though that second woman wasn’t able to provide much support, what she did do was connect me to a third woman who’d personally experienced deliverance from demonic oppression herself.

She was the one of the first people I’d ever spoken to who’d gone through something similar.

And wow, what a treasure!!!

I’d felt so encouraged and comforted after speaking with her. She told me this experience was just part of the sanctification process the Holy Spirit would lead me through.

She'd instructed me to trust God and not be fearful.

That was a Sunday afternoon. I remember that by the time I’d gotten off the phone with her it was still daylight outside.

She sent me another YouTube video about the gift of tongues from Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural show, and told me she’d be praying for me.

Honestly, I was disappointed when I saw it was another video on tongues. I’d seen so many other teachings that I hesitated to watch what she sent. I was already exhausted from several sleepless nights. What could I learn more about how to pray for it?

But since she had taken the time to send it to me, I figured watching one more video couldn’t hurt.

I propped myself up on a pillow in my bedroom and pressed play.

The video lasted close to an hour. I watched the show, repeated the prayer at the end, and then closed the browser as the people in the audience began to receive their private prayer languages. I figured I didn’t need to listen further as other people exercised their gift.

My eyes became heavy and I slowly drifted off to sleep.

As soon as I went under, I felt a sharp sensation in my belly. It felt as if someone had struck a match from the inside of me!

Next, I had a sense of flowing rivers of water emanating from my belly button up through my abdomen, my chest, my throat…

My eyes flew open!!!

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!?!

The feeling of this “water” reached my mouth and I couldn’t keep it closed.

The next thing I knew, a bunch of strange sounds started spilling from my lips.

It sounded like an alien language.

And then my spiritual eyes were opened! I’d received it! I’d just been baptized by the Holy Spirit!

I jumped out of bed and re-dialed the woman I’d just gotten off the phone with a few hours before.

After sharing what had just happened to me, I could hear her sheer delight over the phone as she thanked and praised God for answering her intercessory prayers for me.

Finally, my prayers had been answered. Persistence had paid off huge dividends!

And just in time too. What would happen next almost ended my life...

Luke 11:9-13 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

If you’re a follower of Christ, have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

In the next few days, I’ll share more about what the Bible says about this baptism of the Spirit and why every single Christian should be asking for it!