I am ashamed to admit this; but if I took all of my thirteen years as a pastor/youth pastor and thirty years of being a Christian and put all my inspirational revelation down, I doubt if it would fill an 8 by 11 1/2 piece of paper. Some was my OCD personality which made it very difficult to concentrate. I should have overcome that Mostly, I just didn't really know how to get to that power of the Holy Spirit. How to get to the gifts, anointing, etc. eluded me. In most churches it seemed to me, in my experience, that maybe half of the people where Baptized in the Holy Spirit, and may 1% were used in tongues and interpretation or possible prophecy. It seemed that speaking in tongues, which are the initial physical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, were the beginning point and the ending point for most.
I am now in a church that does have the gifts in stronger operation than I have ever seen. I am grateful for that. But what about the personal use of speaking in tongue: can it really transform your life? It did for me. What if you could find something that would: give you peace and joy; boldness to share your faith, revelation (insight into the Word of God); get the gifts of the Spirit working in you; and would help your physical health to boot. How much would you pay for something like this? You can't! It's free. It is probably the most neglected, and misunderstood gift in the church and God wants to give it to you. This gift was never meant to be optional or an elective for any Christian. Jesus told the original group of disciples not to do anything until they received it
I know some people think speaking in tongues is weird or of the devil. Before you pass final judgment, would you listen to what it has done for me personally, and can do for you? I didn't use this gift of speaking in tongues very often. I am guessing I had a lot of company in that. If I had to estimate, I would guess maybe a few minutes a month. Mainly, in church services, when I was worshipping the Lord. Then I got deathly sick, and heard a man preach on this, and I was challenged and responded.
Let me say this. Speaking in tongues is brought out in scripture: Acts 1; 8 says "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." I Corinthians 14:4 says "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself."Jude 20 says "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit." I Corinthians 14:18 says I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all."
You said there is a health benefit to speaking in tongues. Just before I heard about this article below, I intuitively knew that what affects your spirit must produce health to your mind and to your body. When I say this, I took the challenge and believed with all my heart, for God to use speaking in tongues to give me a strong immune system. I went from two sinus infections a year minimum to having ones that lasted all winter for ten years plus to being sinus infection free for the last year. Check out this medical doctors' report.
Medical Facts about Speaking in Tongues – Carl R. Peterson, M.D.
Through research and testing he found out that as we pray in the Spirit, or worship in the Spirit, (our heavenly language) there is activity that begins to take place in our brain. As we engage in our heavenly language the brain releases 2 chemical secretions that are directed into our immune systems giving a 35 to 40 percent boost to the immune system. This promotes healing within our bodies. Amazingly this secretion is triggered from a part of the brain that has no other apparent activity in humans and is only activated by our Spirit led prayer and worship.
For the complete article go to this link:
http://beingunderthenewcovenant.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/medical-facts-about-speaking-in-tongues-%E2%80%93-carl-r-peterson-m-d/
Many of you have heard of the "Oreck Challenge.": try this vacuum cleaner out and see if it’s not the best or we will refund your money. I am going to give you different kind of challenge: the "Speaking in Tongues Challenge." Do it for thirty minutes a day every day for a month. Do it in faith, expect God to begin to move inside of you and give you the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. Believe him to open his Word up to you. What do you have to lose? Jesus told a parable about a man with a servant who didn't use him so there was no benefit. If you don't speak in tongues often, you don't really benefit from this power gift. If you "speak in tongues" with a concentrated effort there will be no noticeable benefit. It might take a week or maybe a few months, but you will begin to see the miraculous take
place in you. It will just start to bubble over from your spirit into your mind and body.
I believe with all my heart that there is a trickle down effect to speaking in tongues often. I don't think our primary purpose is to have a purpose-driven life but to have a Spirit-driven life. Then when you have a Spirit-driven life it will produce a purpose-driven life. I believe doing it without the power of the Holy Spirit operating in you; it will run its course. Being, truly Spirit-filled, not just in name only, will produce true abundant life in you.You will become a strong Christian, and became a better husband/wife and father/mother or student or worker, etc.
When can I find time to do this you ask? I do it driving to work and back. I do it in the shower. Some of you have jobs where you are free to do this. Train (discipline) yourself to do it. I have a sticky note in my car that just says simply "Speak in Tongues: It is a reminder and it works. It has changed my life, and that is the understatement of the year. I am living proof that it works!
What do I do if I am not baptized in the Holy Sprit? Go to: How do I receive the Holy Spirit. Click on the following link:
http://www.howcanibehealed.com/how-do-i-receive-the-baptism-in-the-holy-spirit.html