Personal Pentecosts (Testimonies of Tongues)

Today is Pentecost Sunday. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines Pentecost as “the Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter.” Most full gospel churches I’ve attended don’t make this day a special occasion (although I heard many sermons on this topic). Being filled with the Holy Spirit can be an everyday experience.

While doing one-on-one evangelism, my focus is getting people saved. However, I have led a few individuals to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. One of the first times happened in Pensacola, Florida. I stopped at a church to talk with the pastor. While waiting in the lobby, a man walked in off the street. I found out John stayed at the Salvation Army and was “trying to get saved.” So I led him in the sinner’s prayer. Then for the next fifteen minutes John and I had an impromptu Bible study. Meanwhile, some ladies in another room had an intercessory prayer meeting. One of them came out and offered to pray for me. I invited John to join us. After the ladies anointed me with oil, they did the same for John. During which I led John in a confession to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Right away, he began speaking in other tongues.


Another time in Munich, I walked through a park to where I would spend the night. A young German saw me trying to move my large suitcase up a flight of stairs and offered to help me. This man was friendly and spoke fluent English. So I witnessed to Christian who thought he was a Christian because he tried to follow the Bible. Christian prayed to get saved and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.


A more recent example happened at a coffee shop in Minnesota. There I talked with a Catholic woman who already knew the Lord. Amy had noticed a video I was editing on my laptop and asked questions about it. Eventually, she talked about having anxiety issues. I led her to pray with me to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Amy immediately started speaking in other tongues and then said, “Wow! I feel hot!”


Not everyone I’ve prayed with started speaking in other tongues. Sometimes the mind gets in the way. Last month I stopped to minister to a man picking up garbage. Mario had recommitted his life to the Lord two days before at a Pentecostal church and wanted to grow stronger in faith. So I led him to pray to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Mario struggled to speak in tongues. I didn’t press in with him because he was working. I did pray another prayer over him since he had a history of demonic attacks. Mario thanked me for talking with him. 


J. Lee Grady wrote in his latest column, “If we remove the miraculous from our Christianity, we portray a puny God to the world.” So if you already know the Lord but haven’t had a personal Pentecost, I encourage you to get baptized in the Holy Spirit. It will result in more supernatural manifestations in your life. Then stay filled with the Spirit to remain an effective witness when sharing the love of Jesus with others.


“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” - Acts 2:1-4

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