It has been said that nature abhors a vacuum. The same is true in the realm of the spirit. Any environment or circumstance of mankind will be governed either by the Spirit of God or the spirit of darkness; there is no middle ground. At least over the short term, which spirit prevails depends largely on the choices that people make.
In the early years of the twentieth century, the pouring out of the Holy through the prayers and preaching of a simple black man named “Papa” Seymour on Azusa Street in Los Angeles, California, resulted in a spiritual phenomenon on a scale unseen since the first century. The birth of the modern Pentecostal movement brought together people of all races, rich and poor, to worship and serve God. Unusual signs and manifestations, including speaking in tongues, accompanied that outpouring. The revival that began at Azusa Street spread across the United States and even crossed the Atlantic Ocean to fall in Wales and other locations in Europe. God was sending a fresh spiritual rain over the earth.
As this spiritual rain front moved across Europe, it arrived in Germany at just the right moment to protect her culture, churches, and people from the spirit of antichrist that was arising in the nation. A Pentecostal revival broke out in the German city of Kassel, but died quickly because of the opposition of German evangelical church leaders. Theologians weighed in, calling on their educational background and human reason in an effort to dissect the work of the third Person of the Godhead. They critically analyzed the phenomenon of the Holy Spirit and the unusual manifestations of these revivals and found them wanting.
In 1909, 56 conservative evangelical German church leaders issued a joint statement called the Berlin Declaration, in which they soundly condemned the Pentecostal movement. The declaration stated, in part:
This so-called Pentecostal movement is not from above, but from below; many of its phenomena can also be found in spiritism. Demons are at work here who, led by Satan’s cunning, mix truth and lies in order to entice the children of God….the personal faith and dedication of some leading brothers and sisters cannot deceive us, not even the healings, tongues, prophecies, etc..…he movement brings forth powerful spiritual and physical manifestations…like falling, face twitching, trembling and shaking, screaming, ugly and loud laughing….such phenomena are not worked by God….The persons transmitting [prophecies] are often women. This had the effect that in some areas women, even young women, stand as leaders in the center of ministry— which is clearly against the Word.
With these and many more references the German Church refused her only weapon against the spirit of antichrist—the weapon of the anointing. Five years later, Germany plunged herself and much of the rest of the world into the fiery cauldron of World War I, a conflict that consumed the cream of an entire generation of European manhood. The spiritual vacuum created by Germany’s rejection of the Holy Spirit intensified in the economic and social devastation that followed the war, creating an opportunity for the spirit of antichrist to fill the gap with the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. That evil spirit engulfed the globe in the horror and unbelievable brutality of the Second World War. As a result, 55 million people around the world died.
The spirit realm abhors a vacuum. When individuals, churches, or cultures reject the Holy Spirit, they create a vacuum which the spirit of antichrist rushes to fill.
For generations the mere mention of “antichrist” has caused many Christians to faint with fright and look around in confusion. That, however, is the response of a carnal disposition. Ultimately, Christians have no reason to fear the spirit of antichrist or anyone it inhabits. The emergence of per -sons operating under the influence of the spirit of antichrist is certainly no cause for rejoicing, but we must also recognize that the emergence of this spirit is a sign that Christ is soon to appear. Scripture tells us that as the endtimes unfold, the spirit of antichrist will appear more and more in people, institutions, and government. As the apostle John writes,
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us (1 John 2:18-19).
Not only does John link the increase in the spirit of antichrist with the endtimes, or “the last hour,” he also reveals that much of that spirit will arise from within the formal ranks of the church! It had already happened in John’s day. For 2,000 years, every generation of the Church has had false believers, wolves disguised as sheep, mingling among the flock of the Lord’s faithful. It is still true today and will continue to be so. There will be tares among the wheat until Jesus returns.
John describes an antichrist as anyone who “denies the Father and the Son” (1 Jn. 2:22). The spirit of antichrist stands in absolute opposition to God and His ways: “Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (1 Jn. 4:3); “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 Jn. 1:7).
Today there is a fresh emergence of the spirit of antichrist around the world. In recent years new expressions of anti-Christian and anti-Semitic hatred have appeared. Innocent Jews and Christians have been and continue to be murdered in some nations. Synagogues are desecrated, churches are destroyed, and acts of religious terror multiply across the globe. Anti-Semitism is a sign of the spirit of antichrist. It is impossible to love and support the Son of God while at the same time hating the chosen people of God, the people through whose human lineage the Son of God came to earth.
Certainly one of the most potent demonstrations of the spirit of antichrist in our day took place on September 11, 2001. The hatred and murderous violence spawned by Osama bin Laden and the members of the al-Qaeda terrorist network is inspired by a spiritual enemy who hates God and everything God stands for. Anyone or anything that denies Christ serves the spirit of antichrist. Violent, radical, militant Islamic fundamentalism meets this description. This helps explain the implacable hostility that many radical Islamicists have toward the nation of Israel. Because the spirit of antichrist hates God, it also hates His Son and His people. The nation of Israel lives under the menace of that hatred every day.
Terrorists such as those in al-Qaeda endanger not only Americans, but people of every nation. Their hatred acknowledges no geographical boundaries. They truly are a global threat.
When the terrorist attacks came on 9-11, I sensed the Lord saying very clearly to me, “An enemy has done this.” This is the same thing the man In Jesus’ parable said to his ser -vants when he discovered that tares had been secretly sown with his wheat (see Mt. 13:24-30). Soon after the attacks, some prominent Christian leaders pronounced that they were a sign of God’s judgment on America. As much as I love and respect those men as Christian brothers, I could not disagree with them more on this point. What happened on 9-11 was nothing other than the murderous hatred of the spirit of antichrist expressing itself. The enemy is very jealous and fearful of America’s potential under the call of God as a beacon of freedom to the world, as a great reservoir from which the gospel is sent out across the earth and, especially, as a friend to Israel.
Our nation is a “first strike” target for satan, the adver -sary. Derailing the cause of Christ and destroying the nation of Israel are also at the top of his list. An enemy is at work against God, His people, and His ways. Now is not the time to get caught up in declaring judgment on ourselves or each other. Now is the time for us to connect with the power of God.
Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit came we would receive power. It is very important for us to connect in our hearts and minds the endtimes Church with the power of God, because the battle of the last days will be between the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the spirit of antichrist.
How can we as Christians discern and be preserved from the spirit of antichrist? What is our secret for power and victory as the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of satan oppose one another? The answer lies in Jesus’ promise, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8a). First John 2:20 says that we have “an anointing from the Holy One.” This anointing seals and preserves us, and helps us “know all things.” Through the anointing the Spirit of God will equip us with everything we need to face the spirit of antichrist.
While we should always honor, respect, and appreciate valid sacred tradition and correct doctrine, these alone will not protect us from the spirit of antichrist. In fact, as we see from history, they can create a false sense of security that leaves room for deception and destruction. Ultimately, our understanding of the Kingdom of God and our protection against the spirit of antichrist will not come from accurate theology or sound teaching alone. We need power. We need discernment. Our seal, our protection, our knowledge, our discernment, and our power come from the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the secret weapon of the church. As we look toward the end of the age it is absolutely imperative that we welcome the move of the Holy Spirit and learn to steward His Presence. Through the anointing, He will cover us, preserve us, and prepare us to be the Bride of Jesus Christ. The anointing will make manifest the glory of the Lord. The anointing will take us triumphantly home!
Under our “anointing from the Holy One” we will come to know “all things” pertaining to our battle with the spirit of antichrist. When we bring it to bear, the anointing breaks the yokes of hatred, racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism, and every other stronghold of the powers of darkness. The Lord has issued a call to all people, “Come, stand by My side in the last day.” Battle lines have been drawn, and each person must decide whether he or she will stand for Christ or for antichrist. There is no middle road. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Mt. 12:30).
Whether we like it or not, we cannot be neutral with regard to the anointing. Neutrality creates a vacuum of indifference that will quickly be filled by the spirit of darkness. Each of us must make a decision one way or another.
According to legend, in the early days of the battle of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas in 1836, Colonel William Travis, commander of the fort, drew a line in the sand with his sword and challenged his men to decide whether they would stay and fight or leave. Those who wanted to stay were to step across the line. Inside the fort was a garrison of 180 men; outside were 5,000 Mexican soldiers. To a man, every defender crossed the line. They committed themselves to their cause, even to the point of death.
That’s the way it is with us and the anointing. Each of us must eventually commit ourselves to being either for or against the anointing. We cannot straddle the fence, saying, “I accept this manifestation of the Spirit, but not that one. We cannot say, “Prophecy is all right, but tongues? That’s going too far!” The anointing of the Holy Spirit is a “package deal.”
We need the Spirit’s anointing to help us connect to the power of God for victory over the spirit of antichrist that we encounter in the business of everyday life. One of the best ways to activate the anointing is by praying in the Spirit. Speaking in tongues is like a spiritual “gas mask” that filters out the noxious fumes that satan spews out to poison our spirits, our homes, and our families.
One of satan’s most potent poisons is fear. On September 11, 2001, Americans experienced fear at a whole new level. The ongoing threat of terrorist attacks in this country has given us a taste of the kind of anxiety people in many other countries live with on a daily basis. Fear can paralyze, demoralize, and even kill. Fear can cause someone to keep silent when he should speak up. Fear spawns hatred, bigotry, hostility, and conflict.
We need to breathe the clean, pure air of the Holy Spirit, and praying in tongues is a cleanser that helps purge the spiritual “grunge” that has built up in our hearts. Praying in the Spirit is like walking on the beach at sunrise or climbing to the top of a mountain and taking in great draughts of the clear alpine air. As we pray, the sickening, toxic fumes from the devil begin to dissipate. Speaking in tongues is a way to allow the Holy Spirit to saturate and fill every pore of our being, body, soul, and spirit. It helps establish a holy atmosphere around us and those for whom we pray.
We have a responsibility to monitor and, if necessary, change the atmosphere in our homes. Fear, anxiety, depression, and other noxious gases from the devil invade our homes through television, radio, the internet, books, magazines, and newspapers. Bad news and frightful situations assault our senses on a daily basis. Prayer can change the atmosphere— prayer that exalts the name of Jesus. In the power of the Spirit, we can declare, “I don’t care who the terrorist is—Hitler, Stalin, or Osama bin Laden; I don’t care where the fear came from; Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, King of kings and Lord of lords, and He is in charge.”
It’s okay to listen to the news, as long as we allow the anointing of the Spirit to help us keep a holy and godly per -spective. As we develop the practice of speaking in tongues regularly and rebuking the evil manifestations of the spirit of antichrist, we will change the spiritual atmosphere around us.
Speaking in tongues calls forth the resources and power of the Spirit of God to confound the forces of darkness. There is a thrilling sequence in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring that illustrates this truth.
Frodo, the young hobbit who is carrying the One Ring of power has been grievously wounded by the Nazgul, phantomlike horsemen and servants of the dark lord, Sauron. Frodo’s companions are concerned that he will die before they can get him to safety. Suddenly, a beautiful elf princess named Arwen appears within a brilliance of light and begins to encourage Frodo in this unknown tongue saying, “I am Arwen, I’ve come to help you. Hear my voice, come back to the light.”
Taking Frodo in her arms, Arwen again speaks in this unknown language, commanding her white horse, “Noro lim, noro lim, Asfaloth!” She then dashes off on her swift horse with the Nazgul in hot pursuit. Crossing the river into Rivendell, the elf domain where she lives and where safety for Frodo lies, Arwen draws her sword, and turns to face the Nazgul as they hesitate on the far side of the river. Boldly, she issues a challenge: “If you want him, come and claim him!”
As the Nazgul urge their horses into the river, Arwen calls out once more in the unknown tongue, which is her own elfish language. In the midst of the river the Princess begins to speak into it this heavenly language. The power of the river is released, and Arwen’s very being is empowered by the strength of its waters. The river rises rapidly to a flood, and white-crested waves in the shape of beautiful white horses sweep the Nazgul and their mounts away in the rushing torrent. Frodo is safe, and Arwen is able to impart a measure of healing to him.
My spirit bore witness to the prophetic depiction this scene inspired. For me it was a picture of the Lord’s Bride in the last days; holding up the sword of the Spirit and praying in an unknown tongue. I see this as a prophetic picture of the last-day Church, and the potential of the nations being rescued and brought into the light of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to take the “little ones,” Israel and all the lost peoples of the nations, in our “arms” of prayer. As the Bride of Christ we are to protect the modern nation of Israel with our prayers, and speak in that heavenly language, releasing the power of the river of God to sweep away the enemy. Psalm 122:6 charges us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” We are to be ever watchful in prayer. May the Bride of Christ hold in her arms not only Israel, but all the hurting, oppressed peoples needing salvation and deliverance.
Ezekiel chapter 47 pictures a great river flowing out from the temple of the Lord which quickly becomes too deep and wide to cross, and everything touched by the river becomes vibrant with life. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as “rivers of living water” that would flow out of our hearts.
The only one who can fully release the Holy Spirit is the divine royal princess called the Bride of Christ. We are the Bride of Christ—everyone who believes on Him. United under the common anointing of the Holy Spirit, and with our Bridegroom at our head, we become a force that all the powers of darkness cannot withstand. There is strength in numbers. The devil has tried to attack us in different ways because he is scared to death of “Holy Ghost” people. We know how to plug into the power of God. We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We believe in healing. We believe in deliverance. We believe in the laying on of hands. We believe in victory, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
We are strongest when we come together as one body, because then we can use the greatest weapon in our spiritual arsenal: corporate prayer.
We are living, I believe, in the most critical generation in human history. Never before have the opportunities and challenges for God’s people been so great or the stakes so high. The Lord is calling us to take our places as watchmen on the wall, as in the Book of Isaiah:
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62:6-7).
There is a crying need for us to “stand in the gap” (see Ezek. 22:30) as intercessors for each other, for the unsaved, for our families, and for our country, and to do battle against the satanic powers in the heavenlies that are set to inflict harm on America, on Israel, and on all the nations.
In terms of our lives as disciples of Christ, prayer is where everything begins and ends. Nothing God wills to do on earth will happen without prayer. On the other hand, when believers pray, particularly in concert with one another, nothing is impossible. Jesus said, “…if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Mt. 18:19-20).
What an awesome promise this is! Do we truly comprehend the magnitude of what is available to us? Other than the Lord Himself, no power or principality in either the natural or spiritual realms can match the power of His people united in corporate prayer. What’s more, anybody can pray! There are no special qualifications or age restrictions. God hears every prayer of faith, whether from the lips of an old saint who has walked long and far with Him, or the youngest child who is just beginning the journey.
Yes, anyone can pray, but in truth, hardly anyone really wants to. Consistent, persistent prayer is difficult, particularly intercession. It requires commitment, time, sacrifice, and discipline. In a shallow, superficial, and 30-second-sound-bite-accustomed culture such as ours, these are costly concepts, even for many believers.
Nevertheless, God is calling us to the corporate experience of prayer. In Matthew 18:19, Jesus promised that whoever could “agree” together concerning what they asked for would receive it from the Father. The word “agree” also means “harmonize.” If we “harmonize” together in prayer, God will do it. We cannot harmonize, however, unless we first come together in the place of prayer and reach a oneness of mind, spirit, and purpose. This does not mean we have to be in lock-step and see eye-to-eye on every little thing, but that we are united in the common love, grace, and anointing of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit can bring harmony in the midst of diversity, and bring us all into oneness with the heart and mind of the Father.
Christ’s call to His Church today is for corporate prayer— intimate communion with Him and intercession that moves heaven and earth for the purposes of God. Through corporate prayer, as with private prayer, we come to know the Lord, so that when we stand before Him on that day, having cast out demons, healed the sick, preached the gospel, and done all manner of other wonderful works in His name, He will know us because we have been with Him regularly in the place of prayer. Then He will say, “Well done, good and faithful ser -vant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Mt. 25:21).
The Holy Spirit is so efficient. He is the God of miracles, not tied down by limitations of time and space. He has given us some amazing tools. One of the best of these is speaking in tongues, which allows the altar of prayer to be open always in our lives, enabling us also to enter into the higher realm of Spirit-anointed corporate prayer.
Acts 12:1-17 provides one of the best examples in Scripture of the power of corporate prayer. Herod Antipas had arrested the apostle Peter and put him in prison, planning to bring him out before the Jews after Passover and execute him, as he had already done to James, John’s brother. Verse 5 states simply, “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” As a result, an angel appeared to release Peter. Peter’s chains fell off of their own accord. The angel led Peter past the sleeping guards to the outer iron gate, which opened by itself. Outside was the street and freedom, and there the angel departed.
Peter’s deliverance was directly related to the corporate prayer of the Church. A similar demonstration of the power of corporate prayer is found in chapter 4 of Acts when the Church, in response to increasing opposition and persecution, prays to the Lord for boldness in witness and preaching and for signs and wonders to be done in His name. The result of their prayer is recorded in verse 31: “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
Corporate prayer is our greatest weapon against the spirit of antichrist. The powers of darkness cannot stand against the assault of God’s people praying with one accord in the power and anointing of the Spirit. That is why satan desperately works to distract, divide, and destroy the unity of the Body of Christ before we come to the place of prayer. Unfortunately, he is successful much of the time.
Just as the Great Wall of China is visible to the naked eye from earth orbit, I believe that when God gazes down from Heaven, the one thing He looks for is a great wall of prayer from His people, surrounding the nations of the earth. He wants to see a mighty battlement of intercession protecting the unsaved millions in the world from the deception and bondage of satan.
Any defensive wall must be manned and kept in good repair if it is to be effective in keeping out the enemy. Sadly, the church’s wall of intercession is in serious disrepair. It has been generations since all the watchmen were on the wall in their places. All it takes is one or two inattentive watchmen to give an advantage to the enemy. During those generations, satan and his legions have breached the wall in numerous places and carried off many souls who are helpless without the light of Christ.
It is time for us to man our posts, repair the breaches, and close the wall of intercession surrounding the nations. Our corporate prayers in the Spirit are the bricks, and the anointing of God is the mortar. Such a wall is unassailable. It is also indispensable. Whenever the hand of God moves for the nations, it is in response to corporate prayer. No great revival, spiritual awakening, or divine visitation ever occurred—from Abraham to Moses to Jesus to Pentecost to Azusa Street to Wales and beyond—that was not first precipitated by intercessors gathering together in corporate prayer, tarrying before the living God, refusing to let the battle flag fall to the ground, no matter what the opposition.
God has called us—you and me—to intercede for the nations. We say we want to be where God is. Well, God is where prayer is, and He is especially present in the environment of corporate prayer. A body of committed believers praying in harmony together in the Spirit connect with the glory of God and create an atmosphere in which He is pleased to dwell.
Nothing benefits the Body of Christ more or disciples us in the practical matters of Christian living more quickly than to be involved regularly in corporate fellowship, prayer, and intercession. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not for -saking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:24-25). Now is not the time for inattention and slumber. As watchmen praying for our children, our grandchildren, and concerns regarding our nation, we are needed on the wall, alert and ready.
When we get to the place where we can sit and wait on God for hours at a time in the context of the believing community, with brothers and sisters praying, sharing their revelations and burden, and joining together in one mind and spirit, things in us will start to change. Our perspective, our understanding, our endurance, our patience, our perseverance, our hearts, our compassion, our priorities—all of these will go through a metamorphosis, like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. Corporate prayer is God’s practical discipling tool. The Lord is very economical in everything that He does and this is a discipleship program in the truest and deepest sense of the word.
Corporate prayer lies at the heart of what the Lord desires for His people because it brings us into unity and sets us into our proper places as watchmen for the saving of the nations. In this, it is one of God’s great mysteries. For generations, we have tried everything in the Church to promote unity and have ended up more divided than ever. Corporate prayer under the anointing of the Spirit brings believers of all stripes together under one banner in a way that nothing else does. As this movement spreads and takes root, it will cross denominational lines and transcend charismatic and non-charismatic persuasions.
It has already begun to do so. At All Nations Church, where Bonnie and I are pastors, we have been engaged for several years now in a weekly gathering called The Watch of the Lord. Every Friday night our congregation comes together for an all-night vigil of prayer and intercession for our nation, the nation of Israel, and for all the peoples of the world. We are trying to be faithful to our responsibility as watchmen on the wall. Since we began this prayer ministry, other churches have partnered with us until today, worldwide, hundreds of congregations are linked to us directly in The Watch of the Lord prayer movement. At this writing, approximately two million hours of prayer monthly are going up through this movement globally.
We are the Church of the new millennium—all of us who are committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are the end-times generation, the Bride of Christ looking with great anticipation for the coming of our Bridegroom. Ours must not be an idle waiting, however. Our Lord has given us a great commission to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of all nations. He has charged us with the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18b) by which we become His instruments for reconciling a lost world to God. The challenges are great, the stakes are high, and we have a crafty and dangerous enemy who “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8b).
For these reasons, we need to be men and women of discernment. We must learn to flow in the anointing of the Lord, seeing in the Spirit, hearing in the Spirit, and praying in the Spirit. The Word of God is our foundation, guiding us so that we do not walk in confusion or error. The Holy Spirit illuminates our soul to understand the Word of God so that we do not walk in darkness. His anointing brings us into harmony with the heart and mind of God. He gives us a prayer language that enables us to commune with our Father at a level deeper than human consciousness.
The hidden power of speaking in tongues is that it allows us to touch the very heart and mind of God to move heaven and earth in response to our prayers. It enables us to sing the melody of Heaven and bring a taste of divine glory into our everyday experience. Speaking in tongues reveals its greatest potency in the collective atmosphere of corporate prayer. No power on earth is stronger than Christian believers praying in the Spirit in one accord with one mind and one heart. This is the secret to confronting the spirit of antichrist.
Jesus is coming again. His return is certain, although no one but the Father knows the day or the hour. As that day approaches, the work of the spirit of antichrist will intensify, and the alertness and steadfastness of the watchmen of the Lord must intensify as well. We are in a time of war! We cannot afford to be indifferent, inattentive, or uninvolved. As followers of Christ, we are soldiers in His army, and His Spirit has equipped us with everything we need for battle. Prayer and the Word of God are our most potent weapons. Against them none of the forces of the enemy can stand.
We must be ever vigilant and actively engaged. Our enemy will never rest, and neither should we. “He who is in [us] is greater than he who is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4b) and the victory is already ours through Christ our Lord. Jesus said of His coming, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is” (Mk. 13:32-33).
We do not know the day or the hour, but we do know what we are to do in the meantime: Preach the gospel, make disciples, and watch and pray!
A Prayer to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues.
The first step in receiving the Holy Spirit is to repent and receive Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior. According to the Bible, we are all sinners:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
This applies to all people in every nation.
The penalty for sin is death:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
God graciously gave His Son Jesus Christ to take the punishment for our sins:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7).
Jesus died for our sins, but rose from the dead three days later:
I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death (Revelation 1:18).
You may receive salvation and experience a new spiritual birth through faith in Jesus Christ:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, however believes in Him will receive remission of sins (Acts 10:43).
Come to the Lord Jesus in repentance for all your sins. He will not turn you away:
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17).
I pray that you will truly have the grace to turn your back on all sin, which is the meaning of repentance. As you affirm the above truths, then by faith accept the promise of the Holy Spirit according to Scripture:
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Pray the following prayer and mean it with all your heart:
Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. I believe He died, was buried, and on the third day rose again from the dead. I do repent of my sins and come to You for mercy and forgiveness. I renounce satan and the kingdom of darkness. I break every family curse over my family and me. By faith in Your promise, I receive Jesus Christ personally as my Savior and confess Him as my Lord. Come in to my heart, Lord Jesus, and give me eternal life and make me a child of God. Thank You Lord for accepting me and now, Lord Jesus, I am thirsty for more of You. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to baptize me in Your Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. By faith I receive Your Holy Spirit now. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
As you pray this prayer, take a deep breath. In fact, take several deep breaths. God keeps His Word, and He will fill you with His wonderful Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” I encourage you to open your mouth and speak. As your voice proceeds, the Holy Spirit will begin to give you words. They may be words you have never heard before. Do not be concerned with what you are saying, because you are speaking not by intellect but through your spirit.
In my experience it is easier to do than to explain. Remember, receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is an act of faith. You are appropriating a mighty promise of God. You may not feel anything. Some have emotional experiences, but this is not necessary. Just begin to speak, even if you only have a few words. Persevere. After a time, there will be a strong flow. Some get immediate fluency while others get only a few words initially. Either way, it is coming from the Spirit of God, so thank Him. Be persistent! On occasion, people get self-conscious and do not get a full release until sometime later, but I encourage you to persist. Believe me it is worth the effort! Begin to praise and thank the Lord.