“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”
Proverbs 25:2 (Amplified Bible)
When I was in college, I took a social science course for one of my required electives. As my professor began to introduce certain theories, I felt my spirit push back against those concepts. I immediately sensed that what I was hearing was slanted. Praying in the Spirit had become a normal part of my life at that point, and I had been learning how to tune in to my spiritual senses. So, I knew something was up.
In Andrew’s book The New You & The Holy Spirit, he says,
“I pray in tongues often without receiving anything from the Lord at that moment. However, when I need it a week or a month later, I’ll ask God for the interpretation of what I’ve been praying in tongues. At that point, I receive exactly what I need from the Holy Spirit” (p. 109).
Because of what I believed the Holy Spirit was showing me, I decided to take my professor’s theories and “search out the matter” (Prov. 25:2). What I found out was quite interesting. When I researched the founders of these “accepted” theories, I discovered that some of them had been either involved in or influenced by the occult. I know now why it did not sit right with me—the new spirit in me (John 16:13). As I continued with my classes that semester, I did my homework and studied for tests, but remembered what the Holy Spirit had shown me. Because all studying is a form of renewing the mind (Rom. 12:2), I felt like He was guarding my heart against internalizing a distortion of the truth.
This is not to say that I dismiss research from people just because they’re not Christians. The hard facts they present may not be wrong, but I do pause when a researcher or scientist takes on a fallen worldview (Eph. 4:17-19). Eve originally learned the facts from Adam, but her perception of them was eventually skewed because of a deception she embraced (Gen. 3:1-7). Even with good facts, anyone can be deceived without the Holy Spirit, whether they work in medicine, academia, politics, or some other field.
Besides the help of the Holy Spirit to discern spirits, Andrew mentions other benefits to praying in tongues:
“Whenever you pray in tongues, you cause yourself to rest, you build yourself up on your most holy faith, and you keep the love of God active and alive in your heart. As you speak forth hidden wisdom and believe for interpretation, revelation knowledge will open up and supply answers you couldn’t get any other way” (p. 111).
Although some Christians dismiss or downplay it, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is vital to your relationship with God. He wants to make Himself known to you in your everyday life. In my case, He wanted to protect me from what I normally wouldn’t think I needed protection from.
Dig deeper with Andrew’s The New You & The Holy Spirit teaching. You will learn how salvation through Jesus changes you and how the baptism in the Holy Spirit takes you to the next level in your Christian walk. It’s available in CD, DVD, book, and study guide formats. You can also watch Andrew teach it on the Gospel Truth broadcast.
Share a comment below if you’ve had a similar experience.
