Lee
From: Indiana, United States
I can remember the moment I was filled with the Holy Spirit as though it was yesterday. It felt as if God was giving me chills up and down my body like a scanner. It lasted for several minutes before it stopped. It’s been less than two years since I received the Holy Spirit and my life has completely changed for the better.
I’ll begin my story when I was a child. My mother went to church, but my father was Agnostic. Due to my father’s beliefs, my mother never had the opportunity to talk to me about the Bible. I had very little understanding of Jesus or the Word of God. It wasn’t until college when I started having financial struggles that I began to pursue prayer as an answer. And, boy did I get answers!
As I was finishing my degree, I realized that my overwhelming amount of student loan debt was going to cause me grief for many years to come. Even when I found a good paying job, it still wasn’t comforting knowing the majority of my paycheck would be consumed by the loan companies. I was extremely stressed about the possibility of not being able to provide for my family. Even though I had a degree and a well paying job, I still felt like a failure. I saw no future where I would be financially stable. My financial plan for my life was a disaster even though I supposedly succeeded (according to societal norms). When I turned to God and started praying, my life started changing. The turn of events in my life was so completely different than the plan I had made for myself. In fact, the majority of my life today is nothing what I had intended. God had much different (and better) plans for me.
I gave myself to Jesus Christ on December 26th, 2014. I was filled with the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues – a spiritual prayer language – as proof) three days later, and I was baptized the next month. I can remember the moment I was filled with the Holy Spirit as though it was yesterday. It felt as if God was giving me chills up and down my body like a scanner. It lasted for several minutes before it stopped. It’s been less than two years since I received the Holy Spirit and my life has completely changed for the better. I’ve switched careers and become financially stable. And more importantly, I’m less stressed, more confident, and happy! From the moment I was filled with the Holy Spirit I could feel God’s presence in me. I could literally feel his love for the first time.
Everyone has different problems, but there’s only one solution that anyone really needs: pray in the Spirit. If you have a problem in your life, no matter what it is there’s no doubt that God has a solution for you. For example, a few weeks after receiving the Holy Spirit, I developed a nasty cough and sore throat. I took the typical over-the-counter cold medicine with no improvement. I couldn’t stand the pain every time I would swallow or try to talk. I was a teacher at the time and I was in so much misery trying to talk and move around all day. One evening, I went into my bedroom, layed on the bed, and told God that I would “really appreciate it” if he could make me feel better. I remember telling Him that I would be a more effective teacher and the kids would learn more if I felt better. I also remember telling Him that He probably had better things to do, and I understood if it was something I just had to deal with for a while. So I started to pray in the Spirit (that is, in tongues). Within seconds, I began to cough violently to the point where I was gagging. Moments later my cough and sore throat were completely gone! God had relieved my pain so that I could be more comfortable teaching the kids. This is just one example in my life out of hundreds where God has had a significant and immediate response to my prayers. If you’re struggling with something, big or small, I challenge you to put the weight of your problem on God’s shoulders and let him give you an answer.
For the past two years I’ve found comfort in the Holy Spirit. Life has continued to improve and my overall happiness has never been better. God has provided me with solutions to my financial, medical, and personal problems. I only hope that this testimony gives you some strength and confidence knowing that someone else has benefited from God’s love, and you could too! Commit your life to Jesus AND pray for the Holy Spirit, and you will feel God’s love the moment you receive it.