Where Were You When You Received?

[Rico]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

It was later revealed.

I figured as much. Just havin some fun with ya.

[Cindy]

At Emmanuel United Pentecostal Church in Dallas, Texas. I was 9 years old and was at the altar on the left side by myself, noone actually paying attention to me at first. A very warm feeling came over me and I was no longer speaking english as I was praying, I don't know what language I was speaking in but I remember going to the Pastor's office to call home and tell my Daddy that I had received the Holy Ghost. I was told that my face was just glowing.

[jaxfam6]

I started this once and losts it and so now I will try again.

Pentecost Sunday 2007. Our church has the days between Easter and PS dedicated to prayer and fasting. You never know what is going to happen with us during those days. We dedicate certain services to certain things. Healings, Miracles, Holy Ghost, etc...
Well PS was dedicated as a HG Sunday. Between two services we had around 60 filled with the HG.
The story I am going to give is my youngest son. He was 8. We are in the front and everyone is praying for themselves or with someone. I have 4 boys all praying. My sister and her husband were in our church visiting for the first time. My wife, myself, my sister, and my bil are all praying with one of my boys. I saw my youngest praying and decided to pray with him while my sister prayed with my oldest. he was standing with his hands raised up stifly and his head down as far as he could get it. I knelt down and got to where I could see his face and he had tears running flowing. His mouth was moving but could not make out what he was saying and could not hear him as it was really loud. When you have 300 people all praying at once that tends to happen. Well as I get closer so I can hear him and pray with him I realize he is praying in tongues. Anyone who saw my reaction knew instantly what had happened. Anyway for the next two weeks he was th sweetest child. Now it comes and goes. When he prayes he gets sweet again. It is always the same, hands raised, head down, tears flowing very little else to notice but when you get down where you can hear him he speaking in that heavenly language. I love to pray with him.

Since then my next to the youngest received it at a Junior rally, my oldest did at camp that summer but never claimed it and then he prayed in tongues again that fall at a youth conference and again did not claim it. The second Sunday of this year he finally claimed it. Must have just needed some extra dosage. My next to the oldest received it four years ago at youth camp.

I am a blessed man

[OneAccord]

Thomas Edison Jr. High School auditorim in Miami, Florida. I was attending an Apostolic Church in Miami (all white at the time). I was raised in a very racially predjudiced environment, so had alot of bias against other races. Seems I just couldn't "pray through" at all. But attended a RW Schambach meeting at the school auditorum and, surrounded by AfroAmericans and hispanics, I finally let go of my racial pride and prejudice. On Jan. 30, 1971, Bro. Schambach laid hands on me I recieved the baptism of the Holy Ghost and immediately spoke in tongues. Bro. Schambach preached 10 nights straight on the words: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want".

[Barb]

At the altar of South Flint Tabernacle in the old building...

[Pressing-On]

Lufkin Youth Camp.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

I was 11 years old at a storefront church a woman was preaching a revival and the pastor was committing adultery and the music was horrid. But my experience has kept this 45 years.

That is awesome, Brother Epley!!! I was in the most horrible home mission church, it was just God that kept me. He was stronger in my life!

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Lufkin Youth Camp.

Cool. I only got to go to Youth Camp once.

[My Own Eyes]

Not sure if you want when I received or when I spoke in tongues, so I'll give you both.

I don't know the exact date, Late January, early February of 2000. I had started attending a UPC church the previous August, for a few months before deciding it wasn't what I wanted. After looking around at other churches for 3 months or so, I decided to go back to the UPC one.

1 Sunday Morning, soon after coming back, I was praying at the altar, in my usual fit of frustration. I had been seeking the HG for awhile (both when I first came, and during my sabbatical), but was also very scared.

I would often pray, and at some point would kind of freak out and shut down. But on this particular day, I remember reaching that point, and actually stomping my foot and sayings "No! I am not going to be afraid".

Which wasn't true, LOL, I was still terrified, but I just refused to give up. And then at some point, I was filled, and it was indescribeable. It was like for the first time in my life, I understood what the words joy, and love, and peace really meant, because I felt them, inside of me. I floated on a cloud for like 3 days, before I came crashing back down to reality, but when I think of heaven, of how I'll feel in heaven, I think those days were a small glimpse into it.

Now, alot of the prayer was a blur, so I might have spoken a few words in tongues, but I don't really remember it. The tongues came a few weeks later, and I was at home alone, praying. (nevertheless, I never believed that I really got the HG until I had actually spoken in tongues in front of other church people, then I decided it was real....strange...huh?)

[Sister Alvear]

Just a small child 7 years old in a little mission church in Jacksonville, Arkansas...almost everyone had gone home but kept praying and around midnight I recieved it.

That was over 50 years ago!