My friends have tried to get me filled with the Holy spirit by laying hands on me and praying both in tongues and in English. I babbled a little bit because I felt uncomfortable, and I could feel their impatience growing when I didn't speak in tongues as soon as they began praying for me.When I babbled...they hugged me and said I was spirit filled! I didn't feel spirit filled at that moment and it is an effort for me to speak in tongues now because I feel it is a forced act on my part and it does not come natural for me.I did go to a prayer meeting to "pray for our country" at my friends church. It was many different speakers taking turns praying both in tongues and English with no interpreter present.My red flags went up during the long prayer session. At times it was utter confusion due to the speaker speaking in English/tongues and the rest of the gang responding in tongue/babble and some English. It was hard to hear and therefore hard to pray with all that noise in the background."Standing in the Gap" was mentioned (I still do not know what "standing in the gap" means). Also mentioned was issues of: abortion, homosexuality, church unity, voting for and praying for God to place righteous people in positions of power, revival plus other issues affecting our society today.Some people were coming up to other people and placing hands on one another and prophesizing good things that were about to happen to each of their lives and God was showing favor towards some of them.Some in the crowd of people began to shout: "can't you feel God's presence...he is here right now?""We do not always feel him here... but we feel him here tonight."In conclusion, I cried a little near the end of the prayer session. I felt "sensory overload," uncomfortable, unsafe, and the "outsider" that really didn't belong. When I attended that function I fully expected to come out of it with some inner peace, a closeness to God and fellowship with members of that church.I learned a big lesson. Finding inner peace and closeness to God comes only from the simple truth found in God's word! TBN and churches that play on emotional hype can really place one on a confusing path. Be careful out there!!!
