After moving from the city to the small town, we joined a nearby church, became friends with some other young couples, and started meeting for prayer in various homes.

One night at our home with approximately four other couples, we started to pray. After about half an hour, several individuals received the knowledge that Jesus wanted to baptize one of us with the Holy Spirit. Eventually someone had the courage to act on this knowledge and interrupt the prayer. Then after a brief discussion, we discovered that we agreed about the Lord’s direction, and gathering around the individual we laid our hands on her and began to pray.

Within 5 minutes the Holy Spirit came down, she was filled with the presence of God, and began speaking in tongues. It was a night of tremendous joy, except later her husband confessed his upset that the Holy Spirit had been given to her through others and not through himself.

Perhaps we should have known better and put him in charge of the prayer for his wife. Or perhaps God had to use others.

Either way, I’m thankful that the Lord teaches us gently and forgives our mistakes when we lean fully on him.