~ A place to find answers to gnawing spiritual questions ~
Question: I recently attended a full gospel church with a friend of mine and I have some questions about what I experienced or rather didn't experience. I have been ever closer in my relationship with the Lord and I thought I understood that being slain in the spirit might be a way to become even closer. I yearned for that and went to this church asking for that. The minister prayed over me and other than my heart beating loudly and quickly nothing really happened. I have a friend who attended this church and was slain in the spirit and did not even want for that to happen!! I don't know what to make of it. Is something wrong with me that I did not experience that?!?! Should I continue to attend this church and want to experience this phenomenon?!? I appreciate your time.Answer:
It would be impossible for me to make an assessment of the particular church that you attended without visiting it myself. That not being a viable option considering our mode of communication here, I cannot tell you whether or not to continue attending that church. I can, however, give you some guidelines for choosing yourself a church and then I'll proceed to answer the questions that are implied in your e-mail.
First and foremost, find a church that preaches the Bible. You need the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH! Sometimes the truth even hurts, but since we will be judged by the truth, it is of the utmost importance that we know the truth so that we will not be surprised at God's expectations. God's Word, the Bible, gives us His guidelines for our lives. If the pastor of this church completely ignores certain passages of the New Testament, or teaches that the Bible (in certain places) doesn't really mean EXACTLY what it says, find another church! If he fearlessly preaches the "whole counsel of God," be unconditionally faithful to that church!
Secondly, find a church where the moving of the Spirit is welcome in the services. Jesus Christ, the Bible teaches us, is the Head (Leader) of the Church. When He is not given full sway in our services, something is wrong with US!
Regarding being "slain in the Spirit" -- that is, being laid out prostrate [on the floor] by the power of the Holy Ghost. This is not an uncommon manifestation in Pentecostal circles. I DO NOT speak against ANY TRUE manifestation of the Holy Ghost. It is my [Biblical] opinion, however, that our seeking is sometimes misdirected.
What do I mean by this? For example, many people seek after the gift of tongues. Now "speaking in tongues" is indeed the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and is a gift to be coveted. There is NOTHING wrong with speaking in tongues. However, our seeking should be after the Lord Himself, and not so much on the gifts that He gives. The Holy Ghost is God (just as the Father and the Son are God). When a man (or woman) fervently seeks to get closer to God, he will eventually receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost! That is what he most desires. With the infilling of the Holy Ghost, then, comes a manifestation of the Spirit -- speaking in tongues! He did not seek it specifically, but it came as a result of his fervent seeking.
It is my belief that you should seek, not to be slain in the Spirit necessarily (though a blessed manifestation of the Spirit), but to get closer to the Lord, and let Him give you these wonderful manifestations when and as it pleases Him!
The way to get closer to the Lord, my friend, is NOT to stand in prayer lines and/or shout and speak in tongues! No one can get you closer to the Lord but YOU!
The way to get closer to the Lord is to set aside more time in your DAILY life to pray and to study His Word. Contained within the pages of God's Bible is EVERYTHING you need to get closer to Him. Read it! Pray over it! Obey it! Continue in it! Being "slain in the Spirit" will NOT make you closer to the Lord -- but getting closer to the Lord may very well result in your being "slain in the Spirit" sometime when you are least expecting it!
Don't let the devil discourage you! Keep praying and reading your Bible EVERY DAY (you can't live for God without doing those things) and prayerfully obeying what the Bible says. It will pay off!
