Baptism

in the
Holy Spirit

by Duane Vander Klok

 Baptism in the Holy Spirit
published by Resurrection Life Church
5100 Ivanrest Ave. S.W.
Grandville, MI 49418
616-534-4923

All rights reserved. Written permission must be

secured from the publisher or author to use or
reproduce any part of this book, except for brief
quotations in reviews or articles.

Copyright © 2003 Duane Vander Klok

Resurrection Life Church
5100 Ivanrest Ave. S.W.
Grandville, MI 49418

Unless otherwise noted,

all Scripture quotations
are from the
King James Version
of the Bible.

Cover Design: Kimberly Bonner

Text Design: Susan Harring
Revisions: Julie Johnson

ISBN 978-0-9798642-1-6
 Table of Contents
Chapter 1 What is the Purpose of the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit? ....................... 5

Chapter 2 The Scriptural Foundation ........................ 9

Chapter 3 It Isn’t Automatic...................................... 15

Chapter 4 The Holy Spirit is a Gift to You............... 19

Chapter 5 Overcoming Misunderstandings............. 23

Chapter 6 Why Pray in Tongues? ............................. 29

Chapter 7 A Changed Life ......................................... 43

 Chapter 1

What is the Purpose

of the Baptism in
the Holy Spirit?
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Jesus is a today God and has a present day
ministry having two main functions. First, the
Bible says,
“He ever liveth to make intercession for
us” (Hebrews 7:25).
That means He’s not a dead Has Been; He is a
risen, living I AM who is praying for us right
now! Why is He praying? Because He wants
people to experience His blessings and promises
in life now.
Jesus is the Head of the church and we are
each part of the church. Whatever He as Head of
the church wants to impart to us, we should want
to receive. Part of His ministry today is to be the
Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, so we should want
that part of His ministry in our lives.
Jesus has a second ministry which began
after His ascension to Heaven. John the Baptist
described this part of His ministry to the people
around Jerusalem who came to be baptized.
“I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance,” he told them, “but He that
cometh after me is mightier than I…
He [Jesus] will baptize you with the
+RO\6SLULWDQG¿UH´(Matthew 3:11).
Moments before He ascended to Heaven, He
instructed his disciples to wait for that special
6
 What is the Purpose of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
gift of power:
“But you shall receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses unto me in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Note that Jesus said, “You shall receive
power…” The baptism in the Holy Spirit is to
empower us to be witnesses. Peter and the other
disciples were in the upper room for ten days after
the ascension praying and seeking God, but it
wasn’t until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit
that Peter stood up, preached, and 3,000 people
were saved! They had received power and it had
transformed them into dynamic witnesses. Jesus
said the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
is to empower us to be witnesses.

7
 Chapter 2

The Scriptural
Foundation
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Peter quotes the prophet Joel in Acts:
“It shall come to pass in the last days
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all
ÀHVK´(Acts 2:17-18).
John the Baptist talked about it:
“I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance: but He that cometh after
me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am
not worthy to bear: He shall baptize
\RXZLWKWKH+RO\*KRVWDQGZLWK¿UH´
(Matthew 3:11).
Jesus Himself commanded His disciples in
Acts 1:4-5:
“that they should not depart from
Jerusalem, but wait for the promise
of the Father, which, saith He, ye have
heard of me. For John truly baptized
with water; but ye shall be baptized
with the Holy Ghost not many days
hence.”
Joel, John the Baptist, and Jesus talked about
a baptism in the Holy Spirit, and it is mentioned
throughout the New Testament. Jesus thought it
so important that He commanded His disciples,
“Don’t leave Jerusalem without it.” In modem
language that means: “Don’t leave the city limits
without the baptism in the Holy Spirit.” Why
10
 The Scriptural Foundation
would Jesus place so much importance on the
baptism in the Holy Spirit?
The reason, according to Jesus Himself, is
because salvation is only the beginning of a new
life. Jesus described salvation as a well when He
told the Samaritan woman,
“ … the water that I shall give him shall
be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life” (John 4:14).
Yet in John 7:38-39 He described something
more when He said,
“He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly [his
LQQHUPRVW EHLQJ@ VKDOO ÀRZ rivers of
living water. But this spake He of the
Spirit, which they that believe on Him
should receive.”
Wells and rivers have different purposes.
A well can take care of your personal need for
water, but rivers can take care of the needs of
multitudes. The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives
you power—not just for your needs, but for those
of multitudes.
Matthew 3:11 says Jesus wants to baptize
believers—which literally means immerse
them—in His Spirit. He explained the reason for
this baptism in Acts 1:8:
11
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“But ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and
ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth.”
The purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
is to give believers the power to be a witness—not
to give them goose bumps and a good feeling.
I have heard people say that the baptism in
the Holy Spirit was for the early church and not
for today. However, the Bible never talks about
the early church and the latter church. Jesus is
Head of the church. Jesus said He would build
His church and the gates of hell would not prevail
against it. There is only one church. In fact, the
Bible says in Jude 3,
“I found it necessary to write to you
exhorting you to contend earnestly
for the faith which was once for all
delivered to the saints.”
“Once for all” means God did not stop doing
certain things after 100 years or 300 years. What
God did in the book of Acts and in the New
Testament, He is still doing today. He healed,
performed miracles, delivered from demon
power, and baptized in the Holy Spirit in those
days, and He is doing the same today.
12
 The Scriptural Foundation
What God did then, He does now. What they
needed then, we need now. And that is: God’s
Living Word, Jesus’ redemptive work, and the
Holy Spirit’s dynamic empowerment.

13
 Chapter 3

It Isn’t Automatic
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Many people say, “I received all God has for
me when I got saved.” That is not necessarily true.
At salvation all God’s promises automatically
become available to the new believer but are
not necessarily received by faith and activated
in the believer’s life. Acts 8 tells the story of
Philip preaching in the city of Samaria and how
the people listened intently to his message about
the kingdom of God and watched the healing
miracles happen.
“But when they believed Philip
preaching the things concerning the
kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized, both men
and women” (Acts 8:12).
These people had been saved because Jesus
said in Mark 16:16,
“He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved.”
They did and they were saved.
Yet, Acts 8:14-17 goes on to say:
“Now when the apostles which were
at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God [another way
of saying they had been saved. See 1
Peter 1:23], they sent unto them Peter
and John: who, when they had come
16
 It Isn’t Automatic
down, prayed for them that they might
receive the Holy Ghost. (For as yet He
was fallen upon none of them; only
they were baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands
on them, and they received the Holy
Ghost.”
The apostles came from Jerusalem, laid hands
on them, and then they were baptized in the Holy
Spirit. They did not automatically receive just
because they were saved. The baptism in the
Holy Spirit was a second, separate experience.
Just because they had been saved didn’t mean
they had every blessing that God wanted them
WR KDYH LQ WKHLU OLYHV 7KH\ GH¿QLWHO\ KDG QRW
yet experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit
although they had been saved because the
apostles had sent Peter and John to them for that
very purpose.
$JDLQ LQ $FWV  WKLV LVFRQ¿UPHG
When Paul visited Ephesus and found believers
there, he asked them,
“Have ye received the Holy Ghost since
ye believed?”
From this verse it is very clear that a person
does not receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit
automatically when he gets saved. Speaking
of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, Paul asked if
17
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
they had received Him since (or after) they had
believed. This is a question all believers should
ask themselves: “Have I received the Holy Spirit
since I believed?”
At salvation the Holy Spirit comes and lives
in the believer to lead and guide. However, Jesus
still wants to immerse us in the Holy Spirit to
give us power to be a witness.
“And they said unto him, We have not
so much as heard whether there is a
Holy Spirit. And when Paul had laid
his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost
came upon them; and they spake with
tongues and prophesied.”
Even though they had been saved, they still
needed to receive the Holy Spirit. The fullness
of His power had not automatically been given to
them at salvation.

18
 Chapter 4

The Holy Spirit

Is a Gift to You
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Some may say, “If God has something for me,
He knows where I live and He can get it to me!”
That’s not the way it happens. God doesn’t force
believers to receive the Holy Spirit. In order to
be received, the baptism in the Holy Spirit must
be wanted and desired. In Acts 2:38 the people
asked,
“What shall we do?” Peter responded,
“Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
The Holy Spirit is a gift. God is not going to give
something to someone who doesn’t want it.
Neither is He going to give anything that
makes people act strange and weird. (I’ve seen
people claim their weirdness is a work of the
Holy Spirit, but it isn’t.) Jesus says the Holy Spirit
is a good gift.
“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall
be given you VHHN DQG \H VKDOO ¿QG
knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For everyone that asketh receiveth;
DQGKHWKDWVHHNHWK¿QGHWKDQGWRKLP
that knocketh it shall be opened. If a
son shall ask bread of any of you that
is a father, will he give him a stone? Or
LI KH DVN D ¿VK ZLOO KH IRU D ¿VK JLYH
20
 The Holy Spirit Is a Gift to You
him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an
egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye
then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children; how much
more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?”
(Luke 11:9-13)
Occasionally stories will circulate about
someone who heard people speaking in tongues
and claimed they were praising the devil. That
would make God a liar. No Christian who ever
asked for the Holy Spirit received anything but
the Holy Spirit. In Luke 10:19 Jesus said,
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread
on serpents and scorpions, and over all
the power of the enemy: and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.”
Bible scholars agree that the reference to serpents
and scorpions in Luke 10 means Satan and demon
power. If that’s what it means in Luke 10, that’s
what it means in Luke 11 when Jesus promised to
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Jesus said if
\RXDVNIRUD¿VK\RXZRQ¶WJHWDVHUSHQW,I\RX
ask for an egg, you won’t be offered a scorpion.
Because both “serpent” and “scorpion” refer to
demon power, Jesus is saying that we don’t need
to fear receiving an evil spirit when we ask our
loving Heavenly Father for the baptism in the
Holy Spirit.
21
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Jesus said if our earthly father gives good
gifts, how much more will our Heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
Therefore, if a believer asks for the Holy Spirit,
he will not get some other spirit.

22
 Chapter 5

Overcoming
Misunderstandings
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
A few years ago, I received an invitation to
attend an “Apostolic Succession” meeting. They
said I needed to have someone lay hands on me
who had had someone else lay hands on them,
who had had someone else lay hands on them—
all the way back to Jesus.
Wait a minute! It doesn’t matter who does
the laying on of hands, no one receives more
of the Holy Spirit than others just because So-
and-So laid hands on them. Jesus alone—not a
big-name person—is the Baptizer in the Holy
Spirit, whether you receive the baptism in the
Holy Spirit in the privacy of a home or in a public
church service. The Bible (Acts 9:11-17) tells
about a certain disciple in Damascus by the name
of Ananias. The Lord appeared to him in a vision
and said,
“Arise, and go into the street which
is called Straight, and enquire in the
house of Judas for one called Saul, of
Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and
hath seen in a vision a man named
Ananias coming in, and putting his
hand on him, that he might receive his
sight.”
Now look at the next verse:
“And Ananias went his way and entered
into the house; and putting his hands on
24
 Overcoming Misunderstandings
him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even
Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the
way as thou camest, hath sent me, that
thou mightest receive thy sight, and be
¿OOHGZLWKWKH+RO\*KRVW.”
When he laid his hands on him, Saul’s sight
UHWXUQHGDQGKHZDV¿OOHGZLWKWKH+RO\6SLULW
Ananias was not an apostle, an evangelist, or
even a pastor. Jesus is the One who baptizes in
the Holy Spirit—not the person who does the
laying on of hands.
This isn’t the only misunderstanding that can
keep people from receiving God’s gift. Confusion
about the supernatural can also be a hindrance. I
had been saved for about a month when some of
the church leaders told me about the baptism in
the Holy Spirit. I wanted His Power in my life,
so they gathered around and told me to lift my
hands. I lifted my hands. They told me to ask
God for the Holy Spirit. I did. Then they said I
would speak in tongues. So I got ready. Believe
it or not, I left my mouth hanging open so God
could speak in tongues whenever He was ready.
I waited for God to grab my tongue and go for it
because I wanted it to be God, not me. About half
an hour went by and those guys got tired and my
PRXWKJRWYHU\GU\7KH\¿QDOO\VDLG³<RXKDYH
received the Holy Spirit. Go home now.”
I felt confused—like, what’s wrong with me?
25
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Other people receive, why don’t I? I told God,
³-XVW¿OOPHDQGOHWPHVSHDNLQWRQJXHVDQG,¶OO
read my Bible every day for the rest of my life.
I’ll go to church every Sunday, and pray every
day, and fast once a week!” (Ever try to con God?
It doesn’t work!) I saw others who seemed to
be so happy in their new experience with God
after they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit
and spoke in tongues. Why couldn’t I experience
that, too?
Three months later while at college, I attended
a little prayer meeting and got so desperate I told
God, “Okay, this is it! This is Your last chance!
If You don’t speak in tongues, I’m going to…This
is it, God! C’mon now…I mean this is Your very
last chance…Speak in tongues now or I’m going
to!…Okay, I warned You!” I started to speak—
DQGDQHZODQJXDJHMXVWÀRZHGRXW
I didn’t understand that when the supernatural
is involved, it always has two parts: man’s part and
God’s part. For example, when God told Moses
to “Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand
over the sea,” that was Moses’ part. He did the
natural part lifting up his rod and stretching out
his hand. And God did the supernatural part; He
parted the waters. In the same way, when Jesus
walked on the water, He told Peter, “Come.” Peter
did the natural part by walking, and God did
the supernatural part by holding him up. When
26
 Overcoming Misunderstandings
Jesus said, “Lay hands on the sick and they will
recover,” we lay hands on the sick. That’s the
natural part. God causes them to recover; that’s
the supernatural part.

We do the natural, and God does the

supernatural. Acts 2:4 says,

³$QG WKH\ ZHUH DOO ¿OOHG ZLWK WKH

Holy Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance.”

They began to speak, and the Spirit gave them

utterance. I had been waiting for God to do all the
speaking and giving the utterance while God had
been waiting for me to begin speaking. As I sat in
that college prayer meeting speaking in tongues,
I realized I could’ve spoken in tongues back at
the church months before. I could have, but I just
didn’t know it. I didn’t understand that I had a
part. I had to begin to speak in faith, and then
God would give the utterance.

Someone might say, “It sounds like you turn

God on and off.” No, God is always on! He’s
always ready. You see, I can speak in Spanish or
in English right now. He doesn’t make me speak
in Spanish, English, or in tongues, any more than
He would make me pray, fast, or say no to sin. It’s
my choice. In I Corinthians 14:15 Paul says,
27
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“I will pray with the spirit (tongues),
and I will pray with the understanding”
(a language he understood).
Notice he said, “I will” about both tongues
and his own language. The individual must do
the speaking.
As for our praying in the Spirit, God is ready
any time, but He waits for us to start. He simply
gives us the ability—but it’s up to us to step out
and start using it. Then He does His part.
A third misunderstanding is thinking the
baptism in the Holy Spirit is a “feeling.” People
sometimes think their experience should be like
someone else’s. For example, when Aunt Susie
received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, she
described it as feeling like warm, liquid love
pouring over her from the top of her head down
to her toes. Now that doesn’t mean Uncle Joe will
feel the same thing when he is baptized in the
Holy Spirit. Maybe he will. But maybe he won’t.
So many people equate the baptism in the
Holy Spirit with certain feelings, but the Holy
Spirit is not a feeling. Some people get saved
and feel like ten thousand pounds rolled off their
shoulders. Others get saved and don’t feel a thing.
Did they both get saved? Yes. Neither salvation
nor the baptism in the Holy Spirit is based on
“feelings.”

28
 Chapter 6

Why Pray
in Tongues?
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Someone might say, “I’ll take the Holy
Spirit, but I don’t want any of those tongues.”
Unfortunately, that’s like walking into a shoe
store, picking out a pair of shoes, and telling
the clerk, “I want running shoes without
tongues.” The clerk will shake his head at such
an odd request and say, “Sorry, all our running
shoes come with tongues!” The baptism in the
Holy Spirit comes with tongues. It’s part of the
package, not something extra. Keep in mind,
also, that God doesn’t give useless gifts. Each
has a purpose. What about speaking in tongues?
What is the purpose of this gift?
3UD\LQJLQ7RQJXHV0DJQL¿HV*RG
On the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit
fell upon those in the upper room, people of
¿IWHHQGLIIHUHQWQDWLRQDOLWLHVVDLG
“…we do hear them speak in our
tongues the wonderful works of God”
(Acts 2:11).
2. Praying in Tongues is Talking to God
Speaking in tongues is not for communicating
with people but for communicating with God.
According to I Corinthians 14:2, speaking in
tongues is praying to God:
“For he that speaketh in an unknown
tongue speaketh not unto men, but
30
 Why Pray in Tongues?
unto God: for no man understandeth
him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh
mysteries.”

When you speak in tongues you are talking to

God. And all Christians agree that talking to God
is called prayer.

I Corinthians 14:14 tells us that when we pray

in tongues, our spirit prays. Normally when we
pray, our mind or understanding is praying. But
when we pray in the spirit, our spirit by the Holy
Spirit is praying directly to God.

When we speak in tongues, I Corinthians 14:2

says no one understands. You don’t understand;
friends or family will not understand. However,
God understands the prayer of your spirit.

3. Praying in Tongues is Speaking in

a Divine Code

During World War II, after Americans broke

the Japanese code, they knew everything the
Japanese were going to do before they did it. This
helped America win the war. Speaking in tongues
is a prayer language Satan can never decode, so
he cannot win the battle!

That explains why praying in tongues is such

a powerful prayer weapon. I Corinthians 14:15
says:
31
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“What is it then? I will pray with
the spirit, and I will pray with the
understanding also.”
God is revealing an extremely effective and
accurate weapon of prayer. Start praying with
the spirit (in tongues, without understanding),
then pray in English and often your thoughts on
how to pray will be the interpretation of what you
prayed in tongues.
Let’s suppose, for example, some friends are
having marital problems. The tendency is to tell
*RG KRZ WR ¿[ LW EXW *RG VD\V WR SUD\ LQ WKH
spirit. After praying for the situation in tongues,
pray in English. Oftentimes a thought will come to
mind (the understanding), which aims the prayer
in exactly the right direction. Perhaps it might be
something like, “Sexual abuse. Six years old.”
:LWKXQGHUVWDQGLQJ²DQGFRQ¿GHQFH²DSUD\HU
for healing of a damaged and broken heart caused
by sexual abuse can be made on their behalf.
Now where did such thoughts come from?
From the Holy Spirit giving the interpretation of
what had just been prayed in the spirit. The Holy
Spirit knows the mind of God, so praying in the
spirit allows Him to aim our prayers in the right
direction and “hit the target.”
No wonder Satan has caused so much division
over this gift! He doesn’t like to have believers
32
 Why Pray in Tongues?
praying in the spirit for three reasons: 1) He can’t
decode those prayers so he can’t sabotage them;
2) he can’t sidetrack them; and 3) he can’t shift
WKRVHSUD\HUVLQWRDVHO¿VKPRGH
Sadly, in some churches speaking in tongues
invites “the left foot of fellowship.” Immediately!
They think it’s of the devil. How amazing! I
served the devil for 20 years, and all the time I
was drunk in the bar and running around, the
devil never let me speak in tongues. But when I
got saved and I’m serving God, reading my Bible,
praying, fasting, worshiping Him, and I receive
the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I start speaking
in tongues. In the Bible when someone spoke in
tongues, it was evidence they had received the
baptism in the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:44-46 states,
“While Peter yet spake these words, the
Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard
the word. And they of the circumcision
which believed were astonished, as
many as came with Peter, because that
on the Gentiles also was poured out the
gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard
them speak with tongues, and magnify
God.”
Remember the apostle Paul concludes all
his teaching on spiritual gifts and tongues by
saying,
33
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“Forbid not to speak with tongues”
I Corinthians 14:39.
4. God Wants His People to Speak in
Tongues
A look at I Corinthians 12, 13, and 14—the
three chapters where tongues are talked about
more than any other place in the Bible—reveals
this conclusion:
“If any man think himself to be a pro-
phet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge
that the things that I write unto you
are the commandments of the Lord.
But if any man be ignorant, let him be
ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, covet to
prophesy, and forbid not to speak with
tongues” (I Corinthians 14:37-39).
We are not to forbid speaking in tongues because
this is something God wants believers to do!
Speaking in tongues is the easiest mani-
festation of the Spirit to receive. Some people
say, “I’m not going to speak in tongues. I’d rather
prophesy or move in the gift of faith, or in gifts
of healing and miracles.” Without speaking in
tongues, operating in the other gifts of the Spirit
LVPRUHGLI¿FXOW<LHOGLQJWRWKH6SLULWRI*RGLQ
tongues helps the believer yield to the Spirit of
God in the other gifts.
34
 Why Pray in Tongues?
The Bible is God speaking to you and to me.
Therefore, I Corinthians 14:5 is God saying,
“I would that ye all spake with
tongues.”
I want to speak with tongues if for no other reason
than God says He wants me to. If it is God’s will
for my life, I want it. I’m not going to let tradition
and doctrines of men keep me from God’s will
for my life.
5. Praying in Tongues is Edifying
I Corinthians 14:4 gives another reason to
pray in tongues:
“He that speaketh in an unknown
WRQJXHHGL¿HWKKLPVHOI´
Edify means to build up. (In fact, the English
word HGL¿FH comes from that same root word. An
HGL¿FHLVVRPHWKLQJWKDWKDVEHHQEXLOWXS-XGH
20 says it again,
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves
on your most holy faith, praying in the
Holy Ghost.”
In a sense, the spirit of man is like the battery
in a car. Both must be charged to operate correctly.
If a car’s battery has been drained, the owner
will ask someone with jumper cables to charge or
35
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“edify” his battery. Praying in tongues “charges”
RUHGL¿HVWKHVSLULWRIPDQ:LWKRXWEHLQJEXLOW
up and strong inside, a believer will have a hard
WLPHJRLQJWKURXJKGLI¿FXOWLHVDQGWULDOV
Here’s a good example of what it means to
EH ³HGL¿HG´ $Q HYDQJHOLVW LQ +RXVWRQ GHFLGHG
KH ZRXOG SUD\ LQ WRQJXHV DV KH PDGH WKH ¿YH
hour trip to Dallas. He reasoned that if God said
it would build him up, he wanted it. As he drove
along praying in tongues, he got lost and arrived
home much later than planned. Sitting in the
driveway, he expressed his frustration to God.
+HKDGSUD\HG¿YHKRXUVDQGGLGQ¶WIHHOHGL¿HG
at all.
He felt like the Lord replied, “You are!”
Puzzled, the man decided that if God said so,
WKHQKHZDVHGL¿HG²HYHQLIKHGLGQ¶WIHHOOLNHLW
He ran in the house, freshened up, and he and his
wife rushed to a prayer meeting. Arriving late,
they sat in the back. When a lady seated in front
of them asked for prayer, the leader asked him to
pray for her.
He said he extended his hand to touch her,
and when he did, it felt like 10,000 volts of
electricity jumped out of his hand, hit her, and
knocked her down. He looked at his hand and
VDLG³1RZWKDW¶VHGL¿HG´(YHQWKRXJKKHGLGQ¶W
feel anything physically, yet his spirit had been
FKDUJHGXSHGL¿HG²DQGWKHSRZHURI*RGFRXOG
36
 Why Pray in Tongues?
touch another person’s life through him.
6. Praying in Tongues Will Keep You
in the Love of God
People don’t always appreciate or treat others
kindly, so a believer has a deep need to be strong
in spirit and to be kept in the love of God. Notice
what Jude 20-21 says:
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves
on your most holy faith, praying in the
Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love
of God, looking for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Spending time praying in tongues not only
strengthens a believer’s heart and mind against
bitter, angry thoughts, it also makes him more
aware of God’s love for him and for those who
mistreat him. A believer who stays in the love of
God frees Him to work in the situation to bring
the needed changes.
7. Praying in Tongues Enables You
to Pray About Things You Don’t
Know About
In his book on prayer, Kenneth Hagin tells of
a woman in England who felt an urgency to pray
as she went to bed. Though not sure what the
need was, she prayed in tongues for several hours
anyway. As the urgency lifted, she saw a vision
37
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
of a very sick white man being brought into a hut
by a group of black people. The man died, and
they covered him with a sheet. As she watched,
however, he sat up as if raised from the dead and
went outside where everyone began rejoicing.

She recorded this unusual experience in her

diary and never thought any more about it until
two years later when a guest missionary spoke at
her church. She recognized him as the white man
in her vision. After the service, she described
to him what she had seen in the vision, and he
acknowledged that it had actually happened.
They compared diaries and discovered the times
and dates matched.

Romans 8:26-27 explains what happened:

“for we know not what we should

pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts
knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the
saints according to the will of God.”

When you pray in tongues, the Holy

Spirit can direct you to pray for people and
circumstances you know nothing about.

38
 Why Pray in Tongues?
8. Praying in Tongues Enables a
Believer to Pray the Will of God
Most people’s problems are located between
the ears—in the mind. The mind focuses on
personal feelings and opinions: “Lord, bless me.
Help me. Do this for me. Give me this. Give me
that!” The mind is always ready to tell God how
to do His job.
Praying in tongues enables a believer to pray
the answer instead of the problem. When praying
in the spirit (praying in tongues), the human
spirit and the Holy Spirit are working together
in prayer. Romans 8 says the Holy Spirit always
prays according to the will of God. Always. And
since He knows more about the situation than
anyone else, He always prays the answer to the
problem. Speaking in tongues enables a believer
to pray effectively for a situation because he is
praying the will of God, even if his understanding
(mind) is “unfruitful”—that is, even if he doesn’t
fully understand.
9. Praying in Tongues Will Develop
Your Spirit
The Bible says man has three parts: spirit,
soul, and body. A person can develop his physical
body and set amazing records of endurance and
skill. The world has colleges and universities
where people can develop their souls (intellect).
39
Baptism in the Holy Spirit

But what about a man’s spirit? How can it be

developed? Look at Isaiah 28:9-11:
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and
whom shall he make to understand
doctrine? them that are weaned from
the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
For precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept; line upon line,
line upon line; here a little, and there
a little: For with stammering lips and
another tongue will he speak to this
people.”
Paul in I Corinthians 14:20-22 lets us know
that “stammering lips and another tongue” is
referring to speaking in tongues in the New
Testament.
Speaking in tongues opens man’s spirit to
what God is saying in His Word, thus
strengthening and developing his spirit. My
favorite way to study the Bible is to read a little
at a time, then speak in tongues, then read a little
more, then speak in tongues. Believers will get
more revelation from God’s Word reading it in
this way than in any other way. I Corinthians 2:12
says God’s Word cannot be understood without
the Spirit of God.
“Now we have received, not the spirit
40
 Why Pray in Tongues?

of the world, but the spirit which is of

God; that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God.”
As good food and exercise develop the body
and keep it healthy, so also letting the Spirit of
God teach and reveal the Word of God to us will
keep our spirit strong and healthy.

41
 Chapter 7

A Changed Life
 In 1980, when Jeanie and I lived in Mexico, I
received an invitation to speak on the “Baptism in
the Holy Spirit” on Pentecost Sunday at a church
in Tepeapulco. For three days before the service,
the believers had been fasting and praying, and
E\6XQGD\PRUQLQJTXLWHDFURZGKDG¿OOHGWKH
sanctuary. I was seated on the platform with the
pastor and elders of the church. After the singing
started, the back door opened and a man entered
with a woman following him. Now in this church,
women didn’t wear pants, but she did. Women had
head coverings on, but she didn’t. And women
sat only on one side of the church, but she sat
down on the men’s side of the church. She wasn’t
following any of the local church’s protocol, so I
suspected she wasn’t saved.
Later she told me she had gone to the bus
stop as usual on her way to work as a beautician,
but she couldn’t stop the tormenting, confusing
thoughts churning through her mind.
“God, my life is such a mess,” she silently
prayed. “It’s so empty. I need You, God! I need
You to do something in my life.”
She noticed the man standing beside her had
a black book with the words Santa Biblia (Holy
Bible) on the cover. Suddenly this desperate
woman made a decision. “I’m not going to work
today,” she determined, “I don’t know where that
man is going, but I’m going with him.”
44
 She didn’t say anything, but when her bus
came by, she let it pass. He waved down his bus,
and she followed him aboard and sat next to him,
still not saying a word. He got off; she got off.
He walked two blocks and turned into a church.
I saw her enter following him like a shadow. She
hadn’t been in the room for more than 30 seconds
before tears were streaming down her face.
I spoke about the Holy Spirit and at the end of
the service invited people to come forward if they
ZDQWHGWREHEDSWL]HGLQWKH+RO\6SLULW,¿JXUHG
maybe ten or twelve people would come. Instead,
120-150 people, including this woman, jumped
up and came to the altar. I knew she needed to
be saved before receiving the baptism in the Holy
Spirit, so I led everyone in a prayer for salvation,
then a prayer asking for the baptism in the Holy
Spirit. I walked up to a woman and said, “I’m
going to lay hands on you, and when I do, the
Holy Spirit will come on you, and you will begin
to speak in tongues.” No sooner had I laid my
hand on her head than her hands shot up in the
air, and she burst out speaking in tongues—loud!
The believers still in their seats got excited and
began to pray in tongues until the place sounded
like Niagara Falls. One after another—including
the woman who had just gotten saved—people
were being baptized in the Spirit and speaking
in tongues as the pastors and elders laid hands
on them.
45
 I went up on the platform to get a drink and
here came one of the elders with tears running
down his cheeks. “I’m praying for people, and
they’re receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit!”
he exclaimed.
“That’s good!” I told him. “That is what’s
supposed to happen.”
“You don’t understand,” he cried. “I’ve been
trying to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit
for 30 years…30 years! I’m praying for them and
they are receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking
in tongues. But I never have!”
He had been taught that he had to “tarry” for
the Holy Spirit, and that he needed to get “holy”
¿UVW +RZHYHU VDOYDWLRQ LV D JLIW DQG VR LV WKH
baptism in the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t give
salvation because we’ve earned it. Neither does
He give the Holy Spirit because we’re so holy.
No! He gives it because He’s so good!
“You’re going to receive the Holy Spirit right
now,” I told him.
He said, “Really?”
“Yes, really!” I declared. “I’m going to lay
hands on you, and when I do, you’re going to
receive the Holy Spirit and you’re going to speak
in tongues.” As I reached forward, his hands shot
up and he started speaking in tongues. I never did
46
get to pray for him.
:KDW KDSSHQHG" +LV IDLWK ¿QDOO\ NLFNHG LQ
Isn’t it interesting that it had taken this believer 30
years to have enough faith to receive the baptism
in the Holy Spirit, but this woman who had been
saved for less than three minutes received Him
immediately? God’s gift is not given because of
our goodness, but because of His goodness! It
is not something to be earned, but a gift to be
received by faith.
That day many lives changed as the power
RI WKH +RO\ 6SLULW ¿OOHG EHOLHYHUV ERWK ROG DQG
new—just like your life will when you, too,
respond to Jesus’ invitation. If, like the woman
in this story, the confusion and pain of life is
too much to carry any more and you’re ready for
a change, this is your day. You can experience
salvation today by praying this simple prayer
from your heart.
Dear God,
I come in Jesus’ Name. I believe that Jesus
is Your Son, that He died on the cross and shed
His precious blood to pay for my sins. I receive
your forgiveness for all my sins. I believe Jesus
rose again so I make Him the Lord of my life. I
am not going to live to please myself any longer.
I’m going to live for Jesus every day. Thank you
that I’m forgiven, I’m saved, and I’m on my way
to Heaven. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
47
 If you have prayed this prayer, I encourage
you to read the little booklet, Your New Life, that
will explain how to walk in the new life God has
for you.
If you want to experience the baptism in the
Holy Spirit, here is another prayer you can pray:
Heavenly Father,
You say in Your Word that the Holy Spirit is
a good gift and that everyone who asks for the
Holy Spirit receives. I ask to be baptized in the
+RO\6SLULWLQ-HVXV¶1DPH,WKDQN<RXIRU¿OOLQJ
me, for empowering my life to be a witness for
You, and for giving me the gift of tongues. Now,
just like Paul, I will pray with my understanding
(English), and I will pray with the spirit (tongues).
I believe I receive right now! In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Go ahead and tell Him how much you love
Him. He is a wonderful Savior. And when you
run out of words in English, begin to speak out
of your spirit. He understands! Remember, you
begin to speak, you use your tongue and vocal
cords, but He gives you the utterance.

48
 About the Author

Duane G. Vander Klok

Pastor Duane and Jeanie Vander Klok pastor
Resurrection Life Church of Grandville,
Michigan. Resurrection Life Church has a
weekly attendance of over 8,000. The Vander
Kloks served for seven years in Mexico with
an emphasis on church planting and teaching in
Bible schools.
Presently Pastor Duane travels in the United
States and abroad encouraging the Body of
Christ with practical teaching from the Word
of God. He gives oversight to many churches in
Michigan and hosts a daily television program
called “Walking by Faith.”
The Vander Klok family includes three sons and
one daughter, their spouses, and grandchildren.