SFC North Sector

[SmittenTao]

Suggested Procedure in Praying for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit


a) Ask the participant to sit down, just relax, and be open to the workings of the Holy Spirit.

b) Ask if there are any other specific areas that he/she wishes you to pray for, aside from those already discussed in your individual meeting. Ask if he/she desires any specific gift(s) form the Holy Spirit.

c) Start with praising the Lord. Ask the participants to join you here. Then ask the Lord’s protection for the participant and his loved ones and also for yourselves. Claim God’s power and victory over the situation.

d) Do a short prayer of exorcism, which means the casting out of evil spirits or the telling of spirits to leave a person or place free. It should be done simply and undramatically, in a quiet voice, so that only those praying for a particular person will hear it. Simply command whatever evil spirits there are to depart. If you have any discernment as to the kind of evil spirit present, then simply command the spirit to depart. (NOTE: This is not the kind of exorcism called when an individual is actually possessed. It is simply the same kind of prayer that is part of every Catholic celebration of the sacrament of Baptism. To avoid misconception some prefer to use the term “prayer for deliverance from evil spirits�). Then always ask for an infilling of the Holy Spirit for the void by evil spirits.

e) Pray that the participant be delivered from the bondage of sin. Pray for all those areas of wrongdoing or of weaknesses, all negative emotions, all areas of concern and difficulty, and any other obstacles to the full release of the Spirit in his life.

f) Pray for healing of memories and for inner healing.

g) Pray specifically for the Holy Spirit. For example:

“Father, we now ask you, in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, that you pour upon_____ the Holy Spirit so he/she may receive new life�.

Or any variation. The important thing is that you ask specifically that the Holy Spirit descend upon the participant. And Jesus will respond by baptizing the participant with his Spirit.

h) Pray that the participant receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially those he/she specifically desires.

i) Pray in tongues. Then you can ask the participant to pray in tongues. But you may have to help the participant to yield to tongues. Many will not understand or follow the instructions given in the opening remarks. Thus after praying with a person to be baptized in the Spirit, you should lean over or kneel down and suggest that he/she should try to start praying in tongues. You should encourage him/her to speak out, making sounds that are not English or any other language he/she knows. You should then pray with him again. When the person begins to speak in tongues, you should encourage him. Many will still be afraid that it is “just them�. You can often supply fait that will allow them to yield to the Spirit. Once the participants is able to pray in tongues, say a short prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord. If no tongues come, or the person feels inhibited, try encouraging but never force the person.

j) Pray that the participant be given the grace to become a strong Christian. Pray that he/she commit himself to the Lord.

k) Have a closing prayer for the participant, some words that will encourage and up build him. End with the Glory Be.

l) Let the participant go back to his seat, exhorting him to continue praying until everyone is finished.


Pastoral Notes:


a) You should get a prayer partner to provide support. However, you as the discussion group leader will lead the prayer. The prayer [partner is in a supporting role. It is the discussion group leader who has been with the participant for the past 8 sessions and who has two individual meetings with him/her. Thus, he/she knows best the participant and what his/her needs are. However, as is called for, the prayer partner gives support to the extent necessary. And in some cases where the discussion leader himself does not have the gift of tongues, it would be the prayer partner who should handle this portion.

b) Pray in a low audible voice. Usually there will be other praying teams in the same room. Your prayer should be loud enough to be heard by the participant and your prayer partner, but not too loud as to disturb the other groups.

c) Apply the right amount of encouragement and understanding for each participant. Some people will yield to the Spirit beautifully without any encouragement. Some should not be pushed at all. Let the Spirit lead you and give you wisdom on how to help your people.

d) Should the participant become restless, immediately pray that the peace of the Lord be upon him.

e) If the participant cr4is, alleviate his embarrassment by telling him that tears are a gift from the Lord. It is called the gift of tears or the gift of cleansing.

f) Be aware of what is happening to the participant. Don’t be lost in your own prayers. Be sensitive to the situation and adopt your prayers, your procedure and your whole self to it.

g) There is no set length of time to the prayer of this sort. It can range from as short as five minutes to as long as 30 minutes or more. It is not how long it takes that is important, but how effectively the participants are led to baptism in the Holy Spirit. However, your prayers should also not be so long that the whole session is stretched out. A good rule-of-thumb is to take no more than one hour to pry over your whole group.


Remember:

a) Study this guide and other available materials well.
b) Prepare yourself spiritually, throughout the week but especially on the day of the prayer session.
c) Pray, read Scripture, fast and intercede for your people.
d) Have faith and trust in the Lord!

God is good all the time!!