Step Number 3
Tell people that when you lay hands on them, they are to receive the Holy Ghost.
Anyone can lay hands on another in faith, for God honors faith. However, there is also a
ministry of laying on of hands, and some are used along these lines more than others. But
anyone can lay their hands on a person in faith as a point of contact, and tell them, "This is the
time — right now — that you are to receive the Holy Ghost." The Holy Ghost is received by
faith, and faith is always "now" or present tense (Heb. 11:1).
Step Number 4
Tell the candidate what to expect as he receives the Holy Spirit; otherwise, he won't know what
is happening when the Holy Spirit begins to move on him.
Tell the candidate that he is to expect the Holy Spirit to move upon his vocal organs and put
supernatural words on his lips which he will have to speak out himself in cooperation with the
Holy Spirit.
Remember, the person is the one who does the actual speaking, not the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit gives the utterance, but man does the actual speaking.
Some people have taught things that are unscrip-tural for so long that it is hard for them to
break the habit of teaching them. For example, I have seen someone about to speak with
tongues; the Spirit of God would be moving on his lips and vocal cords. Then I would hear
someone say to him, "Let the Holy Ghost talk." But it is not the Holy Ghost who is to do the
talking. It is the person receiving the Holy Ghost who is to do the talking.
Now it is all right to tell the person to yield to the Holy Ghost. But notice again Acts 2:4: ". . .
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and [they] began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance." Notice, they were all filled and they began to speak. In other
words, the Holy Spirit gives the utterance; the person who is receiving the Holy Spirit does the
speaking.
Many people have thought, If I do the speaking, that would just be me. Well of course, it will be
you talking. It sure won't be me! And it sure won't be the person praying with you who will be
doing the talking. Anytime you ever speak with tongues, it will surely be you doing the talking.
But the Holy Ghost gives you the utterance, and it is a supernatural utterance.
The point is this: the Holy Ghost doesn't take you over, so to speak, and force you to do
anything. But you can respond to Him and follow His promptings. He will give you the
utterance, but you do the talking. Nowhere in the Bible do we find that the Holy Ghost spoke in
tongues. Every scripture reference tells us that the person receiving the Holy Ghost does the
talking and speaks the supernatural utterance — tongues — the Holy Spirit gives him.
Let's look at what the Scriptures say about the believer's role in speaking in tongues and the
Holy Spirit's role in giving the utterance.
ACTS 2:4
4 [They ] began to SPEAK with other tongues, as THE SPIRIT gave them UTTERANCE.
ACTS 10:46