For one sister, an ordinary prayer meeting turned into a ‘suddenly’ from God, after years of prayer. She had been saved for quite some time and had seen person after person receive a gift from the Lord that she desperately wanted. She prayed and believed, but the promise she was waiting for had yet to manifest. Her longing was one that many in the Body of Christ take for granted: to be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

On Thursday, June 18th, the room was unhurried. World Healing Church had gathered to pray, a frequent occurrence since the congregation began experiencing a charismatic renewal one month prior. Following a corporate visitation on the Sunday before Pentecost, the local church was left with a renewed commitment to rebuilding the altar of prayer and immediately adjusted its service schedule to make space for regular extended times of corporate intercession and encounters in the Presence of the Lord.

This particular Thursday, as the pray-ers positioned themselves throughout the dimly lit sanctuary, the corporate word of the Lord cracked a pregnant silence that had settled in the room. “The harvest is coming. The drought is ending,” Apostle Ed Citronnelli, the church’s Founder and Senior Pastor, declared as he walked around the room. “Yes, the harvest is coming, and your drought is ending.”

It was a powerful prophetic utterance, directly from the heart of the Father, that lasted over six minutes. Unbeknownst to those in the room, the drought for one among them would be over before the meeting dismissed.

When the group came together, Apostle Ed anchored the prophetic word that had just been released in scripture. He gave biblical context and historical understanding of the terms ‘former’ and ‘latter rain,’ strengthening the faith of those who listened. He also spoke on the interpretation of tongues. It was here that the testimony began.

After asking whether anyone there didn’t speak in tongues, one sister, who was sitting attentively at the front, identified herself. Apostle Ed reassured her and asserted that he and the group would pray for her. At the end of the teaching, as he activated the group in the interpretation of tongues by having them pray and listen to the Holy Spirit for revelation of their individual prayers, he laid hands on the sister.

After some time, he asked her about her experience, explaining that many Christians, when they are first filled with the Holy Spirit, perceive the sound of tongues bubbling up within them, but don’t release them because they think it is just their mind. Then, calling the room to surround the sister, he laid hands on her again. In the next moments, the Holy Spirit swept through the room. When the woman fell to the floor under the power of the Spirit, several of the women present got on the ground and continued to pray with her. It was a powerful time of ministry. Not only was the sister filled with the evidence of speaking in tongues, but many around the circle were refilled!

When the moment of prayer ended, an audible celebration arose. The woman’s joy was contagious, with cheering and clapping erupting around the prayer circle

“I’ve been praying for this for years!” the sister exclaimed, even noting that she had mentioned it to Pastor David Ahart, Associate Pastor of World Healing Church, when she first came to the Freedom Arena. It was a convicting reminder to cherish the gift that the Lord has given us.

The Promised Holy Spirit
After the Resurrection, Jesus told his disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father, “‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Acts 1:4-5). He had spoken of this promise during the Last Supper, saying:
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26)

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-14)

The Father kept this promise. In Acts chapter two, we read the thrilling account of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the believers who were gathered in the upper room. Tongues of fire fell and landed on all who were present. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4) In the moments to follow, the Church was catalyzed. When all was said and done, 3000 people came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every church in existence today can be traced back to the upper room.

It is the infilling of the Holy Spirit that empowers the believer to obey the commandments of God, to fulfill the great commission, and to walk boldly in their calling. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)

“A church without the Holy Spirit is a country club,” Apostle Ed declared in a recent message. When the Holy Spirit baptized that sister a few Thursdays ago, a long-awaited promise was being fulfilled in her life. This is significant. Thursday night prayer isn’t a crusade, a full service, or a special event. It is, however, the Lord being in the midst of those who gather in His Name (Matthew 18:20). “That’s why you can’t miss,” said Apostle Ed as the testimony was recounted during the next Revival Encounter Service, “Because you don’t know when God is gonna do something.”

Have a Testimony? If you have a story of God’s faithfulness, goodness, or power during one of our Revival or Prayer Encounters, we’d love to hear it! Send us an email: info.texas@whiministries.com

Make sure you join us at World Healing Church in Arlington, Texas, for one of our upcoming prayer meetings or revival encounters.