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The Holy Spirit - the most wonderful person!
For many years I had been asking myself the question: If the Word of God is true, then surely everything in it must be true and tangible? I really had questions about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because I read in the book of Acts about completely different dimensions than I saw in my life. Yes, I spoke in new tongues and when I prayed for people, something happened now and then, but that didn't satisfy me. The apostles were always so brave and bold and fearless, I wanted that too. I was hungry to get to know the Holy Spirit.
I knew a lot in my mind, but it didn't live in my heart. Then came June 17, 2021, a day I will never forget, because it changed my life. Walter and Irene Heidenreich were in Vienna and we were in the prayer house with Walter. Someone from our team repented and we prayed for that person. While I was praying, I already felt a tremendous power from God. Then Walter came and laid his hands on me. I fell to the ground and suddenly I felt really hot inside. My whole body started to shake and burn, I thought I was going to burn. I just said, “Holy Spirit, I trust you that this is all from you now, because I have given my life to Jesus and no one else.” I didn't understand what was happening to me, but I trusted him and allowed it. At the same time, it was so beautiful.
Then suddenly my lips got really hot and a voice said: “You will preach my word”, and then a strong force went through my right side. I had had health problems on that side since I was a child. And the voice continued: “My daughter, you have been bound for 40 years, from today on you are free.” My tears just ran down my face because I knew immediately: I am healed!
Walter told us: “Just stay and don't go out too quickly, let the Holy Spirit work.” I stayed in the prayer house, because I just wanted to see more of his glory and above all I knew: I can't do anything without him. As a result, the Holy Spirit came upon me with such power that I couldn't walk for seven days and could only move to the toilet on all fours. It was such an intimacy with the living God that I wished it would never end. Every day he led me deeper into his heart and showed me things he still wants to do in this world.
At the same time, he led us as a whole team into a very intense time of repentance. I was shocked when I saw what selfishness, jealousy, mistrust and above all humanism was still in my heart. I learned that the Holy Spirit cleanses the WHOLE heart down to the deepest corners, because he simply doesn't do things by halves.
A few weeks later, I had another powerful experience in which strength and fire flowed through me so strongly that I thought I was about to die. It was so intense that I cried out: “Holy Spirit, I can't take any more. If it doesn't stop soon, I'm going to die here!” And a voice said: “You have to die. Everything old in you has to die, otherwise I can't use you.” I knew again that I could trust him completely, even if I didn't understand.
After this experience, I realized in my heart that it was absolutely no longer about me and my life, it was only about him - Jesus. But it also made me realize that: It costs me everything!
A time of intense intercession began that was completely new and different. Now I know what it means to pray in spirit and in truth. Every intercession was and is different and the Holy Spirit led with complete sovereignty. To this day, the burning in my body has not stopped. It is no longer as strong, but it is there and it often feels as if streams are flowing out of my hands and feet.
Since that time, my life has changed completely. I had so much anxiety and fear of men inside of me that I even had blockages during conversations or when giving testimonies. They are gone! I really enjoy telling people about the miracles of God and giving testimony of Jesus.
I am experiencing a dimension of freedom in faith that I didn't know before at all. The Bible verse “Whom the Son sets free is free indeed” has taken on a whole new meaning for me, because with Jesus there are no limitations. It is a deep, pure relationship of the heart with the Holy Spirit that transcends all thinking. It simply cannot be explained by the mind.
I read the Word of God with completely different eyes and I am hungry to explore much more in it and get to know Jesus even more. There are much greater dimensions to the power of the Holy Spirit in it - and I want to see them.
But what really makes me happy is that it's not just me who experiences the Holy Spirit, but also the people around me. Be it here in the team, in my family or in the nations, the Holy Spirit is with me and people experience the power of God and are even delivered or healed. I just love passing on the fire of God, because that's what I received it for. It's all so easy because the Holy Spirit does it and I don't have to do anything except what he tells me.
What I am experiencing is pure grace and I am so unspeakably grateful that I can experience it. The baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire is something very precious. For me, the Holy Spirit is the most wonderful person in the whole universe and the more I get to know him, the less I understand him with my mind, but the more I love him in my heart. I learn one thing anew every day: the Holy Spirit simply cannot be put into a box!
Beate Wiedemann
Staff HELP-FCJG Wien