It’s happened to all of us at one time or another. We have all mailed a letter to an individual only to later have it returned with a notification from the post office telling us that the person has moved and left no address in which to forward the letter. I’ve had this happen several times. Fortunately, I was able to locate many of these people by relying upon Facebook.
In reading Tommy Welchel’s True Stories of the Miracles of Azusa Street and Beyond, I found a statement that caused me to notice something that was once prevalent in the Church and now seemingly has moved and left no forwarding address. I’m talking in particular about singing in the Spirit or singing in other tongues. Here is what Welchel records about its importance in the Azusa Street Revival. (Taken from page 53)
“He (Sines) remembered that virtually every time that Seymour instructed them to sing in the Spirit, something wonderful and beyond understanding would happen. The music would rise to a new level, and the sound that came from Azusa was like a heavenly choir singing.”
Is this singing in the Spirit scriptural? Do you recall Paul’s admonition? He said:
“I will pray with my spirit, but I will
also pray with my mind. I will sing
with my spirit, but I will also
sing with my mind.”
I Corinthians 14:15 (New Century Version)
Not only is it scriptural, it is beneficial. Like Welchel’s testimony of the Azusa Street Revival, I have personally witnessed the transition that takes place when individuals and then the corporate body moves into a new realm of worship through singing in the Spirit. Mere human words can’t describe that taste of glory. It literally opens the door for a visitation from heaven that isn’t available through any other avenue, I’m talking about the “wonderful and beyond understanding”.
Am I the only one that has noticed that we’ve veered away from singing in the Spirit? Has today’s church replaced singing in the Spirit with spirited singing? Have we become too polished and predictable that we have 
no room for this spontaneous, free-flowing expression of worship?
I have good news. This missing form of worship is retrievable. It’s location isn’t truly lost. But, we won’t find its location through Facebook. No. This will only be found through face time, time on our face before God. Thankfully, the location is easy to find. 1 Corinthians 14:15 tells us that it is a matter of our will for Paul wrote, “I will …” Through a simple act of your will, you can begin to worship in the Spirit and enter into an intimacy with the Spirit of God that will forever mark you as being a person of the Spirit.
Church, let’s push spirited aside and once again be known as a Church that sings in and with the Spirit. Heaven is awaiting that sound from our spirit so that it can produce the sound of His Spirit. I’m longing for the sound of heaven. Let the singing begin!
Thank you Bro. Billy for sharing the forwarding address with me. I don’t do nearly enough singing in tongues. I’m gonna do it…alone of course. I wouldn’t put anyone through the pain of hearing any kind of singing that I do! I know, I know, just teasing! Loved the article! You are such an awesome blessing!
Awesome Pastor Billy. I thought that I was the only one that knew how to sing in the Holy Spirit. LOL!