God will not give us a stone in place of bread, or emptiness in the place of the Spirit. He will not give a scorpion for an egg, or a demon for the Spirit, either.
Amen
I explained that in my previous statement:
Past church teachings is a big reason
And perhaps even what testimonies I hear from some (I stress some) Charismatics that makes tongues seem like an out of body experience.
I'm actually trying to help. It's a struggle at times to overcome bad teachings that are nowhere based in scripture, but embraced as though they are.
When we make judgments based solely on scripture, faith and the things of God come quite natural and there is peace. If I had the questions you posed, I would first go to the word and prayer.
Look at the Prayers in the New Testament:
Eph 1:15 15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you
in my prayers:
Paul Praying for Christians - you and I qualify
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of
wisdom and
revelation in the
knowledge of Him,
Subject of prayer - for more knowledge of Him
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (God calls you His inheritance), 19 and what
is the exceeding greatness of
His power toward us who believe.
Power that we have through Him.
This is a common practice in prayer in the NT:
Ehp 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
( Prayer)15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
(Knowledge of Him)20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that works in us,
Then again here:
Col 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11
strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Hope that helps.