Question:

I understand that we receive the Holy Spirit when we believe.  I also understand that the Holy Spirit helps us do what God wants us to do; but in studying Acts, I am still not clear on speaking in tongues. I know that I am filled with the Holy Spirit because of the wonderful things God is doing in my life and through my life; but should there be evidence of speaking in tongues in my life?  I open my mouth and speak sounds, I can do that, but I'm not actually moved to do it.  I understand that it is speaking to God in an unknown tongue which edifies me and gives Him glory. Is this gift maybe a gift I'm not ready for?  I've talked to God about it in the past, but haven't really gotten an answer, yet.

Answer:

The difference between having the Holy Spirit on you and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is symbolized in the difference between being sprinkled with water and being baptized (immersed) in water.  The Holy Spirit will have an effect on any Christian even before that Christian ever speaks in tongues.  

Tongues are not given for the sake of evidence.  The Bible is clear that tongues are given to build ourselves up in the Spirit.  They are a gift that we need so that we can build ourselves up, just as the Bible is a gift to build ourselves up.  We can neglect speaking in tongues.  We can neglect reading the Bible.  We can neglect prophecy in the local assembly.  We can neglect attending the local assembly.  Neglecting to follow the leading of the Spirit of God will start a downward spiral.  

I was raised in a denomination that does not believe in speaking in tongues, prophecy, the gifts of the Spirit, apostles, etc.  The denomination preaches from the Bible and is really acceptable as far as most of the doctrine that they believe, but the organization got stuck a few hundred years ago.  One day, the pastor was preaching from the Bible about the Holy Spirit.  He just said what the Bible said.  I kept thinking about that.  I was riding in my car about Wednesday of the next week thinking about this, and I thought, "Wouldn't that be wonderful!"  Wham!  That's when the Holy Spirit filled me.  I was a Christian before that and not walking in sin at all, but now everything changed.  The Bible made sense in a way that it never had.  I could not get enough of it.  I knew nothing about speaking in tongues.  
 
At a certain point, I heard about speaking in tongues.  I didn't know how to receive this, though.  One day, I just thought that I would relax my mind and maybe be able to speak in tongues.  An evil spirit took advantage of me there.  I thought, "Lord, if this is you, you seem to be being very rough."  It was as though my mind were being shaken by a dog.  I broke free and didn't bother with this for a long time.  
 
God led me to a church that was in submission to those apostles who were established during the move of the Spirit of 1948 going forward.  When I got there, I knew I was home.  I didn't speak in tongues, though.  One day, a presbytery came to town.  A presbytery is a group of traveling elders (apostles) who have been set for the purpose of setting people into their ministries.  They impart gifts through prophecy and the laying on of hands.  They laid hands on my wife and me.  It was amazing the power of the Holy Ghost.  My wife was not really convinced in her mind about all of this and thought that they must have some kind of shock device in their hands.  Well, it was power for sure, but not like an electric shock.  You could feel it--there is no mistaking it.  They prophesied over us and imparted gifts and told us details about how God would guide our ministries during our lives.  
 
Then, one of the brethren told me to speak in tongues.  I was waiting for the Holy Spirit to open my mouth and make me speak in tongues.  The brother sensed this in the Spirit, and he said, "Brother, the Holy Spirit won't make you speak in tongues.  Just start and He will be there."  I opened my mouth, and He filled my mouth with many things that I couldn't understand.  I could not understand what I was saying, but I felt so clean and I felt the love of God flowing out from me toward every person.  I knew that it was from God.  
 
Since that day, I don't know how I could have survived many of the heartaches that I have had without this wonderful gift.  Sometimes, it seems that God just starts it without my entering in at all.  Mostly, God prompts me to speak in tongues, I obey, and the Holy Spirit does it through me.  
 
There are many examples of fake tongues out there.  Tongues can be counterfeited by the human mind and also by evil spirits.  
 
In the examples in the Bible, the first time tongues were given to the Jews, they were given by God's sovereign act.  The first time they were given to the gentiles, they were given by God's sovereign act.  After that, they were given by the laying on of hands.  There is safety in the laying on of hands, providing the person who is laying hands on you is walking in the right Spirit.  If the person is in rebellion, however, they will impart their spirit to you.  You need to be certain of the person you allow to lay hands on you.  It is better with a presbytery.  
 
When hands are laid on, every person does not speak in tongues right away.  Some receive this gift sometime later.  That doesn't mean that they have not received the baptism until they speak in tongues.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit is by the laying on of hands.