Empowered by the Spirit
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is one of your rights as a believer in God’s Word. Anyone who has not received this precious gift, accompanied by the initial outward sign of speaking in tongues, is living far below the provision that God has made for them.
Not only is it your right to be filled with the Spirit, but it is a command to every believer.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18,19).
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17).
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of your in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise if unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38,39).
In addition to being encouraged to seek the Holy Spirit, we are cautioned to avoid resisting Him. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19 it says, “Quench no the Spirit.” Also in 1 Corinthians 14:39 Paul declares, “Forbid not to speak with tongues.”
Why you need the Holy Spirit in your life today
First, without the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you are living without the dunamis (miracle-working) power of God operating in your everyday life. You are fighting spiritual battles without having put on the full armor of God.
Second, when you pray in tongue you edify or build up yourself. God is looking for well-conditioned soldiers for His army.
Third, the baptism in the Holy Spirit gives you a continual awareness of His indwelling presence. The result is a holy boldness that knows no fear.
Fourth, when you pray in tongues, you know you are praying the will of God, and you are able to pray effectively for things unknown to you in the natural. “Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).
Finally, through the Holy Spirit you will be refreshed. “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, ‘This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing'” (Isaiah 28:11,12).
When the power of the Holy Spirit comes on you, be ready for a new experience.
Do you want to live up to your full potential as a believer? Do you want to face life’s challenges with a holy boldness? Do you want to know you’re praying in God’s perfect will? Then I will invite you to receive the Holy Spirit right now! Here’s how.
1) Acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit. Like salvation, the infilling of the Holy Spirit is a gift and is available (without tarrying) when you meet the conditions for receiving.
2) Recognize that speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of having received the Holy Spirit.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).
“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (Acts 10:44-46).
“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
3) Be sure of your own salvation. The Holy Spirit is available only to believers. You may be filled with the Spirit immediately after acknowledging Jesus as Lord of your life, but conversion always precedes the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11).
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)” (John 7:28,29).
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
4) While it is possible to receive the Holy Spirit in your private prayer time, most people find it helps to have a believer lay hands on them in a prayer of faith. No one can make you receive — but they can help you release your faith. And when you expect to receive from God, you are ready to receive.
“Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:17).
“And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:17).
“He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. … And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:2,6).
One thing you should be ready for when you ask Jesus to baptize you in the Holy Spirit — you may fall under the power or be slain in the Spirit. I remember a woman at a meeting in Salem, Ohio, telling me, “Now Vicki, don’t push me down.” Her concern was based on a lack of understanding of the power of God. Having seen people fall to the floor when I prayed, she thought I was shoving them. Being flooded with the power of God can be an overwhelming experience. It’s nothing new. In 2 Chronicles 5:13,14 we read, “The house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.”
In John 18:4-6, a band of officers came to the garden of Gethsemane to take Jesus away for trial. “Jesus asked, ‘Whom seek ye?’ They answered, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said, ‘I am he.'” Now watch! “As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” There is power in the presence of Jesus!
5) Put aside all your fears about receiving a counterfeit experience. God is not a counterfeiter. He is Truth. Luke 11:11-13 says: “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
6) Expect to speak in tongues when you receive the Holy Spirit. “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). It’s vital to understand that you are the speaker. The message is from God by way of the Holy Spirit. Think of yourself as a radio receiver. God is the originator of the signal. The signal is the Holy Spirit. Your soul, when “tuned” to the right frequency, receives the signal. But nothing comes out of the radio speaker until the volume is turned up. That’s your vocal cords, and no matter how strong the signal, there will be no manifestation until YOU choose to amplify the signal.
Try this … open your mouth wide, breathe in and say, “God, I receive the Holy Spirit now by faith.” Now when you exhale, casting aside all feelings of self-consciousness and doubt, simply let your tongue and lips begin to form whatever syllables come naturally. Amplify that by using your lungs and vocal cords, and you will discover the joy of speaking in a heavenly prayer language.
The power of the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to every believer. But you have to release it.
If you’re a believer, The Holy Spirit is for you — today. Now that you have decided to receive the pure, unadulterated power of God, let me challenge you to release it!
That’s the difference between blessing and being blessed, between feeding and being fed. Walking in God’s perfect will means becoming a funnel for his power — not just a receptacle.
When you are full of His power, and you confess that and make yourself totally available to Him, every day becomes even more of an adventure than the day before.
The key is releasing God’s power — and you can do that in two simple steps.
First, acknowledge that His power resides within you. Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” If you’ve been filled with the Spirit, the power is there. It’s that power that enables you to walk into the worst Satan has to offer — and come forth victorious and untarnished.
The second step is releasing that power by praying in the Spirit.
I don’t think I’ve ever had anything affect my life any more than praying for hours in other tongues. Jude tells us in verse 20 that when we pray in the Spirit we are building ourselves up in our most holy faith. We are charging our batteries!
When you pray in the Spirit the power of God becomes totally integrated within you. Your mind, your eyes, your ears, become so spiritually alert that suddenly you seem to hear His voice clearer than you’ve ever heard it before. You know where to go, where to be, whom to speak to, whom not to speak to, whom to call. You are on call to God and totally available to deliver His message, whatever it may be, to whomever He chooses.
Next to salvation, the power of the Holy Spirit is the most wonderful gift you can receive from God. He will give you boldness you never knew, power that knows no limit, and comfort in your darkest hour. Experience Him in His fullest today!