Q. Why should a believer be filled with the Spirit?

A. After you make Jesus the Lord of your life, it is the will of God that you experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." It is the Holy Spirit's ministry not only to impart the nature of God to the spirit of man at salvation, but to come and live in the new creature. His job is to reveal the exact knowledge of God from the heart of the Father. A believer cannot understand, by his own spirit alone, the profound wisdom of God. This is why Jesus said in John 14:26 that the Father would send us the Comforter to teach us "all things."

When you receive the Holy Spirit, you receive the ability of God. Acts 1:8 says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." The word power in that verse is translated dunamis, which means ability and might. It is through the energizing force of the Holy Spirit living in us that we are transformed into effective witnesses. So, to be born again and not filled with the Spirit is like being a train without a track.

The ability you receive to pray with your spirit when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit is powerful. It edifies and builds up your spirit man and puts you in contact with the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 14:4, 2:10). It also allows you to pray God's perfect will apart from your natural understanding and aids you in interceding for others (Romans 8:26-27). And according to Jude 1:20-21, praying in the Spirit strengthens and intensifies your personal relationship with God.

Q. How can you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

A. The promise of receiving the Holy Spirit is for everyone in the Body of Christ because God gave His Spirit to the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32-33, 39). As a partaker of your covenant with God, however, you must individually receive what He has given you.

When you ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God promises that you shall receive. Luke 11:9-13 says: And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?...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?

In the Bible, when believers received the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in a heavenly language. Acts 2:4 says, "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." This is still true today. When you accept the Spirit's indwelling, your spirit will immediately have a desire to express itself in praise to God. The Holy Spirit will give utterance through you as you give Him permission.

When you pray in tongues, you are praying in the Spirit. You are letting the Holy Spirit pray through your spirit. The Amplified Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:14, "My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays...." Just as your native language is the voice of your mind, your prayer language is the voice of your spirit.

If you desire the infilling of the Holy Spirit or if you are unsure whether you have received it, say the prayer below:

Father, I am a new creature in Christ. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to enable me to be a powerful witness of Jesus. I believe that I now receive the Holy Spirit just as the disciples did on the day of Pentecost.