BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

The first requirement of a candidate is that they are a "born again" child of God who has a desire for more of the Holy Spirit, since He came into their life the moment they received Jesus as their Savior. The second requirement is that they have a real hunger for more of God, as Jesus explains in (John 7:37-39) There are three words that will aid in the receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they are relax, receive, and respond. We will briefly look at each one.

1/ Relax---Many people become tense when they think about anything to do with the Holy Spirit, but this only hinders the work of the Spirit. So just relax physically first, sit back in a comfortable chair, and you are more apt to relax spiritually and emotionally. You are safely in the hands of Jesus, who is the baptizer, (Acts 1:4-5) and you can trust Him!

2/ Receive---Note the words of Jesus as recorded by Luke in (Luke 11:13) "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." So simply ask in faith for Jesus to baptize you in His Holy Spirit, and expect Him to answer your prayer. "What things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." (Mark 11:24). This is not an emotional experience, but a spiritual experience, which may or may not have an emotional component connected to it.

3/ Respond---The sense of the Spirit should be very real as He begins to fill you with His presence. As you breathe in air, imagine you are taking in more of the spirit with each breath, and as you exhale each breath, let it be words of praise and thanksgiving to God. When you run out of words in English, yield your tongue to the Spirit to give you new words that might sound strange to you. On the day of Pentecost they were given a new language "They began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:4) Notice "they" began to speak, and the miracle was that He gave them the words. You may only have one or two words at first, but your vocabulary will increase as you use this new language daily. Remember Paul says "He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself." (1 Cor 14:4), this means being built up in your faith, and who doesn't need this?
Sincerely submitted.
Dave Jamer