How can I receive the Holy Spirit?
Everyday I get great questions from subscribers to this blog. I got this one this morning and realized I don’t think I have a blog post about it yet. So I took some time to share my thoughts. It got so long, it had to be post. Love to hear your thoughts as I know this isn’t everything the Bible has to say about the question “How Can I Receive the Holy Spirit?”
Hi RevTrev,
Thank you for your interesting story, my question is “How can I receive the Holy Spirit?”
Elia,
That’s a great question. I personally believe every Christian has the Holy Spirit in them.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (New International Version)And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,Ephesians 1:13 (New International Version)
But that’s not the same as being filled with the Spirit. The filling of the Spirit referred to in Ephesians 4:30. We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit and, in that sense, fill us. Jude 1:20 and 1 Corinthians. 14:4-5states that He dwells within every believer, but He can be grieved (Luke 11:9-13 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)), and His activity within us can be quenched (1 Corinthians. 14:4-5). When we allow this to happen, we do not experience the fullness of the Spirit’s working and His power in and through us. To be filled with the Spirit implies freedom for Him to occupy every part of our lives, guiding us. Then His power can be exerted through us so that what we do is fruitful to God. The filling of the Spirit does not apply to outward acts alone; it also applies to the innermost thoughts and motives of our actions.
We need to define “What does it mean to receive the Holy Spirit?” before we can address the question “How can I receive the Holy Spirit?“
I was raised in a church culture that said, “To be filled with the Spirit you have to speak in tongues.” Problem was I saw that so misused. It became “If you didn’t have sin in your life you could speak in tongues.” If salvation can’t be earned, why do we think we can earn any other gift from God?
The church group I’ve been a part of as a pastor believes “The infilling of the Holy Spirit is an experience subsequent to salvation…with signs following.”
I was drawn to that because I can train people to prophecy, have words of knowledge, see healing and use almost every other gift without them ever having spoken in tongues.
I see more people speak in tongues when I approach it as a psychological misunderstanding rather than an issue of sin. You see most people think God basically possesses them if they are to truly speak in tongues. We’ve all heard stories of people who couldn’t speak English for days when the Spirit came on them. I could only speak in languages I never learned for a number of hours myself one time.
But the problem with those stories is they are held up as the ideal when they are in fact fairly rare. They do happen, but more often than not God uses what we give him. We need to move our mouth. We need to speak out the words forming in our minds. We need to risk playing the fool.
Now should we speak in tongues? YES! Not everyone is a “speaker of tongues”(the office) (Luke 11:9-13 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)), But all are encouraged to pray in the Spirit to build ourselves up (Luke 11:9-13 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)). When you’re alone in prayer, tongues can be the greatest gift because speaking in tongues builds you up (1 Corinthians. 14:4-5).
Does speaking in tongues mean you’re filled with the Spirit?
I don’t care about dogma. I’d rather see the fruit of the Spirit in all of us (Galatians 5:22-23) than the gifts of the Spirit used without love (1 Corinthians 13). The gifts are for today and for you and I and I really don’t like doing ministry without them.
I don’t know if that’s answering your question. I’ve found what keeps people from living in the supernatural is one of four things:
Ignorance – you didn’t know you could or how you could
Arrogance – you didn’t think you had to
Selfishness – you wanted to live a safe life
Pride – you didn’t want to look bad
All I can solve for you today is perhaps the ignorance.
So how can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Luke 11:9-13 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
“So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
Here are 5 things you can do…
1. Understand you’re Father is good and gives good gifts.
2. Act as if you are a child of God, not a servant, not a slave, not an orphan, not forsaken.
3. Keep asking. Keep searching. Keep knocking.
4. Eagerly desire the greater gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1; 14:39).
5. Love God and let him love on you.
Hope that helps.
-Trevor
What I’ve Taught on Holy Spirit
Check out my messages and blog posts on Holy Spirit. I’ll keep this updated. Let me know if there is a specific topic you want covered in the comments.
- Learn and Experience All You Can About Holy Spirit https://revtrev.com/live-hopeful/learn-and-experience-all-you-can-about-holy-spirit/
- How to know and experience more of our triune God today https://revtrev.com/living-light/trinity-essential/
- Is Spiritual Growth is on your vision board? https://revtrev.com/living-light/is-spiritual-growth-on-your-vision-board/
- How to be confident you’re being led from Holy Spirit https://revtrev.com/living-light/be-confident-led-holy-spirit/
- God is with us will I be with Him? https://revtrev.com/living-light/god-is-always-with-us-will-i-be-with-him/
- How to understand and and enjoy the Gifts God has for you Today https://revtrev.com/message/how-to-understand-and-enjoy-the-gifts-god-has-for-you-today/
- Buying the Holy Spirit https://revtrev.com/live-intentional/buying-holy-spirit/
- How to Release the gift of words of wisdom https://revtrev.com/livecasts/how-to-release-the-gift-of-words-of-wisdom/
- 70 Functions of the Holy Spirit https://revtrev.com/live-light/70-functions-of-the-holy-spirit/
- How can I Receive the Holy Spirit https://revtrev.com/live-today/how-can-i-receive-the-holy-spirit/
- 3 ways to know it’s the Holy Spirit Speaking https://revtrev.com/live-hopeful/3-ways-to-know-its-the-spirit-speaking/
- How to let the Fruit of Holy Spirit Transform you https://revtrev.com/living-light/how-to-let-the-fruit-of-holy-spirit-transform-you/
- 5 things to know about Spiritual Growth https://revtrev.com/livecasts/5-things-to-never-forget-about-spiritual-growth/
- 11 ways the Holy Spirit Speaks to you https://revtrev.com/live-today/11-ways-the-spirit-speaks-to-you/
- Do Spirit-Filled Believers Leak the Spirit? https://revtrev.com/live-today/do-spirit-filled-believers-leak-the-spirit/
- How to use God’s Gifts for Another https://revtrev.com/living-light/how-to-use-gods-gifts-for-one-another/
- I build myself up reflectionhttps://revtrev.com/livecasts/day-42-i-build-myself-up-reflection-livecast/
- 4 Tips I’ve learned To Hear the Spirit Speak https://revtrev.com/live-intentional/4-tips-ive-learned-to-hear-the-spirit-speak/
Iv’e been wanting to receive this baptismal of the Holy Spirit for a while now,but it hasnt happened for me. You see, 10 years ago, I was delivered from the spirit of sucicide when I was visiting a Church and when it came out of me, it was the most amazing feeling of love poured on me, through me, nothing like I ever experienced before, it was the best thing ever to me. I just wont to be more closer to God, thats all I want. Ive rededicated my life again almost 2 years ago to God. The Church I attend does preach on the Holy Spirit often. I dont know what Im not doing right?
Tracy…In my experience people seek the experience instead of seeking God. We’re told to eagerly desire spiritual gifts and that’s important. But I don’t want anyone to think of themselves as second class citizens if they don’t speak in tongues.
Often it’s a psychological reason, not a spiritual one. We expect God to control us. That’s hardly ever the case. The prophet is in control of the prophecy, so to the one who speaks in tongues.
Realize you’re loved and He wants to give you good gifts. That’s the place to start.
I will be looking forward to your post concerning that. You are absolutely correct when you said’ “. When it becomes more of a tool and less of a status symbol I think it’s more in the right balance.” That is dead-on.
Thank you for this amazing answer to a sometimes volatile question. I grew up in a penetcostal church background. I still believe in the penetcostal experience. Unfortunately, I have seen way too many Christians and ministers focus solely on the speaking in tongues as THE spiritual benchmark. The tongues themselves become the idol almost of the Christian. I think you did an outstanding job of showing the sign is just that, a sign. The real purpose should be to empower us to fulfill our commission of sharing the Good News that Christ provided the means to avoid hell! Thank you for all your wonderful work and also taking the time to answer these questions.
Thanks Rev Gerald. I found an article I wrote called “How to Speak in Tongues”. I agree with Paul who wished we all would. When it becomes more of a tool and less of a status symbol I think it’s more in the right balance.
I’ll be posting it later this week. I think. I’m getting a lot of questions from people I want to answer as well.