How To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit

In Week 4 of the North Star journey, we learned about the Holy Spirit on Day 3 and Day 4.

To recap, we discovered three gifts the Holy Spirit gives us (there are dozens more):

  1. Presence of God
  2. Transformation from God
  3. Power to walk in God’s mission

We also learned about the three relationships we can have with the Holy Spirit:

  1. Before we are saved, we are convicted by the Holy Spirit
  2. When God saves us, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit
  3. We are invited to be empowered by the Holy Spirit 

Without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (also called the filling of the Spirit or the baptism of the Spirit), we will not reach our potential. R.A. Torrey says, “Any man who is in Christian work, who has not received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, ought to stop his work right where he is and not go on with it until he has been ‘clothed with power from on high.’

Let me encourage you: Don’t try to change yourself. Receive the power of the Holy Spirit and let him transform you. Don’t try to accomplish great things for God on your own. Ask God first to empower you with the Spirit.

If you are on this North Star journey with a leader, you will have an opportunity to pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit at your next meeting. 

If you are reading this on your own, I would encourage you to ask a pastor or trusted church leader to pray with you to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

You can certainly pray for the Holy Spirit on your own, but there is great power in your community praying with you for this great gift.

HOW TO RECEIVE THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

R.A. Torrey shares 7 steps to take as you seek the filling, or baptism, of the Holy Spirit (these are taken from the book “The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit”, chapter 20)

  1. Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord
  2. Renounce all sin 
  3. Openly confess your renunciation of sin and acceptance of Jesus
  4. Absolute surrender to God
  5. Intently desire the baptism of the Holy Spirit
  6. Definite prayer for the baptism with the Holy Spirit
  7. Faith (believe that God has given us the gift)