To read Part Two, click here.

WHY SHOULD I BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?

As a believer, you have already been born of the Spirit and placed into the Body of Christ. Why would you want the additional experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

1. God has commanded us to be filled!

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit ... . (Ephesians 5:18, NKJV)

God tell us to "be filled" with the Spirit. This Scripture denotes the idea of continually being filled with the Spirit, to "be being filled." To stay full of the Spirit one would have to receive and initial infilling, and thereafter we are commanded to continue to be full of the Spirit. If Jesus Himself needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit before He actually started His ministry, how much more do we need to be filled with the Spirit?

2. We need power!

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8, NKJV)

What is the purpose for being filled with the Spirit? We can see that the purpose for being filled with the Spirit is to be empowered to be a witness for Jesus!

HOW CAN A PERSON BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT?

It's simple!

1. First, be sure that you are born gain.

If you are a believer, the Holy Spirit has already been at work in your life helping you receive Jesus as your Lord. Now you are ready to receive the Holy Spirit in His fullness.

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38, NKJV)

What happens after you repent and are baptized into the Body of Christ?

2. Second, simply ask and receive the Holy Spirit by faith.

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, 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!" (Luke 11:9-13, NKJV)

What do verse 9 and 10 say will happen if you ask? What does verse 13 say we can ask the Father for? According to verses 11 and 12, if we ask the Father for one thing, will He give us something different? If we ask for the Holy Spirit, what will we receive?

God gave the Holy Spirit to all of mankind on the Day of Pentecost. When you ask the Father to fill you with the Holy Spirit, you are simply saying you want to receive what He has already given to mankind nearly 2,000 years ago.

3. Third, begin to yield to the Holy Spirit.

HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE FOR YOU

Are you thirsty?

Perhaps you've been "born of" the Spirit for some time, but you are not certain that you've been "filled with" the Spirit. Maybe you've been a Christian for some time and you love the Lord with your whole heart; yet you are still thirsty! You have the idea that there "is more" for you—you're right! Perhaps you find yourself feeling "bottled up" at times and unable to fully express your heart to God in worship or prayer. Is there a part of you that longs for freedom to sing? Pray? Worship?

If so ... you are thirsty and Jesus had something to say to you.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39, NKJV)

Jesus has made a river of living water available to every believer that was thirsty. Thirst is the only requirement for being filled with the Spirit.

WELLS AND RIVERS

It's interesting to note that in this passage Jesus is telling believers that when they are filled with the Spirit they would receive RIVERS of living water that would flow up from their spirit and out to refresh others. This fits perfectly with the purpose of being filled with the Spirit—that is to be a witness for Jesus.

Earlier in the gospel of John, we see Jesus talking to the woman at the well. (John 4) In that passage, Jesus tells this woman that He could give her living water that would be a WELL of water springing up to eternal life.

When we are "born of" the Spirit God puts a WELL inside of us—a well of living water; a well of salvation. We can draw water from that well at any time to find refreshing in Christ!

When we are "filled with" the Spirit, God puts RIVERS inside of us—rivers of living water that flow out from us. We can yield to the Spirit and those rivers will flow out of us to touch others with God's love and power.

ARE YOU READY TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT?

If you are already born-again, "born of" the Spirit, then take a moment to ask the Father in Jesus' name to "fill you" with the Holy Spirit.

You may want to pray a prayer like this—pray it from your heart.

Dear Father God, I thank You that I am born of the Spirit—Jesus is the Lord of my life and my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I have received the well of living water. Today, I ask You to fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I may receive the fullness of Your Spirit. I am thirsty for the rivers of living water and I want to be filled, baptized and receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon me for service. Lord, I want to have power to be a witness for You. I want to be able to praise You from my innermost being, and I want to speak Your Word boldly. Jesus, I believe You are the Baptizer, so I ask You to baptize me in the Spirit now. I believe I receive the Holy Spirit now. In Jesus Name. Amen.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?

Once you have asked God to fill you with the Spirit, believe that He has done it, just as He promised. You may sense the Spirit coming upon you. You may begin to feel as if a river were bubbling up inside of you. You may feel as if you want to speak words you have never heard before. This is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit and is the evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence. Don't quench the Spirit, but rather yield to Him. (We'll talk more about that in How To Yield To The Holy Spirit.)

For further study, I recommend my book, "Getting A Grip On the Basics."

Copyright © 2007 Beth Jones Ministries All rights reserved.