7.1 Receiving the Holy Spirit
I’ll repeat these verses which form the core of Jesus’ sermon on receiving the Holy Spirit:
So, I say to you, Ask and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give 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! (Luke 11:9-13).
Before we start, have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you accepted Him as Lord and Savior? Do you also believe that Jesus died for the sins of mankind? If you have, then this is the first step to receiving the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus said by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, ‘He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’. (Jesus spoke of the Spirit, which they that believed on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified), John 7: 38-39.
Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:2).
And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son in to our heart, crying Abba, Father! (Galatians 4:6).
Scripture says that our Lord Jesus Christ has been glorified after his death and resurrection, the question now is, have you received the gift of the Holy Spirit into your life and have you experienced the rivers of living water flowing through you?
Note that these are two separate events as one may receive the Holy Spirit and may still not have the born-again experience. There is a difference between receiving the Holy Spirit and obtaining the Rivers of Living Water experience or the baptism of fire, well at least for me.
There however, may be some who have received the indwelling of the Spirit and were also baptized by fire. I have also seen old films of people who were baptized in water and once they were brought out from the river, ran and jumped for joy, which was exactly how I felt when I received the baptism of fire. And having seen their somewhat ethereal responses, their reactions certainly fit the real joy of salvation and living water experience.
For indeed there is much joy when we taste the springs of life and water from the wells of salvation!
7.2 How to Receive the Holy Spirit
Now that you have believed in Jesus Christ and that Jesus sacrificed his life for our sins, your next step is to receive the Holy Spirit. But before this, ask the Heavenly Father for the Holy Spirit. Pray a simple prayer to the Father for the Holy Spirit to come into you:
“Father, I sincerely seek Your Holy Spirit and pray You grant me grace to receive Your Spirit” and then say, “I receive Your Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ’s name”.
Do not doubt after saying this prayer that you have received the Spirit of God, for God the Father Himself says that He will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask from Him. When you accept the Holy Spirit, receive the Spirit as a child would receive a gift from his/her parent. For the Kingdom of God belongs to those with child-like faith (Matthew 18:3, Luke 18:16).
Certainly, the devil will cause you to doubt, but reject his thoughts. Let me teach you an effective prayer weapon, always end your prayer in ‘Jesus Christ’s name’. There is authority in the name of Jesus Christ and its time that believers take control over their physical and spiritual circumstances. Remember, the Lord has full authority over the works of the enemy as He has the key of David, and He has also vicariously passed on that authority to all believers.
Additionally, as believers from the house of David, the prophecies of Zechariah will be fulfilled in our generation:
And I will pour out a Spirit of Compassion and Supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn (Zechariah 12: 10).
The prophesies in the Book of Zechariah point to a time when both Jew and gentile alike, will look on the work of Jesus Christ at the cross and only through this Spirit of Compassion and Supplication will believers be moved into conviction, repentance and acceptance of the Lord.
It is by this work of the cross and the full redemption of sin by law, the Almighty who sat on the throne in the Holy of Holies at the temple of Jerusalem is now poured out to believers, and this is the Spirit of God who is the Spirit of Compassion and Supplication.
7.3 Speaking in Tongues
What I’m about to suggest may be frowned upon by some Christian groups, however, let me state that speaking in tongues is one of the signs of the true believers (Mark 16: 17). It is also a sign that we have received the Holy Spirit when we are able to speak in tongues.
Additionally, and more importantly, I’ve found speaking in tongues had helped my walk with God tremendously.
It is my believe, therefore, that there is one more step to take once you have believed in Jesus Christ and have received the Holy Spirit from the Father, which is to boldly speak in a foreign tongue. You may not understand what you’re speaking initially, but let unknown words flow from your spirit and mouth as you speak. Just open your mouth and speak foreign tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.
For some of you this may seem awkward at first and your words may just be monosyllables, but as you continue to practice speaking in a foreign tongue, you will eventually feel comfortable in tongues and the range of your utterances increases. It comes with practice and do so in your private prayer closet and not in front of anyone.
I have my own regimental prayers every night where I seek forgiveness of sin, thank the Lord for His providence and seek His blessings, all these are done in my mother tongue. However, when I am alone (and sometimes while driving to and from work) and mostly when there is a burden and desire to pray, I speak in the language that the Lord has given me.
I find comfort in an unknown prayer tongue, as at times my range and understanding of vocabulary is limited. I also wish to pour out my innermost thoughts, yearnings and even my deepest troubles onto the Lord but am constrained by my understanding of my current spiritual need. At times in our lives, there may be days when nothing seems alright and you feel troubled by things which you can’t really put a finger on. Know that these troubles are caused by the spiritual forces that have come against us.
It is times like these that I take comfort in a spiritual language given by the Lord, which I mainly use to seek solace or pray over a sudden heavy burden that is niggling. And I do so in my prayer closet, meaning praying in tongues in a quiet tone as and when moved by the Spirit.
Romans 8:26-27 says: In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the people of God, according to the will of God.
Do not be disheartened if you can’t speak a foreign tongue initially, continue with this endeavor and it will bear fruit in time. I also wish to emphasize that let no one lay hands on you to receive the Holy Spirit, for we do not know the kind of spirit that may be transferred on to you. Be warned as this is no trivial matter!
Let this be your own personal search for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Now that you have accepted Jesus Christ, received the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues, when will you experience the Rivers of Living Water or the Joy of Salvation that I’ve talked about earlier, and that which has been declared by Jesus to all believers?
Well let me first say that this is a gift from God, and only the Holy Spirit knows its time, purpose and place in our lives.
But what I do know is that many Christians have had had the living water and born-again experience because they had earnestly sought after the Holy Spirit with all their hearts and had received Him.
The important lesson to learn is to wait for Him as the first Christians did when they tarried in Jerusalem for the Spirit (Acts 1: 4-5).
Another thing to remember is that you can’t will the experience, by this I mean that one cannot use all one’s being to try and imitate the experience. It will not work! You will know with 100% certainty when the rivers of living water flow through you, when you receive the baptism of fire.
I will advise you to pour your innermost feelings and burden through speaking in tongues, it doesn’t need to be long prayers or regimented on a timely and daily basis. Pray when you feel a need for it.
And when you least expect it, God will bless you with the experience. It may be while gardening or doing some mundane thing, or while taking a stroll back home like I did, when these rivers of living water will flow. I do not need to describe the real salvation euphoria that you will have, you will know with certainty the Joy of Salvation.
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the souls that seek Him. It is good that one should wait patiently, for the salvation of the Lord (Lamentations 3:25-26).
