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Receive The Holy Spirit
When you received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you became a new creation in Christ (born again). Now, as His child, God’s desire and plan is that you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He wants to give you the
supernatural power you need to live this Christian life. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…..” Your Baptism in the Holy Spirit is received by faith. Jesus said in Luke 11:13, “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!” All you have to do is ask, believe, and receive (see the prayer below). When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, as in Acts 2:4, you speak in tongues. Some syllables from a language you don’t recognize will rise up from your spirit to your mouth (See 1 Cor. 14:14.) Your voice, your tongue, your breath, and your vocal cords will begin to form these syllables around the expressions that your heart desires to release. You will be the one speaking, but the Holy Spirit will supply the words - words unknown to you. It might seem awkward to you at first, and might seem that you are making it up, but free yourself to speak whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to say. Don’t try to stop or even think about what you're saying, or about what you're going to say next. Remove your mind from the equation and allow God's Spirit living within you to flow and supply the words! Like a child learning to speak, you will grow as you continue. You will be releasing God’s power from within and building yourself up in the spirit. So if you want to receive your Baptism in the Holy Spirit, ask God right now by praying the following prayer. Prayer…… “Heavenly Father, Your Word says that if I ask, I will receive the Holy Spirit. So, in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, I am asking You now to baptize me and fill me with Your precious Holy Spirit. Because I believe that Your Word is true, by faith I receive Him right now. I thank you for filling me. Holy Spirit you are welcome in my life. And as I praise God, I fully expect to speak with other tongues, as You give me the utterance.” Now begin worshipping and praising God, then release yourself and start speaking, giving sound to the expressions in your heart. Rejoice! You’ve just been baptized in the Holy Spirit! You’ve been endued with immense power. It doesn’t really matter whether you felt anything or not. If you believed in your heart that you received, then God’s Word promises you did. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." And, God always honors His Word. Any Christian who has received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit has the ability to speak in tongues. But, many do not realize it. They have never stepped out and began speaking in tongues, because they are waiting for the Holy Spirit to force them to do it. They think that the Holy Spirit will somehow overtake them and move their mouths beyond their control. But, that's not going to happen. God did not force you to get saved, and He will not force you to speak in tongues. You need to step out in faith and start speaking, as you just read above. You can do this whenever and wherever you like. Because of the immense power available through this gift, the Enemy will try to stop you. He’ll do his best to convince you that you are making the words up. That it's just you. If you have never spoken in tongues, but you’ve prayed to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you could speak in tongues right now. Stop and pray to your Heavenly Father. Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit afresh. Then, trust that He has answered your prayer. Now begin worshipping and praising Him. Release yourself and start speaking, giving sound to the expressions in your heart. If you prayed the prayer above to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, we would like to rejoice with you and help you understand more fully what has taken place in your life. Please give us a call at 323-804-9744 or 323-751-3509 or use the form below. We’re here to help you understand and grow in your relationship with the Lord. |
© 2011, Miracle of Faith Mennonite Church
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