What Do You Know About the Holy Spirit?

After we receive Jesus, there are two things we need to become knowledgeable of: 1) how to use our faith, and 2) the Holy Spirit. Since we celebrate Pentecost next Sunday, I want to focus on the Holy Spirit.

We need to understand who the Holy Spirit is, the work of the Holy Spirit, how the Holy Spirit leads us, the need to rely on the Holy Spirit, rather than trying to fix ourselves, and the movement of the Spirit of God in our spirit. This is necessary if we want a strong spiritual foundation.

We need to receive the Holy Spirit

Our search for God often begins with a crisis. We encounter something that we don’t have the resources or power to handle. For me, it was my child’s diagnosis of leukemia. I knew then that, if I didn’t find a living God who would help me, I could never survive this. My search brought me to the place where I realized that I needed the power of the Holy Spirit inside of me.

He commanded them … to wait for what the Father had promised, … you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now … you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:4-5, 8).

This was the reason Nancy was visiting me. I needed the Holy Spirit. She read these words to me:

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks, finds…Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 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 11:10-13)

When Nancy finished, she asked if I was ready to receive the Holy Spirit: ” This is what the Father promised to those who believe,” she said.

For weeks I’d been pouring over Scriptures like Acts 2:38, 39. I’d finally come to the decision that the Holy Spirit was not just for people in the Bible, but for all who were far off—and that included me. “Yes, I am ready,” I answered.

However, my teeth were chattering, my insides trembling. I’d heard so many stories about what might happen when the Holy Spirit comes. People fall down, they pray in a strange way, they roll all over. I’d heard about the Holy Rollers growing up. I didn’t want to be like them; I didn’t want to lose control!

The Holy Spirit came

Nancy reassured me that God does not want His people to be lacking in any gift and that our spirit is not dumb; it is capable of speaking—even in an unfamiliar way: “Just let go. Surrender yourself to God, Judy. You can trust Him.”

Feeling frightened and self-conscious, I went into my bedroom to pray alone. Nancy waited in the living room. Using the steps of faith that Nancy had taught me, I knelt beside my bed and asked Jesus to baptize me with the Holy Spirit, yet I felt nothing.

I returned to Nancy. She asked, “Judith where is the Holy Spirit?”

“In me,” I answered.

“Why?” she pressed.

“Because I asked Jesus to give me the Holy Spirit, and He cannot lie.”

I pray in the Spirit

“Good Judith, now let’s pray in tongues together!”

Nancy began to pray fluently in another language, a language I’d never heard. I tried to let go of my tongue and give it free reign to make whatever sounds that came, while keeping my mind centered on God and His trustworthiness.

I reminded myself of the promise, “these signs will accompany those who have believed. . . they will speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17). I had believed! I can speak in a new tongue.

I felt very foolish making these strange sounds, but after a few moments Nancy said, “That’s it! Listen, you are praying exactly the same sound, syllable for syllable, as I am! Now I know why God changed my prayer language this morning; it was for you.”

“Abba! Father!”

My heart filled with joy! An inner witness of God’s presence welled up in my spirit. For the first time in my life, I knew that I belonged to God—and I hadn’t rolled over!

 … you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” (Romans 8:15,16)

I’d felt afraid of God for so many years. Now my suffering and pain had brought me to the place where I came to Him with all my heart. As a result, He became real to me; His presence dwelt within. I knew I belonged to Him and I was His child, just as the Scriptures promise. What a place to be in! Jesus and the events at Pentecost were no longer just historical events, but an inner reality in my heart.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the spirit of truth . . . I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-17).

The Holy Spirit makes transformation possible

In the years following, I slowly changed; I became more fully alive and whole. This is a key difference between man’s religion and Christianity: the working of the Holy Spirit. In man’s religion, we try by our own efforts to be good, to live a moral life, but we end up with no morality. In authentic Christian experience, transformation occurs through the indwelling Spirit of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit working inside us.

If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being (belly-hollow place) shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:38-39).

You can be filled with the Holy Spirit too

Have you received the Holy Spirit? If not, go to Jesus right now and ask Him to baptize you or to fill you anew with the Holy Spirit. We receive the Holy Spirit the same way we received Jesus Christ: through faith (confidence and assurance) in our heart.

… so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14).

Heavenly Father, I come to You right now in this moment.  I thank You that Jesus has forgiven me of my sins through His blood on the cross. I need your power and authority in my life. I want to serve only You. Lord Jesus, I ask you to baptize me now in the Holy Spirit.

Please fill me with your power and anoint me for the work you have called me to do. I do receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit right now by faith, because You cannot lie.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for baptizing me in Your Holy Spirit, for giving me this gift.  Amen.

To learn more about the Holy Spirit see my Radio Horeb program notes:

1. July 2007: https://judithdoctor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/The-Holy-Spirit-Will-Lead-You.pdf
2. June 2006: https://judithdoctor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/The-Holy-Spirit-And-Dreams1.pdf
3. January 2006: https://judithdoctor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/The-Work-of-Holy-Spirit.pdf