How Do I Get The Holy Spirit?

In yesterday’s blog I compared the power of the Holy Spirit to power steering on a car. Driving takes more effort without power steering; without the Holy Spirit it takes more effort to go through life. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit from the Father to give us power for living. The Holy Spirit is a free gift, yet most Christians misunderstand how a person receives the Holy Spirit.

Nickey Gumbel in the Alpha Course says, “Every Christian has the Holy Spirit, but not every Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is active and present when a person becomes a Christian. It is like a pilot light on a furnace or stove.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit is like turning the switch on and the pilot turns the burners on to full.

The Bible says we receive the Holy Spirit by eagerly desiring, asking God, and believing.
1 Corinthians 14:1
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.
Luke 11:9-13
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Perhaps you have experienced being in a room with a person, but not being acknowledged or received because the person you had an appointment with was busy on the phone or with something else. Once their conversation ended they looked you in the eye, shook your hand, welcomed and received you. The Holy Spirit is in the room at salvation, but not received, much like a gift that is unopened.

The Bible describes people receiving the Holy Spirit during the preaching of the Word, by having hands placed on them in prayer, some received after water baptism, others before water baptism, but always after salvation. If you desire the full burners of the Holy Spirit on in your life, ask and believe today and be completely immersed and baptized with Him.

---