Day 8/40 Baptism with the Holy Spirit

As a teenager, I gave my life to Jesus. I pledged my allegiance to him and invited him into my life. My life as a Christian began with my conversion and receiving new life from God. I was born again, meaning I was now not just a human being, but also a child of God.

I did not always walk on straight paths and often had to turn away from my wrong ways and ask Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer, for forgiveness so that I could then run back into the arms of our Heavenly Father.

I felt like something was missing. My baptism and confirmation didn't seem to be enough. I searched and discovered that I was missing another important baptism.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Jesus promised his disciples, and thus us too, that he would send us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our encourager, and our guide. He not only points us to Jesus, our sacrificial lamb, but also to our mistakes. He helps us grow in faith.

John the Baptist baptized people with water for repentance , but he also proclaimed that Jesus would baptize us not only with water, but also with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Matthew 3:11)

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a distinctive and important experience that gifts us and prepares us for our service as followers of Jesus.

After recognizing my problem, I again asked our Father in Heaven for forgiveness and, in the name of Jesus and with all humility, asked Him to fill me with His Holy Spirit. I gave the Holy Spirit permission to fill me with His power, to flow from and through me, and to use my voice. I asked our God to allow the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) to grow within me, thus transforming and reshaping my life. I gave God dominion over my whole life.

Changes through the Holy Spirit

Over the years, I learned more and more to live with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is invisible, yet very tangible. He speaks, usually in a quiet voice. The Holy Spirit comforts, sends, guides, warns, and admonishes us.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and, as the name suggests, holy. In Hebrew, it is called Ruach HaKodesh, meaning the holy (kodesh) spirit or breath. The Holy Spirit is mentioned at the very beginning of the Bible, where the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)

The Holy Spirit has set my heart on fire! He influences my will, my mind, and my emotions. He made sure the Ten Commandments were written on my heart and now ensures that I remember and keep them.

I learned that God's Spirit equips me with everything I need and prepares me for the wedding with Jesus. We are to become more and more like our Bridegroom and King.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit bestows upon us nine gifts . He grants us wisdom, knowledge, faith, and health , with wisdom being the highest gift we should strive for. The Holy Spirit enables us to perform and experience miracles . He grants us the gift of prophetic speech , discernment of spirits , speaking in tongues , and the gift of interpreting these tongues .

This does not all happen at once, but just as a fruit must ripen, so too must our personality be brought to maturity. In order to practice this, we learn to walk in the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and Self-control .

Later, I learned that the Holy Spirit also equips us with various gifts of ministry that serve to build the church of Jesus. He also ensures our safety and equips us with the spiritual armor (Ephesians 6).

The Holy Spirit dwells in us

After I allowed the Holy Spirit access into my life and heart, He immediately began to dwell within me. My body became His holy temple . One could also say that our body is the new Ark of the Covenant or the Ark of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit ensures that I keep this temple pure and convicts me, even today, when I have sinned, that is, when I have violated God's commandments. I learned that God's Spirit teaches and guides us through inspiration, through truth, and in love, so that we can become more and more like Jesus.

The Holy Spirit leads us to knowledge, awakens our faith, strengthens our understanding, leads us to recognition, and allows us to confess our errors. The Holy Spirit guides us into the truth by sharpening our conscience, making us obedient, shaping our will, giving us authority, and securing us and allowing us to act through His power.

God wants to give us His Holy Spirit

God is love, and He wants to give us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit imparts God's love to us and leads us into fellowship with our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit brings healing. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed into a new creation, filled with God's love and being.

Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit yet?

Ask for it and begin to live in the presence and love of God.

Prayer for the Holy Spirit