You may be thinking, “I’ve accepted Christ into my life. I know that the Holy Spirit comes into your life when you accept Christ. But why then, does my life presently reflect so little power?”
It is important to think about what might be standing in the way of your experience of a Spirit-filled life. Living the Spirit-filled life requires being filled with the Holy Spirit. A Spirit-filled life is one of effectiveness and fulfillment.
Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit by following these three steps:
Step 1: Get right with God
When you are right with God, you are ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In contemporary society, we often don’t want to talk about “sin”–and we surely don’t want to personally admit to it! However, the Bible teaches us that our sin does stand in the way of our fellowship with God. Have you confessed every sin or act of disobedience that you are aware of, to God?
How to repent of your sin:
- Agree with God that you were wrong.
- Acknowledge that Christ died on the cross for those sins.
- Consciously turn your mind and heart away from your sin and toward obedience to God.
Step 2: Be filled by faith
When you are right with God you are ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This occurs totally by faith. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.”
Right now, in faith, you can claim His fullness and He will fill you with His Spirit. Here is a sample prayer for you to pray:
Dear Father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have been in control of my life, and as a result, I have sinned against You. Thank you for forgiving my sins through Christ’s death on the cross. I now invite Christ to again take His place of authority on the throne of my life. Fill me with your Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in your Word You would do if I ask in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I now thank You for directing my life. Amen.
Step 3: Walk anticipating results, even if you don’t feel any different
Getting right with God and then asking Him to once again have the Holy Spirit control and empower you demonstrates your desire and willingness to submit yourself to God. Now believe that God will do what He has promised.
Don’t focus on whether or not you feel any different. Just continue to walk in obedience and, by faith, expect Christ to live His life through you. He will show you evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power flowing through you at the appropriate time. Walk by faith and leave the results to God.