Apicontent

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be guided and empowered by Him who dwells in every believer in Christ. Every believer has the Holy Spirit, but not every believer is guided and empowered by Him.

The steps are very simple, but there are certain conditions that must be met before being filled with the Spirit.

First and foremost, make sure that you are in Christ. Knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior is foundational. Second, you must wholeheartedly desire to live a life that is fully submitted to the Lord. Experiencing God’s love and forgiveness will help you grow in your trust in Him and love for Him. Third, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any sins in your life and confess them to God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) To confess your sins means to agree with God about them, including turning away from your sins and obeying what God wants you to do about them. 

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is an act of faith. Because the Word of God commands it (Ephesians 5:18), you believe it to be true in your life that the Holy Spirit will guide and empower you when you trust Him to do so.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith alone. However, true prayer is one way of expressing our faith. The following is a suggested prayer:

“Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.”

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, bow in prayer and trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now.

Now, you go about your day, knowing and trusting the Holy Spirit is guiding you and giving you wisdom and strength to live in the manner worthy of the Lord. His guidance may be subtle; so, you need to be mindful of His presence moment by moment.­_­

Key Verse

“And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18)

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Watch the video series on “Be Filled With The Holy Spirit” (See videos)

Many believers are living spiritually defeated lives. They feel powerless and unproductive in their Christian experience. But the truth is, Christ offers us a vibrant life full of purpose and adventure if we walk daily in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The mark of being a Christian (belonging to God) is that the Holy Spirit dwells in that person. The moment you believe in Jesus as your Savior and trust Him as your Lord, the Holy Spirit gives you the new life in Christ and resides in you. He is united with your new self in Christ. 

So, walking by the Holy Spirit is essential for all believers in Christ. It is a lifestyle of being directed and empowered by Him. When you are filled with the Spirit by faith, you will remain Spirit-filled as long as you are obedient to Him because you are submitting to His guidance. But you may intentionally or accidentally take back control of your life. You stop trusting the Holy Spirit. You may commit a sin. When you realize that you are no longer filled with the Spirit, you quickly confess it and repent. Giving thanks to God, you renew your commitment to be guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This process of “course corrections” is called spiritual breathing.

Years ago the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Bill Bright, compared walking in the Spirit on a moment-by-moment basis to breathing. When you breathe, you exhale impurities, and inhale pure air and oxygen.  

In “spiritual breathing”, you “exhale”–by confession–sin, and “inhale”–by faith–the Holy Spirit’s control. Exhale:  Confess your sin–agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him
for His forgiveness of it. Confession involves repentance–a change in attitude and behavior. Inhale:  By faith, surrender the control of your life to the Holy Spirit.
Trust that He now directs and empowers you.

As you regularly practice spiritual breathing, you will become more sensitive to His presence and guidance in your everyday life. You begin to consistently live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, obeying His guidance and relying on His empowering presence. This is what it means to walk in the Spirit.

Key Verse

“if we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25)

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To renew your mind with God’s truth, you regularly spend time in the Word of God. It should become one of your daily habits.

Renewing your mind is a process. As you read the Bible, you trust that God’s truth will transform you and are willing to be changed by it. As the Holy Spirit reveals the truth through the Bible, you choose to study it and apply it to your daily life.

Your mind is powerful. Your attitudes, behavior, thoughts, values, and emotions are all by-products of what is in your mind. So, if you want to change your life, filling your mind with God’s truth is critically important.

God is communicating with you through the Bible to teach you His perspective and to show you a more accurate view of who God is. What your mind believes about God makes a big difference in your life.

Key Verse

“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

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Read the series, “Seeing Your Life from God’s Perspective” and become more aligned with God’s truth.

To hear God, you need to prepare yourself. Having the right attitude of your heart, a mindset of faith, and expectancy toward God are all important.

You also need to realize that God speaks to you in many ways. We hear Him through:

• God’s Word (Bible)
• The indwelling Holy Spirit as your thoughts and impressions
• Other people
• Sanctified reasoning
• Peace in your heart
• Providential circumstances
• Visions and dreams

The most important way to hear God is through His Word. The Bible is the primary way that God communicates to His people.

As you prayerfully study the Bible, the Holy Spirit will guide you to all the truth. As you discover God’s truths, it is important that you obey them and put them into practice. God speaks and we hear Him so that we may follow Him. You will be able to develop discernment as you obey His Word.

Key Verse

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” (John 10:4)

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Study “New Life in Christ” a Bible study series that will help you become more grounded in the Scriptures.