32455 How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

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:

  1. Agree with God that you were wrong.
  2. Acknowledge that Christ died on the cross for those sins.
  3. 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.

47401 How to Be Filled with the Spirit

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)

More About…

“Be Filled With The Holy Spirit”

“Five Prayers of Repentance”

“How To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit”

Become More

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

47402 How to Walk in the Spirit

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)

More About…

“Spirit-filled Lifestyle”

“Power Through Spiritual Breathing“

“Spiritual Breathing”

Become More

Watch the video series on “How to Walk in the Spirit” (Watch videos)

47403 How to Renew Your Mind with Truth

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)

More About…

“The Bible”

“Renewing Your Mind”

“Filling Your Mind with God’s Truth”

“God Is Communicating with You”

“Put the Truth of God’s Word into Your Life”

Become More

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

47404 How to Hear God

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)

More About…

“Preparing Myself to Hear God”

“God Reveals His Will for Me”

“Making Sure the Direction Is from God”

“Reading God’s Word”

“God’s Word”

Become More

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

47201 How to Pray

Prayer is a conversation with God. It is two-way communication between the Father and His beloved child.

When you pray, talk to God as you would speak with a person. Be honest and willing to listen (heed and obey). Be confident that God wants you to pray. He loves you as His own child and desires to respond to you to protect, provide, teach and lead you to maturity. So, you can “pray with confidence”.

His disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and He gave them the prayer commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9:13).

You can follow the pattern and principles in the Lord’s Prayer Guide when you pray.

Another helpful model is called ACTS of Prayer, which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

Even though God wants you to approach Him in prayer as your heavenly Father, it is proper for you to start with worship and praise. When you pray, first focus on God rather than your needs, requests, or anything about you and around you. Praise Him for who He is and give thanks for what He has done and is doing for you and around you.

Key Verse

“’When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,” says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:12-14)

More About…

“Talk to God”

“Pray with Confidence”

“ACTS of Prayer”

“Why Pray?”

Become More

Read the series, “The Lord’s Prayer Guide” to learn from the Lord’s Prayer how to have an ever richer conversation with the Father.

47202 How to Read the Bible

We rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us into all the truth as we read the Bible.

The Bible is nothing less than the words God himself chose for us to hear. So, the purpose of reading the Bible is to get to know God better and allow Him to change you into the person He wants you to be.

With that in mind, it is important to remember that when you are reading the Bible, it’s best to read it slowly and thoughtfully, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide you into all the truth.

You can use the Bible R.E.C.A.P. method. This app offers the NET (New English Translation) Bible with the R.E.C.A.P. highlighting system.

Key Verse

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

More About…

“The Bible”

“Renewing Your Mind”

“God’s Word”

“Reading God’s Word”

JO App digital Bible resources: online Bibles and audio Bibles. 

Become More

Read more about The Bible.

Read the NET (New English Translation) Bible in this JO App using the Bible R.E.C.A.P. method to become better equipped in handling the Word of truth accurately.

47203 How to Study the Bible

God has not given us the Bible to inform but to transform you. Your receptivity to the truth, understanding of it, and conviction for it all play a critical role in the transformation of your life.

While there are many Bible study tools, available when you study God’s Word, we recommend the Bible R.E.C.A.P. In this method, you ask yourself the following questions as you read a section of the Bible:

R — Is there revelation about God that I should embrace?

E — Is there an example I should follow or avoid?

C — Is there a command I should obey?

A — Is there something I need to apply to my life?

P — Is there a promise I should claim?

Not all five questions will apply to every given passage. Find one question that applies to the passage you are reading and answer it.

This method is integrated into the NET Bible on this app. When you highlight a verse (by selecting a verse number), you will have an option to choose one of the five questions to answer and take notes.

Key Verse

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV)

More About…

“Bible Study Tools”

“Study God’s Word”

“The Bible Overview”

“Renewing Your Mind”

“BibleProject”: A video series on the overview of the books of the Bible

Become More

Become a better student of the Word. Start using the Bible R.E.C.A.P. method and the NET Bible in this JO App.

47204 How to Have a Quiet Time

A quiet time with God is a dedicated time free from interruptions and distractions you set aside to be alone with Him. Jesus got up early and spent all night having a quiet time with the Father.

During your quiet time, you worship the Lord, read the Bible, and pray (the ACTS of prayer is helpful). Additionally, you can be creative in your time with the Lord by meditating on the Bible passages, listening to praise music, singing worship songs, journaling (writing down what’s on your heart and mind), reading devotions, painting or drawing, writing poems about God like King David, being in nature, and remaining silent to listen to Him. 

Daily quiet time is a perfect place for you to develop habits for greater intimacy with God.

It is also helpful to keep in mind that what you get out of your quiet time is secondary. What is important is that you have set aside time in your day to be with God. You have honored God with your time.

Key Verse

“Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer.” (Mark 1:35)

More About…

“Quiet Time with God”

“Reflect on God’s Majesty”

“40 Days of God’s Love”

“Habits for Greater Intimacy with God”

Become More

Become more available for God. Read “The Lord’s Prayer Guide” and let the Lord’s Prayer guide you to greater intimacy with God.

47205 How to Worship

Christian worship includes reflecting on God’s majesty, thanking Him for His deeds, and honoring Him with devotion.

By reflecting on God’s majesty, we focus on who God is. God is sovereign, holy, and good. He is the Creator and Supreme Being incomprehensible and without equal.

By thanking God for His deeds, we focus on what God has done and is doing. Sending His only Son, Jesus, in the flesh to die on the cross and raising Him from the dead by the power of His Holy Spirit are His most marvelous deeds of love and grace. God is at work in our lives every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see His goodness all around you.

By honoring God with devotion, we are making God first and foremost in every area of our life. Practically, it means that we “do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14) “through the one who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13) “all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

The Father seeks those who worship in spirit and truth. Practice spiritual breathing so that you are walking in the Holy Spirit as you enter the presence of the Lord in worship.

Key Verse

“But a time is coming—and now is here —when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23b-24)

More About…

“Reflect on God’s Majesty”

“Thank God for His Deeds”

“Honor God with Devotion”

“Spirit-filled Lifestyle”

Become More

Our JO App has a list of praise song videos, “Praise God with Songs” (To play videos on JO App requires an Internet connection which may incur separate charges).