How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

I definitely think it worthwhile to continue on this subject of the Holy Spirit. By this very simple article I will briefly expound on how to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here lies the key to receiving the blessing:

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:9-13)

It is as simple as asking, so it is no wonder why many of us are not full of the power of the Spirit. The vast majority of us do not stop to ask the Lord of it; we are either content to do things in our own strength and in our own way, or we are fooled into thinking we are already operating in the the power of God's might (both are symptoms of pride). Either way, our deficiency lies in our unwillingness to ask.

However, though it is as simple as asking, it is not always as easy as just asking, for many ask and do not receive. I said earlier that asking was the key, but like starting a car, a key is useless if the engine is broken. Before we can ask, we must make sure our lives are ready to receive.

Here are some conditions that will keep a person from being filled, despite their asking:

1. Unbelief - a person who does not believe that God will be true to His Word in filling them will certainly not receive the blessing. It works the very same way as a faith healing: you must have faith that you are healed, then you must rise up and walk! (Hebrews 11:6)

2. Selfish Intentions - a person who desires to be filled simply to gain power for their own agenda will not receive. The promise was for those people who would become witnesses of Jesus, servants of God in taking the gospel to all creation. There is no room here for a person who wants to simply feel good or do nothing. It is power to GO! (Luke 4:18-19, Acts 1:8, James 4:3)

3. Unsurrendered Life - the Holy Spirit does not desire to come in and reside in part of your heart, He demands ALL of it. A person asking to be filled is ultimately asking to be possessed by the Spirit of God, the opposite of being demon possessed. There is no halfway. The Lord will sell all the old furniture made of hay and wood and stubble, and buy for Himself new articles of gold and silver and precious stone. You must be willing to part with those lesser things. (Romans 12:1, 2 Timothy 2:20-21)

4. Hidden Sin - the Lord will not hear our prayers if we regard sin in our hearts. First confess your sins and repent of them, being cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, then can you ask with the assurance of being heard. (1 John 3:22, Psalm 66:18)

5. Giving Up - Ask, then seek, then knock. The Lord told the disciples to WAIT in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high. We must wait patiently for the Lord to answer our cry, fainting not under the test of time. The Lord is searching for those who truly believe in His Word; those who will persevere to gain the blessing. Remember the persistent widow and don't give up! If you do, you won't be filled. (Psalm 40:1)

If your engine is operational and you've tied up all the loose ends, then if you turn the key in the ignition you will certainly spark a fire! Holy Ghost fire!

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:39)