How To Receive The Holy Spirit: Baptism & Gifts

Want to know how to receive the Holy Spirit? This post is for you.

First off, the Bible makes it clear that the gift of the Holy Spirit is for all who believes (see Acts 2:39). 

If you have already settled that, then you have rightly positioned yourself to receive the Holy Spirit baptism in His fullness.

Wrong believing hinders the receiving of the Holy Spirit, that’s why we have to settled the matter of believing right first before we move on to discussing how to receive the Holy Spirit.

So now let’s go on to see how to receive the Holy Spirit proper.

Read also: Best Bibles For New Believers

First Things First: What The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit Really Means

Before we go on discussing how to receive the Holy Spirit, it will be well for you to know some things that will help your faith.

Now, if you are born again, the Holy Spirit is already in you.

Really!

Yes.

You couldn’t have been born again without the direct breath and operation of the Holy Spirit.

Your spirit was regenerated by the Holy Spirit at new birth. It was the breath of the Spirit that quickened your spirit, gave you new life in Christ and brought you forth – a new creation.

Here’s are some scriptures for that:

1 Corinthians 12:13:  “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

Romans 8:9:  “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” 

Yes, you already have the Holy Spirit, but in a measure – a well, fountain and spring of water (See John 4:14)

So what do you get at the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

It is the fullness of the Spirit – with gifts, manifestations and power for service.

It is the unlocking of the fountain in you to becoming a river. (See John 7:37-39)

A fountain or well is good for you, but to be a true blessing to the world, you need the river flow of the Holy Spirit.

And that’s exactly what happens when you are filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit.

The river is opened to the full.

The river in you is unstopped, unlocked in full, so much so that it flows through your mouth resulting in (the gifts of) speaking in tongues, (praise) and prophecy (See Acts 10:46, 19:6).

READ ALSO: Prayer Points For Outpouring Of The Spirit

How To Receive The Holy Spirit Baptism

Hope you got that right!

So then let’s now see in some simple steps how to receive the Holy Spirit.

1. You Have To Be Born Again First

The Holy Spirit will never indwell a body that has not been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. (See Isaiah 52:11)

Better put; the Holy Spirit will not come on a person that has not accepted the redemption that God provided for him in Christ Jesus.

So the first step on how to receive the Holy Spirit is to be born again.

Being born again is simple: If you believe that Jesus died for you, absorbing your sins and the punishment of it and that He rose from the dead afterwards, then you can be saved.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the heart of the redemption and the new birth.

Secondly, you will have to make confession of the lordship of Jesus.

By confession of Jesus’ lordship over your life, you have consciously and willingly broken (you have to break with Satan) with Satan, terminating his rule and lordship over you legally.

At the same time, by the same token, you transfer your allegiance to a new lord – Jesus Christ by pledging your allegiance to Him. (See Romans 10:9-10)

2. Believe To Receive: The Holy Spirit is for you

All of God’s provision and promises are appropriated by faith, not feeling.

God has even designed that the believer lives by faith (See Romans 1:17)

To receive the Holy Spirit therefore, you must come on the ground of faith, faith in the integrity of God; faith that God will give you the Holy Spirit when you ask Him to.

Your legal ground for receiving the Holy Spirit is the blood of Christ (appropriated by your new birth) and then His word.

The moment you are born again, you are qualified to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And the second you are able to locate God’s word that promises you the receiving of the Holy Spirit, you are all set to receive.

Believe and receive; that’s it!

Here are some scriptures that promise you the Holy Spirit:

Acts 2: 38-39 (NIV): “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 

Luke 11:13: “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?”

John 16:23-24: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

Matt 21:22: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

Luke 11:9: “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.”

3. Receive By The Laying On Of Hands

How to receive the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit can be received through the laying on of hands.

We saw this happen in the ministry of Paul in Acts 19 verses 1 to 6 when he laid hands on believers to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit and they did.

A lot of God’s graces are ministered or transferred through the laying on of hands.

Jesus taught and practiced the laying on of hand, the apostles did too. (See Mark 16:18, Acts 8:17-18, 1 Timothy 4:14)

The Holy Spirit gave the laying on of hands to the church as a doctrine too. (Hebrews 6:2)

God does a lot of things through our hands, by the laying on of hands

The power of God can be transferred through the laying on of hands.

So to receive the Holy Spirit, you may need hands laid on you by those who have received the Holy Spirit already (you can only give what you have).

Better still, ask your pastor, or church leader who believe and have received the baptism of the Spirit to lay hands on you to receive.

Make yourself clear; voice (declare) your faith to the person that you believe when he lays hands on you, you will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then go ahead and have him do it and then receive.

Don’t fail to receive, set the time and the point to receive: “the moment hands are laid on me, I will receive.” And surely you will receive if faith is in action. God always honors His word in a believing heart.

4. Receive By Faith, Take The Word For It

How to receive the Holy Spirit!

What if you don’t know who to go to for hands to be laid on you to receive the Holy Spirit?

Will you still receive?

Yes!

Take God’s word of promise for it: ask and you shall receive.

It’s all by faith, at the hearing of the word, you can receive, at the entrance of His word, you can be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Related:

• What Does The Holy Spirit Do?
• Can You Get The Holy Spirit Back?
• Praying In The Spirit
• 19 Scriptures On Praying In The Spirit

Prayer To Receive The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit.

How to receive the Holy Spirit!

Here’s a prayer to receiving the Holy Spirit.

Now, go ahead in faith and receive with thanksgiving.

Initial Physical Evidences Of The Spirit Baptism

How to receive the Holy Spirit!

Now that you have prayed that prayer in faith, here’s what to expect, signs, proofs that the Holy Spirit has filled you with His fullness. (Acts 2:1-4)

1. You will speak in tongues.

You may or may not speak in tongues immediately, but desire to and you will catch yourself speaking in tongues today or tomorrow.

2. Prophesying

You will prophecy.

When the Holy Spirit fills you to overflowing, the rivers gushing out through your mouth, you will most certainly prophecy.

You will see yourself declaring God’s counsel and will for your life, you will catch yourself talking the word to yourself with new light, power and boldness.

The Holy Spirit taking a hold of your tongue, will talk to you about your life, family, future, calling, destiny, you will speak by inspiration into your life, of things to come.

That’s prophesying my friend!

3. Praise

Another thing the Holy Spirit does when he fills you to the overflowing is that a new well of praise and thanksgiving will burst from within you.

Pure praise, pure worship will begin to gush out from within you.

You will see yourself worshipping God in power and form you never did before.

A new revelation of the greatness and glory of God and His love will fill your heart and the result will be unending spring of praise, thanksgiving and worship. (Ephesians 5:18-19)

Please watch out for this sign of sincere, pure praise and thanksgiving.

4. Boldness

When you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a holy boldness will come on you to declare the word of God, to witness for Christ and to suffer for Him – persecution, death, ostracism and more with joy.

Final word

How to receive the Holy Spirit!

Simple!

We have just walked you through the steps on how to receive the Holy Spirit.

Plus, we also pointed you to what you need to get you on the right track – the preparation you need, the qualification for receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit – being born again.

Then we also show you what to look out for after you have received the Spirit – bible evidences.

And that’s just it on how to receive the Holy Spirit.

Now that you know how to receive the Holy Spirit and have received, please don’t fail to share with another believer who desires to be filled with the Spirit too.

Blessings!

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