 Still in the Act
The most important prayer a person can pray is the prayer to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior; the most powerful one is “come Holy Spirit.” Everything you need for every day is found in the Holy Spirit. He is God. He is the Promise of the Father, and He indwells every believer who receives Him by faith.
From the beginning when God first formed Adam out of earth and blew His breath into his mouth, God intended to dwell with and in His creation. His plan has never changed. At Pentecost, God again blew into His new creation and a mighty rushing wind filled the house (see Acts 2:2). God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit filled each individual, baptizing them in fire.
It was the fulfillment of Jesus’ words, “I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever…I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you…the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me…you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:16-20).
Jesus was speaking of Pentecost where there would be a divine exchange of Persons: First He would leave, then the Holy Spirit would come in His place. (John 14:25-29). God indwells us through the Spirit on the basis of our relationship with Him by the Son. The supreme promise of God is the resident indwelling of Christ Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father sends the Holy Spirit in the place of the Son. Pentecost is ongoing to this day. God is still in the act of pouring out His Spirit. His ultimate goal for you personally is that you would be filled with the Holy Spirit. That you would become a vessel of His presence and glory on the earth.
Years ago, when I (Mahesh) was in graduate school, I was taking a bus from Lubbock, Texas, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was an all-night trip. When I first got onto the bus, several other people were on it, but after a few stops, they had all gotten off except the bus driver and me and one other man.
He was very large and tough-looking, with tattoos all over him, and he was sitting in the front. Every now and then he looked back at me, sitting in the back of the bus. Then he just kept looking at me in an unnerving way—and finally he got up and came back to me, “Can I sit by you?”
Inside, I was saying, “The whole bus is empty. I don’t want a giant tattooed man sitting next to me in the dark. Oh, Jesus, I am dead.” I looked him over and wondered where his knife was hidden.
“Yes,” I said. (What else could I say?)
He sat down, and immediately he said, “Who are you?”
I was so scared, but the Holy Spirit furnished the words, and I answered, “I’m a servant of the Lord.”
He nodded his head and said, “I knew it.” And he started crying. He said, “I just got out of prison five days ago, and my wife and children have moved somewhere. My family is gone, and they don’t want anything to do with me. I am going to find some relatives in New Mexico. I tried to kill myself two days ago.” And he showed me his bandaged wrists where he had cut himself. “I have no hope, but as we have been riding for these past few hours, I have been looking back at you because you have had this golden light around you the whole time. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks. It’s not a light in the bus. I’ve never seen anything like it. This light just stays around your body in the dark.”
So I led him to Jesus. Right after I led him in a simple prayer to receive Christ, he opened his mouth and began to speak in tongues in a most beautiful language. I hadn’t said a word about that. After praying and singing in tongues for a while, he said, “What’s this?” The glory was all around us.
I explained about the Holy Spirit and tongues. Rivers of joy were pouring out of him. He prayed and sang for a long time.
When I got off the bus at Santa Fe, he gave me a big hug. “I know God will take care of me. I know He loves me. God bless you!”
I was just riding the bus that day, but God had an appointment with this precious man. I was simply the vessel that the Holy Spirit used to answer the desperate cry of this man’s heart. He wants to do the same with you. He is the comforter. He is the Helper. He is the Teacher. He is Truth. He is the Person, the Presence and Power of God. He wants to create a dwelling place for Himself in you. He wants to fill you, and He wants to overflow out of you to others.
As we celebrate Pentecost this week we want to invite you to experience a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you have already received Him, take time to drink in His refreshing presence and receive more of His joy, comfort, love and power personally in your life. Pray in the Spirit, worship and honor Him through praise, thanksgiving and time in the Word. If you have not yet been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you can receive Him today. He is the promise of the Father to all who believe. All you have to do is ask. Pentecost is for you right now.
Prayer for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. I believe He died, was buried, and on the third day rose again from the dead. I do repent of my sins and come to You for mercy and forgiveness. I renounce Satan and the kingdom of darkness. I break every family curse over my family and me. By faith in Your promise, I receive Jesus Christ personally as my Savior and confess Him as my Lord. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and give me eternal life and make me a child of God. Thank you, Lord, for accepting me and now, Lord Jesus, I am thirsty for more of You. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to baptize me in Your Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. By faith I receive Your Holy Spirit now. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
As you pray this prayer, take a deep breath. In fact, take several deep breaths. God keeps His Word, and He will fill you with His wonderful Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 says, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." I encourage you to open your mouth and speak. As your voice proceeds, the Holy Spirit will begin to give you words. They may be words you have never heard before. Do not be concerned with what you are saying, because you are speaking not by intellect but through your spirit.
In my experience it is easier to do than to explain. Remember, receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is an act of faith. You are appropriating a mighty promise of God. You may not feel anything. Some have emotional experiences, but this is not necessary. Just begin to speak, even if you only have a few words. Persevere. After a time, there will be a strong flow. Some get immediate fluency while others get only a few words initially. Either way, it is coming from the Spirit of God, so thank Him. Be persistent! On occasion, people get self-conscious and do not get a full release until sometime later, but I encourage you to persist. Believe me it is worth the effort! Begin to praise and thank the Lord.
Welcome to a wonderful new journey in the Lord!
We want to encourage and strengthen you in your spiritual growth. We have a powerful book, The Hidden Power of Speaking in Tongues, that will give you a biblical foundation and instruction manual to one of the greatest gifts we have from our heavenly Father. Whether this is a brand new experience or you have been filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues for years, this book will stir you to hunger and thirst for more of the Holy Spirit and give you keys to developing a deeper relationship with Him.
All rights reserved. No part of this message can be used without permission. © 2010
|
Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda, 5/18/2010 |
|
|
| |
