Just pray

For the most part, this website describes in detail the Lord’s will in terms of salvation. A multitude of scriptural evidence is provided to support the biblical message that everyone must repent, be baptized by full immersion in water, seek God to be filled with the power of His Holy Spirit, and thereafter walk in God’s ways, in order to rise to live eternally with Christ upon His second coming:

John 3:5, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

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.”

Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Whilst the message of the gospel is very clear, some may wonder how to seek God for His Holy Spirit anointing.  The answer is very simple: Pray.

There is no precise prerequisite to being born again of the Holy Ghost. Some people experience the anointing while being prayed for by others who are part of the Body of Christ (have themselves repented, been baptized in water and by the Holy Ghost, and are following the Lord’s will). Other people are anointed with the Spirit as they pray in solitude to God; yet others as they come up out of the waters of baptism and seek the Lord at that point. We even know some who have received the Holy Spirit anointing as they’ve spoken to God while riding their motorbike or driving their car, on the way home from a fellowship meeting or when they’ve come across a particularly breathtaking patch of scenery.

The only pre-requisites for the Holy Spirit anointing seem to be, 1) Your heart and its desire to be obedient to the Word of God; to follow the truth, and 2) Asking:

Acts 5:32, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

Luke 11:9-13, “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?”

If you have never sought the Lord before for the infilling of His Spirit, then the best place to start is down on your knees. Determine to pray to God diligently and zealously until you experience that for which you hunger and thirst:

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The only people who never receive the Holy Spirit are those who, 1) Never ask, or 2) Give up asking. It is God’s promise. God yearns to fill all people with His power and glory; to see His Word written on their hearts and minds:

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

1 Timothy 2:4, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Hebrews 10:16, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;”

However, God wants to see people come to Him with all sincerity first. He wants to test their obedience; to see how serious they are about responding to the truth and following the ways of His Son:

Matthew 10:38, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

Ephesians 1:12-14, “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest” (downpayment) “of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

God requires us to make the first move, and if we seek Him with a whole heart and with determination not to give up, then He will reward us with His precious gift. Some people receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit the first time they ever ask, yet for others it takes longer. God does not withhold the Spirit from us; it is only our efforts (or lack of), and state of heart, that stand in the way. If you have sought the Lord for the Spirit before, still without result, then search yourself; examine your thoughts and feelings. Perhaps there is something that you need to “give over” before you are prepared to receive His gift:

Mark 8:35, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”

John 12:25, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

It is also important to note that people who have previously sought for the Holy Spirit, without result, may have been, 1. Praying for the wrong thing i.e. the gift of speaking in tongues instead of simply the salvation power of the Holy Ghost (which incorporates all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit), or, 2. Praying for the Holy Ghost as an "added extra" and not as a necessity for salvation (e.g. they believe that they were saved when they were water baptized and/or "gave their heart to Christ," and now they are simply praying for the baptism of the Holy Ghost because it is a "good thing to have"). We find that these people, when they come to an understanding and acceptance of the truth of the Biblical salvation message, and then pray for the anointing of the Holy Ghost in all humility, their prayers are answered.

What NOT to do

Do not seek to completely clean up your life before seeking the Lord, for this is impossible without the power of the Spirit inside you, to guide you and give you strength. Certainly, make changes in your life as best you can, toward the will of God (Luke 3:8, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance…”), but do not get caught in the mind-set trap of, “I feel so unworthy of God’s love; I need to clean up my life before I can come to Him.” Not one of us is worthy of God’s mercy and compassion; of Christ’s sacrifice, and the abundance that God desires to bestow upon us in return for our obedience. It is sufficient to recognize with all sincerity the error of our fleshly ways and the need to reconcile with God. God does not want us to strive by our own strength, but rather rely upon Him and His Spirit for our provision, overcoming, healing etc.:

Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Nor is it necessary to be scripturally educated in order to be born again of God’s Holy Spirit. Some people anchor themselves by determining to attend so many fellowship meetings, or to read so much of the Bible, before seeking God for His Spirit. By all means, look up some key scriptures (see the “Scriptures” page of this website) and study His Word, but do not mistakenly believe that you must reach a certain level of knowledge of the scriptures or understanding of His ways before you can receive His Spirit. God wants us to come to Him in simplicity, like as a child relies upon his parents for his needs:

Luke 18:16, “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 18:3, “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

It is not necessary to confess all your sins unto the Lord before receiving of His Spirit. Certainly, if this is how you feel moved, then by all means pour out your repentant heart to the Lord. But, it is not what God specifically requires. God is all-knowing and He searches the hearts. God knows what you are going to say and do before your words and actions are ever formed. If you desire to confess your faults then do so, but do not let this self-expectation inhibit your approach to God.

Be fervent

When seeking God for the Holy Spirit anointing, we always encourage people to pray fervently, praising Him in their native language, expecting to receive that for which they are asking. Do not pray for tongues, for this is not scriptural. It is the infilling of the Holy Spirit which you should seek. Speaking in tongues is simply one of the many gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it is the first manifesting sign and therefore the confirming evidence of the anointing experience.

When praying for the Holy Spirit, some people find themselves distracted by their fleshly thoughts and feelings. For this reason we suggest that you keep your prayer simple, focusing on praising God with powerful words such as, Hallelujah (which means “Praise ye the LORD”). It helps to repeat these kinds of words of worship over and over, knowing that you are offering praises unto God, but not particularly having to concentrate on the words that you are speaking. This helps you to relax and let your mind focus on the things of the Lord as desired.

It also helps to pray to the Lord enthusiastically, even with a sense of urgency.  Seeking for the Holy Spirit anointing is a matter of life and death. The scripture clearly tells us that no-one knows when the second coming of Jesus shall occur, but we do know it could happen any moment for we are living in the time of the “last days.”

Nevertheless, hypothetically, if you did know that Jesus was certain to return within the hour, and that without being born again of the Holy Spirit you would not rise to “meet Him in the air,” as the scripture describes, as part of the Body of Christ, then surely you would put all aside to fervently seek the Lord. You would indeed cry out unto the Lord with desperate zeal; humbly recognizing your fleshly faults and appealing to the Lord for His gracious cleansing, made way by the blood of Jesus Christ. For some, these passionate vocalizations may involve tears of repentance, for others it may mean loud cries of joyful worship.

Whatever it takes, come to the Lord naked in mind; prepared to undergo a spiritual transformation. When you notice yourself speaking in an unfamiliar language, accept that you have been filled with the precious power of God’s Holy Spirit, and allow yourself to pray in this new spiritual language for quite a time; like a newborn baby taking his first essential breaths and crying out to the world of his arrival. You will not understand what you are saying as you speak in tongues, but God knows, and your Holy Spirit will be strengthened as you permit the language of the Spirit to make intercession for you:

1 Corinthians 14:2, “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”

I Corinthians 14:14-15, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”

Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Thereafter, pray in tongues regularly, both formally (e.g. during times of restful meditation upon the things of the Lord) and informally (e.g. while washing the dishes, driving your car etc.). Be respectful however, to the Lord and others, by keeping your prayer in the Spirit between you and the Lord. Do not pray in tongues around others (except of course with Spirit-filled brethren, if you wish), and certainly do not display tongues as a “parlor trick” to impress people. If people are interested in hearing tongues, then their curiosity can be satisfied by attending a fellowship meeting. You can always offer to pray for them to also receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. You can lay hands on them and pray for them, both in your native language and in tongues, and they will experience the language of the Holy Spirit at that point.  

Baptism is essential

Whilst the sealing of the Holy Ghost anointing is God’s part of the New Testament contract, your “signature” on the agreement comes when you get baptized (by full immersion in water). Despite what many religious organizations may say, it is not necessary to be baptized in so called “holy water.” The Bible does not elevate one type of water over another. Baptism simply necessitates sufficient water so that the requirements of full body immersion can be completed; the idea being that you are agreeing to “bury” your old life and live a new life in the fullness of God’s ways. Baptism can take place in a large bath tub, hot tub, pool, lake, or river. In Papua New Guinea, when necessary people dig a large hole in the muddy ground and fill it with water!  

It is important that you are baptized by someone who is a member of the Body of Christ (having themselves repented, been baptized by water and by the Spirit, and living in obedience to the Word of God). The person baptizing should ask you to repeat a confession of faith; something along the lines of, “I confess with my mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in my heart that He is the Son of God and that God has raised Him from the dead.” Then, the person baptizing you can say something similar to, “Upon confession of your faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”  

After your confession, you should be gently lowered into the water, making sure that all parts of your body are briefly covered by water. After rising from the waters of baptism, it is good to pray in tongues together for a time to give glory unto God. If you have not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit by this point, then this is an ideal opportunity to seek the Lord. Some people receive the Holy Ghost before baptism, some as they come up out of the waters of baptism, some as they pray after being baptized, some after drying off and having some more prayer, and yet others receive a while after the time of their baptism. Everyone’s situation is different, but common to all must be the determination not to give up, believing in the anointing experience as the Lord’s promise.

An important note to those who have been previously baptized without a full understanding of the Biblical salvation message: Whilst you may have previously been baptized by full immersion somewhere else, you should seriously consider being re-baptized now that you are fully aware of God’s salvation requirements. Most people who are baptized in the broad, weak stream of today’s self-labeled Christianity, full of falsities and compromises, believe that they are being baptized into the Body of Christ, unto eternal life. However, this is unscriptural. The Word of God simply tells us that, when we are baptized, we are baptized into Jesus’ death; our old man/flesh being buried:

Romans 6:3, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?”

Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:…”

We should also be baptized with an expectation, that just as Jesus was raised to life, we also should experience newness of life, quickened (livened) by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is only until this anointing experience, when the power of God comes to dwell inside us, that we can hope in life eternal in God’s kingdom:   

1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

1 John 4:13, “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

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.” (Here, Paul was writing to born again members of the Church, as were the authors of the other scriptures referenced here).

Ephesians 2:18, “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

When we are baptized, we should be baptized with the correct, scriptural understanding of what we are doing; the meaning of the physical act and what to expect thereafter.

Your Calling

Once you have been water baptized and filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with some key scriptures so that you can impart unto others the fullness of the gospel message, differentiating yourself from the multitude of watered down doctrines of today. Remember, when you are born again of water and of the Spirit, you have been chosen to be an ambassador of God’s Word:

Mark 16:15-17, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized” (by water and by the Holy Spirit) “shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe…they shall speak with new tongues…”

Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

1 Corinthians 9:16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

However, it is not your job to convince or convert. Your calling is simply to expound God’s Word unto those that are still “in the dark.” Most will likely reject you; this is scriptural (Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”). Yet, some will be “pricked in their hearts,” as you were:

John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

Please feel free to contact us for encouragement and support. Whilst God fully equips us, through His Holy Spirit anointing, to endure to the end (Matthew 10:22, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved”), it is a pleasure and comfort to enlist the help of our Spirit-filled brethren as we go. In fact, it is God’s directive, because He knows how important it is as sustenance for our Spirit:

Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Note: Please be sure to read the “Walk in the Spirit” page; your salvation depends on continuing to “walk” according to the Word of God.