The Promise of the Father
In Acts 1:4-5 ‘And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, “which” He said “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
Jesus told His disciples to wait for the “Promise of The Father” which was the gift of the Holy Spirit they were to receive. In addition to salvation, God wants His people to receive this flooding of their inner beings with the Spirit of God called “The baptism of the Holy Spirit”. It is a complete immersion of the human personality into the Spirit of God through which the Holy Spirit is allowed to come in the fullness of His power, into a person’s life.
Under the Old Covenant, only those uniquely called or anointed of God received the Holy Spirit. But under the New Covenant, every believer is offered the “The Promise Of The Father” which is “power from on high” the active presence of the Holy Spirit ( Luke 24:49). It is by this activity of the Spirit’s fullness in the life of every believer that the ministry of Christ in His church continues. The power of God comes only by the Holy Spirit Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” There is no other way to appropriate this power.
Once we have been born again, we can then seek and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But even after receiving it, we must remember that being filled with the Spirit is not a one time event. We need to be continually refilled with the Spirit in order to renew our lives and ministries. We also need to exercise our prayer language as a part of the Spirit’s flow in our lives Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”; Acts4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel”; Acts 13:9″Then Saul, who also [is called] Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him.”
Through the Holy Spirit, we can expect our Spirit-filled relationship with Jesus to help us speak boldly, with courage, and with spiritual understanding Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” As we expect that courage and spiritual understanding to come, we will be ready to share Jesus boldly, always asking the Holy Spirit to confirm our testimony Acts 10:44-45 “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.”
Jesus said “but it is yours to receive the Spirit’s power!”. With that He makes three points.
1) The Holy Spirit is the Person and the Power by which assistance and ability are given for serving and for sharing the life of God with others.
2) The Holy Spirit’s Power must be received; it is not an automatic experience. As surely as the Holy Spirit indwells each believer Romans 8:9″But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” , so He will fill and overflow John 7:37-39 “On the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet [given], because Jesus was not yet glorified. each one who receives the Holy Spirit in child like faith.”
3) When the Holy Spirit fills you, you will know it. Jesus said it and the disciples found it trueActs 1:5 “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”; Acts 2:1-4 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and [one] sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Acts 19:1-6 “it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard [this], they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
You may, for the Promise belongs as much to you as it has to other generations Acts 2:38-39 “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Luke 9:1-2 “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 11:9-13″So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if [he asks] for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
It is a simple thing to receive, no different than receiving salvation, it is a free gift from God, and all you must do is ask for it Luke 11:9-13. Just like when you received the gift of salvation you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Just pray this and receive the promise by faith, “Father I see in Your Word the Promise of the Gift of the Holy Spirit. I ask now that you fill me with your Spirit and give me a prayer language that comes from the Holy Spirit, to pray through me. I receive these now by faith and Thank You for them. In Jesus Name and By His Blood. Amen”
Now that you have prayed this prayer just as you prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you have received the Promise of The Father (and been filled with the Holy Spirit). As you have words that you don’t recognize come into your mind, you must use your own voice to express them. That is your prayer language. As you pray in your prayer language or also known as “praying in tongues” that language will cause you to be built up in your spirit man just as Paul talked about in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 ‘For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.’ This prayer language is for your spirit man to talk to God through His Spirit and our spirit man “builds himself up at the same time.” Jude 1:20 ‘But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit’
