The Bible Way to Receive the Holy Spirit

The Bible Way to Receive the Holy Spirit

By Kenneth E Hagin

Receiving the Holy Spirit is entirely a matter of faith. I have several suggestions of things you can do to help a person who wants to receive.

1.
First, help that person see that God already gave the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has been in this world ever since.
Help that individual know that it is up to him (or her) to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
He is not to beg God to fill him with the Holy Spirit.
All begging is unbelief. Unbelief begs.
Faith shouts.

2.
Second, lead that person to see that anyone who is saved is ready to receive the Holy Spirit:
ACTS 2:38
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.
We have incorporated a lot of manmade traditions into our Full Gospel theology.
People think they have to do certain things or somehow clean up their life before receiving the Holy Spirit.
If we could clean up our lives ourselves, what would we need with the blood of Jesus Christ?
I'm blood-washed—blood-bought. If you're saved, you're clean, too.

3.
Third, it is scriptural to tell the person to expect to receive the Holy Spirit when hands are laid on him.

4.
Fourth, tell the person what to expect. People get every idea imaginable otherwise.
Tell that person he is to expect the Spirit to move on his vocal chords and put supernatural words on his lips.
The Holy Spirit gives the utterance, but man does the speaking.
Acts 2:4 says,
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them uterance" (or prompted them to speak).
Similar Scriptures are Acts 10:46,
"For they heard them speak with tongues....";
First Corinthians 14:18, where Paul said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all"; and
First Corinthians 14:2, "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."
Many people say, "I'm afraid I'm going to get it in the flesh."
You can't get it any other way! It is men and women in the flesh worshipping God in the Spirit.
God promised in Joel 2:28,
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all FLESH...."

5.
Fifth, tell the candidate to throw away all fears he got from foolish teachers that he might receive something false.
Help him see that he will not receive a substitute for the Holy Spirit.
LUKE 11:11-13
11 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?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
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?

6.
Sixth, encourage the person to open his mouth wide—this can be an act of faith—breathe in, and tell God,
"I am receiving the Holy Spirit right now by faith."
Absolutely insist that the person not speak a single word in his natural language.
Encourage him to relax and fearlessly, boldly, lift his voice and make those supernatural sounds that want to come, working his tongue and lips as he would if he were speaking English.
Tell him to expect that the Holy Spirit will give him words—that his tongue will seem to want to say something. This is so in every case.

The Holy Spirit gives the utterance—the person must do the talking. The supernatural part is what is being said; it is not who is talking.

When you can see that the Spirit is moving on his lips and tongue, tell him to speak any sounds it seems easy to speak, regardless of what they are.
That's faith. He is lifting his voice and trusting God for guidance. Tell him to go right on speaking, praising God with those supernatural words until a free, clear language comes and he has the inner assurance that he has received.

7.
Seventh, don't crowd around persons who come seeking the infilling of the Spirit.
Don't give them confusing instructions.
Those present should pray in the Spirit if they pray out loud;
otherwise, they should pray quietly in their natural language.

These seven steps are the steps I have used to get people filled with the Holy Spirit since 1938 without tarrying, without waiting—and almost without exception.