Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Last night, we discussed this passage:

Luke 11:9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

I have been wrestling with this concept of baptism of the Holy Spirit, and last week, I think I finally accepted John the Baptist's prophecy of Jesus and Jesus's own promises:

Luke 3:16 John answered them all, "I baptize you [in] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you [in] the Holy Spirit and fire.

 

Acts 1:4 On one occasion, while [Jesus] was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized [in] water, but in a few days you will be baptized [in] the Holy Spirit." ... 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I felt like this past week, I came to the realization that I believe our Heavenly Father is good, and He wants to give us good gifts when we ask Him, and the best gift is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent the Son, and the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit.  I do believe that I received the Holy Spirit at the moment that I put my faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation, but I realized that I wanted to receive this gift of baptism and anointing from Him.  So, last night, at the end of our discussion, I asked our homegroup to pray for me to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I sat in the middle of the floor, and as they laid hands on me and prayed, I thought that I sensed a spiritual filling of some kind, like water in a pail. At one point in the prayer time, Ryan said that God had spoken to me, but I had not "heard" anything, so I interpreted that to mean that the sense of filling was what God had revealed to me.  So I believed that it was really happening, and I focused on opening my spirit and receiving it. I sensed a spiritual filling with a dense and viscous fluid (like molasses).  It felt like when you are thirsty and you are drinking water and you can feel the water going down to your stomach. Later in the prayer time, I sensed an outward anointing with a thick substance, and I imagined it like molasses slowly flowing over my head and down my arms and covering my hands, so that if I touched someone else, I would smear it on them.  I sense that this was in response to Steve specifically praying for anointing over my hands for a gift of healing.

As I sat there on the floor after the prayer time, I felt like the Holy Spirit was continuing to slowly pour into me, and I wanted to continue receiving, so I just sat there.  I felt Tom's hand on my shoulder for a few minutes, and I could tell that he was also experiencing the power of the Spirit.  I could feel a weightiness of filling and anointing.  I felt like I weighed twice as much as I do, like I had been filled with metal. 

As the group was eating dessert, Ryan helped me up from sitting on the floor, and I sat down on the couch.  I still felt such a weightiness, and I felt like my spirit had been filled with a dense fluid.  Tom had obviously been moved by the Spirit, and he told me that he saw a vision of me as a vessel of God, a vessel redeemed and restored by God, and being slowly filled with a thick fluid. No rush, no hurry, just steady filling. Tom's word was such an encouraging explanation and confirmation of what I had been sensing in my spirit!

I believe that this was a significant spiritual event in my life, and I look forward to seeing the Lord demonstrate more of His authority and power in my life to accomplish His Isaiah 61 ministry.

May we continue to seek to be active sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, and may we celebrate His goodness.

Heavenly Father, I love you, and I believe that you are a good, good Father.  I receive your Holy Spirit with thankfulness and joy, and I believe that you will continue to mature me and use me to establish your Kingdom on earth.  Holy Spirit, I submit to your leadership.  Teach me to hear your voice and walk in obedience.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the man who kept in perfect step with the Holy Spirit.