This question, regarding the feeling of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, confused me for many years. I had a belief that if I didn’t feel God filling me with His Spirit, then it didn’t happen. Which resulted in me seeking a feeling rather than a Person.
Since then I have received the Holy Spirit and God has changed my perspective regarding this topic. So, what can I tell you about the feeling of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
It doesn’t make a difference if you feel anything when you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Person, not a manifestation. We receive His Baptism through faith, not feelings. If you are searching for a feeling you’re not in faith, and you’ll never receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
I know that was very straight to the point so let’s break that down a little bit so we can understand it further. First, I’m going to briefly address what faith is, and then I’m going to cover how to receive the Spirit of God.
Let’s get started.
What Does The Bible Say Faith Is?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
This verse reveals that faith is not a result of the senses. We know this because it says, “faith is the…evidence of things not seen.” Seeing is part of the senses.
Faith is not a byproduct of the natural realm. It only involves itself in the natural realm when it wishes to change it (Mark 11:22-24).
Faith is, however, a byproduct of the Word of God. The Word is where faith is birthed (Romans 10:17), and acting on the Word is where faith flourishes.
The Bible commands us to walk by faith, not by sight. So, in essence we are to walk and live by the Word, not how we feel. And the Word tells us exactly how we are to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
God’s Word Trumps Experiences
We have all heard the stories of people falling under the power and peace of God. Or of people experiencing God’s presence in a way where they feel electricity flowing through them.
These are all great stories and praise God for those encounters! But lets not forget what this thing is all about. It’s about a Person, named Jesus. And the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is about receiving that Person to live on the inside of you.
And if I’m seeking Him and He wants to give me a manifestation of His presence, that’s awesome. But if for some reason I don’t experience anything, that doesn’t change the fact that He’s present, answering my prayer, and filling me with His Spirit.
God is greater than a goosebump. He wants us to know Him through faith. He wants us to be free from sensual living.
If we base the measure of our knowledge of Him on the experience of His presence, then we are trying to know Him through the flesh when we are called to know Him by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18).
I’m not against physical manifestations, but I am against them when we forfeit faith for a feeling.
So, when you pray, believe that He is there hanging on your every word, longing for you to express your heart to Him. When you study His word, believe that He is there teaching you and opening your mind to the scriptures. And when you ask Him to baptize you in His Spirit, believe that He is filling you at that very moment.
Receive The Spirit Not By Feelings, But By Faith
God is a faith God. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible please Him.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Everything that God has made available to us He has made available through faith. It is no different with the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
So what does the Bible tell us about how to receive the Spirit? Let’s look at what Paul says.
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:1-2)
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14)
The apostle Paul says, in each of these verses, that believers are to receive the Holy Spirit through faith.
He even gets specific and says that Christ became a curse for us so we could receive a blessing and receive the PROMISE of the Spirit through faith.
That is the same language the Bible uses when referring to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:4, 2:33, and Luke 24:49. So Paul isn’t just referring to receiving salvation in the above passages, he is specifically writing about the infilling of the Holy Spirit that is to come after salvation. (Related article: The Baptism in the Holy Spirit).
Another passage I want to mention is Luke 11:11-13.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 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!”
Jesus is revealing here that all we have to do is ask the Father for the Holy Spirit, and He will give Him.
So, if we ask the Father in faith for the Holy Spirit is He going to Baptize us? Of course! That’s what His Word says. Did any of those verses mention manifestations? No. But they did mention faith and petition.
When I realized this, it set me free from striving and struggling to receive the Holy Spirit. I realized He is a Gift payed for by Christ’s blood, and all I have to do is receive the Gift by faith.
If you are a born again believer it is the same for you. You can ask right now for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and God will come and fill you.
Prayer To Receive The Baptism In The Holy Spirit
Heavenly Father, I have heard your Word and I see that receiving the Spirit of God is a thing that doesn’t require a manifestation. For I am not seeking a manifestation, but a Person. And I have come before you to receive Him. Jesus called Him the Promise, so since He is the Promise I know I’ll receive Him when I ask.
Father I ask you to Baptize me in your Holy Spirit, right now in Jesus name. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can walk with you the way you have called me to. Thank you Father. It’s done.
If you prayed that prayer in faith, praise God the Holy Spirit lives in you. You have God’s power residing on the inside of you and you have the gifts of the Spirit available to you.
The gift of speaking in tongues is available to you as well. You can start speaking right now in faith, believing that Holy Spirit is giving you the utterance. That gift is on the inside of you, it just needs to be released. Some articles to check out that will explain this further are: Speaking in Tongues: 5 Things to Know From the Bible and Baptism in the Holy Spirit (In-Depth Study).
