Be filled with the Spirit
Springs in the desert
From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). And Caleb said, 'I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.' Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.
One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, 'What can I do for you?'
She replied, 'Do me a special favour. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.' Then Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. (Judges 1:11–15)
Acsah, Caleb's daughter, having been given land by her father in the Negev (an arid desert region), then asked him for springs of water. In answer to her request, Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
Water, in the Bible, is often used to symbolize the Holy Spirit (John 7:37–39). As water is essential for physical life, so the Holy Spirit is essential for spiritual life.
You've probably noticed that we live in a spiritually dry world. It's wonderful meeting together with Christians in church, but when we get out into the world it's a dry place. It's as if we've been given land in the Negev. Most of us have to live and work in a spiritual desert; we're not in heaven yet, we don't need to remind ourselves of that fact.
We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives; we need spiritual water while we live in this desert if we're to remain strong and do the work the Lord wants us to do.
Be filled!
Ephesians 5:18 tells us not to get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (loose living), but rather to be filled with the Spirit. The Greek verb translated 'be filled' is in the present imperative tense. That means that God wants us to be filled with his Spirit now, and to continue to be filled.
Obviously it's to our advantage that we're filled with his Spirit, but the Bible doesn't tell us how to be filled. We know that God wouldn't tell us to do something that's impossible for us to do, so there must be something we can do in order to obey this instruction—and there is.
Ask and you will receive
First of all, we can ask our heavenly Father to fill us, just as Acsah asked her father for springs of water in the Negev. The Bible says that when she asked him for water he gave her the upper and lower springs.
If God wants us to be filled with his Spirit then surely he's going to answer us when we ask him, because we're asking in accordance with his will (1 John 5:14–15).
In Luke 11:11–13 Jesus said:
'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 was speaking about the baptism of the Spirit, which is a gift from the Father (Acts 1:4–5), but the principle of asking and receiving applies equally to being filled with the Spirit.
The baptism of the Spirit is a one-off event, whereas being filled with the Spirit is a recurring event. The disciples were filled with the Spirit when they were baptized with the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:3–4), but were filled again, after prayer, a few days later (Acts 4:31).
Visible sign
When a person is filled with the Spirit their countenance can change. Moses went up a mountain and spent forty days and nights with God and when he came down his face was radiant; it was shining brightly, but he was unaware of it (Exodus 34:29). God is spirit (John 4:24), and having spent time in God's presence, his Spirit had been imparted to him and had produced a visible change in him.
Similarly, when the members of the Sanhedrin looked at Stephen, they saw that his face was like the face of an angel: it too was shining brightly (Acts 6:15). Acts 7:55 tells us why that was so. His face was shining brightly because he was full of the Spirit.
When Christians are filled with the Spirit they can glow; there's something about them that makes them look different. It's particularly noticeable to unbelievers, but they don't know what it is. That 'something' is the presence of God radiating from within them.
Aids to being filled
We can ask God to fill us with his Spirit, but there are things we can do that can help us to be filled. Anything we do that brings us closer to God will result in his Spirit being imparted to us in some measure.
Meeting together
Have you left a meeting of God's people feeling full of joy? That is the Holy Spirit. By being in God's presence you have become filled with his Spirit. Luke 10:21 says: 'At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said…'
One of the effects of being filled with God's Spirit is a feeling of joy—an inexpressible and glorious joy that passes all understanding (1 Peter 1:8–9).
Reading the Word of God
I get blessed every time I read the Word of God. I feel spiritually stronger and more powerful after I've read it. It charges me up; it's like a spiritual workout. Why is that? It's because I've been meeting with God.
The Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12); it's the living word of the living God. It's anointed. And when we read it, some of its anointing—some of God's power and presence—is imparted to us.
It's impossible for anyone to read the Word of God without being affected by it. Even unbelievers will be affected in some way because God is speaking to them through it. As they read, the seed of God's Word is being sown into their hearts (Luke 8:11).
Fasting
Even though we may not feel particularly anointed when we fast because of the physical effects of fasting, we are nevertheless drawing nearer to God.
Fasting is a God-appointed way for us to draw near to him. We are demonstrating that God is more precious to us than the food we need to live on, and that spiritual things are more important to us than physical things. That, in itself, will produce a greater anointing of the Holy Spirit on our lives.
After fasting in the desert Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14). Can we neglect such a God-given way to gain more power in our lives and ministries? See Mark 2:18–20 for more information on fasting.
Praising and worshipping the Lord
We can praise and worship the Lord either quietly in our hearts or out loud in song.
The chorus says: 'I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart; I will enter his courts with praise (Psalm 100:4).' Praise and worship brings us into God's presence, it brings us closer to God.
Psalm 22:3 says: 'The Lord inhabits the praises of Israel (AV).' The Lord's presence is even greater when we meet together to praise and worship him.
Spending time in prayer
Prayer is communion with God; it's fellowship with God. God loves us; he is our loving heavenly Father and we are his children. He loves us to speak to him and his ears are always attentive to our prayers.
When we spend time in prayer we come into his presence and a measure of his Spirit is imparted to us. And his presence is even greater when we pray together.
Jesus said:
'Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.' (Matthew 18:19–20)
When we come together to pray, the Lord's presence with us is greater than when we pray alone.
Praying in tongues
The Bible says that he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself (1 Corinthians 14:4). The Greek word translated 'edify' means to build something, as one would build a house or a structure. When we pray in tongues we are building ourselves up spiritually. How does that work?
When we speak in tongues the Holy Spirit gives us the words. We are therefore allowing the Holy Spirit to flow through us; we become a channel of the Holy Spirit.
When someone ministers a spiritual gift in a meeting they feel full of the Holy Spirit afterwards because the Holy Spirit has been flowing through them. It's the same when we speak in tongues. When we pray in tongues the Holy Spirit builds us up; he flows through us and fills us as we pray.
Final word
God commands us to be filled with his Spirit, so let's do everything we can to obey that instruction. It's possible for God to fill us with his Spirit without us doing anything—and he may do that on occasions—but, as with so many other things in the Christian life, a lot depends on us.
There's a balance found in Scripture between what God does for man, and what God wants man to do. Salvation comes from the Lord (Jonah 2:9), and yet we're told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). That is something that we have to do.
When Jonny Wilkinson kicked the winning drop goal in the dying seconds of the Rugby World Cup recently, we were looking at the result of hours and hours of dedicated practice and commitment. Are we as committed to spiritual things as he is to rugby skills? We certainly should be.
Paul wrote:
'Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever (1 Corinthians 9:25).'
Athletes and sportsmen go into strict training to get a crown that doesn't last, but we do it (go into strict training) to get a crown that will last for ever—which is eternal life (James 1:12). Note that Paul refers to it as 'strict' training.
Christianity and spiritual things should always occupy the highest priority in our lives because they are the only things that will benefit us in eternity.
Michael Graham
November 2003
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. NIV ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.