I Every morning my brothers and sisters walked with meto the Catholic school. And sure enough it happened more than once. Almost by instinct, without a word we remembered Daddy's advice and walked on the other side of the street until we were well past the drunken man. How did we know he was intoxicated? Well, we didn't walk up to him and say, "Mister, are you drunk?" Or "Let me smell your breath!" Of course not.
Even as children we knew he was inebriated. Everything about him told us the way he moved, the look on his face, his disheveled clothes. As they say in England, he was "three sheets to the wind."The truth about his ungodly behavior was simply this: He was being controlled by the wrong power. He had surrendered to the wrong influence. The apostle Paul could not have been more blunt when he said, "Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). What a contrast between riotous living and righteous living. Drunkenness, Paul warns, brings ungodly actions.
But ifman or a woman can be controlled by alcohol, how much more than a new song it's a change that takes place in your heart. When you have been transformed on the inside, a melody will bubble up. It's a spontaneous reaction. I don't claim to be a singer, but I've had a song on my lips since the moment I met the Holy Spirit. The third manifestation is that you'll start giving thanks: "Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 20).Suddenly you will begin to thank Him for everything.
You'll thank Him for the good, and for the not-so-good. You recognize that the giver of every gift knows exactly what you need. The result is a transformation of your attitude. No matter what happens, you'll say, "Thank you."The fourth obvious sign is that you'll become a servant. Paul says, "Submitting to one another in the fear ofGod" (v. 21).
That's what "honoring one another in love" is all about. Your heart will yearn to help people. The Holy Spirit brings you to the place where you'll say, "Just let me know I'll do it!"What does it mean to be "filled with the spirit"? Some people think it is exactly the same as driving a Honda into a service station and filling the tank with fuel. But that's not itat all. In my pulpit I have a bottle of oil.
I use it, just as the Scripture directs me, to anoint those who come for healing. It is a simple little container, and it is filled with olive oil. But when I use it up, it's gone. The bottle doesn't fill itself up again. The words "be filled" in Ephesians have no connection to a bottle or a vessel being filled. The Greek present tense is used to tell you that the filling of the Spirit is not a once-and-for-all experience.
It's a continuing experience. Have you ever spent a day on a sailboat? It's a great thrill. What happens to the boat when the sails are filled? The ship begins to move. That's what Paul is telling you. He wants you to be filled, not like a container that has no action but like a sail that continues to be filled with wind. Over and over again. He wants you to move forward with the never-ending breeze of the Spirit filling your spiritual sails.
How can he or she have a heart filled with jealousy, bitterness, and criticism? A Spirit-filled person doesn't say, "Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?" Or "How can God treat me that way?" These are signs of a self-centered person who is "Spirit empty, "not " Spirit filled." When Christ returned to the Father, He did not intend for you to make it on your own.
Help was on the way! After all, it is not your power or your strength that's important:"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, / Says the LORD of hosts" (Zech. 4:6).It's by the Spirit that you are able to glorify Jesus. It's by the Spirit that your heart is filled with song.
It's by the Spirit that you are able to say, "Jesus, I thank you for everything." And it's by the Spirit that you are empowered to say, "I forgive you."How is the love of God "shed abroad in our hearts"? the Holy Spirit. You've never seen the wind, but you have certainly seen the results of the wind. The tree bends. The flag waves. And the ship begins to move. Oh, the force of it. You don't have to see the Holy Spirit to know that He isalive. You can feel the evidence in the power He gives you.Once He fills you, seeking a confirmation is an exercise in futility. A man once asked: "Benny, tell me.
Am I filled with the Spirit?"I said, "Brother, if you don't know, then you're not!"You don't have to ask when you see the results. Those who question their infilling have never received it.
If you do not believe that, you don't understand the Trinity. As Paul wrote to Titus, "He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7).
But now we are talking about the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the evidence that has been experienced by literally hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The statistics are overwhelming. I know that some still like to argue the point, but a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. I'll never forget the first few days after I was born again.
I was like a little kid—and you know what they say about babies. They're always falling, crying, and asking for help. That was me. In fact, I shared with a man in the church the same doubt I've heard many times since. I said," Oh, I'm so torn up."He asked, "What's wrong?"I said, "I'm not sure if I've been filled with the Spirit." I wasn't.
So he said, "Benny, did you ask?"I answered "Yes, sir."He said, "That's all you need to do."Well, you see, I was a babe in Christ. I didn't know what I know now. I truly did not know what I was seeking, but I heard someone say, "If you speak in tongues, that's all you need."As I learned later, speaking in tongues is only one of the gifts. It is not the gifts you need as much as the giver. Paul wrote to the church at Rome, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29).
The gifts will never leave, but the giver's power can be withdrawn and will be withdrawn if the giver is neglected and grieved. Never forget what happened to King Saul. The Lord said, "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments" (1 Sam. 15:11). And as David was being anointed by Samuel to become the new king, "The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul" (1 Sam. 16:14).
It's an unselfish act of loving surrender. And from that time forward a unique bond of fellowship is created and is known only to a husb and and wife. But what happens when you take back part of yourself that was committed in marriage? "You can't have that! It's mine!" And what if your spouse says the same? It would create a barrier in your relationship. The union would begin to crumble.
The fellowship would begin to falter. Only total surrender brings total communion. It produces love and understanding. There is only one way to restore a broken relationship. Like the sail on a vessel, you cannot remain strained and uptight. Just the opposite, you must be flexible and yield actually surrender to a new infilling of love. The moment you surrender to the Lord, He will fill you with His Spirit.
You don't need to beg for the infilling. And it doesn't require a bucket of tears. All it takes is a total surrender to Christ and a willingness to embrace His precious Holy Spirit. Total surrender brings total infilling, and total submission brings total fellowship. But just as in marriage, you've got to work at it every day: "Jesus, I love you"; "Father God, I adore you"; "precious Holy Spirit, I long foryour fellowship." If you neglect communicating just one day, the next time it's a little harder.
All it takes is a fresh surrender that comes from your very soul. And a renewing of the vow to "love, honor, and cherish."The same thing will happen if you neglect the Lord. You will develop bitterness and anger. Suddenly you will be out of fellowship with the Lord. That's what happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness. They began to complain, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword?" (Num.14:2-3).
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who murmur against Me?" (v. 27).The children of Israel went from saying, "The Lord isGod," to complaining, "Wouldn't it be better to return to Egypt?" What caused the change? They stopped seeking Him, and their hearts became hardened. And before they understood what was happening, they had forsaken Him. Don't let a day go by without a fresh surrender to the Lord.
Paul wrote, "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day"(2 Cor. 4:16). Surrender must be continual, a never-ending emptying of self to the Lord. And once you make it a habit, you'll begin to experience God's perfect union, perfect fellowship, perfect understanding, and perfect love.
I believe it is God's will for you to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Almost in the same breath that Paul says "Be filled with the Spirit," he says, "Do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:17).Paul leaves no doubt that it is the Father's will that the Holy Spirit should abide in every believer. It's God's will forevery mother, for every father, for every young person—and for you.
A smile came over his face as he began to pray in a heavenly language. How do you surrender? It will never happen if you "try to." It's like learning to swim. If you struggle to swim you'll begin to sink, and you may even drown. That's why the swimming instructor first teaches a child to relax and learn to float. Swimming comes naturally when you don't fight it.
And that's the way it is with surrender it comes instinctively to a yielded heart. When you met your mate for life, you didn't "try to" fall in love. It's something that is either there or not. You don't have to work at it because love surrenders. When Jesus is your Lord, when you love Him with all your heart, it's not difficult to surrender to Him. It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. Every day when you present yourself to Him, He fills you again.
You remain fresh as a flower in the morning sun. He continues to give you life and the blossoms never seem to fade.I can't tell you how to approach Him, but here is what Ido. So many times I enter my room, lock the door, and just stand there with my arms raised toward heaven. He knows Ilove Him; I know He loves me. And I am waiting with open arms to receive Him. Now there was a time years ago that I questioned His love. I'll never, never forget that.
It was during a time I was having tremendous struggles with my family. My mom and dad were not born again, and there was such pain in our relationship. Then one night in my room I looked up and said, "Jesus, I know You say in Your Word You love me . . . but please do me a favor. Tell me that You love me." And I went to sleep.
In the middle of the night I was awakened by a voice that sounded like rushing waters. I can only describe it as a sound that was thick and heavy. Then an audible voice coming from nowhere yet coming from everywhere at once began to speak. Above the torrent of water I heard a voice as clear as any I have ever heard saying, "I love you! I love you! "It was the voice of Jesus.
At that moment the walls of my room actually seemed to be shaking. I was frightened because the presence of the Lord was so unusual. But since that moment I have never questioned His love. I believe He gives us such experiences when we need them not when we want them.Many times I stand in my room and don't say a word.
I keep total silence. I'm sure you have experienced times when you didn't have to utter a word to assure someone of your love. There are special times between two people that if just one sound were made, an unforgettable moment would be destroyed. Quietness is often the best language. So many times I have stood in my room and suddenly tears have filled my eyes.
An unexplainable warmth and beauty fill the air as He begins to fill me afresh. How did it happen? What did I do? Really, I did nothing but just standin His presence with an inward surrender. But what started in perfect quietness continued with worship and adoration that I never wanted to end. When you are continually filled by the Spirit of God, your prayer life takes on a dimension you never thought possible. To experience the refreshing breeze of the Spirit that fills your heart with praise, you need to understand how to approach the throne of God in prayer.
Begin by declaring the power of the Almighty. Elijah began his prayer on Mount Carmel, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac,and Israel" (1 Kings 18:36). If you want the fire to fall, begin by confessing who God is. The next level of prayer is supplication. Simply, "Let your request be made known to the Lord." Unfortunately, this is the step on which many people spend far too much time. Their entire prayer life seems to be concentrated on needs, wants, and desires.
Of course your personal problems are worthy of God's attention, but when you have shared them, it's not time to say "Amen." The best is yet to come. The third step and one that I dearly love is adoration. It should be a time of absolute beauty and worship. Loving Him. Adoring Him. It may begin with the words, "Jesus, I love you." Suddenly you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, and two hours later you look at your watch and say, "I can't believe the time has gone so fast."It's so real, so alive. Fourth, there is a time of intimacy.
It is almost too loving, too sacred, too beautiful to describe. There have been times when, deep in prayer, I felt as if someone was standing there, rubbing my forehead. It was as if the Lord were saying to me, "Thank you. I'm so glad to be with you. "Remember, the Holy Spirit will never force Himself on you. He doesn't place demands and stipulations on your prayer life. But if you say, "Help me pray," He is ready to respond.At times in my life my prayer at this level has continued for hours.
But intimacy is not a place you can begin. Nor is it possible to rush through the early steps to arrive at this point.The fifth level of prayer is intercession. Jesus said the Spirit would reveal things to us, and that is what happened to me. When you invite the Spirit to help you pray, He does not focus on your selfish needs and wants. No! The focus is outward.
He has placed the names and faces of people before me that I had not thought of in years. And I interceded in prayer for them. But don't believe that it is a period of joy and worship. Just the oppositee. The first time I moved into intercession Iwasn't sure I wanted it. The communion left. The closeness left. During these times I have felt pain and agony that is difficult to put into words.
I have literally pounded the floor with every ounce of my strength as I prayed for my family, for friends, for ministers even for nations. Let me warn you. It is impossible to move into intercession with a snap of the finger. It does not come instantly because it is a partnership with God that requires a deep and intensely personal relationship. You see, the Holy Spirit leads your prayer life step by step. With me, it did not happen on the first day, or the second, or the third.
It was at least six months before I was moving into the depths of prayer. Scripture teaches that if we are faithful with the little things, God will give us more. That's what He does. He's the perfect Father.The perfect teacher. But what happened next was worth the travail. The sixth step in prayer is thanksgiving. As Paul wrote, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).
I always spend time giving thanks to the Father, to the Son, and to the HolySpirit. Finally, step seven in prayer is praise. Sometimes I sing. Sometimes I speak in a Spirit language. But from the depths of my being I burst forth into total praise. It is the purest form of prayer I've ever experienced.You may ask, "Benny, do you always include all seven steps?" My answer is "Yes!" And here's what's so wonderful about the Spirit:
If you allow Him to work through you in prayer, you'll discover that you are not doing much of the praying. He seems to be doing it all. Even in intercession, as painful as it is, the arms of the Spirit are lifting you up, giving instant refreshing when your praying is through. Paul was right when he said, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18). He knew there was more than one kind of prayer.
I felt His presence, stopped preaching, and told the people, "He's here!"Ministers on the platform and people in the audience felt the same thing it was like a gust of wind that entered and swirled inside that place. People stood to their feet in a spontaneous outburst ofpraise. But they didn't stand long. All over, people began to collapse and fall to the floor under the power of the Holy Ghost.
They were "slain" in the Spirit. What happened next was exactly what I have seen repeated in services all over the world. People began to receive Christ as their personal Savior, and healings began to take place across the auditorium.When I speak about the Holy Spirit an un usual anointing follows the teaching. Always. There is an incredible manifestation of God's presence very different from at any other time. The miracles seem to be more intense.
A greater number of people are saved than in other meetings. The touch of God on people's lives is more pronounced. In those services the altar calls seem to be so easy. There's no begging or pleading. Instantly, people flock to the front for salvation. Just as the Lord promised, the Spirit draws people to Christ. After the services people come up to say, "This was the most powerful meeting I have ever been in!" It's as if the Holy Spirit has honored the service because He is such a welcomed guest.
During that same crusade, Pastor Colin, my interpreter, came to me just after a morning teaching session on theHoly Spirit with nearly two thousand preachers. He beganto sob. Then he lifted his head from his hands and said with great emotion, "Dear Brother, I know so little about the Holy Spirit. I feel like I'm in kindergarten." He was overcome with the reality of the message. At other times I've seen an interpreter stop right in themiddle of my message and begin to cry uncontrollably.
That's the power of the Spirit.What happens in a service can happen to you right where you are. That's why I am asking you to surrender totally to the Spirit. You'll begin to understand what Paul means when he says: "Be filled with the Spirit. . . speaking to one another in psalms . . . singing and making melody inyour heart to the Lord. . . giving thanks always . . . to Godthe Father." And you'll know why he says, "Submit to one another" (Eph. 5:18-21).
Just as salvation is described as a wind, the Holy Spiritis described as a second wind a wind of power. On the day of Pentecost, "Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting" (Acts 2:2). The wind of the Spirit is rushing, and it is mighty. It is a power that will setyour life in motion. It's time to launch your vessel. Hoist your sail, and begin to be filled continually filled with the wind of the Holy Spirit.
Even as children we knew he was inebriated. Everything about him told us the way he moved, the look on his face, his disheveled clothes. As they say in England, he was "three sheets to the wind."The truth about his ungodly behavior was simply this: He was being controlled by the wrong power. He had surrendered to the wrong influence. The apostle Paul could not have been more blunt when he said, "Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). What a contrast between riotous living and righteous living. Drunkenness, Paul warns, brings ungodly actions.
But ifman or a woman can be controlled by alcohol, how much more than a new song it's a change that takes place in your heart. When you have been transformed on the inside, a melody will bubble up. It's a spontaneous reaction. I don't claim to be a singer, but I've had a song on my lips since the moment I met the Holy Spirit. The third manifestation is that you'll start giving thanks: "Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 20).Suddenly you will begin to thank Him for everything.
You'll thank Him for the good, and for the not-so-good. You recognize that the giver of every gift knows exactly what you need. The result is a transformation of your attitude. No matter what happens, you'll say, "Thank you."The fourth obvious sign is that you'll become a servant. Paul says, "Submitting to one another in the fear ofGod" (v. 21).
That's what "honoring one another in love" is all about. Your heart will yearn to help people. The Holy Spirit brings you to the place where you'll say, "Just let me know I'll do it!"What does it mean to be "filled with the spirit"? Some people think it is exactly the same as driving a Honda into a service station and filling the tank with fuel. But that's not itat all. In my pulpit I have a bottle of oil.
I use it, just as the Scripture directs me, to anoint those who come for healing. It is a simple little container, and it is filled with olive oil. But when I use it up, it's gone. The bottle doesn't fill itself up again. The words "be filled" in Ephesians have no connection to a bottle or a vessel being filled. The Greek present tense is used to tell you that the filling of the Spirit is not a once-and-for-all experience.
It's a continuing experience. Have you ever spent a day on a sailboat? It's a great thrill. What happens to the boat when the sails are filled? The ship begins to move. That's what Paul is telling you. He wants you to be filled, not like a container that has no action but like a sail that continues to be filled with wind. Over and over again. He wants you to move forward with the never-ending breeze of the Spirit filling your spiritual sails.
( "Who Do You Think You Are?")
Being filled with the Holy Spirit causes action. It happens in your speech, in your heart, in your attitude, and in your activity. What a change! Now your words are uplifting, there's a harmony in your heart, you give thanks to the Lord, and you truly and humbly serve people.
How can a man or a woman who is filled with the Spirit speak with profanity?How can he or she have a heart filled with jealousy, bitterness, and criticism? A Spirit-filled person doesn't say, "Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?" Or "How can God treat me that way?" These are signs of a self-centered person who is "Spirit empty, "not " Spirit filled." When Christ returned to the Father, He did not intend for you to make it on your own.
Help was on the way! After all, it is not your power or your strength that's important:"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, / Says the LORD of hosts" (Zech. 4:6).It's by the Spirit that you are able to glorify Jesus. It's by the Spirit that your heart is filled with song.
It's by the Spirit that you are able to say, "Jesus, I thank you for everything." And it's by the Spirit that you are empowered to say, "I forgive you."How is the love of God "shed abroad in our hearts"? the Holy Spirit. You've never seen the wind, but you have certainly seen the results of the wind. The tree bends. The flag waves. And the ship begins to move. Oh, the force of it. You don't have to see the Holy Spirit to know that He isalive. You can feel the evidence in the power He gives you.Once He fills you, seeking a confirmation is an exercise in futility. A man once asked: "Benny, tell me.
Am I filled with the Spirit?"I said, "Brother, if you don't know, then you're not!"You don't have to ask when you see the results. Those who question their infilling have never received it.
( It Starts with Salvation )
You may ask, "How do I become filled with the Holy Spirit? If I speak in tongues, is that the sign?"The Holy Spirit is present from the moment you ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive your sin and cleanse your heart.If you do not believe that, you don't understand the Trinity. As Paul wrote to Titus, "He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7).
But now we are talking about the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the evidence that has been experienced by literally hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The statistics are overwhelming. I know that some still like to argue the point, but a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. I'll never forget the first few days after I was born again.
I was like a little kid—and you know what they say about babies. They're always falling, crying, and asking for help. That was me. In fact, I shared with a man in the church the same doubt I've heard many times since. I said," Oh, I'm so torn up."He asked, "What's wrong?"I said, "I'm not sure if I've been filled with the Spirit." I wasn't.
So he said, "Benny, did you ask?"I answered "Yes, sir."He said, "That's all you need to do."Well, you see, I was a babe in Christ. I didn't know what I know now. I truly did not know what I was seeking, but I heard someone say, "If you speak in tongues, that's all you need."As I learned later, speaking in tongues is only one of the gifts. It is not the gifts you need as much as the giver. Paul wrote to the church at Rome, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29).
The gifts will never leave, but the giver's power can be withdrawn and will be withdrawn if the giver is neglected and grieved. Never forget what happened to King Saul. The Lord said, "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments" (1 Sam. 15:11). And as David was being anointed by Samuel to become the new king, "The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul" (1 Sam. 16:14).
( SURRENDER Have You Mended Your Sails?)
You may ask, "How should I approach the Spirit? How can I become ready to receive Him?"Perhaps I should ask you a question or two. Is your ship ready to sail? Is it seaworthy? Have you mended the sails? Are they ready to receive the wind of the Spirit when He begins to breathe on you? It's like preparing for marriage.
You spend time in thought and preparation for that moment you stand before the sacred altar. Then you make a vow "to have and to hold from this day forward." You actually give yourself to your spouse.It's an unselfish act of loving surrender. And from that time forward a unique bond of fellowship is created and is known only to a husb and and wife. But what happens when you take back part of yourself that was committed in marriage? "You can't have that! It's mine!" And what if your spouse says the same? It would create a barrier in your relationship. The union would begin to crumble.
The fellowship would begin to falter. Only total surrender brings total communion. It produces love and understanding. There is only one way to restore a broken relationship. Like the sail on a vessel, you cannot remain strained and uptight. Just the opposite, you must be flexible and yield actually surrender to a new infilling of love. The moment you surrender to the Lord, He will fill you with His Spirit.
You don't need to beg for the infilling. And it doesn't require a bucket of tears. All it takes is a total surrender to Christ and a willingness to embrace His precious Holy Spirit. Total surrender brings total infilling, and total submission brings total fellowship. But just as in marriage, you've got to work at it every day: "Jesus, I love you"; "Father God, I adore you"; "precious Holy Spirit, I long foryour fellowship." If you neglect communicating just one day, the next time it's a little harder.
( Like a Sharp Knife )
What happens to a marriage when one partner ignores the other? After a short period of time bitterness begins to enter the heart. Words begin to cut like a sharp knife. Soon the animosity turns to anger, jealousy, and even worse. For many it results in separation, divorce, and hatred. But the rift can so easily be mended. All it takes is a fresh surrender that comes from your very soul. And a renewing of the vow to "love, honor, and cherish."The same thing will happen if you neglect the Lord. You will develop bitterness and anger. Suddenly you will be out of fellowship with the Lord. That's what happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness. They began to complain, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword?" (Num.14:2-3).
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who murmur against Me?" (v. 27).The children of Israel went from saying, "The Lord isGod," to complaining, "Wouldn't it be better to return to Egypt?" What caused the change? They stopped seeking Him, and their hearts became hardened. And before they understood what was happening, they had forsaken Him. Don't let a day go by without a fresh surrender to the Lord.
Paul wrote, "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day"(2 Cor. 4:16). Surrender must be continual, a never-ending emptying of self to the Lord. And once you make it a habit, you'll begin to experience God's perfect union, perfect fellowship, perfect understanding, and perfect love.
I believe it is God's will for you to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Almost in the same breath that Paul says "Be filled with the Spirit," he says, "Do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:17).Paul leaves no doubt that it is the Father's will that the Holy Spirit should abide in every believer. It's God's will forevery mother, for every father, for every young person—and for you.
( Relax, Relax )
In a church near Toronto I remember seeing a young man praying to receive the infilling of the Spirit. I'll never forget the look on his face—strained and tense. He was literally begging and begging for an encounter with the Holy Spirit. I walked over to him and said, "Young man, you won't get anything by begging. Just relax.
It's so easy when you surrender." That's what he did, and almost instantly the Spirit came upon him. It was beautiful. A smile came over his face as he began to pray in a heavenly language. How do you surrender? It will never happen if you "try to." It's like learning to swim. If you struggle to swim you'll begin to sink, and you may even drown. That's why the swimming instructor first teaches a child to relax and learn to float. Swimming comes naturally when you don't fight it.
And that's the way it is with surrender it comes instinctively to a yielded heart. When you met your mate for life, you didn't "try to" fall in love. It's something that is either there or not. You don't have to work at it because love surrenders. When Jesus is your Lord, when you love Him with all your heart, it's not difficult to surrender to Him. It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. Every day when you present yourself to Him, He fills you again.
You remain fresh as a flower in the morning sun. He continues to give you life and the blossoms never seem to fade.I can't tell you how to approach Him, but here is what Ido. So many times I enter my room, lock the door, and just stand there with my arms raised toward heaven. He knows Ilove Him; I know He loves me. And I am waiting with open arms to receive Him. Now there was a time years ago that I questioned His love. I'll never, never forget that.
It was during a time I was having tremendous struggles with my family. My mom and dad were not born again, and there was such pain in our relationship. Then one night in my room I looked up and said, "Jesus, I know You say in Your Word You love me . . . but please do me a favor. Tell me that You love me." And I went to sleep.
In the middle of the night I was awakened by a voice that sounded like rushing waters. I can only describe it as a sound that was thick and heavy. Then an audible voice coming from nowhere yet coming from everywhere at once began to speak. Above the torrent of water I heard a voice as clear as any I have ever heard saying, "I love you! I love you! "It was the voice of Jesus.
At that moment the walls of my room actually seemed to be shaking. I was frightened because the presence of the Lord was so unusual. But since that moment I have never questioned His love. I believe He gives us such experiences when we need them not when we want them.Many times I stand in my room and don't say a word.
I keep total silence. I'm sure you have experienced times when you didn't have to utter a word to assure someone of your love. There are special times between two people that if just one sound were made, an unforgettable moment would be destroyed. Quietness is often the best language. So many times I have stood in my room and suddenly tears have filled my eyes.
An unexplainable warmth and beauty fill the air as He begins to fill me afresh. How did it happen? What did I do? Really, I did nothing but just standin His presence with an inward surrender. But what started in perfect quietness continued with worship and adoration that I never wanted to end. When you are continually filled by the Spirit of God, your prayer life takes on a dimension you never thought possible. To experience the refreshing breeze of the Spirit that fills your heart with praise, you need to understand how to approach the throne of God in prayer.
( Step by Step)
There are seven distinct steps to prayer.The first step is confession. Begin by acknowledgingwho God is. Abram called him, "the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth" (Gen. 14:22). Begin by declaring the power of the Almighty. Elijah began his prayer on Mount Carmel, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac,and Israel" (1 Kings 18:36). If you want the fire to fall, begin by confessing who God is. The next level of prayer is supplication. Simply, "Let your request be made known to the Lord." Unfortunately, this is the step on which many people spend far too much time. Their entire prayer life seems to be concentrated on needs, wants, and desires.
Of course your personal problems are worthy of God's attention, but when you have shared them, it's not time to say "Amen." The best is yet to come. The third step and one that I dearly love is adoration. It should be a time of absolute beauty and worship. Loving Him. Adoring Him. It may begin with the words, "Jesus, I love you." Suddenly you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, and two hours later you look at your watch and say, "I can't believe the time has gone so fast."It's so real, so alive. Fourth, there is a time of intimacy.
It is almost too loving, too sacred, too beautiful to describe. There have been times when, deep in prayer, I felt as if someone was standing there, rubbing my forehead. It was as if the Lord were saying to me, "Thank you. I'm so glad to be with you. "Remember, the Holy Spirit will never force Himself on you. He doesn't place demands and stipulations on your prayer life. But if you say, "Help me pray," He is ready to respond.At times in my life my prayer at this level has continued for hours.
But intimacy is not a place you can begin. Nor is it possible to rush through the early steps to arrive at this point.The fifth level of prayer is intercession. Jesus said the Spirit would reveal things to us, and that is what happened to me. When you invite the Spirit to help you pray, He does not focus on your selfish needs and wants. No! The focus is outward.
He has placed the names and faces of people before me that I had not thought of in years. And I interceded in prayer for them. But don't believe that it is a period of joy and worship. Just the oppositee. The first time I moved into intercession Iwasn't sure I wanted it. The communion left. The closeness left. During these times I have felt pain and agony that is difficult to put into words.
I have literally pounded the floor with every ounce of my strength as I prayed for my family, for friends, for ministers even for nations. Let me warn you. It is impossible to move into intercession with a snap of the finger. It does not come instantly because it is a partnership with God that requires a deep and intensely personal relationship. You see, the Holy Spirit leads your prayer life step by step. With me, it did not happen on the first day, or the second, or the third.
It was at least six months before I was moving into the depths of prayer. Scripture teaches that if we are faithful with the little things, God will give us more. That's what He does. He's the perfect Father.The perfect teacher. But what happened next was worth the travail. The sixth step in prayer is thanksgiving. As Paul wrote, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).
I always spend time giving thanks to the Father, to the Son, and to the HolySpirit. Finally, step seven in prayer is praise. Sometimes I sing. Sometimes I speak in a Spirit language. But from the depths of my being I burst forth into total praise. It is the purest form of prayer I've ever experienced.You may ask, "Benny, do you always include all seven steps?" My answer is "Yes!" And here's what's so wonderful about the Spirit:
If you allow Him to work through you in prayer, you'll discover that you are not doing much of the praying. He seems to be doing it all. Even in intercession, as painful as it is, the arms of the Spirit are lifting you up, giving instant refreshing when your praying is through. Paul was right when he said, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18). He knew there was more than one kind of prayer.
("He's Here!)
"There is no substitute for the filling of the Spirit that comes as a direct result of your prayer life. It is the power that will affect everything you do. Recently I was invited to speak in Colombia, South America. It was a three-day crusade, and on the evening of the second day, Wednesday, I was speaking on the Holy Spirit. In the middle of my message I felt the power of theHoly Spirit move over the service. I felt His presence, stopped preaching, and told the people, "He's here!"Ministers on the platform and people in the audience felt the same thing it was like a gust of wind that entered and swirled inside that place. People stood to their feet in a spontaneous outburst ofpraise. But they didn't stand long. All over, people began to collapse and fall to the floor under the power of the Holy Ghost.
They were "slain" in the Spirit. What happened next was exactly what I have seen repeated in services all over the world. People began to receive Christ as their personal Savior, and healings began to take place across the auditorium.When I speak about the Holy Spirit an un usual anointing follows the teaching. Always. There is an incredible manifestation of God's presence very different from at any other time. The miracles seem to be more intense.
A greater number of people are saved than in other meetings. The touch of God on people's lives is more pronounced. In those services the altar calls seem to be so easy. There's no begging or pleading. Instantly, people flock to the front for salvation. Just as the Lord promised, the Spirit draws people to Christ. After the services people come up to say, "This was the most powerful meeting I have ever been in!" It's as if the Holy Spirit has honored the service because He is such a welcomed guest.
During that same crusade, Pastor Colin, my interpreter, came to me just after a morning teaching session on theHoly Spirit with nearly two thousand preachers. He beganto sob. Then he lifted his head from his hands and said with great emotion, "Dear Brother, I know so little about the Holy Spirit. I feel like I'm in kindergarten." He was overcome with the reality of the message. At other times I've seen an interpreter stop right in themiddle of my message and begin to cry uncontrollably.
That's the power of the Spirit.What happens in a service can happen to you right where you are. That's why I am asking you to surrender totally to the Spirit. You'll begin to understand what Paul means when he says: "Be filled with the Spirit. . . speaking to one another in psalms . . . singing and making melody inyour heart to the Lord. . . giving thanks always . . . to Godthe Father." And you'll know why he says, "Submit to one another" (Eph. 5:18-21).
( A Second Wind )
Are you ready for God's heavenly breeze to fill your sails? It starts with salvation when you confess your sin and commit your life to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. EvenChrist talked about the wind when He talked about redemption.
He told Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit"(John 3:7-8).Just as salvation is described as a wind, the Holy Spiritis described as a second wind a wind of power. On the day of Pentecost, "Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting" (Acts 2:2). The wind of the Spirit is rushing, and it is mighty. It is a power that will setyour life in motion. It's time to launch your vessel. Hoist your sail, and begin to be filled continually filled with the wind of the Holy Spirit.
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