If you trust Jesus, the Holy Spirit is already with you. You are not an empty or second-class Christian waiting to receive the missing part of God. The New Testament also describes believers being filled with the Spirit again as God’s presence and power become active in them for worship, courage, prayer and service.
You can ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. Make space to pray, worship, listen and surrender what you are holding tightly. You might pray with trusted Christians or by yourself. The response may feel powerful, quiet or ordinary. There is no single emotional experience that everyone must have.
Being filled with the Spirit is not proved by one particular gift. Christians use language such as ‘baptism in the Spirit’ and ‘filling’ in different ways, and sincere churches do not all agree on every detail. At The Lakes Church, we do not want those differences to create spiritual levels or pressure people to copy someone else’s experience.
Look for the Spirit’s work in growing love, joy, peace, courage, generosity and a desire to make Jesus known. Gifts and experiences matter, but they are given for the good of others. Keep asking, keep listening and let trusted people help you test what is happening.
If you have questions, you can ask us anything at https://thelakes.org.au/contact-us/