Tag Archives: Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit Within, and The Holy Spirit Upon.

Posted on 12/12/2025 | Leave a comment

Understanding the purpose and ministry of the Holy Spirit is essential for us to walk in the fullness of Christ. It is an indictment against the Church that there is so much ignorance, confusion, and misinformation about the Holy Spirit.

We are going to start with the very basic understanding of the present-day ministry of the Holy Spirit and what we all should expect to experience as believers in Christ.

It is only by the Holy Spirit that we can experience the fullness of Christ.

If we limit or somehow quench the Holy Spirit through ignorance, wrong thinking, wrong believing, and wrong practices, we will never grow up into Him in all things (Eph 4:15). We will not give God the glory He deserves. We will not complete our mission and fulfill our purpose. We will limit the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit through our lives, and we will not bear the fruit we could have, had known and embraced the truth about the Holy Spirit.

There are two Primary ways Believers are to experience the Holy Spirit

We see overwhelming evidence in the New Testament that believers in Christ are to experience the Holy Spirit in two ways. We must understand both experiences to fully grasp the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of Jesus.

Unfortunately, the Church is overrun with confusion about the Holy Spirit. So much so that we have become divided, weak, and powerless as a people. It is no surprise, because the devil knows that he is powerless against the work of the Holy Spirit, and powerless against us when we understand what has been made available to us.

This teaching should bring some clarity and understanding about the present-day ministry of the Holy Spirit and empower us to walk in the authority to control, limit, and destroy the works of Satan in our entire circle of influence.

THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN: The first way we experience the Holy Spirit

The first experience we have in our relationship with the Holy Spirit is our new birth. We receive the Holy Spirit within us as the incorruptible seed that reconnects us to God, removing the separation caused by sin. This experience transforms us spiritually into a new creature that has never existed before that moment.

This experience gives us access to a personal and intimate relationship with God. This is what the Bible calls being born again or born of the Spirit.

John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

This experience translates us from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 

Being born again of incorruptible seed is what makes us a new creature. It is this experience that gives us eternal Life. The life of the Spirit of Christ inside us is evidence of our adoption into God’s family and a down payment on the promise of eternal inheritance.

Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

I think most Christians have a good basic understanding of what being born again means and most agree upon the Holy Spirit’s work at salvation. The purpose of the Holy Spirit within us is to gain us access to the Father, citizenship in Heaven, it opens our understanding to the truth of the scriptures and is the seed of the kingdom of God that is necessary for spiritual growth and sanctification.

THE HOLY SPIRIT UPON: The second experience of the Holy Spirit

The second way we are to experience the Holy Spirit is by being filled with or being baptized with the Holy Spirit. This experience is to equip and empower us for ministry to others. This experience is the Holy Spirit upon us, not within us. This activity of the Holy Spirit is what the Bible refers to as the anointing. The Holy Spirit upon (anointing) is supernatural empowerment to minister to others, exercise Kingdom authority and fulfill God’s purposes on the Earth.

The anointing is God’s chosen method of moving through us with power and demonstration.

The Holy Spirit within us restores relationship and reconnects us with the Father in a way that allows us to have intimacy with Him. The Holy Spirit upon us equips us to minister to others supernaturally on the Father’s behalf.

In the Old Testament, the anointing was the only way people experienced the Holy Spirit. They were spiritually dead, without the life of God’s Spirit inside them. We see many stories of people being empowered by the Holy Spirit to do amazing and miraculous things. But when that task was fulfilled, the Holy Spirit would depart, and they would be left just as spiritually dead and empty as they were before the Holy Spirit came upon them.

We now have that same Holy Spirit living and abiding inside us. When we experience the Holy Spirit upon us to minister and the anointing eventually leaves, we don’t feel empty and dead, but encouraged and more alive!  

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience that follows our initial salvation. We see this modeled in the apostles’ lives, in the upper room, in many instances throughout the New Testament, and even in the life of Jesus.

It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that prepares us for ministry, giving us the supernatural power and abilities to be a witness for Christ to the world. 

The Apostle Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He had a supernatural encounter with Jesus that blinded him and caused Him to become a believer. He was born again at that moment. For three days, he was without sight until Ananias laid hands on him to restore his sight and be filled with or baptized in the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to some of His disciples. He walked through the wall

John 20:21-23 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

When do we receive the Holy Spirit? When we are born again. The disciples in that room were all believers, but the Holy Spirit had not yet been given. When Jesus walked through the wall as the resurrected Lord, He breathed on them just like the Father breathed the breath of life into Adam in the beginning. The Holy Spirit was now available again to all mankind.

Later, we see Jesus giving them instructions to tarry in Jerusalem to receive the promise from the Father, which is the filling, or baptism of the Holy Spirit. So, we see clearly that there are two experiences with the Holy Spirit that are available to us, and they both are necessary to fulfill God’s purposes in our lives.

Even Jesus needed to have the Holy Spirit upon Him before He started His earthly ministry. The Spirit of Christ is the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Why would Jesus need to be filled with the Spirit?

Jesus could not complete His Earthly ministry without the Spirit upon Him. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and remained when He was baptized in the Jordan River. The Holy Spirit never lifted and never waned. Jesus was immediately tested and tempted in the wilderness and then preached and ministered supernaturally the rest of His life. This is our model. If it’s good for Jesus its good for us.

The Holy Spirit within is a mystery like a man and woman being married and becoming one flesh. Marriage creates a unique, permanent kinship where two individuals become a single, integrated entity, mirroring God’s design for complete unity and reflecting His covenant love

The Holy Spirit upon us empowers believers and sets them apart for ministry. 

The Holy Spirit upon is the anointing that equips individuals to do God’s work, which often involves proclaiming good news, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and breaking spiritual strongholds or “yokes” of bondage and limitation. Jesus’ own ministry was defined by this purpose, as He declared: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor… to set the oppressed free”.

Ephesians 4:18-21 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

If we can be filled with the Spirit, we can also be emptied. It is important to be continually filled with the Spirit. This passage tells us that it is God’s will for all believers to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit. The phrase “Be filled with the Spirit” in verse 18 uses the continuous verb, which is always present tense. Our Christian lives should be filled with activity that fills us with the Spirit.

Regardless of whether we believe that we receive all of the Holy Spirit at the new birth or that there is a subsequent event of being baptized in the Holy Spirit after we are born again. We can’t deny the scriptures that instruct us on being filled with the Spirit.

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JESUS IS COMING!

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Praying in the Spirit Understood

Posted on 04/10/2023 | Comments Off on Praying in the Spirit Understood

One of the greatest tragedies in the Church is the confusion we have about the Holy Spirit. Even among groups that emphasize the Holy Spirit and His role in the Church, we see different beliefs, expressions, and practices, many of which are contradictory.

The Bible shows the mishandling of holy things brings serious consequences. How much more severe is it when we have the Holy Spirit of God living inside us?

It is essential that we rightly divide truth concerning the Holy Spirit.

In this lesson, we will address the practice of praying in the Spirit and define what exactly praying in the Spirit is. While some limit praying in the Spirit to praying only God’s written word, others say that praying in the Spirit is only praying with other tongues. Still, others reject praying with other tongues altogether. Our lack of agreement reveals our overall lack of understanding.

Effective spiritual warfare requires an understanding of praying in the Spirit, so let’s bring clarity to this from God’s word.

          We must first understand that praying in the Spirit is any prayer under the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit. Look at our instruction in Ephesians.

Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Our instruction is that all prayer and supplication are to be done “in the Spirit.” The prayer of salvation, prayers of sanctification, prayers of dedication, prayers of intercession, prayers of repentance, the prayer of faith, prayers of thanksgiving, and yes, praying with other tongues. They are all to be prayed “in the Spirit.” Supplications are specific requests. They are also to be prayed in the Spirit. So, what does that look like?

Everything God does is relational. Many of us have allowed our prayer life to become mechanical and lifeless, not relational at all, just religious and dead. We run through a prayer list and read our daily devotional, never spending time in silent reverence so we can connect with the one we are talking to. Having a daily devotional is commendable. Having a daily devotional and never actually connecting intimately with your Father is tragic. Praying in the Spirit requires communion, not just conversation.

com·mun·ion – the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.

If all we do is pray from our limited thinking, our prayer life will lack the authority to bear much fruit. I am not saying that praying with our natural understanding is wrong, but let this be a launching point, a positioning of the heart and mind to a place of stillness and quiet so we can be receptive to the influence of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians makes it clear that we need both.

1 Corinthians 14:15 (NKJV)What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

Praying should be viewed as a partnership. It starts with natural understanding, but as we approach God, coming into step with the Spirit to partner with Him, we should expect supernatural utterances to come from our lips. Praying in the Spirit requires us to connect our thoughts and attention to the Holy Spirit inside us, praying out and praying into what rises in our hearts. Spirit-led prayer requires dependence upon His leading and a willingness to follow even when it doesn’t seem to make sense.

Although we are to come boldly to the throne of grace, we should approach it with humility. After all, we have an audience with the King of the universe. Hearing His voice and sensing His direction becomes easy when we have a humble heart. Humility gives us a higher perspective and brings us to the place with the most extraordinary light. It is the place of greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Humility brings His grace to the scene, and our prayers become filled with His divine influence and direction.

James 4:6 (NKJV) But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

We partner with God in prayer, recognizing that we are here for His good pleasure. We pursue His will, plan, and purpose even when we pray for ourselves. We provide the vessel in this partnership, and He fills it with His divine will and purpose. We then pour out the mystery of His will with our prayers, inviting His influence and expecting His involvement. When approaching prayer with an expectation of partnering with God, we are more likely to have a listening ear than simply a running mouth. 

A mindless recital of prayer should become a thing of the past. Effectual, fervent prayer should become a lifestyle of supernatural engagement that partners with God to shape our future and impact the world around us.

James 5:13-16 (NKJV) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

When we find ourselves at a place in prayer with the perspectives described above, we are praying in the Spirit, whether in a known or unknown tongue.

Praying in tongues

There is more confusion over praying in tongues than any other type of prayer. Praying in tongues is a New Testament doctrine. I see no scriptural evidence of it ending or being “done away with.” However, I continue to see a lot of misunderstanding and unbiblical demonstrations throughout the Church, which need to be addressed. First, I will share my personal experience with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

On November 7th of 1988, I was born again. a few weeks after my conversion, being completely unchurched and having had no exposure to any teaching about praying in tongues, I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues while alone in my bedroom.

I was reading the book of Acts for the second time. I saw that there was more available to me than what I was currently experiencing, so I prayed, “Lord if there is more of You available to me, I want it.” The Lord then baptized me in His Holy Spirit.

When the Spirit of God came on me, I felt power like electricity all over my body, and it felt like my tongue was as big around as a soda can. I could hear these crazy-sounding words and syllables in my head but resisted saying them out of my mouth because this was all too strange. When I finally yielded to what was happening inside me, I said a few sentences in an unknown tongue and then stopped because it freaked me out. I could not deny that I had a genuine experience and felt the power of God all over me. I just didn’t understand what happened.

No one taught me, no one prayed over me, and no one laid hands on me. I simply saw it in His word and asked for it. God is good!

Here is my concern from over 30 years of observation. Many who claim to have the baptism of the Holy Spirit speak a sentence or two in “tongues” and repeat the same things. This is the limit of their so-called “prayer language.” I have also seen people repeatedly give “messages from the Lord” by tongues and interpretation but use the same few words in tongues, maybe changing the order of the words a bit. However, the interpretation is always different.

This is not praying in tongues, it is a repetition and a parroting of what once may have been an actual utterance by the Spirit. I am not saying these people have not been baptized in the Spirit. I just question their understanding and their expression to the body of Christ. I believe that some things are out of order.

Praying in other tongues is a practice of listening with the heart, not the mindless repetition of past utterances. Speaking in tongues is a supernatural experience in which we should grow and develop. It should always be fresh, dynamic, and alive.

I still remember the first few sentences I spoke in tongues, but I rarely repeat them. Instead, I listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit on the inside and practice repeating what I hear. The utterance is almost always different. Some times the utterance is so unique and funny sounding that I laugh at myself.

Praying in tongues should be done with an understanding that we are handling holy things and representing a sacred God. Is what we are doing done in the fear of the Lord? Are these things edifying us and the Church? It is a serious thing to speak publicly in tongues and claim these words are from the Lord.

My understanding of scripture is that praying in tongues should be limited in public unless accompanied by an interpretation. 1 Corinthians 14 addresses this issue.

1 Corinthians 14:22-25 (NKJV) Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.

How we represent God in any setting is a serious thing. We are responsible for being an example to others to the best of our ability. We are all at different places in our journey with the Lord. We should not be too quick to follow others’ examples unless we are confident that they represent the Holy Spirit well.

We can all grow in our understanding, humility, and fear of the Lord. Let us not put God in the tiny box of our limited experience. Instead, let’s ask Him to elevate our experience and understanding to match what the Bible teaches.

Praying in the Spirit is a beautiful thing. It is yielding to the influence of the Holy Spirit, letting Him define us and shape us as we pray in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication.

Quoted from the book, The Spiritual Warfare Manifesto

Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. I hope this has been a blessing to you.

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