As a Christian, you may have heard of the Holy Spirit. Do you know the meaning of the Holy Spirit and how to rely on Him in your daily life? Many theologians discuss this subject in writing, but the simplest explanation of what the Holy Spirit means is the presence of God. After Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit who would guide and help His followers. You will receive the Holy Spirit after you repent and become a follower of Jesus, but you need to practice to be able to feel the Holy Spirit working within you.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Repent
Step 1. Pray to God for forgiveness of sins
Everyone is not free from mistakes and this is a human thing. In 1 John 1:8 Jesus said, "If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." If you want to feel the presence of God or the Holy Spirit in your daily life, you must confess your sins to God, ask forgiveness, and repent or commit to improving yourself.
It doesn't seem like a big deal if you lie for good or feel jealous of a neighbor who has a new car, but even the slightest sin separates you from God
Step 2. Believe that Jesus died to atone for the sins of mankind
Once you realize that you are a sinner, say a prayer stating that Jesus is Lord and that you believe that Jesus died to save people from sin. This prayer is a prayer of repentance and according to the Scriptures, the only way to enter heaven is to repent.
- The Gospel of John 3:16 reveals God's grace for us: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." This means, the way to reach heaven after death is to believe in Jesus!
- In the Gospel of John 7:37-38, Jesus said: "And on the last day, which is the culmination of the feast, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'Whoever thirsts, let him come to me and drink! by the Scriptures: Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." The "river of living water" Jesus referred to was the Holy Spirit.
Step 3. Receive baptism
Baptism is a religious ceremony carried out in accordance with the religion adhered to, for example, the candidate for baptism is immersed in water, then lifted up. It symbolizes death from the old life and experiencing rebirth to start a new life in God. You don't need to be baptized to be saved and receive the Holy Spirit, but the best way to experience a Spirit-filled life is to do God's commandments.
Jesus himself experienced this as stated in the Gospel of Matthew 3:16: "After being baptized, Jesus immediately came up out of the water, and at that moment the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove upon him". In other words, Jesus received the Holy Spirit by being baptized
Part 2 of 2: Feeling the Presence of the Holy Spirit
Step 1. Don't stop asking for forgiveness if you have sinned
Unfortunately, being a Christian does not mean being a perfect human being. If you make a mistake, acknowledge and admit your mistake, then ask God to forgive you. Otherwise, sin keeps you apart from God so you can't feel the flow of the Holy Spirit in your life.
- In the Scriptures, this separation is explained in the book of Isaiah 59:2: "But it is your sins that have separated you and your God, and your sins that have kept Him hidden from you, so that He may not hear." You cannot draw near to God if you willfully continue to sin.
- The presence of the Holy Spirit makes you aware of the sins that have been committed!
Step 2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to come to you
The Holy Spirit can guide, strengthen, and comfort you. When you are baptized, the Holy Spirit is already a part of you, but you can ask God to enable you to feel and be aware of His presence.
For example, the psalmist prays in Psalm 51:11: "Hide Your face from my sin, take away all my iniquities!" Even though he was already a saint, he was still afraid of losing his closeness to God
Step 3. Strive to live a life filled with the fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 explains that the fruit of the Spirit is: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control". You will reap the fruit of the Spirit in your daily life if you continue to draw close to God.
Don't give up if you haven't experienced a life filled with the fruit of the Spirit when you are new to conversion. Remember that you need to put in the effort to make it happen
Step 4. Rely on the Holy Spirit as your guide to know God
Scholars devote their entire lives to being able to know God. So don't worry if this is difficult to understand. Read the Bible daily and keep praying. Let the Holy Spirit help you get to know God closer day by day.
Jesus explained about the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John 14:26: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and will remind you of all that I have said to you". You are able to determine what is right and what is wrong if you follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit
Step 5. Let the Holy Spirit speak to God for you
Sometimes we rely so much on our minds that we don't know what to say when we start praying. The Holy Spirit can help you and speak to God on your behalf.
- Romans 8:26 explains: "In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray; but the Spirit himself prays for us to God with groanings that cannot be uttered."
- For example, if you are grieving, you may not know where to start when you want to pray. Do not worry! The Holy Spirit can convey everything you feel to God.
Step 6. Know that you don't need to speak in tongues
In the Acts of the Apostles we are told of an incident on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit manifested as tongues of fire and a mighty wind caused Jesus' followers to speak in "other tongues". Today, there are believers who experience this when they are filled with the Holy Spirit! The apostle Paul said that the gift of speaking in tongues is not given to everyone. So don't worry if you can't speak in tongues when communicating with God.
- In 1 Corinthians 12:29-31, Paul wrote: "Are they all apostles, or prophets, or teachers? Have they all been gifted to work miracles, or to heal, or to speak in tongues, or to interpret tongues? ? So strive for the most excellent of gifts. And I will show you an even greater way." God wants us to receive different gifts!
- 1 Corinthians 14:2 explains in a little more detail about the ability to speak in tongues: "He who speaks in tongues does not speak to men, but to God. For no one understands his language; by the Spirit he speaks secret thing."
