What’s so different about Christians? It is the habitation of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6
²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

What we all need is a filling of the Spirit. I was reading through Ephesians lately and was hit once again by 5:18, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” There are other places in the NT where we are told to allow only the Spirit to guide our lives. Let’s look at some of those passages:

⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4

We know that their tongues were languages because of verse 8, “Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?” The point is that they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! Acts 4:8

Peter preached another great sermon as he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

³ Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them… Acts 6:3

Oh, to be known to be “full of the Spirit and wisdom!” These were the first deacons.

¹⁷ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:17

Here, Ananias prayed over Saul (soon to be known as Paul) that he might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

There are a lot of other passages, but let’s see what we can derive from these passages.

1. The Holy Spirit fills both men and women because we know that women were in the upper room along with the men (see Acts 1:14).
2. A prerequisite seems to be a holy (set apart) lifestyle; the disciples were in prayer for 10 days waiting on “power from on high” (Acts 1:8).
3. Being filled with the Spirit has more to do with our consent rather than God’s insistence.
4. To be filled with the Spirit is the goal of every believer; it is when our lives and His will line up. Again, we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and to lead us on the way.

Being filled with the Spirit is something that we can pray for people. It begins when we ourselves ask to be filled. Are we willing to live our lives in a way that invites the Spirit to fill us? Are we willing to say and do whatever He says? I pray that you will be filled with the Spirit today, that you would experience Him on a whole new level, and that you will sense His presence, His participation, His power, and His peace as you go through today.

Abba, my heart’s desire is to be “full of the Spirit and wisdom.” I ask You to fill me. But first, I need You to “search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). I patiently wait, O Lord… Amen.