What does it mean to be filled with the holy spirit?

What Does It Mean to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?

I don’t want you to miss the many benefits of being Spirit-filled—benefits the Bible says any believer can experience.

Ephesians 5:18 urges us, “Be filled with the Spirit.” What does that mean? Don’t we get filled with the Spirit when we’re saved?

Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Here Jesus likens the Holy Spirit’s work in salvation to a fountain that sustains life.

Jesus later says in John 7:38–39, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” The verse goes on to say, “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive….”

Here the Holy Spirit is seen as a river. A river produces power.

We are filled with the Spirit so God can flow through us like a powerful river to impact others.

You’ll find five instances recorded in Acts of early believers being filled with the Spirit, and the evidence was they spoke in tongues.

What is speaking in tongues—and how does it help you?

First Corinthians 14:2 and 4 says, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. … He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself….”

When I speak in tongues, I edify myself—I literally “build myself up” with strength.

In the original Greek, it means you’ll be charged with energy, like you and I would recharge a phone battery.

First Corinthians 14:14 says, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays….”

And the book of Proverbs tells us the spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. The same place that tongues originate from is where I hear the voice of God.

As I spend time speaking in tongues, my mind begins to get quiet. Then I’m very sensitive on the inside. That’s a wonderful time to read the Word or just wait quietly in God’s presence. I believe it can open up a whole new dimension of prayer.

If you’d like to be filled with the Spirit, I encourage you to pray and ask Jesus to fill you. Then open your mouth; as words and syllables begin to form, speak them out.

In every biblical instance, the believers spoke in tongues “as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4), meaning they had to give voice to it and trust the Holy Spirit was guiding their words.

Friend, Jesus will fill you with the Holy Spirit when you ask Him; you can trust Him to do what He’s promised.

I believe speaking in tongues can open up a whole new dimension of prayer and praise for you!