Grounded · Week 8 · 39 min read
What is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
God does not just save you and leave you. He empowers you.
In this lesson:
There is a big part of Christian life that a lot of believers miss because it’s not taught or talked about enough. For some believers, there are some misunderstandings or misconceptions of what the Baptism in the Holy Spirit actually is and why, as believers, we should desire to be filled. Today, we are going to answer the what, the why, and the how of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Baptism wasn’t just for the disciples on the day of Pentecost. It’s for you and me today. It’s not the end goal or a one-time experience. As you’ve walked with Jesus, you may have wondered Is there more? I will answer that question now. Yes, there’s more!
I want to talk to you about the more today.
Here’s the answer in one word: power. Not power to show off and make a spectacle or draw attention to yourself; it’s the exact opposite of that. Power is for ministry, and every believer is called to ministry.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Before Jesus left this earth, He gave us the Great Commission (Matthew 28:1620): “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel. That command wasn’t just for the twelve disciples. It’s for you and me too. Notice what Jesus said next. He didn’t tell His disciples to change the world in their own strength. He told them to wait. In the same way, we also need to wait upon the Lord for what He has promised to also give to us.
Luke 24:49 (NIV) “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Wait for what the Father promised. Wait for the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” The power and the mission go together. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is given to empower our mouths to speak the Gospel boldly to a world that desperately needs to hear it. Trying to fulfill that calling without it is like trying to run a race on an empty tank. You can push and strain your way forward for a while, but you were never meant to do this on your own.
Acts 2:1-11 The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
Notice where this power shows up first: the mouth. This is not an accident. When Isaiah saw the Lord, the first thing he cried out was, “Woe to me! I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). And God’s response? He touched Isaiah’s mouth, then sent him to speak. James tells us that “no human being can tame the tongue” (James 3:1-12)—no human being. But God can, if we will allow Him. The tongue is the one part of us we can’t master on our own, and it’s the very part God wants to fill and use. That’s why we have to submit our mouths to the Lord and ask Him to fill us and empower us to speak.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit isn’t about getting a second salvation. You’re already saved. This isn’t about getting the Holy Spirit. He already lives in you. This is about getting filled, getting baptized (fully immersed in the Holy Spirit). It’s about getting empowered. It’s God giving you the power to step out in boldness into the life Jesus died to give you.
For some of you, the phrase “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” is brand new. For others, it might feel strange or even uncomfortable. That’s okay right now. You don’t need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit to make it to heaven, but you should desire it. And it’s available to you today. You need to desire it and believe that Jesus wants to do it for you. And He does!
- What the Baptism in the Holy Spirit Actually Is
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is about being filled, empowered, and equipped by the Holy Spirit more deeply. When you give your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you. That’s the starting point. But the Bible also talks about being filled with the Spirit in a way that empowers you to live boldly and effectively.
This isn’t about getting “more of God” like He was somehow missing before. It’s about God having more of you. It’s about completely surrendering even your tongue to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through you.
Before Jesus ever began His public ministry, John the Baptist announced it, and all four Gospels record the promise. “I baptize you with water… but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). Then Jesus repeated it Himself right before Pentecost: “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). That’s where the phrase comes from. All four Gospel writers recorded it. Jesus confirmed it. And take notice here, Jesus is the one who Baptizes us in the Holy Spirit.
Also notice the word John chose: baptize. In the original language, that word means to immerse, to plunge all the way under. When John baptized people in the Jordan River, they didn’t get sprinkled. They went all the way under the water. That’s the picture Jesus chose for this experience. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit means being fully immersed in Him, filled, saturated, soaked through with His presence and power.
“Didn’t I get the Holy Spirit when I got saved?”
Yes. The moment you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. Romans 8:9 makes that clear. If you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit of Christ.
“So what’s the difference?”
Here’s a picture that helps. In the Bible, the word for “Spirit” is the same as breath. And breath does two different things.
Breathing in gives you life. That’s salvation. Just like God breathed into Adam and he became a living being, the Holy Spirit breathes God’s life into you the moment you’re saved. The breath is in you. It’s real.
But breath coming out of you gives you a voice.
Think of a trumpet. A trumpet can belong to a master musician. It’s sitting in his house, polished and treasured. But a trumpet on a shelf makes no sound. It only does what it was made for when the owner picks it up and pushes his breath through it. And when he does, everyone in the room hears. Not the trumpet’s power. The musician’s breath.
But notice what the trumpet has to do. It has to be yielded. A trumpet can’t play itself. It doesn’t choose the song. It doesn’t get the credit. It simply surrenders to the hands and the breath of its master. To be the instrument of the Holy Spirit, it takes humility. Pride says, “I’ll only open my mouth if I know how it will sound.” Surrender says, “Have my voice. Play whatever song You want.”
Salvation is the breath of God in you. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the breath of God through you… a humbled, surrendered vessel, empowered to sound out the Gospel so a lost world can hear.
That’s exactly what happened at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came like a rushing mighty wind, breath filling the whole house, and the very first thing that happened is they spoke (Acts 2:24). God didn’t fill them so they could sit there full. He filled them so Jerusalem and the ends of the Earth could hear. And by the end of the day, 3,000 people were saved.
God also wants to breathe through you. He’s not looking for a perfect instrument. He’s looking for a humble, willing one. He’s just waiting for you to lay yourself down and let Him play.It’s not about getting more of God. It’s about God having more of you.
Empowered to Live
We see the empowerment clearly in the early church. The disciples already believed in Jesus. But they were told to wait for power. When the Holy Spirit came, everything changed. They went from hesitant and unsure to bold and confident. Look at the change in Peter’s life. He went from being afraid to acknowledge that he even knew who Jesus was to a servant girl to boldly preaching and proclaiming the name of Jesus after he was filled with the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. 3000 people were saved that day! (Acts 2:41) What an amazing example! That’s what the Baptism in the Holy Spirit does. It empowers you to live out your faith in a real and effective way.
Acts 1:8 (NIV) 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 2:4 (NIV) 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
The main purpose of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is empowerment for living and for witness. The Holy Spirit gives you boldness to speak about Jesus. He gives you strength to stand firm. He gives you the ability to serve in ways you couldn’t on your own. It’s not about drawing attention to yourself. It’s the opposite. It’s about pointing people back to Jesus.
2. How Do You Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit isn’t difficult. It’s not reserved for an elite group of super Christians. God desires this gift for every believer, and that includes you.
Peter said this on the Day of Pentecost:
Acts 2:3839 (NIV) Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
For you. For your children. For all who are far off. That’s us; we were all far off from existing when Peter said this. This was never just for the apostles. In fact, God announced this plan centuries before Pentecost through the prophet Joel: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people” (Joel 2:28) sons and daughters, young and old, no exceptions. When the crowd at Pentecost asked what was happening, Peter quoted that very prophecy. No age limit. No status requirement. If you belong to Jesus, this promise has your name on it.
Sometimes We Can Be the Biggest Obstacle to Overcome.Here are some obstacles that can get in the way of receiving.
Doubt. If you ask without expecting to receive, you’re asking with one hand open while the other is pushing away. God responds to faith. Ask expecting Him to answer because He wants to. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Pride. If you’re not willing to humble yourself before the Lord and yield to Him, you’re holding the door shut from the inside. Receiving requires surrender. James 4:10 (NIV) ”Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
Fear. Fear of losing control. Fear of looking foolish. Fear of faking it. God is not trying to embarrass you. He’s a good Father. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Feeling unworthy. Some sincere seekers get so focused on their own unworthiness that they can’t receive anything. Here’s the truth: the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift. A gift is not earned. If it were, how worthy would be worthy enough? You don’t qualify for this by being good. You qualify by belonging to Jesus. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
This isn’t only about removing obstacles. There’s a part you play. The Holy Spirit gives the words, but you do the speaking. Asking with a closed mouth is like a trumpet that agrees to be played but never lets the air through. When He prompts you, respond, no matter what it may sound like.
Ask in faith. Come in humility. Refuse to let fear control. Receive it as the gift it is. And open your mouth. God isn’t holding anything back. And if it doesn’t happen the first time, that’s not rejection. Keep coming back. He knows exactly how and when to meet you.
This is Where to Start.
A. Relationship. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is for those who are believers and have asked Jesus to come in and be the Lord of their lives. Since you received salvation, you already have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. That’s what makes this possible. You must desire to go deeper with God. Now, you’re simply asking Him to fill and empower your life to the fullest.
B. You ask. Jesus makes this very clear. If earthly fathers know how to give good gifts, how much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13). This isn’t about saying the perfect words. This is simply coming to God with a sincere heart and simply asking Him to fill you. He wants to do it.
C. Having the faith to receive. This is where a lot of people hesitate. They ask. But then they wonder if anything will actually happen. Receiving means trusting that God gives what He promises. Don’t force anything or try to manufacture the experience. You receive by faith. You can look to God and have a holy expectation that He is able and He wants to do it for you. Remember the power of childlike faith. Children ask, expecting to receive. And they do because we have a good Father.
D. You surrender. The Holy Spirit doesn’t take control over you and force Himself on you. He works through your willingness. Part of receiving is submission to Him. That means being open and vulnerable and allowing Him to have control of your life, in this case your tongue. This takes humility. And even when you give Him control, you are never out of control.
E. You respond by speaking. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit 100% requires you to step out of your comfort zone. As you respond, you will begin to experience His power at work.
No rule says you can only receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit at church. It may happen in a church service. And it may not. It may happen at home, as it did for me. The Holy Spirit can and will meet you anywhere. The focus isn’t on the experience. It’s on the result. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. God knows you. And He knows how, when, and where to meet you. And you will know when it’s happened. God won’t keep you wondering if you have experienced Him or not.
One more thing about timing. For some people, this can happen right at salvation. Cornelius and his household were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit almost in the same moment (Acts 10:4448). For others, there’s a gap. Days. Years. Maybe even decades. If there’s been a gap in your life, that’s not failure. It’s a good day to ask.
Read Acts 19:17. The disciples in Ephesus had not even heard of the Holy Spirit when Paul asked them.
And you don’t need anyone’s special touch. In the book of Acts, some people received the Baptism when hands were laid on them (Acts 8, 9, and 19), and some received with no hands at all (Acts 2 and 10). Having someone pray with you is biblical, and it can help. But it’s not a requirement. Jesus is the one who Baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
Continually Filled
This is not a one-time experience. Scripture talks about being continually filled. So you keep coming back. You keep asking. You keep surrendering. You keep walking with Him. You keep talking with Him. And you keep praying in the Spirit.
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Here’s something important. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit isn’t a one-time moment you check off a list. It’s something you continue to walk in. Scripture talks about being continually filled with the Spirit. That means staying surrendered, staying connected, and staying open to how He wants to work in your life.
Ephesians 5:18 (NIV) 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,Galatians 5:25 (NIV) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
And here’s the proof that refilling is normal: the very same disciples who were filled at Pentecost were filled again.
Acts 4:31 (NIV) After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Same people. Filled again. And once again, they spoke boldly. One baptism. Many fillings.
This is about receiving. God desires to fill you. He wants to do it. And it’s easy for Him. He’s not holding back. As you seek Him, ask Him, and desire more of Him, He meets you there. He knows how to give good gifts.
Luke 11:13 (NIV) 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
3. Speaking in Tongues as Initial Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“How do I know that I’ve been filled? Is there an outward sign that it has happened?
In the book of Acts, we consistently see one specific response when people are filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues.
At Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was first poured out, the believers were filled and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:4). This wasn’t something they planned or worked up. They had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. It was a response to the Spirit filling them. They had no idea what to expect. They were just told to wait. The same pattern shows up again and again. In Acts 10:44-46, when the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, they began speaking in tongues and praising God. In Acts 19:6, when believers in Ephesus received the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
The Bible never specifically says speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. We can look at the pattern in the bible and see that this holds true. Every time the Holy Spirit was poured out in the book of Acts and people’s response was recorded, they spoke in tongues. Acts 2. Acts 10. Acts 19.
It’s called “initial” because it’s the first outward sign. It’s not the only one. The Holy Spirit will produce many other things in your life as you walk with Him. But this is the first.
And it’s called “physical” because it’s something you can observe. It’s not just internal. It shows up in a real, tangible way that you and others can witness.(See the Appendices at the end of this lesson for more information and some counter-arguments.)
What It Is and What It Isn’t
It’s important to understand what this is and what it isn’t. Speaking in tongues is not something you manufacture or force. It’s not about repeating words or trying to imitate something you’ve heard. It’s something the Holy Spirit enables as you yield to Him. It’s a response of surrender. Not a performance.
It’s also not about spiritual status. It doesn’t make someone more saved. More loved by God. Or more important than anyone else. The focus is not the experience itself. The focus is what the Holy Spirit is doing in your life. Tongues are simply a way the Spirit makes His work visible.
At the same time, it is a real and biblical expression. It’s a form of prayer and communication with God that goes beyond our natural language (1 Corinthians 14:2 and Jude 1:20). It can be a way of building yourself up spiritually as you pray (1 Corinthians 14:4). And like everything else, it’s meant to draw you closer to God, not distract from Him.
If you’re seeking the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, your response is simple. You ask. You trust. You stay open. When the Holy Spirit prompts you to speak, you respond. It may feel strange or weird at first. Remember, this is spiritual, not intellectual. That’s part of stepping out in faith. It may not sound like you think it should. But remember, a baby doesn’t start off speaking perfectly. You may only get a phrase or a syllable or two. The Holy Spirit will grow and mature your heavenly language as you keep coming back for more of Him.
Let’s Be Honest About How Strange This Feels
If you didn’t grow up in a Pentecostal or Spirit-filled church, this whole topic probably feels a little weird. Maybe more than a little. Speaking in tongues can sound bizarre when you’ve never seen it. It can sound made up. It can sound emotional or fake.
I want to acknowledge that. Your hesitation makes sense.
But here’s the thing about following Jesus. He calls us into all kinds of things that feel strange at first—forgiving someone who hurt you. Strange. Giving money away when you’re on a tight budget. Strange. Loving an enemy. Strange. Trusting God with the unknown. Strange.
The Christian life is full of moments that don’t make sense to the natural mind. And speaking in tongues is one of them. It’s a spiritual gift, working in a spiritual realm, given by a spiritual Being. Of course it feels strange. It’s supposed to. It’s not of this world. Sometimes it’s a real human language the speaker never learned at Pentecost; the crowd recognized their own native languages (Acts 2:68). And sometimes it’s a heavenly one (1 Corinthians 13:1). Either way, it’s a language given by the Spirit, not learned by you.
But strange doesn’t mean wrong. And uncomfortable doesn’t mean unbiblical. The question isn’t whether it feels weird. The question is whether it’s true.
“What If I’m Just Making It Up?”
Here’s another common fear. People ask, “What if I just start saying random sounds and I’m not really speaking in tongues? What if I’m faking it?”
I love this question. Because it reveals a sincere heart. You don’t want to fake anything with God. Good. Neither does He.
So let me put your mind at ease.
The Holy Spirit gives you the words. But you have to speak them. He’s not going to transform your tongue and move it for you. He’s not going to force sounds out of your mouth against your will. That’s not how He works. He moves through your willingness. He works through your surrender.
Here is what happens…
Remember, this takes a lot of vulnerability at first. You have to take a risk when you know the Holy Spirit is prompting you to pray. You can start by praying in English, but as the Holy Spirit empowers you, words will no longer be enough to express what the Holy Spirit is doing. Let go and let it out. Remember when toddlers begin to speak, they don’t speak clearly or in perfect structure; at first, they make a noise. They don’t care what they sound like, so neither should you. Jump over this potential hurdle by trusting the Holy Spirit to meet you where you are. When you first speak in tongues, it will probably sound messy and confusing, but as you experience the empowering of the Holy Spirit, He will transform your tongue and in an instant it just starts to flow. You will experience what feels like rivers of living water flowing through your body and out of your mouth. It’s an outpouring. Open your mouth in faith and start to speak whatever comes; you’re not making it up. You’re cooperating with Him to pray what your words cannot express. You’re stepping out in faith and trusting Him to do the rest. The first sounds may feel awkward. They may feel like nothing. But keep praying. As you continue to pray, the Holy Spirit gives the outflow. The anointing and power will come upon you, and you will experience the Holy Spirit like never before.
John 7:3739 (ESV) Rivers of Living Water
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
If you’re worried about faking it, then that tells me that you’re not going to fake it. A sincere seeker cares and wants authenticity. Trust the Holy Spirit. And open your mouth. He will fill it. If you try and you don’t have confirmation from the Holy Spirit, then keep praying, keep seeking the Lord. When you get filled with the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you will know that you know that you have been filled.
Take the pressure off yourself. Speaking in tongues is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is intimacy with the Lord. You will grow deeper as a believer because of it. The goal is a life that is fully surrendered and empowered by the Holy Spirit. You will receive the gift. Don’t worry.
Initial Evidence vs. the Gift of Tongues
This is an important distinction. There are two different expressions of tongues in Scripture. And they’re not the same thing.
Initial Evidence is a personal prayer language. It’s a response to being filled with the Holy Spirit and is directed toward God. It’s private. It’s personal. It’s meant to build you up.
1 Corinthians 14:4 (NIV) 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
Why would God give you a way to pray beyond your own language? Because your own language runs out.
Romans 8:2627 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
There are situations in your life too heavy, too tangled, or too unknown for you to pray about accurately. Praying in the Spirit is one way you cooperate with His help, praying past the limits of your own understanding, trusting that the Spirit knows exactly what to ask for.
The Gift of Tongues is for the church. It’s a public expression that requires interpretation so others can be strengthened.
1 Corinthians 14:2728 (NIV) 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two or at the most three should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
Not everyone operates in the public gift. But that does not limit anyone from receiving a personal prayer language. Every Spirit-filled believer can pray in tongues privately, even if they never give a public message.
4. What Does It Actually Look Like to Receive?
Let me give you a picture of what this often looks like, because I know the unknown can feel intimidating.
Most of the time, when someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit, it happens like this. They start praying. They start praising God. They start telling Him how much they love Him. Their focus is on Him. Not on the experience. Not on what they’re going to feel. Not on what they’re going to say. Just on Him.
And then, as they pray, they begin to sense something stirring inside. Maybe a warmth. Maybe a deep peace. Maybe nothing they can name. Their words of praise start to feel like they’re not enough. They want to say more than English can hold. And so they open their mouth and start to speak in faith.
Sometimes it’s a flood. Sometimes it’s a trickle. Sometimes it’s a single syllable. That’s okay. The Holy Spirit will grow it. Just keep going. Keep speaking. Keep praising. Don’t analyze it. Don’t compare it. Just receive.
Some people experience strong emotion. Some don’t. Some cry. Some laugh. Some feel calm. Don’t compare your experience to anyone else’s. God knows you. He knows how to meet you. He won’t get it wrong.
5. What is the Other Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence. But it’s not the only evidence. The Holy Spirit produces much more in a life surrendered to Him.
A changed life. This is the primary evidence of the Holy Spirit at work. It’s not just about a moment or an experience. It’s about what begins to show up over time. Scripture points us to the fruit of the Spirit as the clearest evidence. Things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are not things you fake or force. They grow as the Holy Spirit is at work in you.
Boldness and confidence in your faith. When the Holy Spirit fills someone, it shows up in how they live and how they speak. There’s a willingness to stand for truth. To share your faith. To follow Jesus even when it’s uncomfortable (Acts 1:8). It’s not about personality. It’s about the Spirit giving you courage you didn’t have before.
A growing sensitivity to God. You begin to recognize His leading more clearly. You become more aware of conviction when something is off. You become more responsive when He prompts you. You’re not just going through the motions anymore. You’re actually walking with Him.
A desire for God and the things of God. As the Holy Spirit works in you, your appetite changes. You want to spend time with Him. You want to grow. You want to live differently. That desire itself is evidence that He’s at work in your life.
Spiritual gifts begin to surface. As you walk with the Holy Spirit, you’ll start to notice gifts showing up in your life that you didn’t know were there. Maybe you find yourself praying for someone, and Jesus heals them. Maybe you have a word for someone, and it lands exactly where they needed it. Maybe you find boldness to speak about Jesus where you used to be silent. That’s Him. That’s the Holy Spirit using your life to impact others.
At the end of the day, the evidence is not about one moment. It’s about a life. Is there growth? Is there change? Is the Holy Spirit clearly at work in you? That’s the real evidence.
6. A Prayer to Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Are You Ready?
If you’ve never been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you can ask for it right now. You don’t need a special location. You don’t need a special service. You don’t need anyone else’s permission. You need to ask.
Pray this prayer if it’s the desire of your heart.
“Jesus, thank You for saving me. Thank You for living inside me through Your Holy Spirit. Today I’m asking for more. I’m asking to be filled. I’m asking to be empowered. I want everything You have for me. I surrender. I yield to You. Holy Spirit, have all of me. Fill me. Empower me. And give me the words to speak as I open my mouth in faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Now open your mouth and start to pray, not in English. Not what you already know. Start with whatever sounds or syllables come up. And keep going. Focus your attention on the Lord, pour out your heart to Him. Say the things that you’ve not known how to say to Him before with words. Don’t analyze it. Don’t second-guess it. Just speak. The Holy Spirit will meet you there.
And if it doesn’t come right away, don’t give up. Come back in a day and keep praising Him. Keep praying. Keep asking. He’s not withholding from you. He’s filling you in His way and in His timing.
How I received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
My story is simple. I was in a place in my relationship with the Lord that I knew I was ready to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. I’m sure we all know what it feels like to anticipate receiving a gift. That’s what this was like for me. I wasn’t sure when or how I was going to receive; I just knew that I would. I was on a path where I was growing deeper in my relationship with God. I was being discipled, praying, reading the Bible, and memorizing Scripture. I was being faithful to God and obedient to Him. I wasn’t perfect, but I was pursuing Him. There isn’t a special formula, and you don’t have to be doing all these things at the same time, but you should be pursuing Jesus.
How it happened…
I remember the day; it was about 18 years ago now. This was before Jennifer and I got married. I was at home by myself. I remember putting clothes away in my closet, and I felt a prompt from the Holy Spirit that I really needed to pray for my middle sister. I didn’t know what I needed to pray for, but there was a strong urgency to stop what I was doing and go pray immediately. So I went into my living room. I sat down on the couch, and I just began to pray, not even knowing what to pray for. As I prayed, I felt my prayer get stronger and more urgent. As I sat there and poured out my prayer to the Lord, something started to happen. I no longer had words for what I was expressing. My words turned into groans, and then my groans turned into tongues, and in my mind, I realized what was happening. I did not want it to stop, so I continued to pray out. And I realized that what was coming out of me was what Jesus said in…
John 7:38-39 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.My relationship with the Lord from that day on changed. In the past 17 years, I’ve gone way deeper than I did in my first 29 years. The Lord has done things in me and through me that I would have never thought possible. I went from the introverted kid at church who didn’t like to talk to the man that you see here today. Before, I would never have been able to teach a class like this. I would never have been able to preach in a room to a few hundred people, much less get up in front of the church on a Sunday morning to share a Word. I would have never been able to witness to a coworker in the basement of our building when I felt so deeply that the Lord was reaching out to this man who was lost and without hope. And I certainly wouldn’t be able to pray effectively in certain circumstances. I gave the Holy Spirit control of my mouth and my tongue, and He has empowered me with His voice to pray and to speak to His people with a confidence and boldness that I did not have before the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
What the Holy Spirit will enable you to do may look differently than it does for me. The Holy Spirit may enable you to do things that He hasn’t done for me. You may be an extravert already and not have any issues with public speaking. But there are other areas in your life where you need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to enable you to do the things that He’s calling you to do. What does remain the same no matter who you are is that the Holy Spirit empowers you and He gives you gifts that you didn’t have before He filled you.
One Last Thing…
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit isn’t the end of your story. It’s the beginning of a deeper one. It empowers you to live. It equips you to serve. It transforms you from the inside out. And it sets you up for everything God wants to do in and through you for the rest of your life.
The gifts of the Spirit are how He works through you. The fruit of the Spirit is how He transforms you. It all works together.
This Week’s Challenge:
If you’ve never been Baptized in the Holy Spirit, ask this week.
Set aside time. Get alone with God. Turn your phone off. Open your Bible. Read Acts chapter 2. Notice how Peter explains what’s happening; he quotes the prophet Joel, because this was God’s plan all along. Then pray the prayer in this lesson. Open your mouth in faith. And don’t give up if it doesn’t happen the first time. Keep coming back. Keep asking. Keep surrendering.
If you’ve already been baptized in the Holy Spirit, deepen it this week.
Spend at least five minutes every single day praying in the Spirit and not asking for anything. Just praying. Just praising and just being with Him. Notice what changes in you by the end of the week.
Come back next week ready to share where God met you because He will do it!
Going deeper
Notes and appendices
Optional deeper material lives here, collapsed by default so the main lesson stays clean. It opens automatically when the page is printed.
Appendix 1: Speaking in Tongues as the Initial Physical Evidence
The phrase “initial physical evidence” never appears in the Greek New Testament. It comes from our Statement of Fundamental Truths (Article 8) (*see document at the end), and it was written to describe a pattern that repeatedly shows up in the book of Acts. Here’s what the Greek translation of the New Testament actually says.
- Acts 2:4 Pentecost
kai eplēsthēsan pantes pneumatos hagiou, kai ērxanto lalein heterais glōssais… “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.” Look at the order. Filled first. Then they spoke. The speaking was the immediate result of the filling. And Luke’s (the author of Acts) verb here is apophthengesthai, “to utter forth boldly.” This was not quietly speaking. Heterais means “other, different in kind,” and the crowd recognized real languages (dialektos, vv. 6, 8). God took hold of their mouths, and everybody could hear it.
- Acts 10:44–46 Cornelius: the strongest text
Peter’s Jewish companions were stunned that the Spirit had been poured out on Gentiles. But how did they know it happened? Verse 46 tells us with one little Greek word: gar, meaning “for” or “because” or “since.” ēkouon gar autōn lalountōn glōssais kai megalynontōn ton theon … “for they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God.” The grammar itself makes tongues the evidence by which they knew.
- Acts 19:6 Ephesus
elaloun te glōssais kai eprophēteuon … “they were speaking in tongues and prophesying.” Both verbs are imperfect tense. That’s ongoing action, not a one-second event. And tongues is named first.
- Acts 8:14–19 Samaria
Now, Samaria. Tongues is not named here. But Simon saw (idōn) that the Spirit was given. Remember who Simon was. This man was a professional magician at that time. He made his living on the supernatural. He would convince people that he possessed otherworldly powers. He had probably seen it all. Yet when Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritans, what happened was so external, so immediate, so undeniable that a seasoned magician pulled out his wallet and tried to buy it. What did he see and hear? The text doesn’t say. But Acts 2 has already shown us what Spirit-reception looks like when Luke describes it. Classical Pentecostalism argues tongues are the natural candidate: an immediate, vocal, supernatural manifestation that cannot be easily faked. Simon watched the untamable human tongue mastered by a divine language. And to this professional magician, that was worth money.
- 1 Corinthians 12:30 The main counterargument
mē pantes glōssais lalousin? The Greek particle mē expects the answer no: “Not all speak in tongues, do they?” So doesn’t that settle it? Not if we look at the context. Paul is talking about the congregational gift of tongues in ordered public worship (1 Cor 12-14): who ministers what when the church gathers. He is not describing the moment a believer first receives the Spirit. Acts describes reception. Corinthians speaks to the assembly of believers. Different settings. Different functions. Same Spirit.
- Putting it together
In every account where Luke shows us the moment of receiving the Spirit (Acts 2, 10, 19), tongues are there. Every time. And in Acts 10, the grammar makes it the basis on which the baptism was recognized. The phrase “initial physical evidence” does not show up in the text. However, it is the consistent narrative precedent: the same sign, every single time the text shows us the moment of reception.
Appendix 2: Dunamis and the Sign: Why Tongues Is the Receipt
Dunamis (Ancient Greek: δύναμις) is a philosophical and biblical term meaning “power,” “potential,” or “ability.”
In Luke’s writing, dunamis and tongues answer two different questions about the same event. Dunamis answers, “What is the baptism for?” (Power) Tongues answers, “How do you know it happened?” (Purpose and the sign.) Tongues is not the power. It’s the receipt. And God attached the receipt to the very thing the power came to claim: your voice.
- A receipt proves a transaction you cannot see
When you pay for something, you never actually see the money move. The transfer is invisible. That’s why receipts exist. And the Spirit falling on a person happens in the invisible realm too. So how would anybody know? Acts 10 shows the receipt working in real time. Peter’s companions could not see the Spirit fall on Cornelius. But they heard the evidence: “for they heard them speaking in tongues” (10:46). And here’s the beautiful part: the receipt worked for the witnesses too. Peter carried it back to Jerusalem (11:15–17) and presented it as proof that God had accepted the Gentiles. A receipt is something you can show to others.
- The receipt comes at the moment of the transaction
Nobody mails you a receipt three weeks after the purchase. It marks the moment. That’s why the word “initial” matters. In all three accounts (2, 10, 19), tongues happen at the point of reception. Fruit grows over time. Gifts are distributed as the Spirit wills (1 Cor 12). But tongues at baptism? That’s the receipt on the infilling.
- The sign lands exactly where the power is aimed
Before Pentecost ever happened, Jesus told them what the power was for: “you will receive power (dunamis) … and you will be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Witnessing is speaking. So the power was aimed at the human voice. But here’s the problem. James 3:8 says no man can tame the tongue. Isaiah stood in the throne room and cried, “I am a man of unclean lips” (Isa 6:5). The tongue is the instrument God most wants and the one we least control. So when the Spirit arrives, where does He plant His flag? Your tongue. If the power is for speaking, the proof is in the speaking.
- Yielding is how it works
Look closely at Acts 2:4. Two parties in one sentence. They began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance. You do the speaking. He supplies the words. Not a puppet. Not a performance. Surrender meeting supply. And that’s the engine of every act of Spirit-empowered ministry that follows. Peter opens his mouth, and the Spirit fills it with a sermon (2:14). Stephen’s enemies “could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke” (6:10). You yield the faculty. God supplies the power.
- One Piece of a Much Bigger Picture
In that first moment of tongues, everything Acts 1:8 promised is already present: a surrendered person, a claimed voice, divine words through human lips, even an audience being affected. Nothing is missing. It’s all there, waiting to be scaled up.
Picture a believer seeking the baptism in a quiet prayer room. To speak in tongues, they have to get past their self-consciousness, past the mind’s demand to understand every syllable, past that deep desire to stay in control of their own mouth. And when they yield their tongue to the Holy Spirit in that private moment, they are building a spiritual muscle memory of surrender. So when that same believer walks out and faces a skeptical coworker, a hostile room, or a hurting friend across the dinner table, and the Spirit says “speak,” they already know how to do this. They learned it in the prayer room. The private surrender of the unknown tongue gives access to the public boldness of the known one.
The receipt is not a purchase. The evidence serves assurance. Assurance serves boldness. Boldness serves witness (Acts 4:31). And Paul says the capacity keeps going as a devotional prayer language that builds you up. (1 Cor 14:4, 18) A receipt that keeps on giving. But the goal never changes: a mouth God can use.
Appendix 3: Can You Receive the Baptism and Remain Silent?Counterarguments for the case that silent reception is possible.
1. Silence in Acts. Plenty of fillings and conversions never mention tongues: the 3,000 (Acts 2:41), Paul (Acts 9:17–18), Samaria (Acts 8). If tongues were the required sign, why doesn’t Luke say so every time?
2. Genre. Acts is narrative. Narrative describes; epistles prescribe. The apostles cast lots to pick Matthias, and almost no one makes lots the norm for church elections. So why turn three descriptive scenes into a universal rule no epistle ever states?
3. 1 Corinthians 12:30. The mē (Greek meaning “not” or “do not”) question expects the answer no. Not all speak in tongues. And the critic says the sign/gift distinction is one Paul never draws.
4. Divine freedom. Wind, fire, boldness, joy, prophecy- they all attend the Spirit’s work. Insisting on one uniform sign risks putting God in a box. And it can be an issue for sincere seekers who haven’t spoken yet.
The baptism does not arrive in silence.
1. Luke defines the gift by its purpose. Acts 1:8: power to be witnesses. This baptism is an empowerment for utterance. And in Luke’s two volumes, filling produces inspired speech every single time the immediate result is described. Elizabeth cries out. Zechariah prophesies (Luke 1). Tongues, then preaching (Acts 2). Bold speech (Acts 4:31). Prophetic confrontation (Acts 13:9–10). So asking whether speech empowerment can arrive silently is like asking whether sight can be given with no change in what you see. The manifestation is the gift operating.
2. The argument from silence collapses. In every account where Luke shows the manner of reception (Acts 2, 10, 19), tongues are there. Three peoples. Three cities. With apostolic hands and without. Before water baptism and after. Everything changes except the sign. And the “silent” passages? They tell us that people received, not how. Acts 9 says nothing about Paul’s moment, yet Paul says “I speak in tongues more than you all” (1 Cor 14:18). Silence only counts against a pattern when it shows up where detail is given. Nowhere in Scripture do we see silence correlating to the infilling of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
3. “Narrative is not normative” proves too much. Luke wrote “an orderly account” (Luke 1:3). He is teaching, and repetition is how narrative teaches. The drawing of lots happens once with no comment. Tongues recurs, and the text interprets it: Peter and Jerusalem accept tongues as proof that “the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning” (Acts 10:46–47; Acts 11:15–17). The story tells you how to read the sign. The same critics pull missions strategy and church order out of Acts. The rule only gets enforced against tongues.
4. 1 Corinthians 12:30 answers a different question. Paul is regulating the gathered body. “Do all speak in tongues” sits right beside “are all apostles, are all teachers.” He’s asking who exercises which ministry when the church meets, not whether every believer received a sign at baptism. That subject never comes up in the chapter. But Paul does say “I want you all to speak in tongues” (Acts 14:5) and “do not forbid speaking in tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:39). Acts describes reception. Corinthians regulates assembly.
5. The theology of the yielded tongue. The power is aimed at the voice: the part of us that no person can tame (James 3:8), the primary instrument of witness. The initial evidence is the empowerment doing what it came to do, taking governance of human speech. A silent baptism would be an empowerment for utterance that produced no utterance. The sign belongs to the nature of the gift, the way wetness belongs to water baptism. Nobody asks whether you can be immersed and stay dry.