Silas
Beloved of All
Your request for prayer has been heard and we are bringing you and your family before the Lord. It is good that you are seeking wisdom, comfort and peace, and that you desire the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
If you have confessed that Jesus is Lord, that itself is evidence that the Holy Spirit has already been at work in you. No one can make that true confession in the heart apart from the Spirit of God. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within you. Scripture teaches that your body is His temple and that He is the one who draws us to Jesus and then lives within every believer to shape us to be more like Christ.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is Jesus Himself pouring out His Spirit upon you for power and overflow. The indwelling of the Spirit changes you within, conforming you to the image of Jesus. The baptism or filling is the outflow of that same Spirit from your life so that you have power to live for Him and to be His witness. This is not something you earn by reaching a higher level of holiness or by keeping rules. It is a gift received by faith, not by works. You began your life with God by the Spirit, and you continue by the Spirit.
Before the day of Pentecost the disciples were told to wait for the promise of the Spirit, but once the Spirit was poured out, that waiting was never again commanded as a pattern. The gift had been given to the church and has continued to be given to all whom the Lord calls. Sometimes it came through the laying on of hands, sometimes simply as people heard the word with an open heart and believed, as when the Spirit fell on those who were listening to Peter. There are different gifts and different experiences, but it is the same Spirit who gives them, so it is a mistake to think your experience must look exactly like someone else's testimony. The important thing is to be open, sensitive and willing to be led and used by the Spirit.
Jesus Himself shows us the way. He was full of the Holy Spirit, He was led by the Spirit, and He returned in the power of the Spirit. In the same way God desires that you be filled, led and empowered continually. The Scripture says to be being filled with the Spirit, which speaks of an ongoing work, not a single event only. When the Spirit is uppermost in your life, His Spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God, and you can meet and worship God in spirit and truth. That is where true comfort and peace are found.
Concerning the voices you are hearing, we are praying for you in the authority of Jesus Christ. We ask the Lord to rebuke every confusing and oppressive voice, to bind and cast away what is not of Him, and to cover you with His peace. We pray that God will quiet your mind, guard your heart, and fill you with His presence, so that you will hear His voice clearly through His Word and know His comfort. Stay rooted in Scripture, keep praying in the name of Jesus alone, and stay connected with trusted believers who can walk with you, pray with you and help you discern what you are experiencing. If these distressing experiences continue, please also seek help from a pastor and from qualified care providers near you so you are not carrying this alone.
Let us pray for you now.
Father, we lift up this dear one and their family to You in the name of Jesus Christ. We thank You that You have drawn them to Your Son and that Your Spirit dwells within all who trust in Him. We ask that You baptize and fill them afresh with Your Holy Spirit, that out of their innermost being would flow Your power, Your wisdom, Your comfort and Your peace. Lead them by Your Spirit day by day and make them more like Jesus. In the name of Jesus we ask You to rebuke, silence and remove every voice and influence that brings confusion and fear, and to cast it far from them. Fill that place with Your presence and with the assurance that they are Your child. Give them a sound mind, a peaceful heart, and a clear sense of Your guidance through Your Word. Empower them to live for You and to be a witness of Your grace. We ask this by faith as Your gift, not as something earned. Amen.
May the Lord keep you close, fill you with His Spirit, and give you His peace that passes understanding as you walk with Jesus.
If you have confessed that Jesus is Lord, that itself is evidence that the Holy Spirit has already been at work in you. No one can make that true confession in the heart apart from the Spirit of God. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within you. Scripture teaches that your body is His temple and that He is the one who draws us to Jesus and then lives within every believer to shape us to be more like Christ.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is Jesus Himself pouring out His Spirit upon you for power and overflow. The indwelling of the Spirit changes you within, conforming you to the image of Jesus. The baptism or filling is the outflow of that same Spirit from your life so that you have power to live for Him and to be His witness. This is not something you earn by reaching a higher level of holiness or by keeping rules. It is a gift received by faith, not by works. You began your life with God by the Spirit, and you continue by the Spirit.
Before the day of Pentecost the disciples were told to wait for the promise of the Spirit, but once the Spirit was poured out, that waiting was never again commanded as a pattern. The gift had been given to the church and has continued to be given to all whom the Lord calls. Sometimes it came through the laying on of hands, sometimes simply as people heard the word with an open heart and believed, as when the Spirit fell on those who were listening to Peter. There are different gifts and different experiences, but it is the same Spirit who gives them, so it is a mistake to think your experience must look exactly like someone else's testimony. The important thing is to be open, sensitive and willing to be led and used by the Spirit.
Jesus Himself shows us the way. He was full of the Holy Spirit, He was led by the Spirit, and He returned in the power of the Spirit. In the same way God desires that you be filled, led and empowered continually. The Scripture says to be being filled with the Spirit, which speaks of an ongoing work, not a single event only. When the Spirit is uppermost in your life, His Spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God, and you can meet and worship God in spirit and truth. That is where true comfort and peace are found.
Concerning the voices you are hearing, we are praying for you in the authority of Jesus Christ. We ask the Lord to rebuke every confusing and oppressive voice, to bind and cast away what is not of Him, and to cover you with His peace. We pray that God will quiet your mind, guard your heart, and fill you with His presence, so that you will hear His voice clearly through His Word and know His comfort. Stay rooted in Scripture, keep praying in the name of Jesus alone, and stay connected with trusted believers who can walk with you, pray with you and help you discern what you are experiencing. If these distressing experiences continue, please also seek help from a pastor and from qualified care providers near you so you are not carrying this alone.
Let us pray for you now.
Father, we lift up this dear one and their family to You in the name of Jesus Christ. We thank You that You have drawn them to Your Son and that Your Spirit dwells within all who trust in Him. We ask that You baptize and fill them afresh with Your Holy Spirit, that out of their innermost being would flow Your power, Your wisdom, Your comfort and Your peace. Lead them by Your Spirit day by day and make them more like Jesus. In the name of Jesus we ask You to rebuke, silence and remove every voice and influence that brings confusion and fear, and to cast it far from them. Fill that place with Your presence and with the assurance that they are Your child. Give them a sound mind, a peaceful heart, and a clear sense of Your guidance through Your Word. Empower them to live for You and to be a witness of Your grace. We ask this by faith as Your gift, not as something earned. Amen.
May the Lord keep you close, fill you with His Spirit, and give you His peace that passes understanding as you walk with Jesus.
