R.T. Kendall: 7 Ways to Receive More of the Holy Spirit

Would you like more of the Holy Spirit? I certainly would.

Some people might object to the idea of “more” of the Holy Spirit. They take the view that you either have all there is of the Holy Spirit, or you don’t. That is a superficial observation and very misleading, indeed. The crux of all the New Testament letters is about increasing our faith, getting closer to God and getting more of Him. Only Jesus had the Holy Spirit without limit (John 3:34). You and I have but a “measure” of the Spirit, which is why we have a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3).

The disciples asked of Jesus, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). As one put it, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). You and I are often in this very position; we struggle but want God to increase our faith. This comes in proportion to getting a greater measure of the Holy Spirit.

I wrote the book Word and Spirit for every Christian. Part of it might seem directed to preachers or leaders, but all Christians—men and women, young and old—need it. If you are not a pastor or leader, this still applies to you—whatever your job, gift or calling may be. It might also help you gain an appreciation for the responsibility your pastor and church leaders carry and cause you to pray harder for them. All readers will benefit from what follows.

Do not take what I say in these lines as being from an expert. I have said I did not see the Holy Spirit work in my ministry as I had hoped—and still pray for. What follows are suggestions. They have led me to the little bit of anointing I have. God is not finished with me yet. But here is what I recommend to you.

Seven Ways to Receive More of the Holy Spirit

1. Ask for it. Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him to be given “words” when He spoke. Jesus said that we should ask and the Father will give the Holy Spirit to us (see Luke 11:9-13; James 4:2).
2. Spend time pleading with God and waiting for Him to act. You might ask: “But how do I know God’s ways merely by spending time with Him?” The answer is, because you do! Time alone with God honors Him and affirms His Word and His promises.
3. Know your Bible backward and forward. I promise you that you will never be sorry you spent time with God’s Word. Whether you are a minister or a cab driver, a children’s pastor or a server in a restaurant, a worship leader or an accountant—I could go on and on—get to know your Bible better than any other book.
4. Live a holy life. One might think this goes without saying, but I believe it has to be said. In a word: If you want to be on good terms with the Holy Spirit of God, remember He is the Holy Spirit and that He wrote the Old and New Testaments, which could be summed up as showing the necessity of holiness and how to live the holy life.
5. Witness to people—even strangers—on a one-to-one basis. We are all called to do this. If we see the lost start coming to Christ by the millions, I believe it will happen because the sleeping giant called the body of Christ wakes up, gets fired up and starts talking about Jesus Christ to their neighbors, friends and everyone they meet.
6. Seek honor and praise from God, not people. John 5:44 has been my life verse for over 60 years. John 5:44 shows that we should live and speak before an audience of one—namely God alone. Malachi 3:16 says that God eavesdrops on our conversations. If we start speaking to one another with the awareness that God Himself is listening, it might drastically change the tenor of our conversations.
7. Esteem the fruits of the Spirit as much as the gifts of the Spirit and vice versa. It has been my observation that Spirit people tend to emphasize the gifts of the Spirit, while Word people tend to emphasize the fruit of the Spirit. For some Word people, speaking in tongues is about the most offensive thing on the planet! We must be willing to accept the stigma that comes with being unashamed of the gift of speaking or praying in tongues. I don’t mean to be unfair, but speaking personally, it is part of the price to pay if we want a greater anointing of the Spirit. Being kept at bay—or even rejected—is worth the price for a greater anointing. Would you not want a greater anointing than anything in the world? {

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