Day 36 Devotional Before United Prayer:  (about 1:25 minute reading) 

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

The second amazing experience God wants every Christian to have is to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Being born again is one thing, but being baptized by the Holy Spirit is quite another. 

The disciples were converted to Jesus but powerless before the day of Pentecost. So Jesus commanded them to wait in prayer until they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which took place at the conclusion of a ten-day prayer meeting (Acts 1:4-5, 8; Acts 2:1-4). 

The experience of being baptized by the Spirit gave great power to the disciples’ teaching and preaching. Three thousand accepted Jesus and were baptized in water following Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost.

In 1999, the Lord led me to study the subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I discovered that I did not understand this important biblical teaching. As a result of my study I was convicted to have specific prayer to be filled with the Spirit. 

My experience of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit did not involve feeling or any dramatic evidence at the time of the prayer. However, the next day I began seeing significant changes in my personal life. I began experiencing personal revival. I also began seeing more of the power of the Spirit in my ministry.

As God continued to open my understanding on the subject I was led to write several books on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the experiences the Spirit wants to lead the Spirit filled Christian into.  After investing our savings in the printing of my first book, the Lord strongly impressed me that I was not to advertise the book. So, in order to have peace within myself, I simply gave the book to the Lord and said, “I have done what you have asked me to do. If not one copy of the book sells, that is OK.” 

Just at that time I was invited to appear on 3ABN and share some things on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As the program began, Danny Shelton held up my first book, The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and said some things about it. God used that program to take the message in that book literally around the world. This has been done without any advertising or promoting by me. 

Also, the Lord opened opportunities to share the teaching on the Holy Spirit I was learning from God’s Word. However, He once again made it clear I was never to try to initiate an appointment to speak on the Holy Spirit. To date the Lord has led me to share this message nationally and internationally.

So the baptism of the Holy Spirit experience has proved to be the second most important and amazing experience in my Christian life.

Day 36 Prayer Focus:  Pray for

  • The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
  • Revival for yourself and the church 
  • God to lead your church to understand and experience the three amazing experiences of the new birth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and righteousness by faith in preparation for Christ’s soon return
  • Those on your prayer list

Day 36 Going Deeper Discussion Questions: (based on pages 122 to 124 of “Righteousness by Faith” by Dennis Smith [pages 142 to 144 of the PDF version])

  1. What must a man do to see the kingdom of God? – Be baptised/Born again?

  2. What is the second experience God wants each of us to experience?

  3. Should we pray to receive the Holy Spirit?

  4. What did the disciples get after receiving the Holy Spirit?

  5. Should we expect to feel different after receiving the Holy Spirit?

  6. What has been your experience of Spirit baptism?

  7. How did you know or what evidence was there that you received the Holy Spirit?

  8. What is the third experience God wants each of us to experience?

 

Day 36 Heart preparation/challenge:

  1. Throughout the day ask God to remind you what He is speaking to you in today’s reading and going deeper discussions and to help you to apply them in your life.

  2. Read “Righteousness by Faith” by Dennis Smith pages 124 to 126 (pages 144 to 146 of the PDF file) in preparation for Day 37.

  3. Prayerfully answer Day 37 discussion questions in preparation to share on Day 37 Going Deeper segment of united prayer.