All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are ...

1 How to Pray withPeople to BeFilled with theHoly SpiritDenzil R. MillerAll Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, aretaken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEWINTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973,1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used bypermission of Zondervan Bible 2007 Acts in Africa Initiative. All 1: Preliminary Considerations ..3 Chapter 2: The Procedure: How to Pray with Someone to Be filled with the Holy 3:Other Important booklet is an adaptation of chapter 13 of the1author s book Power Encounter: Ministering in the Powerand Anointing of the Holy in Kisumu, Kenya, preaching a Holy SpiritConference. The Saturday evening service had endedgloriously with many people being filled with the was a grand finale to several long days of teachingand preaching on Holy Spirit.

2 I was elated, yetexhausted. After the service I was led into the pastor soffice so I could rest a few moments before being drivenback to the missionary s house, where I was staying. Asis common in Africa, I was graciously offered a softdrink and some snacks with which to refresh myself. After only a few brief minutes of rest there came atapping at the door. One of the church elders stuck hishead into the office and said, Pastor, I have two menwith me who have just come. They were unable toattend the services today because they were are hungry for the baptism in the Holy Spirit andwant you to pray with them. I thought to myself, Ohno, I m too tired for this. I immediately felt a twinge ofconviction in my heart. So, reluctantly, I said, Tell themen to come in and I will pray a brief prayer for prayer will help to prepare their hearts for the2service tomorrow morning.

3 I will then pray with them toreceive the Holy Spirit. Two well-dressed businessmen stepped into theoffice. We joined hands, and I began to pray. I hadhardly uttered a complete sentence when, to mysurprise, both men began speaking fluently in ! God had graciously filled these two hungryseekers with His Holy Spirit. In my travels across Africa I have taught andpreached on the baptism in the Holy Spirit many has been my great privilege to pray with and witnessthousands of Africans being filled with the Spirit, justlike these two men. How blessed I have been!Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is an essentialexperience in the life of every believer especially ifhe or she desires to be effectively used by God inministry. In this booklet I will talk about how you canlead others into this vital Christian will do this by recommending a practical how to model for praying with people to receive the HolySpirit.

4 I have used this model in praying for people bothin the United States and in Africa, and have personallyseen hundreds filled with the Spirit. I hope that it will beof benefit to you, too, as you seek to lead others into theSpirit- filled 1 PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONSB efore we discuss the actual process of leadingseekers into the baptism in the Holy Spirit, let s firstaddress three pertinent considerations: (1) who can befilled with the Spirit, (2) who can pray with others to befilled with the Spirit, and (3) elements involved inreceiving the Holy Can Be filled with the Spirit?Anyone who has been truly born again can andshould immediately be filled with the Holy Spirit. Thiswonderful experience is not just for special Christianswho have reached a certain level of holiness or spiritualmaturity in their lives.

5 Nor is it only for a certain classof people belonging to a particular church group ordenomination. This promise is for all Christians of allages (Acts 2:17-18; 38-39).Who Can Pray with Others to Be filled with the Spirit?Anyone who has been filled with the Spirit can leadsomeone else into this marvelous experience. The chiefrequirement in praying for others to be filled with theSpirit is a sincere desire to see others blessed and usedby Involved in Receiving the Holy SpiritIt is helpful for the Christian worker to understandfive important spiritual elements involved in a person sbeing filled with the Holy Spirit. These are desire, faith,prayer, obedience, and yieldedness to God. Let s lookbriefly at each of these elements:1. Desire. The Bible often stresses the importance ofdesire in seeking after God.

6 God once said to Israel, You will seek me and find me when you seek me withall your heart (Jer. 29:13). Jesus said, Blessed arethose who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for theywill be filled (Matt. 5:6). In another place, whileteaching on how to receive the Holy Spirit, He said, Seek [literally, keep seeking ] and you will find (Luke 11:9). Persistent seeking is a fruit of desire. Theseeker must know that God will only give His Spirit tothose who ardently seek His Faith. Faith is the prime ingredient in receivinganything from God, including the Holy Spirit. Paulreminded the Galatian Christians that they had receivedthe Holy Spirit, not by the works of the law, but bybelieving what [they] heard (Gal. 3:2). Jesus said thatthe Spirit would flow through whoever believes in me (John 7:38).

7 One aim of the person leading others intothe baptism in the Holy Spirit must therefore be toinspire faith in the heart of the seeker. We will speakmore about this Prayer. The Holy Spirit is given in answer tobelieving prayer. Jesus said, Ask, and it will be givento you (Luke 11:9). In another place He taught,5 Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you havereceived it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24-25). WhenJesus was anointed by the Spirit, He was praying (Luke3:21-22). Before the disciples received the Spirit atPentecost, they all joined together constantly in prayer (Acts 1:14). Before Paul was filled with the Spirit hespent time in prayer (9:11). Anyone desiring to be filledwith the Spirit must earnestly seek God s face in Obedience. An obedient heart is essential toreceiving the Holy Spirit.

8 Peter said that God gives theHoly Spirit to those who obey him (Acts 5:32). Hewas talking specifically about those who will obey Godand preach the gospel (v. 29-32). The primary purposefor receiving the Holy Spirit is to receive power towitness (Acts 1:8), and God is ready to empower thosewho are ready to obey His command to share the gospelwith the lost. 5. Yieldedness to God. Yieldedness to God isanother vital element in receiving the Holy Spirit. Justas one being baptized in water must yield to the pastor,the one bing baptized in the Holy Spirit must yieldcompletely to Jesus. The seeker should therefore beinstructed to yield his or her entire being to the yieldedness should include their entire being: spirit,mind, and body (Rom. 6:13; 12:1). It is through suchyieldedness that the Holy Spirit will fill the person, takecontrol of his vocal organs, and begin to speak throughhim in other establish rapport (pronounced ra-poor) with a2person means to begin a relationship with him.

9 It means thatwe begin to be comfortable in each other s 2 THE PROCEDURE: HOW TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE TO BE filled WITH THE HOLY SPIRITHere, I will suggest a three-step pastoral model forpraying with people to receive the Holy Spirit. Thisthree-step model includes an interview, prayerengagement, and post-prayer 1: The InterviewIn the initial interview with the candidate you willseek to accomplish four things: First you should seek toestablish rapport with the candidate. That is, you willseek to build an initial warm relationship with , you will seek to affirm and inspire the candidate sfaith. Third, you should try to discover the candidate slevel of desire for God, as well as his or her spiritualcondition. Finally, you will instruct the seeker as toexactly what he or she must do to be filled with Establishing Rapport.

10 Goal number one in theinterview process is to establish rapport with thecandidate. If you already know the person, this is, of2To affirm someone is to say things to him that will3make him feel good about himself and what he has , unnecessary. However, if you are not acquaintedwith the candidate, begin by introducing yourself . Say, Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME]. What is yourname? Listen closely to what he has to say. Repeat hisname back to him, and then use his name during yourtime of ministry with Affirmation and Inspiration. Next, seek to theaffirm the candidate and to inspire his faith. You might3say to him, I am so glad you came to receive the Spirit;you did the right thing. You could also say, This couldbe one of the greatest days of your life. God hassomething very special for you.