Receiving the Holy Spirit is more than giving us a "ticket to heaven." We are offered an opportunity to be full of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to do the works of Jesus. Here are five reasons we need to stay full of/filled with the Holy Spirit...

• Witness to Unbelievers. On the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2, the 120 gathered in the upper room experienced a fantastic phenomenon that occurs to this day when people yield themselves to the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues. At that time it was a witness to Jews from around the world who had gathered in Jerusalem for a "holy day" celebration, "They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!" (Acts 2:11,MSG).
     This still happens today. In multiple countries reports are confirmed that people speak in known languages that they did not learn and their words glorify God. For example, Vicki Simoneaux, missionary serving in Africa and a personal friend of mine, has heard with her own ears three people praising God in English as they spoke in tongues. All three thanked Jesus for washing their sins and making them clean. Speaking in tongues does happen and it is real...and it is of God.
   
• More powerful way to worship. When we run out of things to say as we give compliments to Jesus (praise/worship), the Holy Spirit can pray through us, to give more perfect worship on our behalf. After preaching his sermon, Bruce Howell, a former missionary to El Salvador, heard someone speaking Spanish (with a perfect accent) during the altar time. This woman was born and raised on an island in the Pacific Ocean and had never been around any Spanish-speaking people, nor had she ever tried to learn the language. She was giving high praises to God as she spoke in tongues for the first time.
     Children can learn this simple truth in a matter of moments. When one runs out of compliments to give Jesus, but wants to give Him more, switch to tongues. If this seems difficult, think of compliments to give God, then simply open your mouth, stop speaking your first language (English) and begin making baby sounds if needed; your spirit will begin to learn to pray in concert with the Holy Spirit. There is no wrong way to pray in tongues, but the motor has to be running. ;o)
   
• Our Prayer Language. Using a "prayer language" is like praying in code. The case for praying in the Spirit is clearly made by the apostle Paul, "For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12, NLT).
     Praying in the Spirit, as a prayer code or language, allows us to engage in spiritual warfare that is not directed by our limited human understanding. We do not know all things, but as the spirit makes intercession through us, the will and work of God is accomplished (Romans 8:26).
     It may help to have a basic understanding of the structure of spiritual principalities. It is key to remember that the devil can't be everywhere at once. Imagine that he is like a president with governors, then mayors beneath him. The principality working in Sri Lanka won't be concerned with what is going on in New Brunswick, Canada. That's why praying in code is so effective. For example, prayers prayed in code in Louisiana may be directed toward a situation in India, but prayed in an obscure unwritten language of the Amazon. Who has the upper hand here? Those who submit themselves to the Holy Spirit.
     Case in point - as reported in the Evangel magazine. An elderly man at a prayer meeting in Minnesota prayed quietly in tongues for nearly ten minutes toward the end of a prayer meeting. At the end of the meeting, a woman at the back of the room came forward, introducing herself as a missionary who felt the Holy Spirit direct her to enter the church as she drove by. She explained that she had worked in Tibet as a missionary and was surprised to hear the elder praying in a little known Tibetan dialect. He was praying for the release of a jailed pastor in China.
   
• For Signs and Wonders. In the Western world Hollywood's special effects cast a shadow of what we think about "signs and wonders." In the West we tend to be desensitized by anything less than the sensational...and don't even think of bothering God for the simple "mundane" things of life. To me, signs and wonders are answers to prayers we pray. There won't be signs and wonders if there are no prayers for the needs of others and/or ourselves.
     1) Nine year old Katarina prayed for her mom's bad teeth. Within 24 hours someone offered to pay to have them fixed - they were surprised but very happy. 2) Erin prayed for her aunt to stop working in a bar and within days she got a call from her aunt who had quit working at the bar. 3) The Hunts gathered around their mini van and prayed after the transmission began acting up in the middle of a long trip. They made it safely to a shop where it could be fixed. 4) A fourteen year old victim of abuse is able through the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive their abuser. 5) A very independent bible school student experiences financial provision for three years, building a deeply rooted dependency on God.
     In a practical sense, when we start seeing signs and wonders in our personal lives, we will have faith to launch out into the deep, the more "dynamic" demonstrations of the Holy Spirit's power. These things are not reserved for evangelists, prophets, and church leaders, but for "all those who believe" and for those who like Stephen live "full of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:3, 7:55).
     * I have discovered that being full of the Holy Spirit enables people to do things they could not do on their own.
   
• Building up our inner man. Romans 8:26 says that the Spirit makes intercession for us. I like the Message version of this text which says, "Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans." Now that sounds like someone who's inner man (spirit) needs a little "building up."
     Gravity has a natural effect on us. With time, our frames shrink and our skin shrivels. In the same manner, the natural world has an effect on our spirit, shrinking our desire and shriveling our faith. "But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit" (Jude 1:20, NLT).

Submitted by: AC (c) 2005