By Michael Maupin
The only requirement for someone to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost is for true repentance to take place. I firmly believe that if someone wants this precious gift, and will truly repent, then the Holy Ghost is soon to follow. I am guilty of making God’s gift giving much more complicated than it has to be.
The way I pray with someone varies from service to service. If the service is blessed with many altar workers, then sometimes I will ask for those that want the Holy Ghost to raise their hands and pray a prayer of repentance.
This prayer also varies, but an outline would be something of this nature: “Lord, I need You in my life. I am tired of the life that I am living, and want You to live inside of me, and direct my life. God, I repent of everything I have ever done wrong. Every sin, every action, every word, and every thought that wasn’t pleasing to You. Jesus, please forgive me, I want to turn my life around, God, and I surrender myself to You. I empty myself before You so that Your Holy Spirit can fill me. In the name of Jesus. Amen!”
Sometimes it may be one person, or just a few that are seeking the Holy Ghost. When this is this case, I try to go to them individually, introduce myself, ask them their name and if they want the Holy Ghost. Then I explain that we must repent and change our lives in order to receive the gift that God has for us. I ask them if I can lead them through a prayer of repentance. When the prayer has ended, I instruct them to lift their hands, while I lay my hands on their forehead. I then instruct them to open their mouth and allow the Holy Ghost to fill them. If they have truly repented, they soon begin to speak in a language they never have before!
Other times, by the time I get to the individual in the altar, they are already praying and on the verge of being filled. It is then that I will lay my hand on their forehead and instruct them to open up and allow the Holy Ghost to do the work. Many times that person is soon speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance. If they have been praying for a while and haven’t experienced the infilling, I will stop them and begin the steps previously mentioned.
I do not believe that we have to tarry very long to be filled with the Holy Ghost. If someone does not receive it within a few minutes of praying, they generally haven’t truly repented, or are not surrendering and allowing God to have control. If the latter is true, then I will explain that we must give God everything, both the good and the bad, in an attempt to make room for Him to dwell within our soul. I generally use an analogy of a glass filled with old, dirty water. Before you can pour fresh, clean water into it, you must first pour out the old, dirty water. This comes through repentance, and complete surrender to Him!
If they still are having trouble receiving the Holy Ghost, I ask if they have been baptized in the saving name of Jesus. If their answer is “no,” then I tell them of the promise that comes from repentance and water baptism in the name of Jesus, found in Acts 2:38. Someone can receive the Holy Ghost before being baptized in Jesus’ name, but they are promised the gift after repentance and baptism. I will then explain water baptism in Jesus name, and ask if they would like to be baptized. Many times that person will come out of the water speaking in other tongues!
Michael Maupin is an ALJC endorsed evangelist, and Apostolic Youth Corps coordinator. He and his wife, Tara, and their three children make their home in Pocahontas, Arkansas. For more information on his ministry, visit consumingfireintl.com.
