Cancer: Encouragement for HealingSample

Day 6—The Help of the Holy Spirit

We can never underestimate the work and power of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

A careful examination of the Scriptures and church history reveals Jesus’s followers not only experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at salvation, but they also received a second encounter of Spirit empowerment as found in Acts 2. The disciples received the Holy Spirit immediately after the resurrection, yet Jesus instructed them to wait for another enduement of His power (John 20:22, Luke 24:49). John the Baptist referred to this as the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The original Greek word for baptism is baptizo, which means to baptize, dip, dye, immerse, plunge, submerge, inundate, flood, swamp, soak, douse, drench, and saturate. Ponder each of these words for a moment.

With Holy Spirit baptism comes a release of spiritual power, gifts, and ability, enabling Christians to do and know things beyond their natural abilities (1 Cor. 12:1-11).

If you are uncertain whether you have received this second marvelous gift of the Holy Spirit, now is the time to take a small step of faith and ask Him for it. It really is that simple. We must take Jesus’s words in Luke 11:11-13 at face value. Just as we received Him into our lives by faith, we also welcome the Holy Spirit’s second experience by faith.

When you are ready, take some uninterrupted time to expectantly ask your Heavenly Father for baptism in the Holy Spirit. Don’t hurry or rush this time. You may have a physical sensation of peace or joy, or you may not (the sense of His presence may come later). Nevertheless, based upon God’s Word and your faith—even if it is mustard-seed tiny—you have received the Holy Spirit’s overflow.

With Spirit baptism, you now have access to the gift of spiritual language or speaking in tongues. This is a Spirit-led prayer language from your spirit directly to God’s throne room that will edify your faith tremendously, just as Paul tells us (1 Cor. 14:4).

How do you maintain Spirit fullness? Make time regularly to sit in His presence. He is inside you to bring strength, courage, wisdom, and supernatural ability as He draws you closer to The Great Healer, the Lord Jesus.