Any believer who wants to be used mightily by God needs to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself never did a single thing in ministry without this baptism, and if he needed it, how much more do we need it too?
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8
The Holy Spirit is the one who will enable us to carry out the ministries that are given us by the Lord. He is the power behind every healing, behind every miracle, behind every song that leads people to worship, and behind every preaching that convicts people into repentance.
Man is capable of a lot of things. We have gifts and talents given us by God and it is the infilling of the Holy Spirit in us that will cause our abilities to become power for the glory of God.
Anyone who has truly received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can be baptized anytime, anywhere. There are only two requirements necessary for this: get saved, and believe.
Read my article on salvation here.
Now onto the procedures of this baptism.
1) Ask
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:13
The exclamatory point stresses the eagerness of the Father to pour out his Spirit, this he pertains, 'to those who ask him.'
...ask, and it will be given to you; ...Luke 11:9
1.5) Or, be ministered to
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:14-17
This was how I received the Holy Spirit. It had to be ministered to me.
What I learned when I got baptized was this:
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Tension doesn't help. The more tense you get, the less likely you'll receive. Be still and know that I am God says Psalm 46:10.
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The baptism is a gift of God. You don't need to twist his arm to get it.
Sometimes, the Lord Jesus will baptize you even if you're alone. Other times, the Lord does it through a minister. It really depends on how God wants to do it.
2) Receive the Holy Spirit
After you've asked, or after someone's prayed for you, open your mouth and begin to praise God with your voice, and not silently. PRAISE, and keep on praising until He comes.
"How do I know He's come?"
You begin to speak in unknown tongues. Science calls it glossolalia. The Bible calls it praying in the Holy Ghost or speaking in tongues.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. ...Acts 10:44-46
Here's another verse to prove it:
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. They were about twelve men in all. Acts 19:1-7
In the verses above, what followed after the Holy Spirit came upon the people was that they began speaking in new tongues.
This is a hard concept to grasp for many. Some people say that this gift is 'not for everyone but only those who have high positions in church.' The truth is, as long as you're saved and you believe in Jesus, you can have it. I have it, and I know about a hundred other people who are not even church leaders who have it.
Speaking in tongues is mandatory for every believer. It's power and we need it. If it were not necessary, Jesus would not have said in Mark 16:17 that these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; THEY WILL SPEAK IN NEW TONGUES.
Jesus said, 'those who believe.' He did not say, 'some who believe.'
It seems to me like the speaking of tongues is the most controversial thing about the baptism; but remember, you can never be sure that the baptism took place until you speak in tongues.
Tongues is one of the nine gifts on the Holy Spirit. It is the first one that manifests.
Paul says to the Corinthian church, "Now I want you all to speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5)," Emphasis on the word ALL;"and do not forbid speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39)" he says later.
The Benefits of Speaking in Tongues:
1) It is the believer's Spirit language to God
For the one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:2
2) It strengthens your own spirit
The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, ...1 Corinthians 14:4
3) It rests your soul
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 1 Corinthians 14:14
The Holy Spirit prays for you, so you don't have to worry about what to say to God. The Spirit is already praying the perfect prayers and you just have to open your mouth.
4) It is a sign for the unbelievers
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, ...1 Corinthians 14:22
And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, EVERYONE whom the Lord God calls to himself." Acts 2:38-39
