How to be Filled with the Spirit

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:13 (NIV)

How may we be filled with the Holy Spirit? Here is a brief summary of what R.A. Torrey says in his book, Power-Filled Living:

Openly confess belief in Jesus and renunciation of sin. Acts 2:38

Renounce any sin in your life. Be specific. He is the Holy Spirit--you cannot have the Holy Spirit and sin.

Be willing to obey Him. Acts 5:32

Intensely desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. John 7:37,38,39

Ask to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13

Have faith that God has done what He said He would do. 1 John 5:14,15

This is not a magic formula. It's the condition of your heart that God looks at. Do not rely on some physical manifestation as evidence of the filling--many experience no such thing. The key is to have faith that God has done what He promised. I highly recommend reading in depth about the Holy Spirit's filling, being sure to test everything by God's Word. Two excellent books are:

Power-Filled Living by R.A. Torrey

How the Holy Spirit Filled My Life by Bertha Smith