Jesus: The Baptizer in the Spirit

On this Pentecost Sunday afternoon let’s pray in the Holy Spirit and in the Name of Jesus.

Prayer in the Spirit is commanded:

Jude 20 (NASB95) … praying in the Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 6:18 (NASB95) With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, …

Romans 8:26–27 (NASB95) In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Let’s pray using the Prayer Guide for the 30 Days of Prayer for the U.S.

Does this 1st day disturb you?

Pray for a great move of God. Only an estimated 6% of Americans have a truly biblical worldview. Many Christians don’t know how to carefully look at life through a biblical lens.

In a similar vein, Board Member George Huber passed along:

[That a recent] … religious survey of Americans finds 40% of them believe Jesus Christ sinned liked everyone else when He taught and healed in ancient Israel, and where he also proclaimed Himself to be “I Am” and escaped a stoning. That unbiblical belief comes from a man-centered worldview, says Christian apologist, Dr. Alex McFarland.

According to the 2022 survey, a little more than one-third of Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Generation Z believe that Jesus sinned like any other human.

Secondly, let’s pray for Buddhists.

From the 15-day CTM Prayer Guide: Pray for Buddhists who travel to other countries to meet … Jesus, [to] be open to Him, and make Christian friends who will pour into them.

I then would especially like to ask that we pray, in the Name of Jesus, the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit for the church to become hungry and thirsty for more of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 1:8 (NASB95) [John the Baptists says:] “I baptized you with water; but He [the One coming after him, Jesus]will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John 1:32–34 (NASB95) John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Let’s pray in the Name of the One who Baptizes in the Holy Spirit:

That those who are NOT baptized in the Spirit would desire to receive the baptism.

That those who have a stale experience would receive a fresh outpouring.

In its comments on Ephesians 5:18 that we looked at this morning:

The Fire Bible:

The Greek phrase translated “be filled” (present tense, passive voice, imperative mood) does not refer to the filling of the Spirit as a one-time, once-for-all experience, but rather an ongoing way of life involving “repeatedly being filled.” Christ’s followers must experience constant spiritual refreshing and renewal (3:14–19; 4:22–24; Ro 12:2) by continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Christians experience repeated, or continual, fillings with the Spirit by

maintaining an active and growing faith in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:5),

being filled with God’s Word (Col 3:16),

praying, giving thanks and singing to the Lord (vv. 19–20; 1Co 14:15),

serving others (v. 21)

and doing what the Holy Spirit desires (4:30; Ro 8:1–14; Gal 5:16ff; 1Th 5:19).

That those who have a current experience would step out in faith to minister the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.