Have You Received the Spirit Since You Believed?
Have you ever asked anybody whether or not they have received the Holy Spirit since they believed? If not, why haven’t you? It’s probably either because you have very little, if any, knowledge of the Holy Spirit, or what you think you know about Him is wrong.
Why do I say this? Because in Acts 19, upon meeting some disciples in Ephesus for the first time, the Apostle Paul immediately asked them this very question. Now, if he found it necessary to ask this question of believers, but you have never seen the need to ask it of yourself, or of anyone else, then it can only mean your understanding of the Holy Spirit must be different from his.
“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’… And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.” Acts 19:1-2, 6-7 NKJV
Now, this is not the only example of prayer being made specifically for the receiving of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. Nor is this the only example of believers praying in tongues and prophesying when the Spirit came upon them in this way. You will find the same thing happening in Acts 2, 8, and Acts 10. In all these instances, the Holy Spirit was received subsequent to salvation and the initial evidence of Him being received in this manner was that “they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
Child of God, salvation is God’s gift to sinners. But the Holy Spirit, with His accompanying signs and wonders, is God’s gifts to the saints. Just like the sinner must pray for and receive the gift of salvation by faith, the saints must ask for and receive the power of the Holy Spirit by faith. Indeed, the gift is provided to every child of God, but only those who desire and believe receive. We have not because we ask not.
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13 NKJV
I asked for and received this wonderful gift in 1977. And yes, I do speak in tongues. And no, I am not crazy!
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NKJV
So, let me ask you a question: Have you heard of the Holy Spirit? Better still, have you received Him since you believed?
A Moment of Grace 
Hello bishop. This has been my question. If the holly spirit is a seal that proves that we belong to him,
Is it possible to be a christian and not have the Spirit of God? Or he comes with the gift of salvation?
The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. He is the one who regenerates us. Our bodies are His temple. But a Christian can be filled with the Spirit subsequent to salvation. As well as being baptized with the Spirit. These are experiences we can and should have with the Holy Spirut that are subsequent to salvation.
The Holy Spirit lives in every believer. He enters at salvation. But not every believer is filled with the Holy Spirit or walking after the Spirit. That is a choice.
O Yes I have. Thank you Bishop
Yes I have!! His presence makes the difference!
Very necessary n vital question Daddy, bcos seriously without the power of the Holy Ghost we can’t effectively do d will of the Father, He is our “Allos Paracletus” – our Comforter, Helper, Advocate, Strengthener, Teacher, Standby…