What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

When we are born again, the Holy Spirit indwells us, He regenerates us, He gives us a new heart and we become a new creature in Christ; we are sealed as a true child of God. We have a measure of the Spirit…however there is another subsequent work of the Spirit that requires us to completely and thoroughly yield to God without reservation, without hesitation without regard to our lives that proceeds the infilling and overflowing of the Holy Ghost! This is the baptism of the Spirit of God and from our innermost being will flow rivers of living water!

The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, of righteousness, and He leads us into all truth if we yield to Him.
He opens our understanding to the holy scriptures and He reminds of the Words and the example of Jesus

He empowers us to be bold and powerful witnesses of Christ even in the face of danger to own lives, reputations etc.
He enables us with a unique prayer language that allows us to communicate directly with our heavenly Father from our spirit to His Spirit, for God is Spirit.
He enables us to worship God in a deeper way.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Acts 1:8 “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 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Holy Spirit filled 120 believers who were gathered together, they were in one accord and of one heart and in obedience to Jesus’ command; they all began to speak in tongues, that is in new languages they had not previously known. As a result of this demonstration of God’s power thousands gathered around because they saw the disciples prophesying, speaking in their own tongues and dialects, and preaching the Word of God in boldness.
Peter, who just 40 days earlier denied Jesus fearing for his own life, stepped up and preached one of the best sermons known to man and as a result of the empowering of the Holy Ghost over 3000 came to faith in Christ that day!

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Acts 13:9-10 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision (non Jews) who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Acts 19:4-5 Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Speaking in tongues and with profound boldness appears to be one of the initial evidences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
Praying in a heavenly language to the Father in a unique language the Spirit gives you, this fosters a greater intimacy in your relationship with the Father.
Having the fruit of the Spirit abounding in the life of the believer: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
Consistently walking victoriously over sin and the works of the flesh
Energizes our thankfulness to God and overflows into true heart worship of our heavenly Father
Being a bold and effective witness of Jesus Christ in word, deed and truth!

Many have wrongly concluded that the baptism of the Spirit was only for the early church and that it has faded away. This position is not supported by the scriptures. In fact the Bible confirms the opposite. The fact is, we need all that God has made available to us to stand in faith and to properly proclaim the glory of God in these last and evil days.
“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will destroy your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 Don’t settle for simply making better moral decisions in your life, we must press on to pursue more of God and seek to glorify Him by obeying all that He has commanded us with gladness.
Like water baptism, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a complete immersion, but instead of water it is into the dynamic, supernatural life of the Spirit, and the application of the gifts of the Spirit practically in our lives.

If you have not received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit yet, simply ask the Father in the name of the Son, pray that He fills you, just like He filled the disciples with the power on the day of Pentecost.
As Christians, we need all the power we can get of the Holy Spirit -- to walk supernaturally in the dynamics of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating the words and the power of the gospel.
There are times when God fills His children through the laying on of hands of a spirit-filled believer, could be through preaching by a spirit-filled believer or it could be as you simply get on your knees next to your bed and cry out to God for this gift as it was in my case! There is no formula, it’s all about relationship with our God, we only need to ask in faith!
Lastly, the gift of the infilling of the Holy Spirit is for us to bless others and to glorify God, it is not a “merit badge” neither is it a once and for all experience. As we continually walk in humility and have a desire to give away what God has so freely given us for Jesus’ sake, He will continually refill and refresh us with and by His Spirit! We must decrease that He would increase!