God wants to heal, cure, deliver, and restore health to those in need, and Jesus commands us to proclaim that the kingdom of God is here. Jesus revealed the kingdom of God everywhere He went by healing and delivering people, as attested by His miracles (Matthew 4:23; Luke 11:20).
When Jesus ministered on the earth, He sent His disciples out, giving them His authority and power. He has also given us His authority (exousia) and power (dunamis) as He sends us forth (Matthew 10:7–8; Luke 9:1–6; 10:1–20; Matthew 28:18–20)!
Even though Jesus is the Son of God, He set aside His divine privileges and operated as a man on earth, filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), who anointed Him after His water baptism before He started His earthly ministry (Luke 3:21–22). He didn’t work one miracle until the Holy Spirit came upon Him. Only after He received the anointing did He preach, heal the sick, and do the mighty works of God.
Jesus promised the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17). So when we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes in with His indwelling presence and makes us a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Jesus also promised to give His disciples and all believers power from on high, or the Holy Spirit upon, which is infilling power through the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5). He knew we couldn’t fulfill the Great Commission in our own power (Mark 16:15–18).
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was on the Day of Pentecost, but believers can still receive Him today because He hasn’t left (Acts 2:32–33, 38–39)! This twofold work of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling (producing a well for ourselves; John 4:13‒14) and infilling (power for releasing rivers of living water to the world around us; John 7:37‒39), is available to all believers. Each is a separate, definite experience, but both may be experienced simultaneously at the moment of salvation.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God made manifest that lives within you and comes upon you. Jesus had the Spirit without measure, and He lives in us individually and in the body of Christ, His church (John 3:27–36). We are His body working on earth to do His good will.
The anointing is the person of Jesus Christ manifesting Himself by grace in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew, the words “anointing” and “Messiah” share the same root. In Greek, the word for Christ, Cristos, means “the anointed one.” Christ in English means “anointed” (to pour over, to smear, or rub into). Therefore, Jesus Christ means “the Anointed One” and “His Anointing.”
Believers have the Holy Spirit living within them from the moment they are born again. However, when the Holy Spirit comes upon them through baptism with the Holy Spirit, they are anointed for supernatural ministry, just as Jesus was, to do the Father’s works.
Receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit
We receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit by faith, just like all the other blessings of God, not by our feelings (2 Corinthians 5:7). Remember, it is not just an experience but the reality of the person of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. The Bible reveals different ways in which people receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, including asking, praying, and receiving the laying on of hands (Luke 11:9–13; Acts 8:14–17; 10:44–46; 19:6).
We see in Acts 2:1–4 that the baptism with the Holy Spirit brought the initial evidence of speaking in tongues (a heavenly language or language unknown to the one speaking), followed by boldness (Acts 4:13, 31). When we speak in tongues, we’re not talking to men but to God. In the spirit, we speak mysteries. Speaking in tongues edifies (builds us up) and refreshes us. It is nothing to be fearful of. We only need to trust Jesus and receive this gift by faith. He is the one who is baptizing with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; 1 Corinthians 14:4, 24; Jude 1:20; Isaiah 28:11–12).
The Holy Spirit speaks to us in our spirit or inner man, not by our natural mind, intellect, or reasoning. You may hear, or He may show you, a word or phrase in a language you don’t know. Speak it out. He will give you more to speak as you start putting your voice and lips to what He gives you. We allow the Holy Spirit to speak and pray through our spirit as we will and as He gives us utterance and inspiration (Acts 2:4; Romans 8:26–27). He doesn’t just take over. Don’t allow the devil to bring fear into your life to keep you from experiencing this wonderful gift!
Today, if you want to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, you can have a pastor pray for you and lay hands on you, or you can pray and ask Jesus yourself, as described in Luke 11:9–13. Remember, according to Luke 3:16, Jesus is baptizing with the Holy Spirit.
Prayer (To be prayed out loud)
Lord Jesus,
I ask You to baptize me with the Holy Spirit. I fully expect to receive, by faith, power from on high and the ability to speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives me utterance. Thank You for pouring the Holy Spirit upon me and immersing me in Him.
In Your name I pray, Amen.
We are on assignment for the Lord everywhere we go! It is always a process, and healing comes from the throne room of heaven through us as His vessels.
We must keep our eyes open to see those in need and listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings as He leads us to where we should minister. So, when you get healed, you become a healer![1]
“‘And as you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.’” (Matthew 10:7–8) NKJV
To find out how to walk in the authority we have in Jesus Christ, go to the following website to find the author’s book, Jesus The Healer, for purchase in both Amazon Kindle and paperback editions:
https://amazon.com/author/alexiscarucci
Blessings!
[1] Alexis Carucci, Jesus The Healer, (self-pub., Kindle Direct Publishing, 2024).
Living the Abundant Life 