Pastor Aaron Olinski

The Holy Spirit might be one of the most debated and misunderstood aspects of the Christian faith. So many denominations have formed over disagreements about who the Holy Spirit is, what He does, and how He works in our lives. At the root of it, we often try to define and control what should remain divine and mysterious. We create boundaries around what we are comfortable with and, in doing so, we end up boxing God in.

Trying to contain the Holy Spirit is like trying to harness the power of the sun inside a flashlight. It’s not possible. And yet, when we limit how the Spirit can move in our lives, we miss out on the fullness of what God wants for us.

Are You Resisting the Holy Spirit?

It’s entirely possible that some of us are resistant to the Holy Spirit. Maybe we’ve pushed Him aside, saying “no” to His prompting or even squelching His presence in our lives. But why would we do that? Life is hard. It’s full of struggle and uncertainty. Why try to walk through it on our own? Why reject God’s presence and leadership?

The Holy Spirit is not going to force Himself on us. God designed us with a body, a mind, and a spirit that lives forever. And we can choose to be led by the Spirit, but it requires us to pursue, desire, yield, and follow.

Jesus made it clear in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me.”

Jesus is the way to the Father. But it’s the Holy Spirit who brings us to Jesus and leads us along our journey with Him. Walking in forgiveness, living an empowered life—this happens because of the Holy Spirit moving powerfully within us.

Promptings of the Holy Spirit

Being led by the Holy Spirit often comes down to being attentive to His promptings. These aren’t just fleeting thoughts or random coincidences. These are divine nudges, and the question is: What will you do with them?

Maybe you're at work and a co-worker shares a personal struggle. Suddenly, you feel a strong urge to pray for them. That’s a prompting. Or maybe while shopping, you think of a single mom friend and feel compelled to buy extra groceries for her. That’s a prompting too.

The Holy Spirit could even be prompting you toward something bigger—like pursuing foster care, stepping into a new ministry, or helping someone in need. But too often, we resist. We say, I’m not good at praying, or What if I say the wrong thing? So we do nothing.

And in doing nothing, we resist the movement of the Holy Spirit. We deny Him the chance to use us.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

There’s another aspect of life with the Holy Spirit that often brings confusion and debate: the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

When we give our lives to Jesus, we receive Him—His comfort, His leadership, His guidance. But Scripture teaches that there’s more. There’s a second baptism. Not just water baptism as a public declaration of our faith, but a baptism in the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 8:14-17, when Peter and John heard that people in Samaria had accepted God’s message, they went and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. These believers had already been baptized in the name of Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon them.

This shows us that there is another step beyond salvation and water baptism. It’s about making ourselves available for all that God wants to do in us and through us.

How to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

There are three steps we can take to prepare our hearts and lives for the baptism of the Holy Spirit:

1. Remove the Barriers.


Some of us carry wrong teachings or misconceptions that are not biblical. Others may have sin in their lives that is creating distance from God. Repentance, cleansing, and surrender are necessary to remove these barriers.

2. Request the Gift.


Ask for the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught in Luke 11 that just as a good father gives good gifts to his children, so much more will our Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. We simply need to ask.

3. Receive by Faith.


This step requires trust. It might feel risky because it’s not natural—it’s supernatural. But as Jesus said, we will do greater things than even He did. That’s only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. So we must take a step of faith and receive what God has promised.

What About Speaking in Tongues?

Speaking in tongues is another topic that causes confusion. Some have been taught that it is the only evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But that’s simply not true.

Speaking in tongues is a supernatural prayer language. It’s one of the gifts of the Spirit, and it’s powerful. Some people receive this gift at the moment of their baptism in the Holy Spirit. Others receive it later. It’s different for everyone.

A friend of mine once pursued the baptism of the Holy Spirit and didn’t speak in tongues right away. But later, in a moment of quiet, God’s presence fell on her, and she began to pray in a language she didn’t understand. It happened in God’s timing, not hers.

We see in Romans 8:26, “The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying. For the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”

This supernatural language may be unfamiliar to us, but it is not unfamiliar to God. And it’s available to anyone who desires it.

Are You Open? Are You Available?

The truth is, life is hard. Our jobs are hard. Sharing Jesus can be hard. But we don’t have to do it alone. God has given us His Spirit so that we can live with power, boldness, and supernatural strength.

So are you open? Are you available? Are you interested in more?

Because when we stop putting limits on God, when we stop boxing in the Holy Spirit to what’s comfortable or familiar, that’s when we step into everything God has for us.

God wants us to live in the fullness of His presence. Don’t let fear keep you from it. Be bold. Lean into what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. There is more. And it’s time to pursue it with everything you have.