Filled with the Holy Spirit

Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. – Ephesians 5:18-19

Jesus told His disciples, “The Spirit of truth…abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). But how do we engage this personal Helper? How does His power become real for us?   We are to become filled with the Spirit—to be full of Him. When people drink too much liquor, they become intoxicated and are said to be under the influence of the drink. The alcohol dictates the agenda. They don’t get drunk by looking at the liquor or talking about it. They drink it. The more they drink, the more drunk they get.

God tells us that’s similar to the Holy Spirit’s presence in us. To see the Helper develop us, He must have control. We must come under the influence of the Holy Spirit. We must become full of Him. So how do we drink the Holy Spirit?

Remember, the Holy Spirit is a spirit, not a being we can see. He functions in the spiritual world, so that’s what we drink—spiritual worship. The Holy Spirit fills up the environment that is filled with worship—songs, hymns, and spiritual songs—as we sing and make melody with our hearts to the Lord.