Ancient Spiritual Disciplines:
Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

 “He is not a tame lion ..." 
 - C.S. Lewis

Being filled and led by the Holy Spirit is a reality, but it is not something we can control.  He is wild and mysterious and does as he pleases.  We cannot possess Him, but he can possess us.  There is no technique by which we can domesticate Him.  However, like a sail boat whose sails are set to catch the wind, we can turn ourselves into the Spirit and make ourselves available to Him.  The following scriptures were drawn upon to create the prayer below.

 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness …
(Luke 4:1)

[Jesus said] “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth…" 
(Acts 1:8)

And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit…”
 (John 20:22)

 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness…
(Acts 4:31)

 [Jesus] has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me… 
(2 Corinthians 12:9)

 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
(Galatians 2:20)

Here is a prayer you can pray to reclaim a life of walking in the Holy Spirit:

God –

You told me to receive the Holy Spirit,

You told me to be filled with the Holy Spirit,

You told me that the power of Christ can dwell in me,

and so I have come here to totally open myself up to you.

I know I can only stand before you because of Jesus.

I breathe out my old ways and I breathe in you.

Breathe on me breath of God,

Fill me

I surrender every part of me to you

This day  - Lead me in every interaction

This day – I claim your presence and power within me

This day - I take upon myself the name “Christian.”

And I walk out into the world -   In the name of the Father, and the Son, and Holy Spirit   

Amen.