Salvation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Link: Video clip of prayer for salvation

"Here’s the best news you’ll ever hear!"

The Bible tells you how you can know for sure that you will be with God in heaven, how you can have eternal life with Him.

Eternal life is not earned or deserved. Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

There is nothing anyone can do to earn a place with God in heaven. Eph. 2:8,9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Man is a sinner. Rom. 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Because God’s standard is so high no one can save himself. Matthew 5:48, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

God is merciful and doesn’t want to punish us. Jeremiah 31:3, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

But God is just and must punish sin. Ezekiel 18:4, "Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die."

God devised a plan that placed the death penalty for sin upon the only One in the universe who could take your place--God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Jesus didn’t deserve it, but He suffered and died on the cross in our place, providing the only way for mankind to have eternal life with God in heaven. Christ’s death and resurrection enables us to be forgiven for our sins and gives us the power to no longer be controlled by sin.

Faith is the key to receiving this precious gift. This faith is not temporal, it is not intellectual assent; it is saving faith. Acts 16:31, "So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’"

Would you like to receive this gift of eternal life with God? If so:

Transfer your trust to Christ alone and what He has done for you on the cross.
Accept Jesus Christ as Lord. Rev. 3:20, ""Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
Receive Jesus Christ as Lord. Let Him sit in the "driver’s seat." Give Him control of your life.
Repent. Make an about face. Turn from anything that is not pleasing to Him.

If this is what you would like to do, you may go to God in prayer and receive this gift right now. Rom. 10:10, 13, "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

I pray that you will truly have the grace to turn your back on all sin, which is the meaning of repentance. As you affirm the above truths, then by faith accept the promise of the Holy Spirit according to Scripture: Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said the them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’"

Pray the following prayer and mean it with all your heart:

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. I believe He died, was buried, and on the third day rose again from the dead. I do repent of my sins and come to You for mercy and forgiveness. I renounce Satan and the kingdom of darkness. I break every family curse over my family and me. By faith in Your promise, I receive Jesus Christ personally as my Savior and confess Him as my Lord. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and give me eternal life and make me a child of God. Thank you, Lord, for accepting me and now, Lord Jesus, I am thirsty for more of You. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to baptize me in Your Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. By faith I receive Your Holy Spirit now. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

As you pray this prayer, take a deep breath. In fact, take several deep breaths. God keeps His Word, and He will fill you with His wonderful Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 says, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." I encourage you to open your mouth and speak. As your voice proceeds, the Holy Spirit will begin to give you words. They may be words you have never heard before. Do not be concerned with what you are saying, because you are speaking not by intellect but through your spirit.

In my experience it is easier to do than to explain. Remember, receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is an act of faith. You are appropriating a mighty promise of God. You may not feel anything. Some have emotional experiences, but this is not necessary. Just begin to speak, even if you only have a few words. Persevere. After a time, there will be a strong flow. Some get immediate fluency while others get only a few words initially. Either way, it is coming from the Spirit of God, so thank Him. Be persistent! On occasion, people get self-conscious and do not get a full release until sometime later, but I encourage you to persist. Believe me it is worth the effort! Begin to praise and thank the Lord.

If you have prayed this prayer, look at what Jesus says to you:

1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
John 6:47, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name"
1 Pet. 1:3,4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."
John 3:16,17, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
Eph. 1:13, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."
1 John 5:11, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."