When you were born again, you received the Holy Spirit. And He isn’t going to abandon you. Jesus said so Himself.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. (John 14:16, NLT)

The Holy Spirit does not abandon the true believer. But even after you receive the Holy Spirit, you can receive fresh infillings of His power, again and again. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is both a well and a river - a constant state of being and a continual flow.

Now, many are under the impression that the Holy Spirit didn’t show up until Acts chapter two. In fact, the Holy Spirit was at work since the beginning.

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:2b, NLT)

Now I want to show you a Biblical example of a group of people receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, again and again, in new, fresh ways.

Take a look at the 72 disciples of Jesus. They were given power to cast out demons and preach the gospel.

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” (Luke 10:1 & 17, NLT)

What power was it that enabled these 72 disciples to cast out demons? It was the power of the Holy Spirit. Even Jesus expelled demons by means of the power of the Holy Spirit.

But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. (Matthew 12:28, NLT)

If Jesus needed the power of the Holy Spirit to cast out demons, then the 72 definitely needed the same. Yet these same people - the 72 - were some of those among the crowd that received the Holy Spirit by the breath of Christ.

Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22, NLT)

So the 72 received the power of the Holy Spirit when they were released to preach and drive out demons. Then some of them were present when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. Yet again, this same group had another experience. For in Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit graced the Church in a new way.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4, NLT)

It didn’t end there. For this same group, Peter and John among them, was filled with the Holy Spirit again. Take a look at Acts 4.

23On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. (Acts 4:23-24)

Now, listen to what they prayed!

29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, 30as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30, NLT)

They prayed for boldness. Didn’t they already receive that when they were filled? They prayed for miracles. Hadn’t they already been seeing miracles? You see, they were praying for a fresh touch of power. But then take a look at this. Those believers, some of the 72 among them, those who had already been filled for ministry, those who had already been breathed upon by Jesus, those who had already received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost - experienced yet another infilling and preached with even greater boldness.

After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:31, NLT)

They didn’t necessarily receive more of the Holy Spirit; rather, they surrendered more of themselves and experienced greater measures, newer touches of the Holy Spirit’s power. May you receive His touch, everyday, again and again.

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