Acts 8:18–“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.”
On the day of the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and they got the powers of: giving the Holy Spirit empowerment to others, healing people, exorcising demons, among a host of other things.
Can we help others get the Holy Spirit on them?
We can take encouragement from the example in the scripture. No, be clear about this – we cannot give the Holy Spirit by laying our hands on others. But, we can pray to God to give renewing graces of the Holy Ghost to all who we are concerned about. And we should do our best to instruct those, for whom we pray, about what they must do. Being filled with the Holy Spirit obviously includes with it blessings.
So, how does one get the Holy Spirit? It is the concept called faith. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth and was crucified to take away our sins. With our faith in Christ and by the spilled blood of Jesus on the cross, we are set free from all our sins. The Holy Spirit comes and dwells in us, when we repent of our sins, when we ask God for forgiveness, and when we accept Jesus as our Saviour and God. It is as easy as that.
Simon Magus was ambitious to have the honor that the disciples had. He did not care at all to have the Holy Spirit or disposition of a Christian. He desired to gain honor for himself than to do good to others. Simon Magus wanted a shortcut. He tried the worldly way of buying the benefits of the power of the Holy Spirit. But, a proud and covetous heart cannot be right with God.
Do we do the same today? Do we compensate our daily time with God (to read the Bible or pray) with coming to church on Sundays? Do we cut short our prayer time to watch our favourite serials on tv? Do we pray a rushed prayer because we are tired and sleepy at the end of our day or hungry with the smell of the good food that engulfs our noses?
Is a transaction of demand and supply enough where you ask and God provides, like your storekeeper, or librarian? Or would you rather reach for a relationship with a Father who will then guide your every step, teach you how to live the best way possible, pick you up when you stumble as your Father, and dutifuly do a host of other Fatherly duties with His all encompassing love? God asks for only one thing after which everything is paid for unconditionally and forever – the sincerity of the repentance of our sins which will definitely be forgiven, or we are undone.
