How to Be Filled and Controlled By the Holy Spirit by Kathryn Kuhlman

Dear Jesus, the presence of the Holy Spirit in this place of worship is truly wonderful. We are gathered here because we love You. There is not a single person in this assembly this morning who does not love You. I pray that You speak to our hearts today. Every young person here, every soul present—we are all hungry for more of You. If only we fully understood how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, we would realize how much more You have in store for us.

Today, for the sake of Jesus, I will do my best to keep within the time limit because I know many of you have to return to your classes. Thank you for your patience. I promise to speak from my heart. This is not a sermon—please do not see me as a minister delivering a message. Instead, I want to share my personal experience with the Holy Spirit, for no one can give more than what they have experienced themselves.

My first encounter with the Holy Spirit happened in a small Methodist church in Concordia, Missouri. If you could see where I come from, you’d understand—it’s a small town, barely on the map, with a population of about 1,200 people. My mother was Methodist, my father was Baptist, but neither practiced their faith very strongly.

One Sunday morning, as I sat beside my mother in that little church—holding an old-fashioned Methodist hymnal—I had no idea that my life was about to change. The church was small, seating no more than a hundred people. As the final hymn was sung, something happened to me. I was only 14 years old, and though I cannot recall a single word the preacher spoke that day, I will never forget the moment the Holy Spirit came upon me.

I had never heard of the Holy Spirit before. I did not know such an experience was even possible. But suddenly, I began to shake and tremble so much that I had to lay my hymnal down. In that instant, I saw myself as I truly was—a sinner before God. I knew I had to respond. I did the only thing I had ever seen done in church—I stepped forward and sat in the front pew, overwhelmed with tears.

That was my conversion. It was my first encounter with the Holy Spirit. One of the older women in the church came to me and handed me a handkerchief, saying, “Oh, Katherine, don’t cry. You’ve always been such a good little girl.” But we both knew she wasn’t telling the truth. That moment was real—it was my new birth in Christ. Since that day, I have never doubted my salvation.

I believe that when someone is truly born again, there is a specific moment and place where it happens, and the Holy Spirit confirms it in your heart. From that day forward, my spiritual journey had begun.

Later, while still in my teens, I found myself in Joliet, Illinois, preaching the Gospel. I had gone out with more zeal than knowledge, preaching only what I knew—the message of salvation and the new birth. I had rented the second floor of a small store building to hold meetings. One evening, after I had given an altar call, several people came forward to accept Christ, but one young woman lingered—her name was Isabel Drake.

She was a schoolteacher who commuted between Joliet and Chicago. As the service ended and people left, she remained at the altar, praying beside her mother. There were only a few of us left, and most of the lights had been turned off to save electricity—only two remained on.

Then, something incredible happened.

At that moment, this young woman, who knew nothing about the Holy Spirit, nothing about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and had never heard anyone speak in an unknown tongue—suddenly lifted both hands toward heaven and began to sing. Her voice was as clear as a bell. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

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