God Must Empty Us in Order to Fill Us

The Holy Spirit dwelling in us is one thing that is clearly brought out in Scripture, and the Holy Spirit coming upon us for service is another thing. In Scripture, there are only three places we find that are dwelling places for the Holy Spirit.

Before we pray that God would fill us, we should pray for Him to empty us.

Before we pray that God would fill us, we should pray for Him to empty us.


Emptied Then Filled | Devotional

The Holy Spirit dwelling in us is one thing that is clearly brought out in Scripture, and the Holy Spirit coming upon us for service is another thing. In Scripture, there are only three places we find that are dwelling places for the Holy Spirit.

Last he [Moses] raised up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar and set up the hanging of the court gate. Thus Moses finished the work.

Then a cloud covered the tabernacle of the testimony, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tabernacle of the testimony, because the cloud was upon it, and the glory of the LORD had it full. (Exodus 40:33-35)

The moment that Moses finished the work, the moment that the tabernacle was ready, the cloud came, and the Shekinah glory filled it so that Moses was not able to stand before the presence of the Lord.

I believe that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride, selfishness, ambition, self-seeking, and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will come and fill every corner of our hearts.


But if we are full of pride, conceit, ambition, self-seeking, pleasure, and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God.

Many men pray to God to fill their hearts when they are full already but with something else. Before we pray that God would fill us, we should pray for Him to empty us.

An emptying must occur before there can be a filling. When the heart is turned upside down, and everything that is contrary to God is turned out, the Spirit will come, as He did in the tabernacle, and fill us with His glory.

And they sounded the trumpets and sang with one voice, all together as one man praising and thanking the Lord, when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, when they praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endures for ever; and the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God. (2 Chronicles 5:13-14)

Image of Dwight L. Moody

Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 26, 1899), also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts.