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Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (NKJV)
I have always understood the concepts of God and His beloved Son Jesus. The concept of a Holy Spirit, however, has always somewhat eluded me. While I may have encountered the Holy Spirit numerous times before, I had not made the connection until this weekend, attending a church as a visitor. As part of the service, there were prayers for members of the congregation with some serious health concerns. What was different about these prayers was that they were accompanied by anointing with oil and the laying on of hands by the pastor and some twenty other members of the congregation. They surrounded the individuals being prayed for and placed their hands either directly on these individuals or on the shoulders of those who had direct contact with the individuals. As the pastor prayed for strength and healing for these individuals, I was stunned as others interjected with responses of "Amen" and "Praise Jesus", while yet others, in low voices, added prayers of their own. As a staid Presbyterian, I found this noise disturbing, even irreverent. I was reminded of the Bible story of the tower of Babel, where languages were separated and confusion reigned. Then, suddenly, I felt first one tear, then numerous other tears slide down my face. This reaction confused me, as I did not know the individuals involved. But suddenly, I felt a warm glow inside and the overwhelming power of God in the room.
As I go for my daily walks, I try to listen for what God has to say to me. Today, I thought about this experience. I realized that the overwhelming power and awe, which I had experienced in being part of these prayers, had been the Holy Spirit Who was working in that room and in me. As I prepared to write this devotional, I searched for Scriptures that related to this experience.
James 5:14 – Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (NKJV)
I had not remembered this verse correctly. Wow! That was exactly what I had witnessed. Then, I read the description of what I had heard as prayer:
Acts 10:46 – For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. (NKJV)
Have you struggled to understand the concept of the Holy Spirit? Please pray with me:
Prayer: Dear Lord, may we, as Your servants, be vigilant to search for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives every day, even if we do not totally understand. May we truly seek the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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A good word today Orlanda.
Powerful! Thanks for sharing this awesome experience Orlanda !
Good morning Orlanda,
Thank you for your inspirational story “Father, Son And Holy Spirit”
Praising God with you for the touch of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thanks for sharing this experience with us and for writing this devotional. Blessings.
Charles Stanley wrote a devotional that explains the Trinity very well. It may help you with the role of the Holy Spirit.
Dear Orlanda,
Thank you for the devotional.
Keep writing.
Dear Orlanda,
That is a very meaningful devotional. Thank you for sharing a beautiful experience.
Please write again.
Dear Orlanda. As a staid Presbyterian, this experience has also on occasion been mine — an unexpected totally surprising flow of tears, and a warm, deep conviction that something very awesome and wonderful had just taken place. My response each time has been to praise God, and give Him all the glory. The Holy Spirit IS very real!!
We don’t practice anointing with oil either but interestingly this practice was referred to at a
pastoral care workshop we held recently. Your devotion today gives me pause to consider this option to our worship. Thanks for your terrific devotional.
God’s blessings.
Thanks for your devotional, when in BC I attended a Presbyterian church service where the elders performed laying on hands on some people It was a different experience for me, as I also am a member of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Your thought for the day is a great one. I have copied it down to share with my group; also your the Bible verse.
Dear Orlanda,
Beautiful reflection today. Thank you for sharing your feelings of confusion and God’s presence amidst those feelings. I sense we need vulnerable openness to God’s working in unexpected places.
(Ontario)
Awesome devotional! Another verse comes to mind that says something like “do not quench the Holy Spirit”….? In other words, sometimes the Holy Spirit moves within us in such a way that what we have been taught all of our lives, differs as you witnessed during the church service. You did not judge, well maybe you did at first, but then you searched scripture for validity. Wow, that must have been quite a mountain top experience! Keep writing.
Hello Orlanda Drebit
Just read your devotional Father Son and Holy Spirit. I was moved by your experience and I thank you for sharing it with the PresbyCan Daily readers.
Again thanks for sharing your life experience about the Holy Spirit.
(Ontario)
Orlanda: Thank you so much for your devotional this morning. I have often felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and it is a blessing each and every time. I smiled when I read how you described yourself as a “staid Presbyterian” — I think generally we would benefit from a little “loosening up” in our worship, though always with respect for those around us.
Thank you again. I felt blessed by your devotional.
Blessings to you.
Dear Orlanda:
Thank you so much for your “wonderful words of life”. I am so glad you have become aware of the Holy Spirit in your life! Life will never be the same for you. You will experience deeper joy, peace, and all those wonderful “fruits of the Spirit” every single day and your life will be indescribably enriched.
To God be the glory!
Good morning Orlanda.
I just read your devotional “Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.
As Holy Spirit is GOD, I love to learn everything I can about Him. And I am always left with a hunger to know more. Recently I also visited a church where the pastor was doing a series on The Holy Spirit. I found it very enlightening and uplifting.
Blessings.
This is brilliant. One of my favourite reasons for thanking God is when He gives His faithful people NEW INSIGHTS AND UNDERSTANDING and then gives them the courage and humility to relate the experience so that others will know that we all know God only partly. Knowing that every new day comes with the exciting anticipation of finding some new treasure of understanding/insight (if we are seeking and asking and knocking on Hid door). You’ve started my day, my week – even my ‘lenten’ pilgrimage with a wonderful and exciting sense of joy and anticipation. Isn’t He Wonderful!!!!
Dear Orlanda,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and your encouragement to be open to the Spirit. Like you, a more “traditional” church upbringing served to make the Holy Spirit hard for me to comprehend and experience in many ways. There is no doubt that He worked in your life before this revelation, but how gracious He is to draw you to Himself that night, that way! Historically, there have been revivals throughout the world that began with the conviction of the Holy Spirit upon usually staid Presbyterians.
We, God’s children, Christ’s sisters and brothers, are so blest that He works in our lives through His ever-present Spirit, and indeed as was evident in your words, the joy He brings is a wonderful gift of His presence!
Blessings to you,
(BC)
I enjoyed your devotional. I pray that more “staid Presbyterians” would attend a more evangelical service, and allow the Holy Spirit to move in them!
Bless you for writing.
Good morning Orlanda,
Thank you for your inspirational story “Father, Son And Holy Spirit.”
Your testimony will touch many people.