“The Spirit Himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God” (Romans. 8:16)
This little verse says so much about who we are in Christ Jesus. It was on my ordination banner; it is no surprise, that it comes to mind for me, this time of year. The person of the Holy Spirit is an experience. What happened in the Upper Room was not the product of summoning the Holy Spirit’s presence. It is not magic. It is up to us to prepare our hearts to experience His presence.
Through our baptism, the gift of His love is within us and He ministers to our spirit. The apostles and others prepared and waited for what Jesus had promised would come to them. We do not set the terms for the Holy Spirit’s awakening, He does. We desire to be blessed by his gifts to serve the people of God and to receive the experience of the fire of the Father’s love in the Spirit.
We become aware of the action of the Holy Spirit when we recognize His word, action, and gifts. Help us celebrate your presence in our hearts, O’ Holy Spirit and be prepared to recognize your gifts.