The Visible Holy Spirit

We arrived at the hotel room which was to become our home for the next ten days. My husband Scott had major surgery the day before, and the transition to the room had been a bit hectic.

The phone rang indicating a local number, and I thought perhaps we had left something at the hospital. As I picked up, I was greeted by a warm voice with a charming accent.

Her name was Katie, and she was the home health nurse who would be visiting us at the hotel for the next few days. We chatted for a moment, and as I hung up, I had a sense that Scott would enjoy her. What I didn’t expect, however, was a divine appointment.

God’s Spirit

When Jesus Christ was preparing His disciples for His departure, He spoke these words to them, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Can you imagine the questions they had in the moment? Can you imagine the anticipation of this promised power after they had walked with God’s only Son? They must have had many discussions regarding what He meant and when it would be fulfilled. They had to wait a while… a long while. 

Scripture then describes a group gathered in an upper room where the following event occurred:

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one

 place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven

and filled the whole house where they were sitting.They saw what seemed

 to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to

 speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

I am a visual person, and as I study this passage, I try to imagine what that evening looked like. How do words describe the indescribable? Is God’s Spirit visibly revealed today?

I have had personal experiences where the Spirit of God whispers to me—or sometimes even shouts. When worshipping and praying with other believers, the Spirit’s presence has felt to me like the weight of air has changed. However, I have yet to see the Holy Spirit—until Katie walked into the room.

As she came into the room, I inhaled sharply. I knew I wanted to breathe in what came rushing in with her, and it wasn’t her perfume. The aroma of the Holy Spirit is a gift when you recognize the sweet scent. Yet, I am now trying to describe the indescribable, the visual presence of the Spirit.

In that moment, it was as if the Lord answered my question about the visible Holy Spirit today. His revelation was that the Spirit of God is seen in the Bride of Christ. Those who allow their human bodies to become less visible and their spiritual bodies more visible reveal the power which Jesus promised—and like a flame, it is mesmerizing!

Fruit and Light

Katie came in with a scrub suit, pulling a small suitcase filled to the brim with her “nurse items.”  She was brimming with the fruit of the Spirit, and we felt loved.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

She ministered to Scott with a gentle touch, while sharing her love for the Lord. She then shared her personal miracle story. It was so riveting, I began to write it down. As she spoke, she would intermittently erupt into song about God’s Glory in her miracle. I got the “chillys ,” as my granddaughter would say. I will share her miracle story in my next post, and maybe you will understand why I was so moved.

Through this entire first visit and the ones that followed, Katie reflected the light of Jesus in everything she said and did. The visible Holy Spirit was seen in her bright smile and twinkling eyes. The power of the Holy Spirit set me on fire when we held hands and she prayed for us. She prayed for healing. She prayed for peace. Then she prayed for protection, our protection from the evil one.

 All believers experience spiritual warfare at one time or another.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,

against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against

the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Scott and I have been in a season of intense spiritual warfare, and in her prayer the power of the Holy Spirit and the visible Holy Spirit was felt and seen. She prayed specifically for our need—and it had nothing to do with the recent surgery.

Later in the day we marveled at God’s love for us that He should bring such a saint to our door at a time of our great need. Sometimes God is just fancy in His love for His children. We can’t fully imagine what that upper room on Pentecost felt and looked like. However, hotel room 1712 became our upper room, and we are grateful for God’s fancy love!

Luke 24:49. Scriptures are taken from the Disciples Study Bible (4th ed.). Essay, Holman Bible Pub. 

Act 2:1-4.

Galatians 5:22-23.

Ephesians 6:12.