Once, there were three young men reading the Book of Acts together. They saw how the Spirit of God fell on the early church and how it changed everything. So these three young men went to their pastor one Sunday and said to him, “Pastor, we’re reading the Book of Acts, and it says that believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and power. They preached and thousands were saved. We’re not seeing that in the church today, but we want it. What do we need to do?”
Their pastor said, “That kind of thing doesn't happen anymore.”
Despite what he said, those three young men stayed at the altar of that church and said, “We’re not moving, God, until you touch us like the disciples. We believe you can do it again.” They stayed there for three days and three nights. After that, the Spirit of the Lord fell on these men.
The pastor came back into the church to check on them, and he said, “The power of the Holy Spirit is not—“ and as soon as he was about to say, “is not falling on people today”, he fell on his face. Fully awed by the presence and glory of God, he cried out, “Truly God is in this place!”
That was in Havana, Cuba many years ago. I preached in that church. All along the walls of the church, there are stacks of wheelchairs, crutches, braces and all kinds of stuff left behind by people who had been healed.
Those three young men weren’t looking for their own glory. They weren’t hoping to see their church become super popular. They weren’t trying to make their government different. They came to that altar desperate for a vision of God that transcended everything they knew. They wanted him to save and transform lives. They were stirred in their spirits, and God moved in response to their heartfelt prayers.
Do you sit daily in the presence of God? Do you cry out, “God, I need you. I need a word from you. When I point my finger into the Word, will you point your Word at me, God, and make it alive?” When the touch of God is on us, it’s noticeable. There’s power in God’s presence in our lives, but it only comes when we die to our plans and desires and take up our crosses.