When the Holy Spirit Falls: Manifestations, Purpose, and Discernment

What Happens When the Holy Spirit Falls?

Have you ever been in a prayer meeting and heard someone pray something like this: “Father, we ask you to send the Holy Spirit,” or, “Let the Spirit fall in our gathering this morning”? Have you ever wondered what that means, what they are actually asking God to do in those moments?

The Holy Spirit is an essential part of our Christian faith. The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the One who empowers us to live the Christian life, to pray, to witness, and to serve others.

But what happens when the Holy Spirit falls? What does that look like? How do we know when the Holy Spirit is moving in our midst?

The Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

The Apostle Paul talks about the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. He lists several spiritual gifts that are given by the Holy Spirit for the common good of the church. These gifts include:

• Wisdom


• Knowledge


• Faith


• Healing


• Miracles


• Prophecy


• Discernment of spirits


• Tongues


• Interpretation of tongues

These gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to build up the church and to glorify God. They are not given for our personal benefit or for our own self-promotion. They are given to help us serve others and to demonstrate God’s love and power in the world.

The Purpose of the Holy Spirit

The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 15:26, “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.” The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to testify about Jesus, to make Him known, and to bring glory to His name.

When the Holy Spirit falls, we should expect to see Jesus exalted and magnified. We should see people coming to faith in Christ, being healed, and being set free from sin and bondage. We should see the fruit of the Spirit being manifested in people’s lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

The Importance of Discernment

It’s important to have discernment when it comes to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Not everything that looks like it’s from God is actually from God. Jesus warned His disciples about false prophets who would come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15).

Paul also warned the Corinthians about false teachers who were promoting false doctrines and counterfeit spiritual experiences (2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15). We need to be careful not to be deceived by false teachings or counterfeit spiritual experiences.

One way to discern whether something is from God or not is to test it against the Word of God. The Bible is our standard for truth, and the Holy Spirit will never contradict what is written in the Scriptures. If something doesn’t line up with the Word of God, then it’s not from God.

What Happens When the Holy Spirit Falls Today?

So, what does it look like when the Holy Spirit falls today? It could look different in different contexts and situations. But here are a few things we might expect to see:

1. People coming to faith in Christ

When the Holy Spirit falls, people are convicted of their sin and need for a Savior. They are drawn to Jesus and respond in faith and repentance. We see this happen in the book of Acts, where thousands of people come to faith in Christ through the preaching of the apostles.

2. Healing and Miracles

The Holy Spirit is the One who heals and performs miracles. We see this throughout the Gospels and in the book of Acts. When the Holy Spirit falls, we should expect to see people being healed and miracles taking place.

3. Boldness in Witnessing

The Holy Spirit empowers us to be bold witnesses for Christ. When the Holy Spirit falls, we should expect to see people stepping out in faith and sharing the gospel with boldness and confidence.

4. Unity and Love

The Holy Spirit is the One who unites us and enables us to love one another. When the Holy Spirit falls, we should expect to see unity and love among God’s people. We should see people putting aside their differences and coming together in Christ.

5. Renewal and Revival

The Holy Spirit is the One who brings renewal and revival to His people. When the Holy Spirit falls, we should expect to see God’s people being revived and renewed in their faith. We should see churches being revitalized and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

The Holy Spirit is the key to our Christian life and ministry. When the Holy Spirit falls, amazing things happen. Lives are transformed, people are healed, and the gospel is proclaimed with power and boldness.

But we need to be careful not to seek after spiritual experiences for their own sake. We need to seek after Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to serve Him and love others. When we do that, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will work in and through us for His glory and the good of His people.

So let us pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on us and our churches. Let us seek after Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to use us for His kingdom purposes. And let us trust that He will do great things when we surrender ourselves to Him.