We'd just finished a home-meeting.
We'd sung well; someone shared a nice word; we'd prayed a bit.
Then the meeting was closed.
Most of the group had moved to the dining room and were enjoying supper.
But I felt dissatisfied.
I sat there.
Yearning for something more.
Thinking about the Bible's descriptions of the ways the Holy Spirit manifested in the early Church.
For example:
"...if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth" (I Corinthians 14:24,25); and
"...ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted" (verse 31).
"Have you got a prophetic word for me?" one of the ladies asked.
She must have thought I was looking at her, but really I was just deep in my own thoughts. Or maybe she was spiritually sensitive to what was about to happen.
"No," I answered, "but do you want one?"
I was so hungry for more, I was willing to do my part and then see what God might do.
Turns out she was feeling like she needed more that night too.
So even though I didn't have anything, I laid my hands on her. And as soon as we began to pray, the Holy Spirit inspired me with a message for her.
"Me next," someone said.
Then someone else who was in the dining area saw what we were doing (or what the Lord was doing), and came and joined us.
Everyone followed until we were all back in the lounge room again, everyone desiring to be part of it.
I suggested that one person at a time sit in the middle while the rest of us all gather around and lay hands on them. That way everyone could be ministered to by everyone; and everyone could minister to everyone.
A lot of the group had probably never prophesied before.
"Just ask the Lord what He wants to say to them, and then say what He gives you," I explained.
To their delighted surprise, almost every person that night saw visions, or received words of wisdom, or words of knowledge, and prophesied - and not just once, but for every person in the room. (Only one girl didn't say anything.)
Some of the most spectacular ministry that night actually came from a person who you might have thought was the least spiritual of all!
Everyone felt so encouraged, comforted and satisfied!
"...the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" (I Corinthians 12:7).
In one such meeting, a lady told us afterwards she'd seen a vision of the most crystal clear water. She was refreshed and experiencing joy!
"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord..." (Isaiah 12:3,4).
So, as it turned out, the end of the meeting was really just the beginning - of the 'more' that the Holy Spirit was willing to do that night.
Actually He's willing to do things in our meetings from the start. But as Smith Wigglesworth reportedly said:
"Those who are waiting for God have mistaken the position: God is waiting for us to act".
Certainly it starts with spiritual hunger. Wigglesworth said it's an awful condition to be satisfied. But even hunger isn't all that's needed in order to actually see the Holy Spirit move in a meeting.
God acts in response to our action, to our faith.
"If the Holy Spirit doesn't move, I move the Holy Spirit," Wigglesworth said.
Wigglesworth didn't mean usurp God. He just understood that God is more willing to heal [or to express His presence in other ways too] than we are to ask.
But "whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13,14).
Even if you think you're the least spiritual person in the room!
Because God is just so willing to bless.
The Lord Jesus is so eager to work with us, confirming the word with signs following (see Mark 16.17-20).
"I take - He undertakes" *
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