4 June

The Hebrew word ‘Ruach’ literally means ‘breath’ or ‘wind’. Ruach is used in the Old Testament for the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God. The day of Pentecost was the fulfilment of when Jesus had breathed on the disciples and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ (John 20:22).

Supremely, the experience of the Holy Spirit is an experience of God’s love for you (Romans 5:5). It is the way in which you feel God’s love for you, so that you can say with the apostle Paul, ‘the Son of God… loved me and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20). As Rick Warren says, ‘to feel loved by God… is the starting point for every ministry, every revival, every renewal, every great awakening.’

The Holy Spirit is the one who provides the power for all revivals, and he does it supremely by enabling the people of God to feel, experience and know in their hearts the love of God. It is the kind of knowledge that travels from your head to your heart.

The experience of God’s love through the Holy Spirit brings unity to the church. As we recognise that the same Holy Spirit is at work in Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and Pentecostals of whatever church or denomination, there is a healing of division and a visible experience of unity.