Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
The Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. —Acts 10:44 NIV
Pentecost Sunday is a day of remembering the incredible gift the Lord gave each and every person who turns away from their sins and dedicates their life to Him: the ability to be filled with the power of His Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2:1-4 we read the story of when Peter and the fellow 120 believers met together and prayed in the days following Jesus’ ascension into heaven:
“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.” —Acts 2:1-4 NIV
Being filled by the Holy Spirit was not a random gift, although it may have come upon them in an unexpected and miraculous way. This ‘filling’ had been prophesied by the prophet Joel in Joel 2:28-32 when the Lord spoke to the prophet saying:
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.”
—Joel 2:28-32 NIV
Later, in John 15:26-27, the Lord Jesus himself spoke to the disciples saying, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” (ESV)
As we read in this verse it tells us that not only does the Holy Spirit bear witness to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that paid for our sins, but that the followers of Jesus are called to bear witness as well.
Are we ourselves bearing witness to this message? Are we sharing this gift of salvation, freedom, and eternal life with the world?
The invitation to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us is freely given to us. But with that invitation also comes the call to bear witness to the Gospel (which, in the Greek language translates to “good news”). This call upon our lives may seem like a weighty one—to some, it may feel like a burden, a responsibility that nags on you. But when we consider that this is GOOD NEWS, we have the choice to shift our perspective to one of celebration and joy!
We have the opportunity to share the gift of salvation, freedom, and eternal life with anyone who hears this message! Luke writes in Acts 10:44 that “...The Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.”
Sharing the Gospel should be a joy for us because it is not our responsibility to do the work of changing the hearts of men and women. It is the Holy Spirit who does the work of transforming hearts and drawing people out of sin and into repentance and new life. It is the Holy Spirit who comes upon all who hear the message.
While we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit on this Pentecost Sunday, let us read the lyrics to a 19th-century hymn that invites God to descend upon us, teach us, and make us into an altar for His glory:
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
Teach me to love Thee as Thing angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The baptism of the heav’n-descended Dove
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.
Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
George Croly, The Christian Life Hymnal #217