“Grow in Love” by Meghan Williams, Dyed4you Art

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

There was a point in my life when I found myself deeply yearning for the manifest presence of God. During worship at church, I would find myself on the floor in intercession. The Spirit of God would be thick in the air. It felt as if heaven were ready to burst forth with the rain of God’s presence. And even though I felt tiny droplets of the Spirit, even still, my inner being groaned for more of God.

I didn’t understand what was coming over me until I stumbled upon a video about the Brownsville Revival. I listened to interviews with the former pastor of the Brownsville Assembly of God, John Kilpatrick. He described how he would go into his church when it was empty in the weeks leading up to the revival. He would weep, moan, and holler, crying out to God, “I want more!” Much like me, Pastor Kilpatrick didn’t know what had come over him. However, that inner groaning turned out to be intercession for the revival that would come to his church on Father’s Day, June 18, 1995.

Emboldened by Pastor Kilpatrick’s testimony, I continued in intercession until one unforgettable night when I received the baptism of fire. I was worshipping with abandon in our church dance circle one moment, and the next, I was drawn to the side of the room. In the spirit, I saw what I knew was the exact copy of Christ’s Spirit. It entered me with holy fire, and I melted to the floor.

I trembled and wept uncontrollably as the Divine poured into me. In that moment, I knew I was completely loved by the Creator. There were no gaps and holes in this love. God had no doubts about me, no shame, anger, or disappointment. This love was flawless, and I felt Him pouring His perfect nature into me.

Every day since then has been an incredible journey of transformation. While I had been yearning for the indwelling presence of God to come to my church, through that encounter, I understood why Paul says we are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are God’s temple, built to hold the flawless dwelling presence of divine love.

The fiery nature of God’s love removes every hindrance to the manifestation of His kingdom within us. It burns away images of false love embedded in our minds. And as a result, we are forever changed. We become a door, as it were, in the earth through which the manifest presence of God can flow.

1 John 4:13, 16 (NLT) And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us…. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.