Howell Harries and Spiritual Experience
September 10th, 2006 by Stephen
I believe that all Christians may truly know the presence of God. However, there are some
experiences which might be purely emotional in the Christian life.
TV-Evangelist style preachers who pray and push people over backwards are inducing emotional experiences, and such experiences should be avoided in my opinion. Likewise, there is a possibility that the power of suggestion may come into play.
For instance, if I am in a meeting where the minister says “The Holy Spirit is really moving now, let him minister to you.” then I may experience some sensation, such as a tingling in my hands or a “warm fuzzy feeling”, but this is simply because of my own excited expectation.
I do believe that a promise is given to each and every one of us in scripture regarding one experience in particular. Peter says in Acts 2: “This promise is for you, your children and all those who are far off.”
What is this experience? It is commonlt called the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, but what is often meant by that term may not be what I mean. As an example of what I do have in mind, read this account from the book “Howell Harries and the Dawn of Revival” about Howell Harries (a founder of Calvinistic Methodism in Wales):
“Doubtless, the experience of forgiveness in Talgarth church was sweet. Yet it left a feeling of further need in his soul which he could not define. But when he was at secret prayer in Llangasty church, the sacred spot where he had given himself to God, God now gave Himself to him.
“The richest biblical terms are heaped one on another in an attempt to give expression to his experience at that time, He was there cleansed from all his idols, and the love of God was shed abroad in his heart. Christ had come in previously, but now He began to sup with him; now he received the Spirit of adoption, teaching him to cry Abba Father, and with it a desire to depart and be with Christ. All his fears vanished for months, and pure love took their place.”
This is an experience of God that is quite unmistakeable. No emotional response to external stimuli, or forced repetition of meaningless phrases, or platitudes that this thing is “received by faith” to explain why we have not ourselves had such an experience. This is the unmistakeable presence of our Lord shed abroad in our hearts. Accept no second best.
