Acts of the Apostles (19:6)
"When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them."
We are only days away now from Pentecost. It is time to shift our focus and pay attention to the words of Scripture in Acts while keeping an eye on the way the Holy Spirit worked powerfully in the apostles in all they said and did.
In today’s reading, when Paul encountered believers in Ephesus who had no knowledge or experience of the Holy Spirit, he laid his hands on them—and the Spirit came, filling them with new life and moving them to pray in tongues. He used this simple, outward gesture as a sign of friendship and solidarity with them. Through his touch, the people were brought into contact with an ambassador of Christ, and it opened the door for greater blessings.
Paul gives us a model that we can follow. Praying for someone is a good thing. Praying with a person is even better. It tells that person that we are united in seeking the Lord’s help. But even more, we believe that whenever we pray in this way, we are giving the Holy Spirit a greater opening to act, sometimes in dramatic ways. We may even see miracles!
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