During my sophomore year in college, a fraternity brother of mine died in a tragic car wreck. He was on his way to a sorority dance with his date when they were hit by a drunk driver. My friend, Chuck, was killed instantly. I got the call that Chuck had died only an hour or two after the wreck had happened. My roommates and I drew the grim assignment of making our way around campus and telling many of Chuck’s closest friends the terrible news.

One girl, Lisa, took the news especially hard. Right there in the lobby of her dorm, she went into complete hysterics. She threw herself down on the ground and began to sob and heave uncontrollably. Soon, she was hyperventilating. It was one of the most tragic and painful displays of inconsolable grief I’ve ever seen in my life. One of my roommates, Layne—a giant of a man—wrapped his huge arms around Lisa and just held her while she wept. As he did, my other roommates and I started praying out loud for Lisa. We asked God’s presence to come into the room. We asked him to be enthroned on that tragic scene, right then and there. And, we prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill Lisa. We begged the Spirit to replace Lisa’s grief with a supernatural peace.

Within just a few minutes, the entire scene in that college dorm lobby was transformed. The wails turned to whimpers, then the whimpers turned to whispers. Cries and pain gave way to prayers and praise. Lisa grew incredibly quiet. She seemed almost like a human version of the divine calm that came to the Sea of Galilee after Jesus rebuked the storm and commanded the elements to be still. Lisa would grieve for months, but her peace had been restored. The Spirit had done his work.

That’s what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life. If you allow him to fill you, he will turn your chaos into peace. He will repair the damage left behind by sin. He will expel the poison of your selfishness and replace it with his life-giving presence. When you pray for the Holy Spirit’s filling, in one miraculous instant, you too can receive the great calm that only God’s presence can bring. –From Faith Set Free: Pray for Yourself with Reckless Abandon.

Originally Posted on April 25th, 2012 by Will Davis Jr