There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place,
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord.
There are sweet expressions on each face,
And I know that it’s the presence of the Lord.
Sweet Holy Spirit, sweet Heav’nly Dove.

Stay right here with us, filling us with your love.
And for these blessings, we lift our hearts in praise.
Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived,
When we shall leave this place. ~Words and Music by Doris Akers

I miss “Sweet, Sweet, Spirit” time at my church. It was a time when the congregation would come together in the middle of service after the welcome to greet visitors, love on one another, and share a quick laugh with a member across the church while the piano softly played this beautiful hymn. I can still hear the older Saints humming the words as they walked over to each other with a big smile and an even bigger hug. The sincerity of love and praise in the atmosphere was a testimony to the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was a time when brothers and sisters in Christ shared an emotion of gratefulness and praise.

Imagine how powerful it would be to have a “Sweet, Sweet, Spirit” time everyday. We would walk around with “sweet expressions” on our faces and lives filled with love as the Holy Spirit stays with us. We would greet our Christian family and strangers to Christ with hearts of praise because we are being revived and restored daily by the washing of the Word and the communion of the Holy Spirit. What a statement it would make to the world if the sweet fragrance of our spirit would fill every dwelling place with His presence. I can see all coming “before his presence with thanksgiving, and [making] a joyful noise unto him with psalms” (Psalms 95:2).

This is a song I would like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony (Coca-Cola commercial 1971). A song that expresses the joy, peace, and love of Christ by challenging believers to show it, live it, and share it with all. Because He is always with us (Hebrews 13:5), we must live our lives in a way that show that we acknowledge His presence. Our countenance should show gratitude for the blessings He has given us. Our walk, talk and thinking should be in a manner that recognizes that He is a witness to our behavior. Our hearts and hands should be lifted in honor, glory, and praise to Him. If we would only carve out a few moments of the day to have a “Sweet, Sweet, Spirit” time, I guarantee it will overflow into every other area of our lives.