Posted on: 20th August 2026

“This is so liberating!”

“I love the vibe.”

“There’s a great energy here.”

“This is so therapeutic.”

These are just a few quotes that I’ve heard people say as they encounter the presence of God.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been going out into the centre of Leeds with a group of Christians from different churches to share the good news. We have music, dancing and games, creating a space where people can come and participate in our worship, which opens up opportunities for great conversations about Jesus.

I am always surprised at the amount of people who notice something tangibly unique about the atmosphere of the space. When someone said to me, “This is the best day of my life!” as they waltzed around City Square waving a flag, I was pretty surprised by their enthusiasm!

However, in a sense, it’s not surprising. All humans are God’s creation, so whether we recognise it or not, we are all interwoven in the story of God. We may have wandered and “forgotten” what it is to be loved and known as a child of God, but ultimately, as the cliché goes, we all have a God-shaped hole in us.

Have you ever smelt a fragrance that has transported you back to a particular season of your life? Have you ever tasted a meal that reminded you of your home growing up? Have you ever heard a song that made you recall what it felt like to be a teenager?

This is what it is like when humans encounter the presence of God. Our own spirit feels a pull towards “home”. The atmosphere of heaven calls to the deep places in each of us. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 reads, ‘He [God] has also set eternity in the human heart’.

God created us to spend eternity with Him. He made us for more than just this life, so when we experience the eternal Spirit of God, we feel a resonance in our own spirit.

It’s also not surprising that people feel freedom, joy and peace when they encounter the Spirit of God. As the Bible says, ‘Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.’ (2 Corinthians 3:17) ‘In your presence there is fullness of joy.’ (Psalm 16:11) The kingdom of God is ‘righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.’ (Romans 14:17)

This is encouraging, because if the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in you, you can expect people to recognise something noticeably different about you. However, it’s not really about you; it’s about the powerful and transformative presence of God! We then have the opportunity to be bold in telling people about Jesus – this “energy” that they are feeling is not just a great “vibe”, but it’s a person that they can know!

So, don’t underestimate the power of God’s Spirit within you to call people home!

(Get in touch if you want to join us on the streets in Leeds this autumn! hello@thedavidmovement.com)