Getting Out of the Way: Becoming a Landing Place for the Holy Spirit

Back when I was growing up in Spain as a missionary kid, I struggled when we came back to the States. For starters, I didn’t feel like I fit in with the kids my age. I wasn’t familiar with the way things were done here. I was used to the Spanish way of life, where things felt deeper, more connected. That was especially true when it came to church. In Spain, the church wasn’t a program—it was alive. There was a real sense of freedom in worship, where people allowed the Holy Spirit to move however He wanted. I saw chains fall off people, not just figuratively but spiritually, in every service.

My dad always had a plan for the service, but he was never bound by it. He created space—a landing place—for the Holy Spirit to move. And that’s the church I grew up in.

So when we came back to the States, the difference was stark. Church here felt more like a fashion show. It seemed like people were more concerned with who had the best outfit or the nicest car than about meeting with God. The services often felt like a checklist: worship? Check. Announcements? Check. Sermon? Check. Prayer time? Check. And then everyone went home, done for the week.

Now, I’m not trying to be harsh or unkind, but I have to be honest: it bothered me. It still does. The church I knew in Spain was marked by a freedom that allowed the Holy Spirit to take over. It wasn’t about a perfect program, but about being in God’s presence, open to whatever He wanted to do.

I know there are churches in America that are truly touching heaven—churches that are creating that landing place for the Holy Spirit. But overall, I’m still concerned with what I see in many places.

The Holy Spirit is calling us out: Are we creating a landing place for Him in our lives and in our churches?

It’s time to dive deeper, so let's talk.

Not about playing church, not about the pretty lights and stage designs, not about who can build the biggest, most contemporary sanctuary. No. This is bigger than that. This is about the fire of the Holy Spirit, the one thing we can't manufacture, package, or control. And yet somehow, many of us have made it about the show, the routine, the image.

But the question God is asking us, the question we need to face is this: Are we willing to get out of the way and create a landing place for the Holy Spirit?

A Holy Spirit-Led Life: No More Playing Church

It’s easy to get caught up in the church routine, isn’t it? We go through the motions, we do what we think we should, and we model ourselves after what everyone else is doing. But when did following Jesus become about copying someone else’s formula? Since when was it about replicating the way someone else does church?

Let’s be honest: the problem isn’t just that we’re trying to be like someone else; it’s that we’re blocking the Holy Spirit from being who He truly is in our lives. We've traded real surrender for a script. But the Spirit of God cannot be scripted.

The Holy Spirit is not a formula. He doesn't follow our trends. He doesn't care about our preferences. He’s looking for one thing—a place to land. Are you that place?

A Call to Surrender: Are You Willing?

To be a landing place for the Holy Spirit requires full surrender. Not partial surrender, not Sunday-morning-only surrender. All of it. Every corner of your life, every hidden room. We have to make room for Him, and that starts with us getting out of the way.

The truth is, the Holy Spirit will only take as much control as we give Him. And let's be honest: a lot of us have been holding back. We love the idea of revival, but are we willing to let the Spirit wreck our comfort zones to make it happen? Are we willing to let go of our need for control, our fear of what others might think, and allow Him to move however He wants?

Let's not be stubborn. Let’s not resist. Let's open ourselves up and say, “Holy Spirit, whatever it looks like, come.”

It’s Not About the Show—It’s About the Flow

Somewhere along the line, we got distracted by the wrong things. Church became about how polished we could make it look, how perfectly timed the transitions were, or how many people we could draw in. But when did it become about the show?

Let me say this plainly: Revival is not going to come because of our lights, our music, or our Instagram followers. The power of the Holy Spirit will flow where He finds a surrendered heart. That’s where revival begins—not in the crowd, but in the hearts of those who are willing to let Him do whatever He wants, in whatever way He chooses.

Yet how often do we do exactly that? We stifle His work when we limit Him to what’s comfortable, to what we think “church” should look like. We stifle Him when we care more about fitting in than being radically obedient.

But true revival? It flows from hearts that are broken, humble, and completely yielded to the Spirit’s movement.

A Call to Authenticity: The Question We Need to Answer

This isn’t just a blog post. It’s a clarion call.

It’s time to stop wondering what people think, stop worrying about how our worship looks, and start asking the real question: Am I a landing place for the Holy Spirit? That question alone will determine the flow of the revival God is bringing—not just in our churches, but in our hearts, in our families, in this nation.

We cannot manufacture revival, but we can make room for it. And the way we make room is by getting out of the way, by surrendering our plans, our opinions, our expectations, and letting the Spirit lead in ways we can’t even begin to imagine.

God is ready to pour out His Spirit, but are we ready to be a vessel?

Can We Get Out of the Way?

God’s revival isn’t waiting on a bigger platform. It’s waiting on a surrendered heart. A heart that doesn’t care about what others think, but cares deeply about what God is leading. A heart that’s willing to be uncomfortable, to take risks, to let the Holy Spirit move in new ways that may not look like what’s happening down the street.

It’s only by His Spirit that we can stand strong in the storms, rooted in His love.

So, the question remains: Are we willing to get out of the way? Are we willing to let the Holy Spirit land, take over, and lead us in ways we've never imagined? Because that is what will determine the revival—our willingness to become the landing place.

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you’ve been holding back, trying to control or manage things in your own strength? Take a moment today to ask the Holy Spirit to come. Tell Him you’re willing to be His landing place—wherever that leads, whatever it looks like.

It's time to create the landing place.

Tracee Padilla