At LWTHS, our faith is crucially important to our operations as a nonprofit, and none of our decisions are made without prayer. In discussion with others about our mission to eradicate inequity through the lens of our faith, it has frequently come up that while most people have some grasp of Protestant Christian beliefs (the influence of God and Christ in our lives), most people are woefully unaware either that the Holy Spirit is part of our lives as Christians, or of who He is at all. This is a huge reason we were given our name. More on that later. First:
Who is the Holy Spirit?
To understand who the Holy Spirit is, we have to turn to Jesus’ first explanation in John 14:16-18.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
Then, again in John 14:26:
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
From Jesus’ first introduction, we can deduce that:
• The Holy Spirit is meant, among other things, to replicate for each of us the function Jesus’ physical presence brought his disciples in the New Testament. So much so, that Jesus phrases our anointing of the Holy Spirit as Him coming to us in Spirit. Jesus himself is also said to have been anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, at a time when no one else was limitlessly granted the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). Now, all followers of Christ have the Spirit.
• Referred to with pronouns just like God and Christ, the Holy Spirit is a living entity - a ‘person’ that dwells in us.
• The most pressing things we are granted via the Holy Spirit are comfort, truth, knowledge, and consistent reminders of Jesus’ teachings.
In short,
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God that lives within us.
How do we know we’re hearing the Holy Spirit?
When some who are unfamiliar with the Bible hear about the Holy Spirit, many synonyms might come up that are similar to the essence of what is described:
Conscience
Intuition
Willpower
Mental, emotional, or spiritual “detox”
Renewal
Neuroplasticity
And so on.
The Holy Spirit as an entity, and even as a concept, is significantly older than all of these. Let’s ignore for a moment that in my faith (which may not be your faith), the Holy Spirit has always existed. Even the concept of “conscience” can only be traced back to Greek performance art in the 5th century BCE, a hundred to more than a thousand years after the first book of the Hebrew Bible was written. The rest of these terms are quite new.
The vast majority of us are gifted with some sense of right from wrong, truth from fiction, good from evil, and spirituality from material, though much of it is socially and culturally imbued. The difference is that this sense is easily ignored or transformed when we change our physical setting, our social circle, or our worldview. The specific guidance about how to steward our moral values by situation is also muddy: typically split by region, political affiliation, or the moralizing of monetary interests. The Holy Spirit, however, is unchanging, unwavering, and difficult to ignore. He also offers very specific guidance that can sometimes be the opposite of the cultural stance on the matter at hand. The Holy Spirit might loudly tell you to make sacrifices for others that you would never make on your own, or change ingrained habits you never knew you had the power to break. Jesus himself was sent to the cross because the Holy Spirit advised him to do things for the benefit of humanity that the government and many of his contemporaries viewed as politically, religiously and morally unacceptable.
We know the Holy Spirit as well by His fruits —
Galatians 5:22-23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
While identifying the fruit of the Spirit is a way to identify the presence of the Holy Spirit in ourselves and others, these traits are not the only things that the Spirit gifts us.
With the Holy Spirit, we are able to:
1. Resist our “flesh.”
Galatians 5:16:
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
This feeds into “self-control.” In the Bible, the “flesh” refers to the selfish, unproductive and destructive desires that we innately have as human beings. Have you ever wanted something you know you shouldn’t have, even though you understand it would be bad for you or others? Maybe it’s a drink when you know you always take it too far, or a flirtatious relationship (or more) with a married coworker, gambling and overspending when you should be budgeting and investing, or simply a habit of having seconds (or thirds, fourths, or fifths) when you know you’re already full. Maybe gossiping with friends about others and feeling self-righteous gives you a hit of dopamine every time you engage in it. Each person struggles with a unique set of issues, and there are many to choose from. Giving in to some fleshly desires produces consequences immediately, while others take years to culminate in life-limiting or purpose-limiting effects. Calling on the Holy Spirit through prayer, worship, reading the Bible, and fasting will allow you to resist doing things that are bad for you and others and free up your time to focus on becoming the person you were created to be. Over time, that sense of conviction you get when you know you’re about to do wrong will morph from an easily ignored whisper into a crystal clear shout that rattles you and redirects your steps. When you know your purpose in life is at stake with every habit you develop and maintain, you do better. Following God is so often seen in pop culture as limiting, but in reality, we gain so much freedom from listening to the Holy Spirit. Every day we are bound to making the wrong decisions over and over, and as a result, we end up with things we don’t want: poor quality relationships and social support networks, nutritively neglected and run-down bodies that we are functionally and aesthetically unhappy with, wasted money, poor mental health, and a deep sense of not knowing what to do with our lives because we spent so much time wrestling with demons instead of listening to the Spirit about what God intended for us as individuals. Embracing and utilizing the power of the Holy Spirit means exercising your free will in a way you would never have been able to before. That is freedom.
2. Know the “unknown”.
Isaiah 11:2-3
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;”
The Holy Spirit is the gift of knowledge of sights unseen and sounds unheard. This is a manifold gift we’ve been given. Imagine your intuition being sharpened like a knife. Precise and intentioned. There are a million reasons why knowledge is important for us in this life, but for now I’ll just focus on knowledge as it relates to our individual lives and what we should do with each step. You can be a Biblical scholar and believe you are as Christian as the day is long, but until you make time to call on the Holy Spirit, you will only know what God wants for mankind and not what He wants for you. Similarly, you can be an atheist and the same applies. Maybe you were meant to be a musician and not a publicist. Maybe you were supposed to be an elementary school teacher and not a financial planner. Maybe you were supposed to be a nurse and not a doctor, or vice versa. In fact, I invite you to think outside of a career. What should your free time look like?
The Bible states unequivocally that each one of us is equipped by God with specific talents that we are meant to use in pursuit of our purpose:
Romans 12:4-8
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
You might feel successful in life already, or — if you are a Christian — you might believe you have nothing more to do in life but try generally to follow the “rules” of the Bible. We tend to organize our lives more around our modern cultural understanding of what God wants than our Biblical and spiritual understanding. “But, I’m a dutiful wife and mother.” “But, I’m the breadwinner for my family.”
That’s great, if that’s a pursuit you started, see it through all the way. You still might be settling. Maybe you and your future generations were meant to change the world and not stop at a couple of lives around you. Maybe you were meant to create new frameworks rather than operate inside of existing ones. If you don’t call on the Holy Spirit, listen, and act accordingly, you will never know.
3. Discern, pray precisely, and receive power.
Each of these are tools we can be equipped with by God through the Holy Spirit to receive the fruits of the Spirit, weather hard experiences, and stay on track with our purpose.
Discern.
I tend to cringe when I read Christian articles about discernment that tell people unreservedly to “trust the voice you hear.” This is the opposite of discernment. Some readers will have questions, and others will take advisement without asking enough questions.
“What if I have intrusive thoughts?”
“What if my mentality and instincts are influenced by having been in an unhealthy social environment?”
“What if I have a history of mental illness?”
In the developed world, we receive a constant barrage of different influences in entertainment and media advertising, religious circles, academia, and social spheres that change our internal compass and make it hard to hear God. There are many verses in scripture about the Spirit granting discernment to those who call on him, though not everyone in the Bible has this gift.
“What does discernment even refer to?”
Discernment is the ability to distinguish one thing from another. In the text, the gift of discernment is the ability to distinguish good from evil in a moral gray area, and particularly to distinguish God’s voice in our hearts from other voices, as there are many influences in this world that set out to deceive and harm as many people as possible. Navigating all of this is already challenging for a typically developing person, especially one who is new to faith, but can be an especially confusing concept for some who struggle with mental illness. Many churches have failed these people with a lack of guidance. For this reason, we have to be very careful about how we frame discernment and its prevalence. Some sources will lead us to believe that all Christians have full discernment via the Holy Spirit without praying for it or it being granted to them as a gift. This was not correct in the Old Testament, and it’s not correct now. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 calls us to “test everything” to “hold fast what is good.” Testing requires a measure of effort. This would not be required if we did not have to call on the Holy Spirit and practice discernment daily.
The main function of the Spirit is to call to mind the teachings, attitude and essence of Jesus and enable us to live in a Christlike fashion. If you are ever unsure about a conviction you are feeling in response to prayer, fasting or worship, ask yourself if it’s a message that evokes Jesus and his teachings. If it does not, or if it breaks any one of the Commandments, you are unequivocally not hearing the Spirit. In any case, never hesitate to lean on other people to pray with you and make sure you keep loved ones around who are invested in your health and spiritual wellness. Keeping other people informed of what is going on in your prayer life is beneficial no matter who you are.
Acts 13:2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 10:19-20
“While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
Note how in Acts 13:2, the Holy Spirit’s message is perceived by multiple disciples at once, and in Acts 10:19-20, the Spirit reveals information to Peter about his guests—sight unseen—before ever asking anything of him. The Holy Spirit knows how to gain our trust and equip us with information to act, provided that we call on Him.
Pray precisely.
Romans 8:26
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
God knows that you sometimes (read: often) don’t know what to pray for. It is only important to God that you spend time with Him and make your requests known. Your sighs are a universal language, and the Holy Spirit will speak for you. Just showing up to be in silence with God is half the battle. This is especially important and comforting when we are suffering, lost, or experiencing burnout. God doesn’t need a Shakespearean monologue. He needs you to be present. That’s it.
Receive power.
Specifically, this is the power we are granted through the Holy Spirit to execute God’s will on Earth.
The Holy Spirit will place specific tasks in your heart if you are confused about what God is asking of you. Refer back to the two quotes from Acts that we just read together. These were not vague requests from God. First, we are given advisement from God about what to do. Then, we are given the ability to do it.
The story of Moses is a miraculous one.
In Exodus, God speaks directly to Moses and announces to him that he will advocate for the Israelites to free them from slavery in Egypt. Moses is extremely reluctant, and at one point even tells God to send someone else. He has a laundry list of reasons why he cannot rise to the occasion:
No one will believe that God sent me.
Exodus 4:1-5
“Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.
The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
God ultimately gives him three undeniable signs through the Holy Spirit that he can use to show he is telling the truth.
I have a speech impediment (Alternatively: I don’t speak the language fluently). I can’t be an advocate for an entire people.
Exodus 4:10
“Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
It is unclear among scholars whether he is referring in this passage to a speech impediment, a partial language barrier, or is simply speaking to his lack of confidence. To spite Moses’ stubbornness, God uses the Holy Spirit to allow Moses to speak through his brother, Aaron. In the matter of a single conversation, God meets Moses at his point of need multiple times and rids him of all his excuses not to serve. It seems that ultimately Moses gains footing in his purpose and grows in power, because he is recorded multiple times thereafter in the Bible delivering lengthy and articulate speeches to the Israelites on his own. He is also described in Acts as “powerful in speech and action.” It is uniquely possible in some interpretations that, if referring to a lifelong deficit of speech, Moses had become so powerful in presence and Spirit that his disability had zero bearing on how his words were received by others. What can you achieve if you just listen to God, and start doing what He asked of you, regardless of how you feel about yourself? Moses is not the only figure in the Bible to do what he does when God confronts them with a task. Everyone has a reason not to rise to the occasion. God made you and knows exactly what limitations your physical body has. He knows the limitations of your mind, too. If He is asking you to do something anyway, it’s because you can find a way to do it through the Holy Spirit.
If you made it to this point, thank you abundantly for reading Post 1 of Leading with the Holy Spirit. You are welcome here. Much, much more to come.
God bless you, and make it a great week.
John 16:13-15
“He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”
Send us an email at connect@leadingwiththeholyspirit.org to support you with prayer and resources to strengthen your walk with God. Let’s start Leading with The Holy Spirit!
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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