It’s been said the Holy Spirit is the greatest untapped power source in the world today. That certainly is true of Christians. He empowers us and enables us to live for God. His whole purpose is to make us more like Jesus. One of the ways He does this is be conveying God’s messages to us. God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.
First, let’s review. God speaks to us through nature, others, circumstances, prayer and the written Word. Often the way He speaks through them is by the Holy Spirit within communicating what He wants to say. Therefore we must make sure we add the Holy Spirit to our list of how God communicates to us today.
Since personal, face-to-face communication with God won’t happen until heaven, God now reveals His guidance and direction to us through His Holy Spirit within us. It is His Spirit that speaks His message to our hearts.
John 16:6-11, 13 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. … 13 but when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. Just as Jesus spoke God’s message to the disciples when He was with them, so the Spirit will speak to them when Jesus is gone. The Spirit is Jesus’ replacement, so we need to listen to Him as we would were Jesus Himself sitting here talking to us!
When we listen to Him, the Holy Spirit shows us how to pray. Romans 8:26-27 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 with groans that words cannot express.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
It is the Holy Spirit who delivers our message, our thoughts and feelings, to God the Father. It is also He who delivers God’s message to us. When we say that we ‘hear’ God’s voice, it is really the Spirit within Who is speaking to us.
Do you recognize God’s voice when He speaks to you through the Holy Spirit? Try to listen more carefully for His voice.
The final way God still speaks is through our conscience. Paul states: “I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit.” Our conscience is not a perfect instrument, for it is programmed much like a computer, but as you grow as a Christian God sensitizes your conscience so it lines up with the Bible.
When I am given too much change by a clerk, when I try to avoid an opportunity to speak out for Jesus, when I am tempted to do something I know I shouldn’t – then God’s Spirit warns me by pricking my conscience.
So God continues to speak to us today through nature, others, circumstances, prayer, the written Word, the Holy Spirit and our conscience. We need to become more aware that God is indeed speaking to us. We need to be able to recognize and ‘read’ Him as easily as we do a mate or good friend. We need to spend more time listening.
Spend some time sitting quietly listening to God’s Spirit speak to your spirit. Pray and ask you would learn to recognize His voice and enjoy His presence.
(If I can answer questions or offer personal counsel, or if you would like a free copy of my Spiritual Warfare Handbook, email me at Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org or download it from http://sw.christiantrainingonline.org/. My next book, Spiritual Warfare in the Bible, which is a more advanced treatment of spiritual warfare, is also available there for free.)