Understanding the Holy Spirit|Grow Your Faith Series

What is the Holy Spirit? WHO is it? What does He mean for you? Plus, 10 verses that can help.

I’ve grown up believing in the Holy Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (otherwise known as Holy Ghost).

I had a good understanding of the Father – the name is self-explanatory. Being the Head Honcho of the Trinity and of all creation was an easy role to grasp.

The Son was my Go-To Spirit. Jesus was more relatable, as a man. He was my friend, my brother, and my companion. He was the one I consulted most often. The one I talked to and prayed to. Jesus was my main man.

The Holy Spirit was always the mystery to me. Who was He and how did He work in my life? How could I use Him to help grow my faith, to become closer to God?

It wasn’t until a recent “Walk to Emmaus” religious retreat, where I was once again reminded that I was missing out by not knowing or recognizing the Holy Spirit working in my life.

As our Table of Ruth members brainstormed the song we were creating to represent the presentation we had just heard, quiet Juris suddenly chuckled joyfully.  “The Holy Spirit is really working here,” she said.

“You recognize the Holy Spirit?” I asked her. “Oh Yes!” she said. “All the time. All these ideas we have… The Holy Spirit is working here,” she said. The Holy Spirit made Juris glow.

Juris inspired me to ‘figure out’ the Holy Spirit – at least in human terms I could understand.

I turned to Daily Verses. These ten spoke to me:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 NIV

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

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.

John 14:26 NIV

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5 NIV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8 NIV

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Act 4:31 NIV

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

Mark 13:11 NIV

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Isaiah 61:1 NIV

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

Psalm 143:10

The Holy Spirit speaks to our deepest self. The human terms I would use to describe Him are: the knowing, the wisdom, the prodding, the inspiration, the intuition, the discernment.

For me, the boldest indications of the Holy Spirit are when worship music seeps into my soul and chokes me up each time I sing. It’s the way I’m moved to tears when I speak of Jesus. It’s also the way ideas come to me when I pray for help. It’s the bond felt when two or more join in Jesus’ name.

The Holy Spirit provides us the strength, wisdom, and courage to spread the Good News without fear.

As a mostly left-brain thinker, my conceptual understanding of the Holy Spirit has deepened considerably. Now I just need to become more mindful of His work in my life, heed His nudging, and answer His call.  I’m determined to get there.

How do you describe the Holy Spirit? How do you recognize Him working in your life? Let me know in the comments!

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