“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the 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.” John 16:13 (NIV)
Have you ever felt alone? Like there was nobody to share your struggles with, nobody to help you with your hardest problem, or nobody who could understand what you were going through?
No matter how great your human relationships are, including in a marriage…if you’re alive, there will be many times in this world when you feel like you’re all alone.
As I was driving down the street today, I was tempted to flip on the radio and put my mind on cruise control. At that same instant, I felt prompted to pray instead. I made the right choice. I chose to pray rather than turn on the radio. Amazingly, my day was filled with the intervention of the Holy Spirit. He helped me solve problems and answer questions in ways I would never have been able to on my own.
Today wasn’t the first day that’s ever happened. And telling you that isn’t an effort to make you think I’m super-spiritual. Instead I want to share something with you about the Holy Spirit in case you didn’t know it: He’s always there. And He always has the answers you need. That’s why Jesus said it was to our benefit that He was going away, because He knew He was sending us the Holy Spirit who could be with us at all times if we would invite Him into our daily lives. And He cares about every seemingly insignificant issue/problem/concern you have, every hour of every day.
In case you’re new to the concept of engaging with the Holy Spirit, here’s how I seek Him:
1. Start with praise – I will usually pray or sing my own tune, but you can also listen to worship music as long as you sing along. God doesn’t care about the quality of my voice or yours – He just wants to hear our hearts.
2. Confess known sin – The biggest barrier to hearing God’s voice is a heart hardened by sin. I confess it so I’m sure there is no barrier. I may also ask God to reveal any sin to me that’s not top of mind so I can confess that too.
3. Submit to His will – I want God to always know it’s not about me. I want to let Him know that the thing I care about the most is not my agenda or my desires, but His.
4. Ask – The beauty of a personal relationship with Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit is that you don’t have to mince words. In my own words, I can tell Him what I’m facing and ask Him the question of the day, hour or minute. He already knows it, but asking the question demonstrates my need for an answer and clarifies the question in my own mind if nothing else.
5. Listen – I find that it requires being still to hear a still small voice. I want to wait for Him to speak. If necessary, I’ll eliminate outside distractions by getting alone or turning off the noise of the world, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
6. Ask for confirmation – If I’m unsure whether God is speaking, I ask Him for a confirmation. If it’s Him, He’ll give me what I need to know it’s Him.
If you don’t hear His voice right away, don’t give up. He doesn’t speak on our timetable, and He may need to move some things around in you or in your life before He gives you the answer you seek. Wait for it. Stay submitted. The answer will come. If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that relationship is a pre-requisite for engaging with the Holy Spirit. If you want to know how to make Him Lord and Savior, check out Romans 10:9-10 and email me. I’d love to help you connect with Him.
Jesus promised, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
What do you need help with right now? Stop what you’re doing and engage with the Holy Spirit. He’s always there and He always has the answers.
Top Photo by Greg Rakozy
