We need the Holy Spirit. We need His guidance. We need His wisdom. We need His power. We can do nothing on our own. Hopefully we have learned by now that even Jesus could do nothing on His own. That being the case, how could we accomplish anything without the Holy Spirit’s guidance? If you’re not sure about how to include the Holy Spirit into your life, the first place to start is looking at what the Bible has to say. Throughout the order of God, the Holy Spirit manifest in various ways:
In Acts 2:1-4 on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit showed Himself as a “rushing mighty wind” and “tongues of fire” that rested upon the apostles. This event filled them with the Holy Spirit and enabled them to speak with different tongues.
Speaking in tongues and prophecy are found in Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:6 – When the people receive the Holy Spirit, they often spoke in other languages and prophesied, as seen with Cornelius’ household and the believers in Ephesus.
A gentle whisper and inner witness are found in Romans 8:16 – Paul writes that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit, revealing the Holy Spirit’s internal guidance and assurance.
Power and boldness are found in Acts 4:31 – after praying, the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the place was shaken. They then spoke the word of God with boldness.
Gifts of the Spirit are found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 – The Holy Spirit manifest through various spiritual gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues. These manifestations emphasize the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit. They also emphasize His role, empowering believers for ministry, guiding them in their Christian walk.
The Holy Spirit operated as a voice or inner guidance in Acts 13:2. the Holy Spirit is described as speaking to the leaders of the early church, instructing them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which they were called.
As Steven was being stoned, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and had a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Although he didn’t see the Holy Spirit in a physical form, Steven’s vision and the filling of the Spirit are deeply connected in this moment.
Peter and the household of Cornelius (Gentiles), were together when the Holy Spirit fell upon them. The onlookers, including Peter and the Jewish believers with him, witness the Gentiles receiving the Spirit in a powerful way, speaking in tongues and praising God.
Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Ananias laid hands on Saul and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Although there is no description of a visible form like a dove or fire, the experience transformed Saul to Paul, and he immediately began his mission as an apostle.
As we can see in many cases, while not everyone sees the Spirit in a visible form, they experienced His presence in a traumatic and transformative way. As a Christian leader, I feel very strongly that we have underestimated our need for the Holy Spirit in our lives. Now, more than ever, do we need Him. With so much pain in the world today and all the uncertainty, we need guidance, we need the supernatural, we need what Jesus promised.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Paul writes: “Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
Anointing refers to being chosen, empowered, set apart for a special purpose. In the Old Testament, kings, priest, and prophets were anointed with oil to symbolize God’s calling and empowerment for their role. Here, Paul is emphasizing that believers in Christ are spiritually anointed, chosen by God for His purpose. Through Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s will for our life. The Holy Spirit gives you the power to carry out your calling. You cannot do it alone. It is impossible to do God’s will without the Holy Spirit doing it through us.
Anything that is done by man for God, especially working for Christ, ends up being religion, and religion kills. There is no life, peace, or joy in religion. We are nothing without the Holy Spirit.
