Listen to the holy spirit

“I want to talk to people about Jesus, but I just don’t know where to start”.

Life is full and it’s easy to forget you have a helper (the Holy Spirit - John 14:26) for moments like this! Listening to the Holy Spirit is the place to start. He will speak to you and guide you when you need Him.

Let’s face it, listening to the Holy Spirit is a pretty weird concept. How exactly does it work? When does He talk? How do I know if it is Him or my own mind talking? Or did I just drink too much coffee at lunch time?

In the same way you know the voice of your mum or a good friend, you can learn to know the voice of the Holy Spirit by listening to Him, understanding more about Him, and good old fashioned trial and error.

Let’s set some foundations

The Holy Spirit IS God and shares in the God-head with God the Father and Jesus - that’s the Trinity. He spoke to Christians throughout the Bible, is our helper (John 14:26) and He is a good gift from God. The Holy Spirit definitely is a mysterious expression of God, but this is exciting and should cause us to be curious and learn more about Him.

The Holy Spirit will give us guidance when we need Him. There are many examples of the Holy Spirit moving and guiding people in the Bible (Luke 2:27-32, 2 Peter 1:21, Acts 8:29-31), if you talk to enough Christians you will discover that He continues to do so today. So, spend time listening to Him. He may speak through a Bible verse that suddenly stands out to you or it might be a thought or emotion that hits you as you’re praying. When it comes to sharing your faith He may guide you in a moment or conversation, encouraging you to say or do something. Sometimes you might suddenly recall a Bible verse, or a story or something your pastor once said. Sometimes it’s a strong feeling or urge to talk about a particular topic. Try following that guidance and see where the Holy Spirit leads the conversation.

The Holy Spirit is trustworthy. Although you might be cautious of whether the Spirit is speaking, you can be sure to trust Him when He is. God promises to work together all things for our good (Romans 8:28), but that doesn’t mean you always get what you want, it means you always get what is good. So, trust the Holy Spirit to guide your life and conversations about Jesus knowing that God is good and He is working all things for good.

The Holy Spirit should be pursued

The Bible tells us to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). To “be filled” in the Greek (the original language in the Bible) means that it is an activity that is ongoing, it’s something that happens to you and you are commanded to pursue it. But how do you do this? Spend time being thankful to God (Psalm 100:4), consider the times he has been good to you and thank Him for it. Repent and apologise to God for the wrong things you have done (Psalm 66:18) and trust that God has more grace for you than any sin you might commit.

In your conversations about Jesus, be aware that the Holy Spirit might be speaking to you. Listen to His voice and follow it the best you can.