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Do you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit? Not every Christian feels confident that they do. There are many ways the Holy Spirit helps and guides Christians, and sensing or hearing a tangible voice is only one. If you want to share Jesus with your friends but hearing the Holy Spirit speaking to you is not your experience, you’ve come to the right place.

The first thing to recognise is just because you don’t feel like you hear the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong. God chooses how He wants to communicate with you and He is free to communicate how He chooses. God is not withholding His voice until you’re ready to hear Him. Don’t get caught in the trap that you must perform for God in order for Him to bless you by speaking to you.

In the absence of a clear sense of hearing His voice, start with what is clear about the Holy Spirit. If you want to grow your trust in the Holy Spirit, start with what the Bible clearly teaches. When you grow confidence in the Bible’s promises about the Holy Spirit, you can grow in faith in areas which aren’t as clear.

Here are 5 foundational and clear truths about the Holy Spirit as revealed in the Bible.

1. If you’re a Christian, the Holy Spirit is with you.

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38

The Bible teaches that every Christian, once they repent and believe in Jesus, receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you love Jesus and have been saved by Him, you can be confident that the Holy Spirit lives in you.

2. The Holy Spirit is good, you don’t need to fear Him

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Luke 11:13

There is a lot of mystery around what is and what isn’t the Holy Spirit. However, the Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit is good and there’s no need to fear a genuine exploration of who He truly is. Ask God to help you learn more about who He is.

3. The Holy Spirit is given as a gift to help you

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 8:26-27

There are many ways the Holy Spirit will help you. He will bring you comfort, give you wisdom, work in your circumstances, bring healing, etc. The more you’re aware of His presence, the more you will see His helping work in your life.

4. The Holy Spirit reminds you of God’s words

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 14:26

There are a few times in the Bible it mentions that the Holy Spirit will work supernaturally to bring things to your mind at the right time. This can be Bible verses, and also it can be simply the right words to say. Be prayerful when you are in a conversation about Jesus and take note and speak the things that come to your mind.

5. Being Filled with the Holy Spirit is for all Christians

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Ephesians 5:18

Being filled with the Spirit is not only about things like speaking in tongues and prophecy, it’s about His daily guiding presence in your life. It’s a daily presence He gives to you when you seek it. Don’t let your fear of the unknown stop you from receiving the blessing of His presence. Ask for it and seek it every day.

If it’s not your experience to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, start by pursuing Him in the ways that have been made clear in the Bible. Commit these Bible verses to memory, seek the Holy Spirit daily, and rely on Him as you talk to your friends about Jesus.

All of us are familiar with the voices of the people closest to us. Think of a family member or close friend. What does their voice sound like? What’s the tone and pitch? Is it harsh, or soft? Quick or slow? Do they have an accent? Could you recognise their voice over the phone? Even now as you read this you can probably hear their voice in your head.

Voices carry authority. Words of advice coming from the voice of a friend or parent will carry a different weight for us than the same words coming from a stranger. So when it comes to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, it’s vital to identify who is actually speaking. Is it the Spirit? Our own desires? Or something else entirely?

Every person has unique vocal qualities. In the same way, the Holy Spirit’s voice has unique qualities that will help you know it’s Him. So what does He sound like?

Language

“The Bible” - (2 Timothy 3:16) The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Bible. The better you know the Bible, the better you will be able to recognise His voice.

Tone

“Still Small Voice” - (1 Kings 19:11-12) The Bible describes His voice as a whisper. It’s not a literal whisper but a voice that’s hard to hear when you’re busy.

Pitch

“Peaceful” - (Psalm 23) His voice will help you find peace even when chaos is all around you. A shelter in the storm.

Resonance

“Affirmation” - His voice will resonate with other Christians. It’s helpful to affirm His voice with Christian friends.

Rhythm

“Timing” - His voice will often speak to you in your circumstances. Keep a lookout for miraculous coincidences.

Give yourself time to practice learning the voice of the Holy Spirit. One day His voice will be so familiar it will be second nature to recognise it.

The Bible says pursuing the Holy Spirit is something to seek out actively (Ephesians 5:18-19). Intentionally put yourself in a position so you can hear His voice. Come to God in prayer with an expectant heart that He will speak to you and lead you.

Here are some key ways to position yourself to hear the Holy Spirit:

• Be thankful - (Psalm 100:4)
• Say sorry for anything you’ve done wrong - (Psalm 66:18)
• Silence Satan - (James 4:7)
• Listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit - (1 Kings 19:11-12)

Learning to hear the Holy Spirit takes time and commitment. Don’t give up just because you don’t hear anything straight away. Be intentional. Find a quiet place today and spend 15 minutes actively seeking the Holy Spirit’s voice.

“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), and 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.

Silence. It’s great to have a little at the end of a busy day, or when you’re trying to study. But silence isn’t so great when you get an opportunity to talk about Jesus.

Unfortunately, that’s all too often the case for many Christians when ‘Jesus’ comes up in conversation. Jesus doesn’t want you to be silent, he wants you to be able to share the hope you have¹ – and he promises to help you. It’s a command with a commitment.

Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, God promises to be with you and to help you when the time comes. He’s given you the Holy Spirit to guide you. He’s given you a story to tell and He’s given you a mind to engage in conversation, ask questions and think critically.

So since you already have everything you need, you can approach questions and challenges as opportunities to engage, not confrontations to avoid.

Here are 3 practical steps and 3 tools that will help you:

3 STEPS TO RESPOND

1. PRAY
   Ask God daily for opportunities to talk about Him with confidence and wisdom.
2. LISTEN
   Hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit is vital. Seek Him every day and His voice will become clearer. Be intentional, pray and walk with Him.
3. ACT
   When you’re filled with the Holy Spirit and connecting well with people, things will happen. Take a leap of faith and respond next time you are prompted by the Holy Spirit.

3 TOOLS TO USE

1. GOOD QUESTIONS
   When challenges come up, be ready to ask the question “What do you mean by that?”. This takes the pressure off you and provides time to think and pray. If you don’t have a good response at the moment, promise to get back to them with an answer.
2. SHARE YOUR STORY
   You have a story to tell. The story of how Jesus saved you. Think about it, practise it, and be ready to tell that story when the opportunity comes.
3. KNOW THE GOSPEL
   Learn to articulate the gospel in a simple way (we can help you with that) and practise it so you’re ready to share it. Also understand that, while it’s a simple message, people often have questions about it. So be prepared to explore it in parts, and be led by your friend’s curiosity.

Don’t be scared into silence. Walk out these steps daily and ready yourself to use these tools when the opportunity to respond comes.

References

¹ 1 Peter 3:15 - But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

² Luke 12:12 - for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”