“But the Helper (Counsellor, Advocate) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26 NKJV, emphasis mine)
Revd. Sidney Elijah Adenaike PhD
1st November 2023
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity Whose Identity is often misconstrued. He is a member of the Godhead - a Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each being God. Many people take the Holy Spirit for an enigma. Some perceive Him to be a mystical force or an inanimate influence like electricity, very powerful but without personality. Others see Him as an impersonal power that God makes available to followers of Christ in times of need.
These notions or perceptions are very wrong. He is a divine Person in the Trinity. Christians (Trinitarian) believe that the One and only Living and True God exists in three Persons of one Substance, Power, Glory, and Eternity. It means that these three divine Personalities are One.
The fact that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son does not imply that He is in any way inferior in nature to them. The three members of the Trinity are co-equal, co-substantial in nature but have different responsibilities and offices. For example, The Holy Spirit took up the responsibility to stand in for Jesus Christ when He (Jesus) had a glorious ascension to heaven.
The Trinitarian blessing or Apostolic Benediction emphasizes God’s infinite Love that keeps His creatures alive. It emphasizes the abundant Grace we enjoy daily because of the Person and Work of Christ and also, the Communion or Fellowship we experience daily because of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. This pronouncement of blessing is a clear recognition of the doctrine of the Trinity and the fundamental doctrine of Christianity (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Trinitarian Baptismal Formula can be found in the Great Commission of Christ given to all His followers as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All Authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV).
The Holy Spirit’s Name describes His prime Attribute: He is a perfectly holy, sinless, and spotless God. He is known to promote Holiness. God’s people “rebelled and grieved” His Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:7-10), and as a result, God in His Holiness turned against them and fought them. He is emotional and just like any person, He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30).
In Acts 5:3-4, Peter confronted Ananias because he lied to the Holy Spirit, he rebuked him and stated that he had “not lied to men but to God.” It is very clear that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God.
The Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, having a mind, emotions, and will of His own. Some argue that as a Person, the Holy Spirit must have eyes, ears, feet, hands, and legs. But personality is defined beyond body parts, a genuine personality must reflect the characteristics of a person - a thinking being, a being who has a mind, an emotional being, and a volitional (or choosing) being.
The Holy Spirit has Intelligence and Knowledge and makes His own decisions (1 Corinthians 2:10-12; Nehemiah 9:20; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11). There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is God because He possesses the Attributes and Characteristics of God. Psalm 139:7-8 and 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 reveal His Omnipresence and Omniscience. He was the Comforter and Counsellor that Jesus promised He would send to His own (John 14:16, 26; John 15:26). Today, He is our Guide, Counsellor, and constant Companion in our Christian walk of faith. Today, the Holy Spirit gives guidance to all the children of God. Paul wrote:
“As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14).
The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Lord and Giver of Life in the Nicene creed. As God, the Holy Spirit has always existed with the Father and the Son even before the creation of the universe and through His Power everything was made in Jesus Christ, by God the Father. The Spirit of God was involved in creating and sustaining everything pertaining to the natural life (Psalm 104:30). The Bible says: “The Spirit of God has made me, and the Breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job. 33:4).
In Genesis 1, at creation, the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters of the formless earth and brought order out of chaos. By the power of the Holy Spirit life and beauty came into the world (Genesis 1:1-2). Psalm 104:30 tells us how the Spirit creates and sustains life in the created world:
“You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the ground.”
God the Holy Spirit as the life-giving Agent sustains life in the creation by His Power. He imparts the Grace of Jesus Christ and the Love of the Father to the redeemed. He is also known to be the principal Motivator of biblical revelation, illumination, meditation, and persuasion. He brings about the conviction, regeneration, and transformation of the hearts of sinners in the salvation Plan of God. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27). The Power of the Holy Spirit is the Power of God. The Bible describes Him:
“He is the Power of the Most High.” (Luke 1:35) and “The Power from on high.” (Luke 24:49).
Through this awesome Power, He can act effectively in all matters and His influence is infinite, unlimited, and eternal (Acts 1:8).
The first task of the Holy Spirit recorded in the Old Testament was His participation in the Creation (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Isaiah 32:15). The Spirit is the “Pneuma of God” - the Breath of God that hovered over the lifeless void in the beginning. The Holy Spirit was there at the very beginning (Genesis 1:1-2). He is the Spirit Who gives life to humanity and all other creatures (Psalm 104:29, 30).
When Adam was created, God breathed the “breath of life” into his nostrils and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7), the word for “breath” is the same word translated elsewhere as “spirit.”
In the Old Testament, he is also referred to as the Spirit, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of the Lord. It is very important to observe that in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was not universal but transitory. He did not indwell everyone as He does today; those who received Him did not have him permanently. The Spirit “came upon” or “filled” only select or specific individuals to empower them to do God’s Work or render some special service in the household of God.
The Holy Spirit came upon a few people to enable them know God intimately. Some individuals were filled by the Spirit as recorded in Exodus. For example: Bezalel was “filled” with the Spirit of God to develop the plan, execute artistic design for the Tabernacle and to construct it (Exodus 31:2-3; see also Exodus 35:31).
The Spirit of God inspired the men who wrote the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21). Joshua was also filled with the Holy Spirit when Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the Israelites:
“Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Deuteronomy. 34:9)
The Spirit came upon certain prophets, judges, warriors, and endowed them with extraordinary power or wisdom to function in their respective offices. He came on the 70 elders (Numbers. 11:24-27), Othniel and other judges (Judges 3:10; 11:29), Gideon was able to deliver Israel because “The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon.” (Judges 6:34), the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he became a threat to the people of Gilead, Manasseh, and Ammon (Judges 11:29). When the Spirit of the Lord descended on Samson, he performed unusual feats and displayed great strength (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14). The Spirit came on Saul (1 Samuel 10:9, 10) and later departed from him because of his disobedience (1 Samuel 16:14).
In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Truth, and the Paraclete. Today He acts as Christ’s Representative on earth, uniting believers with Christ, counselling and encouraging them as they battle the temptations of the world and the forces of Satan. He gives the revelation of Christ based on His Person and Work.
Preceding the New Testament time was the “intertestamental” (Protestant) or “deuterocanonical” (Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) period. It marked a time without any activity of the Holy Spirit, no Prophet was raised. This period is also referred to as the “400 silent years”. It was broken by the New Testament era.
After the Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost, the new era ushered in saw the Holy Spirit coming into and dwelling within the people of God (Acts 2:1-4). The Holy Spirit Who hitherto was coming upon or resting on people has now come to dwell within their hearts. This is also referred to as the New Covenant.
The Holy Spirit was very active in the life of John the Baptist. When announcing the birth of John the Baptist the angel Gabriel told Zachariah:
“For he will be great in the Sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” (Luke 1:15)
John’s father, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied as recorded in Luke 1:67.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prophecy, when He came upon Prophets, they began to prophesy (2 Chronicles 15:1; 20:14; 24:20; Joel 2:28-29; Luke 2:25). For example, the He inspired Isaiah to prophesy the ministry of the coming Messiah: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him.” (Isaiah 11:2)
The Apostle Luke reported an exceptional operation of the Holy Spirit in the life of Mary when the angel Gabriel announced to her that she was to become pregnant with a son. The Holy Spirit caused the Virgin Mary to conceive (Matthew 1:20).
“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:33- 35)
The Holy Spirit also filled the prophets of God with the Word of God, assisted Jesus and the apostles in their missions, guided the early Church, advanced God’s Plan of salvation and sanctified believers in their walk with Christ. When announcing the birth of Jesus, the angel Gabriel had told Mary that Elizabeth, her relative, was going to have a child in her old age and she was in her sixth month of pregnancy (Luke 1:36-37).
Mary thereafter visited Zechariah’s home to greet Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:40-43).
Jesus came to John to be baptized before He began His public ministry (Luke 3:21-22; also read Matthew 3:16). As soon as He was baptized, He was coming out of the water when heaven was opened, and the Spirit of God descended on Him symbolizes by a dove.
In Psalm 143:10, David cried out for the Lord to hear his supplication and to answer him, because God is faithful and righteous. He implored God to let His Goodness direct and govern his ways. It was the Spirit of the Lord Who inspired holiness in Old Testament believers and caused them to do the Will of God (Ezekiel 36:27). David had a personal relationship with God because the Spirit of God had come upon him, and he enjoyed His Presence. David knew God personally and intimately through the Holy Spirit.
When David repented of his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 12:13), he pleaded with God for forgiveness and beyond that he asked God not to cast him from His Presence or take His Holy Spirit from him (Psalm 51:11). David knew so well that no man or woman of God can prosper without the Holy Spirit.
Today, under the New Covenant, we are so blessed for God does not directly withdraw His Spirit from us when we offend Him. He might discipline us but does not reject or forsake us ((Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 13:5). He does not withhold His Spirit from us.
What a tragedy, that many Christians lack the experiential knowledge of the Holy Spirit or are not keen to understand what roles He plays in the lives of God’s people. In John 15:5, Jesus made it clear that without Him, we could do nothing. In the same vein, the Holy Spirit is an indispensable Giver (wellspring or source) of Life, main Source of Power, Comfort and Guidance in our spiritual lives. He is the Living, Breathing Presence of God dwelling within every true believer. Without Him, we shall die spiritually. He is the Spirit of wisdom, and He desires to be intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, providing us wisdom, strength, and divine direction (Isaiah 11:2 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit gives supernatural wisdom, courage, and holiness that believers require in order to meet the modern-day standards expected of them and to win the battle of life. He is our Teacher and Companion, revealing and manifesting the Character of Christ in and through us. We must understand the incredible significance of His Presence and Power in our lives and our great need to embrace and cultivate a virile relationship with Him.
The Bible has made it abundantly clear that no one can become a Christian without the Holy Spirit acting in union with God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ to grant that person a regeneration or new birth. True believers can enjoy living union and communion with the Holy Spirit on account of their spiritual rebirth.
He gives believers their identity and the knowledge of their calling, vocation, and mission in Christ. He guides believers in fulfilling God’s Plan and Purposes for their lives. Those who live their lives without the Presence and influence of the Holy Spirit will never know God the Father and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ which is a pre-requisite for eternal life. They will never experience the joy and blessing of worship and intimacy with their Creator. Without the knowledge of God, it will be impossible for anyone to have a deep awareness and experience of His inestimable Love. This priceless experience of the Love of God was revealed in the redemption and salvation Plan of God which theologians refer to as the Pascal Mystery. This describes what Jesus went through to redeem us from eternal damnation - His life, death and resurrection, and glorious ascension. After Jesus has called us for adoption and incorporation into His Life, the Holy Spirit sealed us by His Anointing and declared us children of God, members of the Body of Christ and heirs of the kingdom of God.
Before Pentecost, Peter and other disciples were full of fear and because of this fear, they abandoned Jesus during His trial. Peter even denied him three times (read John 20:19). The Pentecost experience changed them radically (read Acts 4:13). The Holy Spirit empowered them to proclaim Christ and His Gospel.
When Peter and John stood accused before powerful leaders, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly proclaimed that Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One they had crucified, was the only Way to salvation (Acts 4:5-12). This was the same Peter who had earlier denied Jesus. He was now standing on the very same platform where Jesus had been condemned and accused the religious elite that they had crucified the Messiah (Acts 4:5-12).
The Holy Spirit is the Guarantee of our hope and inheritance in heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14). Walking in the Spirit gives us the assurance that we belong to God forever.
The Spirit guides us by purging our sinful urges and by growing his fruits. The Spirit guides us by the truth of his written Word and by the process of godly discernment. The Spirit guides us by generating consensus among believers and by aligning our thoughts with his thoughts.
Every true believer needs the Holy Spirit as a guide to his or her life in so many ways. In most cases, we act blindly and must face the unpleasant consequences of our bad choices, for that reason we need the Spirit’s direction in our daily life. Galatians 5:25 says: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
The call to “walk by the Spirit” must be heeded so that He can empower us to walk by Him and direct our daily lives. The Spirit is actively and personally involved in guiding us through life in a godly way. This is a personal, intimate connection. The Spirit Whom Jesus has sent guides us by purging our sinful and lustful desires and make us to bear His fruits. The Spirit is not resting but calling us into intimate relationship with Jesus. Therefore, if you are a Christian, you must live by and be guided by the Spirit and devotedly keep in step with Him (read John 10:2-4; Galatians 5:16).
Judging from what is written in John 16:13-14 Jesus was very clear on the importance of the Holy Spirit in our pilgrimage on earth. The Holy Spirit does not only communicate God’s Word and Will to us, He directs our steps in the direction of the abundant life that Jesus promised (Romans 8:9, 11). He guides us through all the dangerous and complicated paths of life and keeps us away from sin. He controls our actions, attitudes, thoughts, and words as we walk with Him.
“However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, Who guides us by the Truth of His written Word and into all truth, enabling us to comprehend and embrace the Word of God (John 14:17). The Bible is the Word of God, and so God speaks to us in His Word. As we read the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit guides us to understand and live out His Word. As we walk in the Spirit under His guide, He unveils the mysteries of the Scriptures, illuminating our minds with divine insight and understanding. He helps us to discern truth from falsehood, to navigate the complexities of life successfully, and to make decisions that align with God’s Will.
In John 14:20, Jesus assured His disciples and by extension, us that they would experience the abiding Presence of the Holy Spirit Who will draw them closer to Him in a living communion. It is important to note that the Holy Spirit is sent not merely to be with us, but also to abide in us, filling us with His Presence and Power. The Bible teaches that our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, they belong to Him and He has the Authority as our Master to dwell in us as He pleases.
In our journey of faith, the Holy Spirit guides us by directing our steps and by comforting us in times of trouble and distress. As believers, we should always present our desires and our plans and for His direction and guidance. We should allow His Wisdom and Knowledge to shape our thoughts, choices, and actions (John 14:21). When we comply with this guiding principle, His abiding Presence will become a reality in our lives.
The Holy Spirit knows what lies ahead of us; He knows the obstacles we should avoid; He sees our ultimate destination; and He knows God’s Plan for our lives. He knows all the routes in God’s Map for our journey of faith. If we are willing to follow His leadership, He will guide us through the storms of life and give us a wonderful and memorable experience along the path of life. Divine guidance is the essential help for Christians to be victorious in their pilgrimage. It can also be a big challenge if it is not forth coming.
The Holy Spirit is the One Who gives spiritual gifts to all followers of Jesus so that they can play their respective roles in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, we have the following spiritual gifts that come from the Holy Spirit’s anointing - wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. It is through these spiritual gifts that Christians function best in their calling and in the proclamation of the Power of Jesus to people who desperately need to know our Savior.
Fruitfulness begins with God Himself, Who created land with the capacity to produce grass, herbs that yield seed, plants and trees which bear different kinds of fruit, Who blesses animals to be fruitful and multiply, and Who calls on human beings created in His Image to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:11, 26-28). God’s blessing and call on humans to be fruitful and multiply is known as the Creation mandate” or “Cultural mandate”. This implies that any believer who lives and works in God’s Image is bound to bear good fruit and be creative.
Spiritual fruitfulness shows the Presence and Quality of the life of Christ in a believer. God is searching through our hearts, to see the quality of the spiritual fruit that are being produced out of our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Jesus once said:
“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:18-20)
Our ability and resolve to bear spiritual fruit in our calling and in whatsoever the Lord has committed into our hands is very vital to our spiritual growth. We must be faithful in doing the Work of God and the Lord will bring increase as a blessing to crown our effort (Ecclesiastes 9:11). As we remain faithful and obedient to the Lord, we must also be set apart for His service.
The Christian faith is not complete without the manifest Presence of the Holy Spirit and His good Fruit produced in us. He helps true believers to be fruitful in many ways in their life journey of faith.
Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians highlighted the bad fruit, the fruit of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 and the good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23:
“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
The fruits of the Spirit mentioned in the above passage are virtues that emanate from being indwelt and led by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is about God developing the Character of Jesus in you through the Holy Spirit. In essence, it is growing more like Jesus.
In the natural life, fruit is the natural result of growth of a healthy tree. In the Spiritual life, “Fruit of the Spirit” is a product of growth in the Spirit. I will dwell a little on three of the “fruit of the Spirit”, namely, love, joy and peace because of time and space. The rest will be discussed in later editions.
The Bible teaches that: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8; see also verse 16)
This kind of love (agape) comes through the Power of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:3; Read also 1 Corinthians 13; John 15:13; Luke 6:35; John 3:16). In essence, the Holy Spirit is the Source of true love. Love is the greatest commandment because it is the basis for all the other commandments (Matthew 22:37-39).
Love is the greatest thing of all (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is the first fruit of the Spirit which contains all the fruits (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Colossians 3:12,14). It binds all other fruits together in perfect unity and you cannot think of any of the other fruits without love. It is a truth that when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will be filled with love. Love is said to be the most powerful force on earth.
The Holy Spirit inspired Jesus to love those who were crucifying Him (Luke 23:34). He enabled Stephen to love those that were stoning him (Acts7:60). Only the Holy Spirit could plant this unusual kind of love in the heart of a man. It is divine to forgive and forget a deep hurt or injury inflicted on us by our enemies. Early missionaries risked their lives to save souls in some unusual cultural settings in many parts of the world. It was the Love of Christ in their hearts and the Holy Spirit inside of them that made them to overcome many life-threatening challenges on their way. This kind of love is not conditional, it is self-sacrificing. The fruit of love never fails to produce its sweetness.
It is an understatement to say that our world lacks joy today. There are quite a few amusement and entertainment spots designed to make people happy. Unfortunately, the happiness and laughter are short-lived and quickly fade away as soon as the programs come to an end. Despite TV, Radio, internet and other communication gadgets, so many people are unhappy, dissatisfied and unfulfilled. They get angry, irritated, and upset over so many things because they are looking for joy in all the wrong places.
The fruit of joy can only be produced by the Holy Spirit. The Presence of the Holy Spirit is the fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). The fruit of joy is not based on circumstances of life or built on personal achievements. Many people pursue money, fame or popularity thinking these will give them joy in their hearts. Sadly, many wealthy people have been reported to have committed suicide despite their billions of pounds, euros or dollars in their bank accounts. Many people in the world believe that their joy comes from the people they know or interact with; power they wield in society; promotions they get in their respective offices; progress they make in their businesses or possessions they acquire in life. It is most unfortunate that people think this way.
The Holy Spirit is the one Who creates joy in your heart. Joy is intrinsic and given by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (Habakkuk 3:17-18; 2 Corinthians 7:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Joy comes from knowing and trusting the Lord (Psalm 5:11, 105:3; James 1:2-3). You may have some temporary moments of happiness, but happiness is always short-lived; it is based on external factors. Paul told us in Romans 14:17:
“For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit can give you joy in your heart despite the prevailing and unfavorable atmosphere of war, conflicts, or threat around you. Joy is a settled state of mind. The Bible teaches that the Joy of the Lord is your strength. Joy is the second of the nine fruits of the Spirit. If we allow our emotions to control us instead of the Holy Spirit, our joy may elude us.
The Bible says: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) God is the Fountain and Fullness of all joy (Psalm 16:11). God is ever desirous of sharing His Joy with His children (John 15:11). In John 17:13 Jesus in His dialogue with His Father prayed that His disciples might have the full measure of my joy within them. In Hebrews 12:2, Jesus was described as one Who endured the cross for the joy set before Him.
The fruit of peace can only be produced by Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, through the Holy Spirit Who is the true Source of peace. Peace is not the absence of war; it is the absence of conflict and fear in your heart. Many people find it difficult to sleep or rest because of the conflicts in their hearts. Inner battle or conflict can be devastating, excruciating and depressive; it is the Holy Spirit Who can resolve the inner turmoil and calm the stormy heart. One of the greatest human desires is for peace to reign in their minds, in the family, in the neighborhood and in the world. Unfortunately, peace is alien to human nature and to the world in general (read Romans 3:17; Isaiah 59:8 and Galatians 5:20-21).
The fruit of peace gives inner and overwhelming peace of mind, calm and contentment to a believer living a God-fearing and righteous life, even in an atmosphere of conflict (read Isaiah 55:12). Peace is knowing that God is in control of everything in your life.
Wise Christians will allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them in their ways, so that they can enjoy calm and inner peace (read Philippians 4:7). You must focus on the Holy Spirit and cultivate the mind of Christ.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV)
“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6 NKJV)
The Spirit gives believers the Power to live a life of obedience to God’s commands. He empowers them to resist temptations from the material world and to stand firm in their faith. He gives them love and encouragement to share the Love of Christ, faith and fellowship with others. He gives them wisdom to make wise decisions and guide them in executing their plans. He helps believers to conform to the Image of Christ, grow in their faith and to become more like Christ.
Holy Spirit, I sincerely open my heart to Your leading and guiding. I repent from my sin of foolishly trying to lead myself through life when you were right there to lead me along the way. You know everything about me, my future, and which steps I need to take next. You know the plan and purposes of God for my life. I promise from this time forward, to do my best and yield to Your guidance for my life. Thank You blessed Spirit. In Jesus glorious Name I pray. Amen!
N.B
The views expressed here are solely mine. I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, but I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding. I thank you for your feedback.