Because He died and conquered death, He made it possible for His Spirit to come and live in the heart of every person who believes in Him.
God is three persons in one. The Holy Trinity. A truth beyond our comprehension but taught in Scripture. The LORD God is our Father, Jesus Christ is our Savior, and the Holy Spirit is our Helper. Being God, each is omniscient, omnipresent, holy, and worthy of our worship. Together, they are love, light, salvation, and hope. All three worked together to create all that exists and they are completely one.
The Holy Spirit enabled Mary to become pregnant with the Lord Jesus Christ. As it is written, “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18 NIV). When Jesus was about to face arrest, knowing He would die and rise again, He promised His followers He would send a Helper to be with us forever. Because He died and conquered death, He made it possible for His Spirit to come and live in the heart of every person who believes in Him.
The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper.
25 Ways He Works
He gives us wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.
“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills.”
“The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD.”
“But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.”
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”
“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.”
He gives prophecies and visions.
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
“His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.”
“For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
He leads us.
“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
“The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’”
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”
He speaks through us.
“For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
He empowers us.
“‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”
“I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God.”
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
He fills us with joy.
“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit….”
“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”
He teaches us.
“‘But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’”
“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”
He gives us new birth.
“Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit…So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’”
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
He guides us to the truth.
“‘But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.’”
“And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”
He lives in us and fills us.
“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.”
“Peter replied, ‘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.’”
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
He gives us boldness.
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
He encourages us.
“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.”
He delivers God’s love to our hearts.
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who He has given to us.”
He facilitates our adoption into God’s family.
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”
He intercedes for us.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans…the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
He gives us hope.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
He sanctifies us.
“So that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
“Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit….”
He reveals God’s thoughts to us.
“These are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
He distributes spiritual gifts to us.
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them…All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines.”
“God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.”
He gives us freedom.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
He gives us victory over sin.
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
He produces fruit in our lives.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
He strengthens us.
“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.”
He gives us unity.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
He helps us pray.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
The Holy Spirit is a gift to us from our Heavenly Father. Jesus sent Him to be our Helper in all ways. He is a gentleman and won’t force us to obey. Scripture commands, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19 NIV) and “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30 NIV). May we yield to His leading rather than resist Him.
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Susan Aken writes devotions and articles for Wholly Loved Ministries, is an Oklahoma native who’s lived in Nebraska since 1987 and has been in public education for over thirty years. She and her husband have one son and a wonderful daughter-in-law. Besides writing she has a passion for special needs and prayer ministries. She enjoys time with family, reading, photography, movies, walking in nature, and a nice cup of tea. She believes life is a journey and we’re all in different places. Jesus is everything to her and it’s all about grace. Visit her at susanaken53.wordpress.com or on Facebook.
