“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come.”- John 16:13
From the above opening text, the Lord tells us that when the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide us into all truth. That he shall not speak of himself, but that whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show us things to come.
Now the Holy Spirit has come to the earth since the day of Pentecost, to fill every believer in Christ Jesus. And as he dwells and fills every believer, he is constantly guiding, speaking and showing things to them; according to the will of the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. But as the Holy Spirit gives this guidance to his Children, only very few believers actually understand his guidance and his voice.
Greater percentage of believers cannot actually discern the leading and the voice of the Holy Spirit. They do not really understand the various ways through which the Holy Spirit of God in them actually speaks to them. So often time, the Holy Spirit of God speaks to them, but they are not able to recognize his voice and leadings.
So in this post, I will be revealing the various ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us, his children, so we can be better positioned to follow his leading for our lives. And enjoy the attending benefits and profiting that come along with it.
How The Holy Spirit Speaks
The major qualification for hearing the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit, is being a child or son of God, through salvation (Romans 8:14). If you are born again, by believing in Jesus and receiving him as your Lord and personal Savior, then you already have the Holy Spirit in you. And as the Lord said in our opening text, as the Holy Ghost comes into your life, he is committed to guiding you into all truth and profiting. And listed below and the scripturally proven ways, through which the Holy Spirit guides, speaks and shows things to the children of God.
- The Witness of the spirit: “The Spirit itself (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”- Romans 8:16
The word “Witness” as used in the above scripture is from the Greek word “Symmaryeo” meaning: to testify jointly; that is, to corroborate by concurrent evidence. So the witness of the spirit talks about the Holy Spirit of God in you, testifying to and with your spirit, concerning a matter.
It is the evidence of the Holy Spirit, given to your spirit concerning an issue. And putting this in one word, it is the impression or conviction of the Holy Spirit in our spirit (Heart). And this is the primary and the major way the Holy Spirit speaks to us, his children.
Our text says the spirit bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. That is, he impresses in our spirit that for sure, we are the children of God. But apart from the witness of our sonship, he also impresses or convicts us of every other truth God wants us, his children to know about.
- Scriptural Insight: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”- Psalms 119:105.
A major way the Holy Spirit speaks to his children is insight from the written word of God, in the scripture. As you study the word of God, as written in the scriptures, often time, the Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit; by passing specific instructions or corrections or rebukes; by illuminating the scriptures you already have in your spirit.
That is, he speaks to you, by giving you special insight concerning a particular matter or issue of life with the Word of God in your heart. So if you must hear and discern the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit consistently and clearly, you must of a necessity, give yourself to regular study of the word of God in the scriptures and other anointed materials. Other anointed materials such as: Christian literatures and audio/visuals from anointed and faithful men of God.
- Visions: The Holy Spirit also speaks to us, believers, through visions. Vision is basically of two kinds. There is open vision, where you see and hear from the spirit realm, with your physical senses alert and aware of your physical environment. Then there is trance, where the person receiving the vision is cut off from the awareness of his physical environment. The visions of Cornelius and Peter in the book of Acts chapter 10, are perfect examples of the Holy Spirit, speaking to his children through visions.
- Dreams: Dreams aresimilar to visions. But they are majorly visions and revelations of the Spirit, we receive while we are asleep. Even though it’s not every dream we dream that are revelations from the Holy Spirit, it is scripturally evident that God does speak to his children through dreams. For instance, it was through dream that Joseph was told to escape with the child, Jesus and his mother into Egypt. In order to avoid being destroyed by Herod (See Matthew 2:13). Most revelations from dreams and visions are given in the form of drama; and as such, require the help of the Holy Spirit for proper interpretation. So as you receive a vision or dream you don’t quite understand, you should ask the Holy Spirit for the proper interpretation.
- Audible Voice:From scriptures, we also see that the Holy Spirit also speaks audibly to his children. I have heard some men of God say God speaks to them with an audible voice. Personally, I have never heard the audible voice of God, except in my spirit and in my dream. But from scriptures and the testimonies of others, it is true that the Holy Spirit does speak to his children audibly.
- Wisdom: Amongst other ways, God speaks to us, his children, through wisdom. That is, inspired, moral or intellectual insight. The Holy Spirit speaks to our thought. And this is why James says; “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him”-James 1:5. For instance, it was through intellectual revelation that Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams and proffer solution on how to manager his nation’s wealth through the years of famine – (see Genesis 41).
The list above is the major scripturally proven ways in which the Holy Spirit speaks to us, his children. But regardless of whatever means the Holy Spirit speaks to you, you should confirm it with scriptural truths to be on the safer side. Then if you are not also very sure about your revelation, you should also cross check in your heart for the witness of the spirit, before accepting a revelation to be from the Holy Spirit. Because familiar spirits and other deceptive evil spirits also speak to our spirit. So you must cross-check every revelation with the light of scriptures and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
Now over to you, do you have any question or comment concerning how the Holy Spirit speaks? Please drop them at the comment section below.
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