Mission Venture Ministries

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13). 

Jesus said that He would send the Spirit to those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, so that He would be our Helper, Comforter, and Guide. 

The Spirit speaks to our hearts and leads us in the right direction when we learn to listen. He acts as a still, small voice that is heard in our spirit rather than audibly. 

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told His disciples that He would send us another Counselor who would teach and guide all those who believe in Him (Acts 1:5; John 14:26; 16:7). Jesus’ promise was fulfilled fifty days after the Passover when Jesus died and rose again when the Holy Spirit came in power on the believers at Pentecost (Acts 2). 

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the action by which God takes up permanent residence in the body of a believer in Jesus Christ. 

The Holy Spirit has many functions. Not only does He distribute spiritual gifts according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:7–11), He also helps us (John 14:16), teaches us (John 14:26), and remains in us as a seal of promise upon our hearts until day of redemption of those who are God’s possession, which is the day Jesus returns (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit also takes on the role of Guide and Counselor, leading us in the way we should go and revealing God’s truth in what we are to say (Luke 12:12; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10). 

The question however is always how do we recognize the Spirit’s guidance? How do we discern between our own thoughts and His leading? After all, the Holy Spirit does not speak with audible words. Rather, He guides us through our own consciences (Romans 9:1) and other quiet, subtle ways. 

One of the most important ways to recognize the Holy Spirit’s guidance is to be familiar with God’s Word. The Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom about how we should live (2 Timothy 3:16), and believers are to search the Scriptures, meditate on them, and commit them to memory (Ephesians 6:17). The Word is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), and the Spirit will use it to speak to us (John 16:12-14) to reveal God’s will for our life; He will also bring specific Scriptures to mind at times when we need them most (John 14:26), that is why it is so vital to be familiar with God’s word. 

When we spend time with the Lord and know His Word, it will help us to discern whether or not our desires come from the Holy Spirit. We must check our decisions against Scripture; because the Holy Spirit will never lead us to do anything contrary to God’s Word. If it conflicts with the Bible, then it is not from the Holy Spirit and should be ignored. 

Please remember not to take Scripture out of context just to achieve your desires, take time to be still before God and to make sure that you have peace in your heart before going forward. 

Jesus told His disciples that “when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). He is the ultimate guide, leading the way, opening our understanding, and making all things plain and clear. 

Another way to tell if we are following the Spirit’s leading is to look for signs of His fruit in our life (Galatians 5:22). If we walk in the Spirit, we will continue to see these qualities grow and mature in us, and they will become evident to others as well.

It’s difficult to hear from the Holy Spirit when we don’t know the Bible; because everything the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts will line up perfectly with Scripture. 

Please understand that “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14). 

Constant study and practice of God’s word is a sure way to hear the Holy Spirit clearly. Remember what Jesus said in John 10:27 “My Sheep hear my voice and they follow me.” If we do not study His word, how can we correctly make the right decision? 

Hearing from the Holy Spirit requires us to be patient and wait; it is part of maturing in our faith. The prompting comes ever so gentle like; He might bring someone again and again to our mind, so we finally call the person and find out that they have a need and that we can comfort them with a simple prayer of faith. But the choice is ours, will we respond or will we ignore it and go about our day? Be conscious that if there is a matter where God has put a constant reminder in your mind, that you need to obey Him in that regard. 

To better understand the prompting of the Holy Spirit there are many Bible examples of hearing God’s voice, and here are just a few of them: 

• Ananias a disciple of Christ, who is told to go to the house of Judas where Saul was on Straight Street in Damascus, was afraid but the Lord said to him, go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel (Acts 9:10-19). 

• In Paul’s first missionary journey, while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them (Acts 13:2). 

• Then we see the Holy Spirit forbidding Paul to speak in Asia when they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; and passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas (Acts 16:6-8). 

We need to become sensitive to God who works around us. We do this by being still and concentrating on Him as humble servants who are ready to obey what God instructs us to do without questioning (1 Samuel 3:9-10). 

It is in stillness, not busyness, that we tune our spiritual ears to hear the voice of God. Many times the Lord speaks to us in that still small voice (1 Kings 19:12), but often it’s drowned out amid all the turmoil of our daily lives because we do not recognize or to take time to be with the Creator of the Universe our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

We need to learn to take time to listen and fellowship with Him on a daily basis, remembering to trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

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