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CHAPTER 3
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT
•••

3.3  Spiritual Communication

The Holy Spirit prophesies, preaches, teaches, speaks through us, provides words for witnessing, testifies, convicts unbelievers, reminds us of scripture, leads, warns, intercedes and speaks to us through our conscience. He can be resisted and lied to.



The Holy Spirit prophesies:

  •  "no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).



The Holy Spirit preaches the Gospel:

  • "To them it was revealed, that they served not themselves, but you, in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:12).


Prayerful Observation:
The gospel applies to conversion. It also applies to helping believers grow in their faith (Paul desired to preach the gospel to the Christians in Rome, Romans 1:8, 15). He preached the gospel to Christians because the gospel addresses more than conversion. So, disciple-making includes converting unbelievers. It also includes working to increase the faith and love of believers (sanctification). This is done through prayer, example and the word.



The Holy Spirit will teach you what to say:

  •  "When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don't be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say" (Luke 12:11-12).



The Spirit Reveals Knowledge of God's Gifts

  • "But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God" (1 Corinthians 2:12).



The Spirit will speak through you: 

  • "But when they deliver you up, don't be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you" (Matthew 10:19-20).



The Holy Spirit provides words for witnessing:

  • "praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: 19 on my behalf, that utterance (words) may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News" (Ephesians 6:18-19).


Yes, God will put words into our minds. For an in depth explanation of this scripture click here and read 4.2b.



The Holy Spirit testifies:

  • "how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation--which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?" (Hebrews 2:3, 4).

  • "When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me" (John 15:26). Jesus is speaking.



The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of sin:

  • "if I don't go away, the Counselor won't come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don't believe in me" (John 16:7-9). (On man's sin, Christ's righteousness and coming judgement. See Romans 1:32, Psalm 119:21, John 12:32, 6:37, 44, 45, 65 and Acts 17:30-31.)


John 14:26 tells us that the "Counselor" is the Holy Spirit.



The Holy Spirit can be resisted:

  • "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit!" (Acts 7:51). God gives those who don't "acknowledge God" over to a "depraved mind" (Romans 1:21, 28) to be "without understanding" (Romans 1:31) and blinded to Jesus (John 12:37-40). They haven't "heard and learned from the father" (John 6:45). See Romans 1:18-32. They can't hear because their father is the devil (John 8:43-47, 13-55).



The Holy Spirit can be lied to: 

  • "But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit..." (Acts 5:3).



The Holy Spirit identifies God's children: 

  • "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16).



The Holy Spirit teaches:

  • "...the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don't need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him" (1 John 2:27).



The Holy Spirit reminds us of Gods words: 

  • "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you" (John 14:26). Jesus is speaking. Yes, the Holy Spirit can cause us to remember God's words. All of the words of Jesus were from the Father (John 12:49).


Prayerful Observation:

Some may wonder if the comments of Jesus in John 14:26 apply only to the eleven disciples that Jesus was speaking with or to believers in general. In other words, will the Holy Spirit remind believers today of all the Jesus said? I looked to the Lord to answer this question. If the promise of 14:26 only applied to the eleven, then the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit (14:16-26) only applied to the eleven. That is absolutely incorrect (1 Corinthians 6:19). But there is more proof that the Holy Spirit reminds all believers of all that Jesus said: 


John 14:26 is part of a long conversation that began in 13:1. In John 14:19 Jesus said, "Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me."  When Jesus said that "Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more" He referred to his crucifixion. But after the crucifixion, the risen Christ appeared to more than just the eleven. He was seen by many believers, over five hundred brothers and sisters at just one particular time (1 Corinthians 15:6). So, it is clear that when Jesus said "you will see me", he meant believers in general, not just the eleven. So, in 14:26, when he said that the Holy Spirit "will remind you of all that I said to you"... "you" refers to all believers, rather than only the eleven. So, yes, the Holy Spirit will remind all believers today of all that Jesus said to all believers before His crucifixion. 



The Holy Spirit leads:

  • "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God" (Romans 8:14).



The Holy Spirit directs and warns:

  • "Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS" (Hebrews 3:7, 8).



The Holy Spirit intercedes for us:

  • '"In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered" (Romans 8:26).



Man's conscience testifies in the Holy Spirit:

"I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 9:1).


Prayerful Observations:
If the conscience communicates "in the Holy Spirit", then such communication comes through the Holy Spirit. The ideas communicated through conscience "in the Holy Spirit" are  true and correct. To say otherwise would be to say that falsehood is communicated "in the Holy Spirit." If ideas communicated "in the Holy Spirit" are true and correct, this can only be because the Holy Spirit makes them so... either generating or controlling those ideas. In other words, the Holy Spirit speaks to us through our conscience. 


We should Pray in the Holy Spirit:

  • "But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 1:20).


Prayerful Observations:
What does it mean to pray in the Holy Spirit? According to the above scriptures, the Holy Spirit prophesies, preaches and teaches through men. He speaks through us, provides words for witnessing, testifies,  reminds us of scripture, leads, warns, intercedes and speaks to us through our conscience. If He can prophesy, preach, teach, witness and etc through men, wouldn't he give us the words to pray? Galatians 2:20 states, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." If that is true, then wouldn't Christ give me the words to pray?

Jesus said, "I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." Since Jesus didn't speak on his own initiative but only spoke words the Father gave him, would our prayers be any different? Wouldn't Jesus who is in us, give us the words of the Father through the Holy Spirit, to tell us what to pray? Why would Jesus be in us if not to communicate to us.

Since God gives us words for witnessing (Ephesians 6:19), wouldn't he give us the words to pray? 

I often tell God that I don't know what to pray and then ask Him to give me the words to pray. Romans 8:26 comes close to expressly stating this, "we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered." So, if the Holy Spirit "makes intercession" (prays) for us when we don't know how to pray, wouldn't he at times give us those same words to pray as well?


If the Holy Spirit speaks to us through our conscience (Romans 9:1), isn't He telling us what to pray? Isn't He telling us exactly what sins to confess to the Father? 


So, I suggest that "praying in the Holy Spirit" is to come into the presence of God who is within us by faith, and pray the prayers according to God's will, which the Holy Spirit leads us to pray. In the Endorsed Prayers, we are told what to pray. So, we can come into God's presence by faith, and pray the Endorsed Prayers. That would surely be "praying in the Holy Spirit"!
"the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS"
 Hebrews 3:7, 8

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