The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity in Christian theology. He is believed to be active in the world, guiding and empowering believers in their walk with God. But how exactly does the Holy Spirit communicate with people? There are several key ways the Holy Spirit speaks to Christians.
The Inner Witness
One of the most common ways the Holy Spirit speaks is through an inner witness or prompting. This is a subtle inner sense or voice that seems to speak to our spirit about the rightness or wrongness of a situation. It’s not an audible voice, but a quiet inner one. Here’s an example: you might sense the inner witness of the Spirit as you read Scripture, convicting you of sin or affirming a truth you’re studying. Or you may feel the inner prompt of the Spirit when making a decision, guiding you toward one choice over another. The inner witness is one of the most frequent ways the Spirit communicates.
Scripture
The Holy Spirit also speaks to us through Scripture. As we read and study the Bible, the Spirit can impress specific verses upon us, bring conviction or encouragement, teach us, and guide us through what we’re reading. For example, you may be facing a difficult situation and a particular Bible passage stands out and speaks to your circumstances. Or when reading a Bible story, the Spirit could highlight an aspect of God’s nature or a truth about following Christ. Scripture is called the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), so the Bible is one of the Spirit’s primary instruments for speaking to His people.
Other Believers
The Holy Spirit also speaks through other Christians. This could be directly, such as a timely word of wisdom or revelation spoken by a Spirit-led believer to encourage or guide. For example, a fellow Christian may share a scripture or insight with you just when you needed to hear it most. Or the Spirit can speak through others indirectly, such as a sermon or Christian teaching that applies to your life. By using other people, the Holy Spirit can communicate exactly what you need to hear when you need to hear it.
Circumstances
Through everyday circumstances, the Holy Spirit can also speak and guide. This could come through a divine appointment, an unexpected phone call, a sudden opportunity, or a closed door that redirects your course. For instance, you may have plans to go somewhere and everything falls into place to enable it, only to have a last-minute emergency arise that prevents it – redirecting you elsewhere for God’s greater purposes. Your changed circumstance was the Spirit’s guidance. He can orchestrate events to steer our lives where He wants them to go if we’re submitted to Him.
Conviction of Sin
Another way the Holy Spirit speaks is by bringing conviction of sin and prompting repentance. When we’ve fallen into sinful attitudes, behaviors or lifestyle choices, the Holy Spirit will impress upon our conscience that something is wrong. He’ll shine His light upon an area that doesn’t align with Scripture or God’s will for our lives. The Spirit speaks this way to bring confession, correction and true heart change in the believer’s life. His conviction is not condemnation, but loving guidance back into right relationship with God.
Spiritual Gifts
There are many spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit such as prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, miracles etc. These gifts are manifestations of the Spirit’s voice. For example, someone may receive a spiritual gift of wisdom or knowledge to equip them for ministry. Or the Holy Spirit could impart a supernatural gift like prophecy or tongues to speak a timely word or enable prayer and praise. Spiritual gifts empower effective service and communication by the power of the Spirit.
Visions and Dreams
Although less common today, the Holy Spirit can speak through visions and dreams. Throughout Scripture, God spoke to people supernaturally through visions. These were usually seen while awake and could include an audible component. In dreams, a person receives spiritual input while asleep, often communicating symbolism that requires interpretation. Whether visions or dreams, the Holy Spirit can use these to directly speak a word, revelation or direction to an individual or group of believers.
Audible Voice
Though rarer, the Holy Spirit may communicate through an audible voice. This may be an inner audible impression or at times an external voice heard with our natural ears. This occurred in Scripture with the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. The audible voice spoke a clear message that Paul immediately understood and responded to. Today, believers may also at times hear the Spirit’s voice in an audible way, though we must carefully test these experiences according to Scripture.
Impressions During Prayer
Often when believers pray about an issue or decision, the Holy Spirit will respond with wisdom and impressions during the prayer time. As you’re praying, you may experience a certain direction for your prayer, a sense of what to do, or a verse, word or picture that stands out. These impressions come from the Holy Spirit communicating His guidance. However, we must judge them according to the Scriptures and good Biblical wisdom.
Acceleration of Growth
The Holy Spirit also speaks by accelerating our growth in Christ-like character, decisions and ministry fruitfulness. As we cooperate with the Spirit’s work in our lives, He will guide us on an accelerated path of spiritual development. What previously took years can now happen in months or weeks. The Spirit speaks through this rapid sanctification, using it to direct and lead us forward in His will and purpose.
What are the requirements to hear the Spirit’s voice?
While God can speak whenever He chooses, there are several requirements that help us hear and respond appropriately to the Holy Spirit’s voice:
- Being born again by repenting of sin and trusting in Christ.
- Having a close relationship with God by spending time in prayer, worship, Bible study and fellowship with other believers.
- Living in submission and obedience to God on a daily basis.
- Asking for wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit.
- Being attentive and receptive to the Spirit’s inner promptings and voice.
- Testing what we hear according to the wisdom and truths in Scripture.
- Being willing to obey what the Spirit speaks even if uncomfortable or inconvenient.
Meeting these requirements primes us to accurately perceive and obey the Spirit’s voice in our lives.
How do we know if we’re really hearing the Holy Spirit?
Because there are other voices like our flesh, the world or even demonic spirits that can deceive and mislead, it’s important to test any inner voice according to these factors:
- Agreement with Scripture – God’s Spirit will never contradict His Word. So what we hear must align with the truths and principles of the Bible.
- Conviction of Sin – The Holy Spirit, not our flesh, brings correction against sin, wrongdoing or distorted thinking patterns.
- Focus on Jesus – The Holy Spirit always points to and glorifies Jesus Christ in what is said or revealed.
- Fruit of the Spirit – The Spirit speaks words reflecting His own nature – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
- Build Up the Church – True words from the Holy Spirit will serve to build up the body of Christ locally and universally.
- Wisdom & Discernment – There is wisdom, order and balance to the Spirit’s voice. It has a heavenly ring.
- Harmony Between Believers – The Holy Spirit will bring unity and not division between Christians who are listening to His voice.
If a voice aligns with these Biblical standards, it is much more likely to be the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts. But if it fosters confusion, division, fear or sinful passions, it does not originate with the Spirit of God. Testing what we hear is crucial.
Conclusion
The Holy Spirit actively speaks to believers today, guiding us into truth and relationship with Jesus. As we develop an intimate walk with God, adhere to Biblical wisdom and listen for the Spirit’s voice, we’ll learn to discern and respond appropriately. By following the Spirit’s lead each day, we’ll experience the blessing of a Spirit-filled life and ministry.
Application Questions
Reflect on the following questions and applications:
- Which of the ways the Holy Spirit speaks to you resonates most based on your experience so far?
- What are some factors in your life that could potentially hinder your ability to hear the Spirit’s voice?
- What changes do you need to make to improve your receptivity to the Holy Spirit’s communication?
- What are some recent examples where you sensed the Holy Spirit was speaking to your heart?
- How can you get better at testing words you hear spiritually according to Scripture and godly wisdom?
As we learn to tune our spiritual ears to the Holy Spirit’s voice and consistently apply truth, we’ll find new power, purpose and intimacy in our walk with God.
