It’s An Inside Job (4)

Two things every believer should build their daily life on are: prayer and Scripture. But, while praying may be simple, it’s not always easy. We lack motivation, we’re easily distracted, and we are not always sure what we should be praying for. So, recognising our human inadequacies and short–comings, God provides help for us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Paul writes: ‘The Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father… knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us… in harmony with God’s own will.’ (Romans 8:26–27 NLT) That means, no matter how you feel when you pray, the Holy Spirit is in prayer with you and for you, transforming your weakest prayers into powerful appeals to the Father.

And when it comes to Scripture, the Word of God, the Holy Spirit’s role is equally dynamic. Jesus said, ‘When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth… He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.’ (John 16:13NIV) Note, the Holy Spirit does three things.

(1) He guides us as we study the Word of God and try to understand it.

(2) He takes what Jesus wants us to know and shows it to us.

(3) He opens our understanding about things that are still to come. No question about it, good reference books, Scripture–based resources and wise Bible teachers are necessary and helpful, but they’re no substitute when it comes to hearing from the Holy Spirit for yourself and listening carefully to what He wants to tell you.