The Holy Spirit Guides

In John 16:13-15, Jesus said the Holy Spirit will guide us into truth, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13).

The word “guide” means “to show the way.” The Holy Spirit promises to be a “guide” for us. He promises us to take us into God-honoring places. He promises to help us discern the will of God.

One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to answer that question, “What is God’s will for my life?” Let’s consider some ways we can uncover God’s will that is communicated to us through the Holy Spirit. Here are some considerations.

1. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to reveal God’s will. So, if you are not communing in His Word, it will be terribly difficult to make biblical decisions.

2. The Holy Spirit can use providence to reveal God’s will – “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). Everything, even the smallest details, is done for a providential reason. Instead of waiting for God to whisper in your ear, look around at providential circumstances.

3. The Holy Spirit might “open a door” to reveal God’s will. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch praying for the Lord to send them somewhere to preach the Gospel. The Lord opened the door for them to go to Cyprus. An open door could be a sign of God’s will. However, don’t “bank” on an open door always being God’s will. Having an open door is not always evidence that God is leading you there. Jonah got an open door to Tarshish, but it wasn’t God’s will.

4. The Holy Spirit can use wise people to reveal God’s will. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Usually, we know getting wise advice is good, but too often we seek out those people who are going to give us favorable advice or what we want to hear? A teenager might ask another teenager if he should follow His parent’s instructions. Use those objective, wise people around you who will “shoot straight” and tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear.

5. The Holy Spirit may use peace to reveal God’s will. Perhaps you are praying to know His direction, and you just feel “at ease” about a particular direction. You have that peace that bypasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

6. The Holy Spirit uses prayer to reveal God’s will. “⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8). If you ask God to make His will known, but then question whether or when it comes, James says you aren’t going to get your answer easily. The man who hears God’s will in prayer asks with great confidence that God will answer it in due time.

This is what the Spirt does: He guides, leads, and shows us God’s will.