“If you love me,
keep my
commands.
And
I will ask the
Father, and he
will give you
another advocate
to help you and
be with you
forever—
the Spirit
of truth. The
world cannot
accept him,
because it
neither sees him
nor knows him.
But you know
him, for he
lives with you
and will be
in you”
(John 14:15-17,
NIV).
Oh, Holy Spirit!
I need you! I
fail you all the
time by ignoring
you! I fail to
listen to your
guidance and
direction. I
fail to hear
your voice when
you are yelling
at me.
The Holy Spirit
is with me all
the time, even
when I don’t
listen to him.
It’s kind of
comical to me
that when I
don’t listen to
the Holy Spirit.
He’ll kick me in
the butt
immediately
after I mess up
and seemingly
say to me, “See,
I told you to
listen to me,
dummy.” (This is
my
interpretation
of how I feel
when the Holy
Spirit says this
to me.)
If I listen to
the Holy Spirit,
as given to me
through Jesus, I
actually do
pretty well. I
make good
decisions, I’m
led to the right
path, and I’m
overall happy.
When I don’t
listen to the
Holy Spirit, I
usually make
poor decisions,
start going down
the wrong path,
and am overall
not very happy.
It is a being
stubborn thing
for me. I like
to listen to
myself a lot
because I think
I know better
for myself or I
forget to lean
on the Holy
Spirit. When I
try to do things
my way, I always
fail. I’m a slow
learner.
When I shut-up
and listen, I
can hear the
Holy Spirit
pretty well. But
there is a lot
of noise in my
life and in the
world I live in
blocks me from
shutting-up and
listening to the
Holy Spirit.
The Holy
Spirit is my
teacher and I’m
the student. But
like I was in
school, I wasn’t
very good at
listening. I do
a lot better now
than I used to
and I’m not
embarrassed to
say that I
still,
sometimes, or a
lot of
times─don’t let
the Holy Spirit
lead me as I
should let Him.
I really need
the Holy Spirit.
I recognize that
I need the Holy
Spirit all the
time. It’s just
that my
stubbornness of
thinking─thinking
that I know
better gets in
the way of my
listening to His
teachings and
guidance. I’m
doing better
than I used to
(I hope). In my
early walk with
Jesus, I had a
hard time
listening to the
Holy Spirit─that
voice in my head
and in my heart
that led me to
what I needed to
do, to listen
to, and needed
to be obedient
to.
The Holy Spirit
will never guide
me down the
wrong path or
toy with me. The
Holy Spirit is
there to guide
me in my walk
with Jesus and
to impart to me
the knowledge I
need to make it
in this fallen
world. I think
that’s my
problem; it’s
this fallen
world that I’m
stuck in that
blinds me at
times to what
the Holy Spirit
is trying to
covey to me.
In our society,
and how I was
raised, I was
expected to rely
on no one else
except myself to
make it in this
world. I learned
to not rely on
other people to
help me out
because I was
the only one who
knew what is
best for me, and
my future.
I knew
what was best
for me and
relied on myself
for support and
motivation.
This was,
of course,
before I knew
Jesus, but old
habits die,
hard.
In my (slow)
growing walk
with Jesus over
the last few
years, I have
been getting
better at
relying on the
Holy Spirit. But
I admit that I
fall back into
my old habit of
relying on
myself for
guidance and
growth. I have
this battle
daily with
myself and when
I rely on
myself, I don’t
do so well. I’d
give myself a
grade of “C” for
my reliance on
the Holy Spirit.
I’m working
myself up to a
“B” and hope
that as my walk
with Jesus
continues
throughout my
life, my grade
will rise to an
“A+.” I have
faith I can do
that, I just
have to get over
“myself” first.
Before I knew
and accepted
Christ in my
life, I never
knew the Holy
Spirit. My life
was going pretty
well. I was
making good
money, had the
house, a wife,
the kids, the
whole nine
yards, in a
worldly kind of
way. Only when I
accepted Christ
and began
walking with Him
was I introduced
to the Holy
Spirit. It was
quite an
eye-opener to
have Him in my
life.
I can look back
now and see how
much the Holy
Spirit tried to
move me in my
early walk. I
can also see the
patience the
Holy Spirit has
had with me as I
look back in my
walk with Jesus.
The Holy
Spirit was
trying to nudge
me a little
closer to Jesus
each day. As I
was growing in
my relationship
with Christ, the
Holy Spirit was
right there with
me, a little
nudge here, a
big nudge there,
and powerful
insights when I
listened.
I find that when
I focus on
listening to the
Holy Spirit, I
am greatly
blessed. When I
read the Word
and ask for the
Holy Spirit to
help me study
and understand
the Word, the
Bible’s
teachings seem
so much more
enriching than
when I just sit
down and read it
on my own
without asking
the Holy Spirit
to help me
understand the
words as I read
them.
When I write
these
commentaries, I
find that when I
just try to
write something
on my own, I end
up not writing
very good
commentaries and
you never see
them because I
delete them. But
when I ask for
the Holy Spirit
to give me words
or direction,
words seem to
flow from my
fingers so much
easier.
I guess I can
say when I focus
on the Holy
Spirit I am good
at
listening─when
it comes to the
“big” things in
life that relate
to the Word or
Jesus. I find I
struggle with
listening to the
Holy Spirit in
the little
things of life.
I know this is
an area where I
need some work.
Am I saying I
need to ask the
Holy Spirit what
I should eat for
breakfast: eggs
or oatmeal? No,
but I do need to
rely on the Holy
Spirit for
everyday
decisions that
have future
consequences.
For me, as an
example, I’m
bipolar. When
I’m in a mood
cycle I’m prone
to make frequent
financial
mistakes. I
think I know
best and I
hastily purchase
things I don’t
need or make
financial
commitments that
I come to
regret. I always
find myself
thinking
afterwards
(buyers regret)
that I should
have prayed for
guidance from
the Holy Spirit.
Yet, when
I look back, I
knew the Holy
Spirit was
there, but my
messed up
thinking
interfered with
what I was doing
in the moment
and I was deaf
to the Holy
Spirit talking
to me.
I’ve recently
been making a
conscience
decision to ask
for the Holy
Spirit’s
guidance more
than I have done
in the past. It
is very
comforting that
when I do ask
for guidance, my
heart and mind
are led to
decisions that I
would have
otherwise not
made based on my
own thoughts and
desires.
I find
this relieving
in a way I
really can’t
explain. When I
put decisions
for guidance
through prayer,
I find the
burden of the
decision is
lifted off my
mind because I
know the answer
(sometime I
don’t like the
answer) will be
correct, true,
and right.
I find that when
I pray and wait
and listen for
the Holy
Spirit’s
guidance for
decisions I need
to make, I’m not
as stressed or
worried about
what to do,
because I know
that the Holy
Spirit is
working things
out for me for
the best and in
a direction to
take me to the
right decision
or guidance. I
have also
learned to be
more patient.
I used to want
the answer,
“right now!”
Yet, I have
learned to be
patient on
waiting for the
Holy Spirit’s
direction for
me. Instead of
demanding an
answer right
away, I can
trust that the
answer or
guidance will
come to me at
the time that it
is needed.
I can
feel in my heart
and mind when
the guidance is
provided because
I feel an
overwhelming
feeling of
absoluteness
when I ask for
direction on
finances, work
related issues
or family and
church concerns.
It is quite
refreshing,
actually. Again,
though, this is
an area where I
am still growing
and need the
Holy Spirit to
work on me with.
Waiting for the
Holy Spirit’s
guidance occurs
when I’m
cognizant of
what I’m doing
and when I don’t
forget to rely
on myself for
answers.
I’m sure there
are more
Christians out
there that do
better than me
at listening to
the Holy Spirit
and His
guidance. I’m
sure there are
Christians who
are the same as
me, or worse. To
me, this is part
of the walk with
Christ and
people are at
different stages
in their walk
with Jesus and
being attuned to
the voice of the
Holy Spirit.
To the
unbeliever, the
Holy Spirit is a
big mystery.
Those of us in
the walk with
Jesus can
understand that
the Holy Spirit
was a mystery
before being
saved. If you
want that
guidance, if you
want the Holy
Spirit to guide
you, you need
Jesus. Once you
accept Christ in
your life (or
maybe you need
to renew your
walk with
Christ), the
Holy Spirit will
come to you to
guide you to
Jesus and in
your studies in
the Word.
Accept Christ
and the Holy
Spirit will
guide you to
discern right
from wrong, to
know what Jesus
wants for you,
and how you
should walk in
your journey
with Christ. The
Holy Spirit is
the amazing gift
from Christ that
enables us to
walk on the
straight and
narrow path to
righteousness.
If you pass on
accepting Christ
and receiving
the gift of the
Holy Spirit, you
may think you
are doing right
and living
right, but you
aren’t.
Jesus is the way
to eternal life
and the Holy
Spirit is your
own personal
guide to lead
you to saving
grace. The
moment you
accept Christ as
your Lord and
Savior, you can
open that gift
from Christ: the
Holy Spirit. You
can trust in the
Holy Spirit to
lead you to
always live for
Christ and to
walk with Christ
in a personal
relationship
with Him. Accept
this gift from
Christ today.
If you are like
me, don’t lose
faith in
listening for
the Holy Spirit.
I find that
shutting-up and
listening is a
great tool in
listening for
the Holy
Spirit’s
guidance and
teachings.
This is
something that
takes effort and
practice to hear
His voice in
your heart and
mind. Don’t give
up.
Be patient and
listen to your
heart when you
seek the Holy
Spirit for
guidance, when
you are studying
the Bible,
asking for
guidance on life
decisions or
looking for
answers to
questions you
have. The Holy
Spirit is real
and will guide
you to the right
direction Christ
has for you.
God Bless,
John Lysaught
John_lysaught@yahoo.com