The Holy Spirit - can I have some please?

[OakWood]

Okay - this may seem a bit odd for me to say this now. I've been on Worthy for over a year, and I keep hearing people talk about the Holy Spirit - "the Holy Spirit told me this", "the Holy Spirit told me that", "the Holy Spirit guided me to..." and so on.

But why don't I have the Holy Spirit? I don't feel anything. What is it supposed to feel like?

 

I have absolute faith in God. I don't doubt his existence for one moment - there's too much proof around me for that. I pray and confess my sins and I think that he hears me, although to be honest, I don't think that he's answered one prayer yet, and if he has it seems to be just a coincidence.

As for this Holy Spirit stuff, well all I can say is, "what Holy Spirit?" I never felt anything enter me, or change me. If I get the Holy Spirit, how would I know? I've not experienced it, so how can I tell if I have it?

Unless of course, it's that warm, fuzzy peaceful feeling that I get sometimes after praying, and if it is, I'm worried. Because I used to get that same feeling before I was saved. I got it on any number of occasions when I felt comfortable and safe.

So, am I saved or not? I definitely believe in God, but I'm worried that he doesn't believe in me.

[OneLight]

Do you study scripture? I ask because it is not mentioned. Jesus tells us He will send us a Helper, the Holy Spirit to teach us and bring to our remembrance things Jesus spoke. IF we don't study scripture, how can the Holy Spirit bring it to our remembrance?

Faith comes through study.

Read John 14-16

[OakWood]

I study scripture, yes.

[faithink]

when you feel the holy spirit, there will be no mistaking it. you'll just know. that being said, some people feel the holy spirit more often that others, some people have a stronger experiance than others, and in my experiance, it happens you need it. just because you havent felt it yet, does not mean that you are not a christian.

 

Luke 9:49-50    49 John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us." 50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you."

 

if you are for for christ, then is a good bet that you are christian.

 

 also

 

1 Corinthians 12;1-3    Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

 

but everyone in the body of christ has a measure of faith, also in 1 Coritnthians 12      4-31

 

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized byone Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

 

the lord has given to each of us a measure of faith and a part in the body of christ.

 

Romans 12;13  ³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

 

hope this helps

[OakWood]

when you feel the holy spirit, there will be no mistaking it. you'll just know. that being said, some people feel the holy spirit more often that others, some people have a stronger experiance than others, and in my experiance, it happens you need it. just because you havent felt it yet, does not mean that you are not a christian.

 

Luke 9:49-50    49 John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us." 50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you."

 

if you are for for christ, then is a good bet that you are christian.

 

 also

 

1 Corinthians 12;1-3    Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

 

but everyone in the body of christ has a measure of faith, also in 1 Coritnthians 12      4-31

 

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized byone Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

 

the lord has given to each of us a measure of faith and a part in the body of christ.

 

Romans 12;13  ³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

 

hope this helps

 

Thanks. That was very helpful.

[ajchurney]

Okay - this may seem a bit odd for me to say this now. I've been on Worthy for over a year, and I keep hearing people talk about the Holy Spirit - "the Holy Spirit told me this", "the Holy Spirit told me that", "the Holy Spirit guided me to..." and so on.

But why don't I have the Holy Spirit? I don't feel anything. What is it supposed to feel like?

 

I have absolute faith in God. I don't doubt his existence for one moment - there's too much proof around me for that. I pray and confess my sins and I think that he hears me, although to be honest, I don't think that he's answered one prayer yet, and if he has it seems to be just a coincidence.

As for this Holy Spirit stuff, well all I can say is, "what Holy Spirit?" I never felt anything enter me, or change me. If I get the Holy Spirit, how would I know? I've not experienced it, so how can I tell if I have it?

Unless of course, it's that warm, fuzzy peaceful feeling that I get sometimes after praying, and if it is, I'm worried. Because I used to get that same feeling before I was saved. I got it on any number of occasions when I felt comfortable and safe.

So, am I saved or not? I definitely believe in God, but I'm worried that he doesn't believe in me.

A good thing to do is read John 14 to 17. Read it a few times and pay close attention to all of the things Jesus says about Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is the person of God, and has been sent in a special way to be the substitute for Jesus until He comes back bodily.

It is so important to remember that Holy Spirit (I will just say HS, ok?) is not an "it" or just some impersonal power that comes from God. He is God! 

Jesus said that it was BETTER for Him to go away so that the Spirit could come in His place. Why is this so? For one thing, Jesus could only be in one place at a time, since He lives in a body. HS does not have a body, so He can be with each one of us, all of us, at the same time. Also, since Jesus has a body, you would communicate with Him as ypu would any person, except that His words would be perfect! with HS, He is Spirit only, and actually comes to live INSIDE of every true believer. This is called the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and is mentioned very often in the New Testament. 

If you are not experiencing a relationship with HS, then you first need to seek the Lord and read His word, and ask Him in prayer point blank if you have received Him, and if you have received Him, learn more about Him from the scriptures and seek Him much more in your prayer life. Also seek out people who have a close walk with HS, and ask them what they do and how they have learned to hear Him better. Go get some books on HS, and on living intimately with God. There is an old classic book called "Practicing the presence of God"  by Brother Lawrence, dictated to another man by him centuries ago. Of course, no books can substitute for your own study of scripture, but good books bring good teaching and challenge us to be more and learn more. 

It is worth any amount of effort and time put in to get to know God more intimately through HS. He is the gift of God and the promise of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. The truth is that Jesus did not die and rise from the dead only to forgive our sins, which is amazing enough. More than this, He dealt with our sin so that a place could be made inside our born again spirit for the Holy Spirit to come inside an live with us and be with us, inside us, all of the time! This was the goal of Jesus coming to earth and going back to heaven! Jesus paid a very heavy price, his own blood, so that we could have a close and amazing relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit living in us. Christianity is not a religious system of rules and doctrines, but a real and living relationship with the triune God because of what Jesus did, and through the working of the Holy Spirit in us. This is the basis of our walk with God. We enter into this living walk by surrendering our whole life to Jesus, and He gives us HS as the seal of our salvation and the gift of God's eternal life inside us, as well as birthing a new man (woman) of spirit inside us. Read John 3 about the new birth. I know you probably have read these scriptures many times before, but read them again for total understanding about the work of the Spirit in us as Christians. 

I vibrant walk with HS is more important than trying to live by rules and principles. Holy Spirit empowers and enables us to walk in love, which never breaks any law of God!

Be greatly blessed, Andy

[OakWood]

Have you ever had hands laid on you?

 

No, I haven't.

[Sedoy]

Seek God as a person. Literally a person you could go for a walk with. The way Enoch did. Seek that with all your heart and mind. When you do find that kind of God you will find out what all those people are talking about.

God is outside of time itself so He has time for EVERYBODY!

[rebbell]

willow, God bless you.

Have you asked Him for the Holy Spirit?

Start reading the 4 gospels, giving special attention to the red letters, capital letters, and punctuation. The Holy Spirit pointed these things out to me after much seeking and reading. Seeking Him earnestly and diligently. Not another church, just JESUS.

Think about diligently a moment. If it was your child who was lost in the woods, you would not quit searching for them (diligently) until that child was found. We have to come to God as a little child knowing nothing, CRYING out "Abba FATHER".

The Word tells us if our prayers are not being answered, it is because we are praying amiss. What is self praying for or about? Is self being about God's will or self will. Praying straight from Bible scripture keeps us from praying amiss.

I talk with the Lord walking down the road, or while working on something. I am not alone, even though I am all you see. He is with me always.

Do you believe when you get there He will be there to hold your hand? or Do you believe He is holding your hand and walking every step with you right now? There is a big difference; one is a lie and the other is not.

YOU ARE SAVED!!! Don't doubt it. Jesus died for the entire worlds sins. Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess. We can have as much of Him as we want. How much of you or your time are you giving to Him?

When you get baptised in the Holy Ghost, you will know it, you will be on fire for God, the Word will start talking to you, you may have visions or spiritual dreams and people will start to hate you. They want what you have but they don't want to give up their life to have it. In order for Him to increase, I must decrease. My life is not my own, it has been bought with the price of innocent blood. That blood was shed for you, for me, for the entire world.

God bless you and you will be in my prayers tonight.

[Guest]

Okay - this may seem a bit odd for me to say this now. I've been on Worthy for over a year, and I keep hearing people talk about the Holy Spirit - "the Holy Spirit told me this", "the Holy Spirit told me that", "the Holy Spirit guided me to..." and so on.

But why don't I have the Holy Spirit? I don't feel anything. What is it supposed to feel like?

 

I have absolute faith in God. I don't doubt his existence for one moment - there's too much proof around me for that. I pray and confess my sins and I think that he hears me, although to be honest, I don't think that he's answered one prayer yet, and if he has it seems to be just a coincidence.

As for this Holy Spirit stuff, well all I can say is, "what Holy Spirit?" I never felt anything enter me, or change me. If I get the Holy Spirit, how would I know? I've not experienced it, so how can I tell if I have it?

Unless of course, it's that warm, fuzzy peaceful feeling that I get sometimes after praying, and if it is, I'm worried. Because I used to get that same feeling before I was saved. I got it on any number of occasions when I felt comfortable and safe.

So, am I saved or not? I definitely believe in God, but I'm worried that he doesn't believe in me.

 

If Jesus has your heart, you are saved. Period. That means you have the Holy Spirit also, and He works differently in everyone's life. We are also all in different places in our walks with the Lord, so one person's experience is not necessarily going to be the same as someone else's. 

 

One thing I would encourage you in is not getting hung up on what some folks tend to say about the Spirit's work in our lives. I'm not trying to run down any particular denomination here, but over the years I've seen some folks get way off track with things. There are those who make it sound like some kind of "magic carpet ride" with terms like "total surrender" and all of that kind of thing that make it sound like a Magical Mystery Tour, to borrow the lyrics of one old song. (Yes, I'm probably dating myself with that one. )  Bottom line is there is no magic carpet ride or mystery tour. Time spent with the Lord in prayer and Bible study will allow the Spirit to do His work in our lives just fine. Trying to do without time with the Lord just won't work. Our walk with the Lord is a relationship that comes with experiences as we go along the narrow road. Don't get distracted by "experiences," but mark and remember them, and keep moving forward.