10 ways the Holy Spirit empower us

Spiritual Growth and Christian Living Resources

10 Supernatural Ways the Holy Spirit Wants to Empower You

By Brittany Rust

“The Holy Spirit illuminates the minds of people, makes us yearn for God, and takes spiritual truth and makes it understandable to us.” –Billy Graham

The Holy Spirit is a beautiful and powerful part of who God is. We need Him in our life as a conduit to become who God created us to be, and through His power we have aid in all situations. Without Him, we are powerless.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Our first encounter with the Holy Spirit is when He convicts us of our sin, shows us that none of us can live up to the righteousness of Jesus, and reveals to us the judgment that is coming to those who die without a Savior (John 16:8-11). As we repent, confess our sins and receive the gift of Salvation the Holy Spirit regenerates our dead inner human spirit which now becomes sensitive to the spiritual things of God (John 3:1-16; Acts 2:38).There is a second work of the Holy Spirit when He baptizes a believer (Acts 2:1-4).  It's available to all (Acts 2:39) and a gift of empowerment, helping the believer to live a holy life. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, we become more like Jesus and are directed to do the Father's will. Furthermore, the gift is primarily for the empowerment to witness to others (Acts 1:8).We are encouraged to ask the Holy Spirit to fill us up on a regular basis. When you feel depleted or need strength, ask Him to replenish you (Ephesians 5:18).

It's not enough to exist with the belief that The Father and the Son are first and the Holy Spirit is secondary. They are equal and work in harmony with each other. The uniqueness of the Holy Spirit is His presence within us. Jesus said before he ascended to heaven that the Holy Spirit would come and dwell within us as a believer. With that, He empowers us to live victoriously for the cause of Christ and glory of the Father.

Here are just 10 of the supernatural ways the Holy Spirit wants to empower you today.


1. He is your Helper.

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you,” John 16:7.

When I think of the Holy Spirit, this is how I primarily think of Him: God with us, helping and empowering us to live a flourishing life that radiates the goodness of God. I don’t know about you but I’m constantly aware of my need for divine help. As my flesh fights for control, it’s the Spirit that steps in and helps me to be who God created me to be.

When you are feeling powerless or tired or like your failing at life, you can have confidence as a believer that you're not alone. You can start each day knowing the Holy Spirit is there to help you. He is the power that sustains, energizes, and keeps you on a holy path. Do not hesitate to invite Him in.


2. He sanctifies you.

“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God,” 1 Corinthians 6:11.

“Sanctified” means to be set apart as sacred. Essentially, it’s the purification of sin and spiritually maturing to become more Christlike. This is an important process for a believer--leaving behind the old and becoming a new person. But it’s a daily process, and it takes time.

The Holy Spirit wants to help you in this process of sanctification: to die to your old self and be all that God created you to be; to be free from the entanglement of sin and live victoriously.


3. He makes you more like Christ.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit,” 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Moses experienced God’s glory on the mountaintop but we have communion with Him every day! Theologian Warren Wiersbe writes,

“Moses reflected the glory of God, but you and I may radiate the glory of God. When we meditate on God’s Word and in it see God’s Son, then the Spirit transforms us! We become more like the Lord Jesus Christ as we grow ‘from glory to glory.”

Our goal is Christlikeness and this takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit. While we focused on sanctification and the diminishment of sin in the previous point, this is rather a transformation into the image of Christ.


4. He helps you to do the Father’s will.

“Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot,’"  Acts 8:29.

Throughout the New Testament we see the Holy Spirit direct people to do the will of God. He helps us tune into the voice of the Father and, in faith, do what we believe He is calling us to. Ask the Spirit to show you what the Father’s will would be for you today and ask Him to empower you to carry it out!

5. He gifts you for ministry.

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have,” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

The Holy Spirit imparts to believers gifts that are needed in the Church. Nobody receives all gifts but they are distributed among the Body of Christ, each person receiving different gifts. The gift(s) that you receive will empower you for the calling God has placed on your life. Embrace what God has put inside of you and be His instrument for Kingdom purpose!

* Additional passages of the gifts of the Spirit can be found in Ephesians 4 and Romans 12.


6. He imparts love.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us,”  Romans 5:3-5.

We find love in our suffering. As we endure trials, God’s love is poured out into us through the Spirit and it’s this empowerment that carries you and I through the hard seasons. When you are doubting this love in your difficulty, remember that the Spirit pours it into your heart.


7. He gives hope.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope,”  Romans 15:13.

Hope as God hopes. This is only possible in abundance through the power of the Holy Spirit. And it’s hope that carries people through all trials and tribulations. Hope is fuel for the soul. Tap into this by His power and experience peace among your surroundings.


8. He teaches and gives insight.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you,”  John 14:26.

The Holy Spirit will give you insight into what you are reading and furthermore, will help you recall what you’ve read in Scripture. He brings to your mind understanding and truth.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you were in a situation and a Scripture verse you read or memorized years ago popped into your head, encouraging you in that moment? That was the Holy Spirit reminding you of what you had been taught.

He empowers you with understanding and the ability to recall important verses that apply to your life.


9. He guides your prayers.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words,” Romans 8:26.

Sometimes I have no words. Or I have so much to say that I’m not sure where to start. Ever experience that?

Sometimes we don’t have to have the right words--the Holy Spirit knows just what to say. Lean into Him and allow Him to express to the Father what needs to be said.


10. He uses you for evangelism.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,”  Acts 1:8.

Telling others about Jesus and making disciples is our most important role on this earth. It’s literally the last thing Jesus said before he ascended into heaven!

Having the Holy Spirit with us means having power to be a witness. To tell people about what Jesus did for them on the cross and how he conquered death and reigns victoriously! Don’t shy away from being an advocate for Christ; it’s what you are called to do. Allow the Spirit to empower you for the Kingdom purpose of making disciples!

Brittany Rust is a writer, speaker,  website brittanyrust.com

Jesus Through the Bible.

We believe in a Christ-centered Bible. The salvation that was expected in the Old Testament is exhibited in the Gospels and then explained in the rest of the New Testament.

⛅From Genesis we learn that Jesus is the seed of the woman who will crush Satan’s head, and the son of Abraham who will bless all the nations of the earth. 

🎀From Exodus we learn that Jesus is the Passover Lamb whose blood saves us from the angel of death, and the wilderness tabernacle where God dwells in glory. 

💡From Leviticus we learn that He is the atoning sacrifice that takes away our sin. 

📌From Numbers we learn that He is the bronze serpent lifted up for everyone who looks to Him in faith.

🔊From Deuteronomy we learn that He is the prophet greater than Moses who comes to teach us God’s will.

So much for the Pentateuch.

📚What do we learn from the historical books? 

From Joshua we learn that Jesus is our great captain in the fight. From Judges we learn that He is the king who helps us do what is right in God’s eyes, and not our own. From Ruth we learn that Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer. 

From 1 and 2 Samuel we learn that He is our anointed king. 

From 1 and 2 Kings we learn that He is the glory in the temple. 

From 1 and 2 Chronicles we learn that He is the Son of David — the rightful king of Judah. 

From Ezra and Nehemiah we learn that He will restore the city of God. From Esther we learn that He will deliver us from all our enemies.

📚Then we come to the poetic writings. From Job we learn that Jesus is our living redeemer, who will stand on the earth at the last day. 

From the Psalms we learn that He is the sweet singer of Israel — the Savior forsaken by God and left to die, yet restored by God to rule the nations. From Proverbs we learn that Jesus is our wisdom. 

From Ecclesiastes we learn that He alone can give us meaning and purpose. 

From the Song of Solomon we learn that He is the lover of our souls.

📚This brings us to the prophets, whose special mission it was to prophesy about the coming of Christ. 

💖Isaiah tells that He is the child born of the Virgin, the son given to rule, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, and the servant stricken and afflicted, upon whom God has laid all our iniquity. 

♨Jeremiah and Lamentations tell us that Jesus is our comforter in sorrow, the mediator of a new covenant who turns our weeping into songs of joy.

Ezekiel tells us that the Spirit of Jesus can breathe life into dry bones and make a heart of stone beat again. 

Daniel tells us that Jesus is the Son of Man coming in clouds of glory to render justice on the earth.

⛅These are the Major Prophets, but the Minor Prophets also bore witness to Jesus Christ.

Hosea prophesied that He would be a faithful husband to His wayward people. 

Joel prophesied that before He came to judge the nations, Jesus would pour out His Spirit on men and women, Jews and Gentiles, young and old. 

Amos and Obadiah prophesied that He would restore God’s kingdom. 

Jonah prophesied that for the sake of the nations, He would be raised on the third day. 

Micah prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. 

Nahum prophesied that He would judge the world. 

Habakkuk prophesied that He would justify those who live by faith. 

Zephaniah prophesied He would rejoice over His people with singing. 

Haggai prophesied that He would rebuild God’s temple. 

Zechariah prophesied that He would come in royal gentleness, riding on a donkey, and that when He did, all God’s people would be holy. 

Malachi prophesied that before He came, a prophet would turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children.

From Genesis to Malachi, the Old Testament is all about Jesus. But of course it is in the New Testament that Jesus actually comes to save His people. Whereas the Old Testament gives us His background, the New Testament presents His biography.

💖💡💖

🎁The gospels give us the good news of salvation through His crucifixion and resurrection.

The Gospel of Matthew is that Jesus is the Messiah God promised to Israel. The Gospel of Mark is that He is the suffering servant. 

The Gospel of Luke is that He is a Savior for everyone, including the poor and the weak. 

The Gospel of John is that He is the incarnate word, the Son of God, the light of the world, the bread of life, and the only way of salvation. But all the gospels end with the same good news: Jesus died on the cross for sinners and was raised again to give eternal life; anyone who believes in Him will be saved.

🙏Then the New Testament turns its attention to the church, which is still about Jesus because the church is His body. 

The book of Acts shows how Jesus is working in the church today, through the gospel, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then come all the letters that were written to the church — letters that tell about Jesus and how to live for Him. In Romans Jesus is righteousness from God for Jews and Gentiles; 

in 1 and 2 Corinthians He is the one who unifies the church and gives us spiritual gifts for ministry. In Galatians Jesus liberates us from legalism; 

in Ephesians He is the head of the church; 

in Philippians He is the joy of our salvation; 

in Colossians He is the firstborn over all creation. 

In 1 and 2 Thessalonians Jesus is coming soon to deliver us from this evil age; 

in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus He shepherds His people; 

and in Philemon He reconciles brothers who are separated by sin. This is the gospel according to Paul.

Hebrews is an easy one: Jesus is the great high priest who died for sin once and for all on the cross and who sympathizes with us in all our weakness. 

In the epistle of James, Jesus helps us to prove our faith by doing good works. In the epistles of Peter He is our example in suffering. 

In the letters of John He is the Lord of love. 

In Jude He is our Master and Teacher. 

Last, but not least, comes the book of Revelation, in which Jesus Christ is revealed as the Lamb of God slain for sinners, Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the great Judge over all the earth, and the glorious God of heaven.

📚The Bible says that in Jesus "all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17) and this is as true of the Bible as it is of anything else. Jesus holds the whole Bible together. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God is all about Jesus, and therefore it has the power to bring salvation through faith in Him. It is by reading the Bible that we come to know Jesus, and it is by coming to know Jesus that we are saved. This is why we are so committed to God’s Word, why it is the foundation for everything we do, both as a church and as individual Christians.

We love the Word because it brings us to Christ.

Jesus Through the Bible by Philip Graham Ryken.

2005 Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Revised 2007, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. All rights reserved.

Promises of the Messiah

PROMISES OF "THE MESSIAH"

After God’s promise in Deuteronomy 18, many years passed with no prophet arising who seemed to match Moses. Yet God was not silent. He carefully guided history in the direction He had chosen. Along the way, God used prophets to give the meaning of His actions and to point ahead to what He planned. Again and again these prophets told of One to come. He would be the great King from David’s family line (2 Samuel 7; Psalm 89; Isaiah 11). He would serve as "Priest forever" (Psalm 110). Psalm 110 also spoke of this eternal Priest as David’s "Lord." This Priest and Lord would rule from the highest place, at God’s right hand. Similar prophecies showed that the coming Prophet, the coming Priest, and the coming King would be the same Person—the Messiah! 💖

IS JESUS THAT MESSIAH?

When an Israelite man was officially made a prophet or priest or king, oil was usually poured on his head. Such pouring was called "anointing," and served as a sign of the authority to lead. The Hebrew word Messiah means "His Anointed" (Psalm 2). This same word from the Greek language is Christ. Today most people who know the word "Christ" think immediately of Jesus Christ. This is because so many proofs point to Jesus as the One promised by God. Jesus fits the descriptions of the Messiah or Christ as foretold by the Old Testament prophets. Jesus also did the miracles of mighty power that we would expect of the prophet like Moses. He healed the blind, deaf and lame. He stilled storms and walked on the water. He even gave life back to the dead! At the town of Nain, Jesus met a funeral group going to bury the only son of a widow. When He saw the widow’s great sorrow, He went to the coffin. He touched it and called out, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" Many were present. They saw the boy arise from death! Luke 7:16 reports,

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ”A great prophet has arisen among us!” and ”God has visited his people!”

The people knew what they had seen. Jesus lived among them. Many were present to see His great works. Here were miraculous "signs" showing more clearly than ever the power that only the Creator has over His creation. Therefore Jesus really was "a great prophet." The people who saw these things reasoned correctly,

When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done? (John 7:31).

Here were the greatest teachings ever heard, and the greatest miracles ever seen. If Jesus was not the Christ, who could possibly do greater things?

So even at that time many realized that He had to be the Prophet (John 7:40). If so, that also meant He was the Christ. When Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem for the last time they welcomed Him as "the Son of David," "the King" and "the Prophet" (Matthew 21:8-11; Luke 19:37-38). 💡 

THE GREATEST SIGN

Jesus often foretold that He would be killed by the Jewish and Roman leaders (Matthew 16:4; 17:12,23; 20:18-19; 26:2). His death, He said, would be by crucifixion, in which a person was nailed to a wooden cross and left to die in great pain. He explained that His death would allow people to be forgiven of their sins (Matthew 20:28; 26:28). Yet, along with predictions of His death, Jesus promised that His greatest "sign" would be to return from death in just three days (Matthew 12:38-40; 17:23; John 2:19-22).

As is well-recorded by history, Jesus actually went on to fulfill that promise (Matthew 28; John 20; Acts 2)! Not even the greatest prophet, priest or king had ever dared to make such a promise for himself. And certainly none had been able to raise himself from the grave. Jesus, by God’s power, both predicted it and accomplished it. Could there be any doubt that the Prophet foretold by Moses had finally arrived?

Peter was one of the eyewitnesses of these things. He had once fled from the enemies who killed Jesus. But after Jesus had returned from death, Peter knew that death was not to be feared any longer. With the help of God’s Spirit, Peter stood before the same enemies and boldly declared,

”And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled… Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days (Acts 3:17-18; 22-24).

Peter quoted from the very passage we have studied—Deuteronomy 18. That passage, he said, looked ahead to Jesus Christ. Indeed, all the "prophets" had pointed forward to this one great Prophet! Since Jesus is the Prophet like Moses, He is now the Mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). That is why we are told, "listen to him in whatever he tells you" (Acts 3:22).

What if we fail to listen to Jesus? We miss God’s most important message for life. We bring on ourselves this terrible result:

And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people (Acts 3:23).

Such a person can no longer belong with God and His people! This is a serious matter. Our lives depend on listening carefully to the Prophet like Moses.

LET'S SUM UP

God’s fiery presence is too great for us. We cannot bear to see and hear Him in a direct way. Therefore God speaks to us through a go-between (a mediator). For the Jews at Sinai that mediator was Moses. At that time God promised Another to come, a Prophet like Moses. The New Testament proves that this new Mediator is Jesus Christ. His message must be treated with full respect if we are to have life with God and His people.

Lord Most High, You dwell in light far too bright and glorious for us. In Your love for us, You planned ahead to meet our need for a mediator. How we thank You for sending the greatest Prophet and Mediator, Jesus Christ! Help us to be open to the words You gave to Him for us… ⚠