As anyone who has been living a Christian life can tell you, the holy spirit is an important figure in our faith. Also known as the spirit of God or the holy ghost, he guides us every day in our walk of faith. But how can you feel the holy spirit in your everyday life?
What does the Holy Spirit feel Like?
You can feel the spirit of God in several different ways – you can have an emotional experience or a kind of physical feeling. One of the most common ones is a feeling of overwhelming peace, reverence, and gratitude (Galatians 5:22-23) – after all, Christ Jesus himself is regarded as the prince of peace.
However, sometimes you will feel the spirit of the Lord as a weakening of your knees or an urge to burst into tears of joy.
The holy ghost can even feel like a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:28-29). As such, it can fill you with a boldness that you’ve never had before – you can even feel a tingling sensation or a burning in the pit of your stomach.
It’s therefore not surprising that in the book of Acts, the disciples were so filled with the power of the holy spirit during Pentecost that they were ready to spread God’s word during such a hard time.
Another way that you can feel the holy spirit is through a nudge or tug – this can even turn into a still small voice. This little voice usually tries to guide you in your daily life and can get louder in a particular situation but softer in others.
How to feel the Holy Spirit when praying
One of the most common times to feel the presence of the holy spirit is during prayer. This is particularly common when we surrender to God while praying and allow the experience to be a two-way conversation. However, this can only happen if we are more concerned with hearing God’s voice than leading the conversation.
How do you open your heart to the Holy Spirit?
If we truly want to open our own hearts to the spirit of God, the first thing we need to do is start praying more frequently. This allows us to spend more time with God and listen to him. After all, even the disciples were praying fervently in the upper room during the arrival of the spirit of truth.
Another important thing you can do to open your heart to the spirit of God is to worship him in earnest. When doing this, you are usually vulnerable with God and being authentic. This allows him to meet you where you are and move you closer toward him.
What are the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit?
According to Isaiah 11:1-2, the 7 different gifts of the holy spirit are:
Fear of the Lord
This gift of the holy spirit makes us want to please God and flee from sin. It particularly makes us hate sin and evils like pride and arrogance (Proverbs 8:13). Beyond that, it helps us live long and prosperous lives.
It’s therefore not surprising that the bible characters who feared the Lord were blessed and even protected. A great example is Joseph – even though his brothers betrayed and abandoned him, he still helped them when they needed food.
Ultimately, the fear of God helped him do the right thing even when it was easier to do the wrong one.
Wisdom
If there’s one good thing that goes hand in hand with the holy ghost and the fear of God, it’s wisdom. Even Proverbs 9:10 tells us that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom. Ultimately, it is this wisdom that we receive from God that further compels us to seek him and live for him.
After all, his ways are higher than our ways and his wisdom is greater than ours (1 Corinthians 1:25). It’s therefore not surprising that even King Solomon asked God for wisdom – he acknowledged that God was the source of true wisdom (1 Kings 3:9).
And in the abundant nature of God, he added wealth and honor to King Solomon as well.
Understanding
This gift of the holy spirit allows you to understand the word of God, even when others don’t. Moreover, it helps you see ordinary situations from God’s perspective. As such, it makes it difficult for someone to lead you astray by pretending to be God’s messenger.
When you have understanding, you know God’s voice personally and are not easily confused by all the conflicting narratives in the culture of your time. As John 10:27 reminds us, God’s sheep know his voice and follow him everywhere.
Knowledge
The gift of knowledge allows you to explore God’s word and get revelations about it. Beyond that, it allows you to recognize that there are some mysteries you don’t understand and may never do so.
Counsel
This gift allows us to consistently and accurately tell between the wrong and right thing and go after the latter. In this way, it helps us avoid sin and live morally upright lives.
Fortitude
Fortitude gives us the courage to do the right thing. Also, it helps us persevere, have faith, and overcome when we’re going through a tough time. Ultimately, fortitude will help you get through all the ups and downs of the Christian life.
Piety
In layman’s terms, piety is the act of being devoted to God. It involves understanding that we are all God’s children and should therefore trust him with even our lives. This quality allows us to serve him wholeheartedly and pray ceaselessly.
What are the 9 manifestations of the holy spirit?
Beyond the spiritual gifts that the holy ghost can bestow on you, it can also manifest itself in unexpected ways. Remember, a spiritual manifestation is physical evidence of the spirit of God – it clearly illustrates the presence of the spirit in a person or particular situation.
As such, it’s not just a feeling. Instead, it’s something tangible that can be noticed by everyone involved. Ultimately, the apostle Paul outlines the 9 manifestations of God’s spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 as :
Word of Wisdom
This is a word of divine wisdom – it points to the fact that God’s spirit will let you know what to say in different situations. This aligns with what Christ Jesus said in Luke 12:12.
It also explains his ability to wisely answer all the questions he was asked by his followers and enemies, even when they were designed to trap him.
A good example of him doing this is in Matthew 22:21. In this scripture verse, he tells the Pharisees to give Caesar what belongs to him after they asked him whether they should pay taxes.
Word of knowledge
This is a word of truth that doesn’t originate in the natural mind. It is a revelation of facts and usually comes when you need it the most. It can allow you to suddenly know when and how to help others, even if they haven’t told you about their specific problem.
It can even tell you to do something that eventually ends up protecting you from unexpected danger. Our Lord Jesus Christ even exemplified the word of knowledge when he met the Samaritan woman at the well and pointed out that even the man she lives with isn’t her husband.
Faith
Even if you usually have a little bit of doubt, God’s presence can make you have unshakeable faith – this is usually quite sudden and helps you accomplish many amazing things.
For instance, when Peter was gripped by faith, he could walk in water towards Jesus. However, he began to drown immediately after he took his eyes off Christ and let doubt creep in.
Gifts of healing
The presence of God can facilitate a lot of miraculous healings. After all, even Jesus healed people with the help of the holy spirit. Moreover, followers of Jesus still heal others in his name up to this day.
Working of miracles
Another manifestation of God’s spirit is the power to perform miracles. These can include exorcisms and even multiplying food. Some followers of Jesus can even bring others back from the dead.
After all, once you receive the holy ghost, you can do a lot of what Jesus did. This is because you become a son of God, just like him (Romans 8:14-16).
Prophecy
The gift of prophecy is part of the holy spirit’s manifestation. This is the power to tell the future and sometimes even the past. Someone who can prophesy can even tell you the plans that God has for you and the role you have to play in their fruition.
Discerning of spirits
This is the ability to tell different spirits apart, even when they seem similar. A person with this ability can easily identify a false prophet or liar. Ultimately, their instincts about people and the principles that govern their lives are usually right.
Divers kinds of tongues
This is one of the most misunderstood manifestations of the holy ghost. It involves being able to speak unknown languages. People with this ability commonly use it during prayer, praise, or worship.
However, they can also use it as a way to give instructions to other members of the church.
Interpretation of tongues
Another commonly misunderstood manifestation of the spirit is the ability to interpret new tongues. People with this ability can help translate anything that those who speak in tongues say.
What are the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit?
When the spirit lives in you, it births several fruits. That’s why Matthew 7:15-20 tells us that you shall know a true prophet through their fruits. So if you’re wondering what to look out for, here is a list of the 12 fruits of the holy spirit:
Goodness
Kindness
Generosity
Self-control
Peace
Joy
Charity
Patience
Gentleness
Modesty
Chastity
Faithfulness
Ultimately, all these qualities are outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 and are cumulatively referred to as the fruit of the spirit.
5 ways the Holy Spirit helps us
Just like Christ Jesus and the heavenly father have specific roles to play in our lives, the spirit of the truth has its role. It works to:
Convict us
Conviction is the main work of the spirit. It’s what God sends to us when we get saved so that we can get convicted and start changing our ways. That’s why the holy spirit always seems to nudge us into the will of God.
In John 16:7-8, Jesus himself tells his followers that the promised holy spirit will come and convict them and lead them to righteousness.
Sanctify us
Apart from convicting us and pointing us to righteousness, the holy ghost guides us throughout the entire process of sanctification. That’s why it eventually gives birth to qualities like kindness and goodness. Ultimately, it’s the holy spirit’s work to make you Christ-like.
Bring us together
If there’s one thing to remember about spiritual experiences, it’s that they have a way of bringing people together. Even members of the early church drew closer to each other after the arrival of the spirit of the Lord (Acts 4:32). Ultimately, God’s spirit births the love of Christ in us and unifies us as believers.
Testify for Jesus
Another way that God’s spirit works in us is by giving us the boldness to spread God’s word. As 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, God gives us a spirit of power and love instead of that of fear.
Guide us to the truth
As John 16:13 tells us, the holy spirit guides us to the truth. This scripture verse reminds us that God is the source of all truth and that he uses his spirit to relay that to us. Ultimately, the spirit of the Lord can even tell us about the things to come.
Final thoughts
When it comes down to it, being vulnerable and open is key to feeling the holy spirit. Keep in mind though – each person feels the spirit differently!
