13 Amazing Ways the Power of the Holy Spirit Works in You
The person and power of the Holy Spirit was first seen at the dawn of creation when by His power the entire world came into being. (Genesis 1:1-2)
In the OT the Holy Spirit’s power was seen when He empowered men to do the will of God. He worked in them and through them to accomplish things they normally would not have been able to do.
But this power wasn’t permanent. (Psalm 51:11)
Then came the NT.
After Jesus ascended to Heaven the Holy Spirit descended to be with us. Permanently.
Because of Jesus’s death on the cross, the Holy Spirit and His power now dwells within every believer.
Jesus saved us.
So, the Holy Spirit could live in us.
That is the purpose and power of the Holy Spirit.
But His power also works in us in many different ways.
- Is the Holy Spirit the power of God?
- What does the Holy Spirit do?
- What is the power given by the Holy Spirit?
- 1) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . convicts us.
- 2) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . heals us.
- 3) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . creates new life in us.
- 4) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . teaches us.
- 5) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . produces fruit in our life.
- 6) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . helps us.
- 7) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . equips us.
- 8) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . enables us.
- 9) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . influences everything.
- 10) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . unites us.
- 11) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . imparts love.
- 12) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . gives hope.
- 13) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . guides our prayers.
- Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Is the Holy Spirit the power of God?
The Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Jesus. They all work together in perfect harmony and unity as the triune God.
Because God is three in one, the power of God is also the power of the Holy Spirit.
Christians often tend to either over-empathize or under-empathize the power of the Holy Spirit in us.
We either make too much of a deal about His power and the gifts He has given us. Or we make too little of them and ignore Him.
And neither way is correct.
What does the Holy Spirit do?
Did you know the Holy Spirit helped Jesus?
This isn’t something we often think about. But Jesus wasn’t on His own even while on Earth.
The Father guided Him. And the Holy Spirit:
- Filled Him (Luke 4:1)
- Led Him (Luke 4:14)
- And empowered Him to do the Father’s will (Matthew 12:28).
The Holy Spirit can do the same things for us. He can fill us, lead us, and work in and through us to accomplish the Father’s will.
Because His goal is to make us more like Jesus.
Who carried out the Father’s will perfectly.
What is the power given by the Holy Spirit?
There are many amazing ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Let’s look at 13 of them. The power of the Holy Spirit:
- Convicts us.
- Heals us.
- Creates new life in us.
- Teaches us.
- Produces fruit in our life.
- Helps us.
- Equips us.
- Enables us.
- Influences everything.
- Unites us.
- Imparts love.
- Gives hope.
- Guides our prayers.
Wow, that is A LOT. And if we take an even closer look at these things, we find that the Holy Spirit’s power is nothing short of amazing!
1) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . convicts us.
Many people talk about having a “conscience” but for the believer, it is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that reveals the sins we need to confess.
The more we fight Him, the more we feel the weight of it.
But if we confess our sins, we are forgiven and set free.
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
-Psalm 32:3 NLT
2) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . heals us.
The healing power of the Holy Spirit is found first when we become believers and receive the ultimate healing from our sins. And when we pray for healing, it is His power that heals and restores our bodies.
But He also works in our everyday life to heal us from the hurts of this world.
He is the One who brings Scriptures to mind to encourage us. Who plays that song on the radio at just the right time. Or who convinces our friend to send us that text . . . with the exact words we needed to hear.
All to bring us comfort and healing.
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord . . .”
-Jeremiah 30:17 NIV
3) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . creates new life in us.
Jesus’s work on the cross justified us before the Father. And now the transforming power of the Holy Spirit sanctifies us.
Sanctification is the process where we are changed from the inside out to look more like Jesus.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
To create a new life in us. A new life that looks more and more like Jesus.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
-2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
4) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . teaches us.
The Holy Spirit is the One who opens our eyes to God’s Word and helps us to understand Scripture.
If you have ever read the Bible and felt like a verse leaped off the page at you . . . then you have experienced the Holy Spirit’s power working to make the Bible come alive for you.
He is also the One who helps us meditate on and memorize verses.
As we tuck God’s Word away in our hearts, the Holy Spirit can bring those verses to our minds at just the right time when we desperately need them.
5) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . produces fruit in our life.
Because the Holy Spirit’s goal is to make us more like Jesus and sanctify us, He works to produce good fruit in our lives.
He helps us to stop living in sin and instead live honest, holy lives before Him.
And notice the verse below says “fruit” not “fruits.”
These characteristics are not individual things we need to work on. But rather they are ALL a vital part of our ongoing transformation as we let the Holy Spirit’s power work in our lives.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
-Galatians 5:21-23 NIV
6) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . helps us.
When we take the time to listen to the Holy Spirit’s still, small voice we find the guidance we need in our busy, everyday lives.
His voice is the one that encourages us to do something kind. To pray for people. Or to speak up and encourage someone.
When we listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice, He helps us live life well.
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
-Isaiah 30:21 NIV
7) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . equips us.
The Holy Spirit helps us do God’s will. He equips us with gifts that can be used in ministry.
Gifts like:
- Evangelism
- Speaking
- Writing
- Hospitality
- Leading
- Serving
- Encouraging
- Wisdom
- Discernment
- And so much more.
So, think about the things you love to do. And then think about how you could use those gifts to honor God.
And if you aren’t sure, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the gifts He has given to you . . . and how He wants them to be used.
But don’t just think about the big things . . . also keep in mind all the little things you can do every day.
Because every little thing we do can be used for God’s glory.
8) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . enables us.
The Holy Spirit working in us is what enables us to be bold witnesses for Jesus. By giving us valiant confidence.
And courageous mountain-moving faith. (Matthew 17:20)
After Jesus’s death on the cross, the disciples were afraid. But after the Holy Spirit came to indwell them, they became brave.
Brave enough to stand up for God.
To fearlessly build His church in the face of tremendous opposition. While remaining undaunted by threats of torture and martyrdom.
The power of the Holy Spirit is what helped them:
- Keep going.
- Keep trying.
- Keep fighting the good fight.
- And keep the faith . . . even when life got hard.
And He can help us, too.
9) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . influences everything.
It is the Holy Spirit who softens hearts and opens minds. He is the One who changes the course of world events for God’s purposes.
You can see the restraining power of the Holy Spirit in the fact that there are many good things in this world.
Because He keeps evil from completely taking over.
He restrains the devil and demons from totally devastating everything. Until the day when Christ returns and they will be destroyed forever.
10) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . unites us.
There is power in numbers and the Holy Spirit can bring that power to the church.
While we may have different ideas on theology, worship styles, or how a church service should look, it is our love of Jesus that unites us.
There is no specific religion, denomination, race, or ideology at the foot of the cross.
There is just amazing grace, boundless mercy, and relentless love that is available to ALL who would confess their sins and accept Jesus as their Savior.
And that is what is most important.
11) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . imparts love.
It is the Holy Spirit who helps us understand how much God loves us.
He reveals all the little ways God gives us grace every day. Shows us all the little things God does to care for us.
And helps us feel God’s passionate love for us deep in our hearts.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”
-Ephesians 3:16-18 NLT
12) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . gives hope.
No matter what we go through, we are not alone. And that gives us hope.
God is right here with us.
Because His Holy Spirit lives within us. To comfort, guide, and help us.
He can do things we cannot do. And He has promised to work ALL things out for our good.
So, no matter what we face. Even when we can’t see what God is doing. We can trust the Holy Spirit is still working.
We may not understand, but our God has a plan.
And He is right by our side, the entire time.
13) The Power of the Holy Spirit . . . guides our prayers.
We often don’t know what to pray for, and yet in those moments, the Holy Spirit takes over.
He steps before God’s throne and prays for us.
Which is both humbling and amazing.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
-Romans 8:26 NIV
Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
So, what does it mean to live by the power of the Holy Spirit?
Well, when we are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will see a real change in our lives. We will notice a difference.
We will find ourselves becoming more kind, loving, and patient. We will look forward to our quiet time with God.
We will worship and praise God more. We will notice people and look for ways to help.
But operating in the power of the Holy Spirit isn’t something that happens naturally.
It is something we have to seek. Something we have to practice and work at.
This is why the Bible encourages us to continually ask the Holy Spirit to fill us.
And as He does, we will become more and more like Jesus.
Which is exactly what people need.
Because with the the power of the Holy Spirit living in you . . . you can shine the light of Jesus into this dark and broken world.
A world that desperately needs to know . . . the reason for the hope you have!
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