So very many things come to mind/spirit/self! Just where to start?
These practical ways to communicate with the Spirit will help you sense the powerful presence of God and elevate your spiritual journey. Following Jesus is much more meaningful and satisfying when you sense God’s presence through the Holy Spirit. You can feel the power of love, peace, and joy in your life – and it starts with talking and hearing the Spirit of God.
How do you talk to the Holy Spirit? What do you say or do in response to the still small voice? How do you know if you’re actually communicating with the Holy Spirit, or if it’s just your own thoughts?
How do I talk to The Holy Spirit? I want to be more spiritual and feel The Presence of Jesus?
There is no “one size fits all” answer, strategy or tip because of The Nature of God. Not only is God bigger and more powerful than anything we can conceive, He also has a personal relationship with each one of us. And it begins with sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Below are the three ways I talk to the Holy Spirit right now, at this point in my life. After my tips for deepening a relationship with Spirit, I’ll share a few insights from pastor Ken Shigematsu’s book Survival Guide for the Soul.
3 Simple Ways to Communicate With the Holy Spirit
My favorite time and place for sensing Spirit is upon waking, having everything feel fresh, clean and new.
I say “Good Morning!” to The Holy Spirit every morning. I read the Bible, write to God in my journal, and try to praise Him more than pray to Him for stuff. I want my morning quiet time to be about Jesus and Who He is, not what He’s done for me (or what I want Him to do for me). I practice listening and just becoming aware of God’s Presence, instead of trying to communicate with The Holy Spirit.
1. Greet the Holy Spirit as an Essence in you always, every morning
“If you Love me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask The Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is The Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.” – John 14:15-17. The ancient Greek word parakletos (Holy Spirit in English) can also be translated as Helper, Counselor, or Advocate. The Holy Spirit is a person Who serves as a bridge between us and God. The Holy Spirit advocates, helps, strengthens, advises, defends, mediates, intercedes, comforts and consoles us. He tells the truth about Who God is, where Jesus is leading, and how we should respond.
How do you see The Holy Spirit? I have a picture in my mind of what the Holy Spirit looks like. It took me years to realize it was The Holy Spirit — I just thought it was a figment of my imagination, an Essence within me – form. Radiating peace, warmth and Love. I am comforted and consoled, strengthened, helped, advised and lifted up in spirit! It is how I experience The Holy Spirit, which helps me talk to Him. I see Him as a person now, not just an “it.”
2. Allow yourself to feel whatever you feel in God’s Presence
“If you Love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.” – John 14:15-17. Communicating with the Holy Spirit is scary and even painful! It’s hard to hear the truth about God, yourself, others, and the world. Facing the truth about your sin, brokenness, failures and weaknesses will throw you into a pit of despair…unless you rely on the Holy Spirit to console, strengthen, inspire and encourage you.
What do you sense when you enter God’s presence? The first few times I truly felt like I was communicating with The Holy Spirit in The Presence of God, I almost fell to my knees. I was right beside my desk praying and felt like I needed to lay down. I was communicating with The Holy Spirit — and once I literally fell to my knees and fell prostrate and prayed. God’s Presence terrifies me. I felt like I was untethered from the world, from reality, from this Earth…I was scared I was going crazy. But then I realized I had to become untethered from this world in order to be truly tethered to God. And so I let go. I let myself feel like I was having an emotional and mental breakdown. I leaned on The Holy Spirit and let Him carry me through the storm. And I survived to tell about it!
3. Practice hearing what The Holy Spirit says through your inner sense of direction (not the world)
“If you Love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask The Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is The Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.” – John 14:15-17. Jesus said we know The Holy Spirit because He is in us and will be with us. No matter where we go or what we face, The Holy Spirit is closer than our own hearts, souls, spirits, minds. The Holy Spirit isn’t an external force to call down, or an “it” to be idolized. The Holy Spirit is a person who wants to talk to us, and is always available and active.
Communicating with The Holy Spirit is like communicating with the deepest, wisest, most authentic part of yourself. The best way to talk to The Holy Spirit is to be silent, give Him time and space to speak, and write down what you think He is saying. I rarely hear voices in my head saying stuff like “Start blog called ‘Echoing Jesus’ and a newsletter called ‘Echoes of the Spirit’”! Rather, I feel a sense that I should do something, say something, go somewhere.
3. Practice hearing what the Holy Spirit says through your inner sense of direction (not the world)
“If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.” – John 14:15-17. Jesus said we know the Holy Spirit because He is in us and will be with us. No matter where we go or what we face, the Holy Spirit is closer than our own hearts, souls, spirits, minds. The Holy Spirit isn’t an external force to call down, or an “it” to be idolized. The Holy Spirit is a person who wants to talk to us, and is always available and active.
Communicating with the Holy Spirit is like communicating with the deepest, wisest, most authentic part of yourself. The best way to talk to the Holy Spirit is to be silent, give Him time and space to speak, and write down what you think He is saying. I rarely hear voices in my head saying stuff like “Start blog called ‘Echoing Jesus’ and a newsletter called ‘Echoes of the Spirit’”! Rather, I feel a sense that I should do something, say something, go somewhere.
The Holy Spirit talks to us differently because we have unique relationships with God and Jesus Christ. One thing remains the same for all believers, though. Good, strong, healthy communication with the Holy Spirit is based on a long-term relationship. It takes time to build a good relationship. Time, effort, attention, honesty, consistency…and silence.
Are you flourishing spiritually?
In Survival Guide for the Soul: How to Flourish Spiritually in a World that Pressures Us to Achieve, Pastor Ken Shigematsu encourages Christians to meditate.
“The goal of meditation is to open our soul, mind, and body to the quiet work of the Holy Spirit so that we become more attentive to God’s movements within and around us,” writes Shigematsu. “Just as physically exercising for a day won’t make a difference in our health, meditating for a day won’t create any lasting changes for us. But if we incorporate meditation into the rhythm of our lives, it will transform our way of being in the world.”
“We must take time to be silent and to contemplate, especially those of us who live in big cities…where everything moves so fast…” said Mother Teresa. “I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks.”