One of the names for Holy Spirit is “Guide.” He leads us through the twist and turns of our journey. In fact, He’s probably guided you when you weren’t aware like when you find yourself at the grocery store at the perfect time to run into someone who needed your encouragement. I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe in Holy Spirit’s guidance in insignificant moments as well as the most profound.
Holy Spirit Guides Our prayers
One day as I drove down the highway desperate for peace but wrestling with worry, I heard these words come out of my mouth, “Lord, no matter what, this is going to be a blessing.” The moment the determined prayer tumbled from my lips, peace filled my car. Ya’ll, it was tangible peace. It felt like a weighted blanket of calm and assurance. Honestly, I had been such a mess the weeks before I said that prayer, I’m not sure I would’ve come up with it on my own–I mean, something in me was desperate to trust goodness even in the hard, but the presence of peace came so quickly that I knew someone smarter than I led me to pray those words of faith. I think it’s biblical.
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. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
Romans 8:28 NIV
I believe He was interceding for me that day. Perhaps my surrender was the answer to His prayer for me. “He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit. . . ” So many times we don’t know how to pray. When we’re burdened with grief, struggling with sin, or desperate for greater faith like I was that day, we don’t know what to ask.
But our prayers aren’t always for ourselves. Sometimes we find ourselves listening to a friend who needs prayer. Those are moments I find myself praying silently in my heart for Holy Spirit to lead my prayer. “Give me the words please! Show me how to pray.” That’s my silent prayer on repeat looping through my mind as I listen to my friend’s needs and hurts. We grab hands, I wait a little bit in silence, and when words form in my mind, my lips give them voice, trusting He’s leading.
he directs our paths
Holy Spirit also directs our paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 promises this.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
This promise holds a very important prerequisite. Did you see it?
Trust.
That can be hard, but the truth is we can’t follow where He’s leading if we don’t trust Him. Our mind may not be able to figure it out. Where He is guiding us may seem crazy–it makes no sense, but God is smarter than we are. His vision sees into eternity. Trusting He wants the best for us all the way to the throne room of heaven will give us the grace to follow His direction. We need only be still. If He’s not told us to move, like the Israelites who followed the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, we wait on Holy Spirit to tell us which way to go. Isaiah wrote about this:
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
He may lead to testing
Trusting Him is vital because sometimes He leads us into desert places, places of testing. Nobody wants to think about this, but it too is biblical, my friends. Jesus Himself was led into the wilderness where He faced the evil one.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted (tested) by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
Luke 4:1-2 NIV (addition mine)
Some translations use the word “tempt,” but the Greek word can also mean “test.” Jesus passed every test. He fought the enemy with God’s truth. We will go through seasons of testing, my friends. When this happens, cling to the Word. Cling to the truth of the goodness of God and His good plans for His children working all things out for good for those who love Him.
Testing is part of our faith journey, but Jesus told His disciples to pray this way:
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Luke 11: 2-4 KJV
We can pray for the Holy Spirit not to lead us to testing. But if He does, we can trust He’s working good things out. He’s growing our faith making us stronger, deeper, and more affective witnesses of His power and grace. Don’t you know that every hard thing, every desert place gives us a testimony. It’s difficult to minister affectively to others when we haven’t experienced their pain. After we’ve walked through our desert, He will lead us to those who need us to hold their hand and point them to Jesus.
Holy Spirit will guide you to ministry
Holy Spirit guides us for our own growth, but He also guides us to those who need the good news of Jesus. I love how He led Philip.
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
Acts 8:26-29 NIV
Philip ran to the chariot, heard the eunuch reading Isaiah, and asked the eunuch if he understood it. The man asked Philip to explain it. Philip’s obedience to the Spirit’s leading led to the salvation of a man who would travel home to Ethiopia and spread the good news of Jesus.
Oh that we may be sensitive to the Spirit, willing to follow where He leads. We never know the plans of ministry God has for others we’ve ministered to. Our faithfulness could reach nations our feet will never walk.
Prayer to follow
Our obedience is a prayer away. Hold my hands.
“Holy Spirit we praise you! We’re so thankful for you. Make us aware of your presence, your nudges, your wisdom, your words to pray when we don’t know what to pray. We pray you will direct our paths and not lead us to testing. But if you do, strengthen us. Remind us of the scriptures we need to fight the battle against the enemy in those desert places. And Lord, guide us to others who need Jesus. We’re so thankful you are our good, good Guide. Amen.”
Bible reading plan and weekly Instagram gathering
Join us this month to soak in scriptures on the Holy Spirit as our Guide. You can print this reading plan or simply keep it on your phone or I-pad to read the verses everyday.
I unpack these scriptures every Friday on Instagram! Meet us at 9:00 AM ET. Just follow @wordsbyandylee and be on the Gram a little before 9:00 to watch the live teaching.
See you next month!
