10 Powerful Reasons Why We Need The Holy Spirit
If you have been longing to know the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian, here are 10 reasons why we need the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a powerful and indispensable part of the Christian life. The Holy Spirit is God Himself. He is the manifest presence and power of God. Is there a Christian out there who thinks they don't need the Holy Spirit? I'd say they are not a genuine Christian in the furst place.
Every child of God knows they cannot do without the Holy Spirit. Let's learn about 10 reasons why we need the Holy Spirit today.
The Holy Spirit is the gift of God, and is available to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came in the flesh, and you have confessed Him as your Lord and Saviour, you have the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 NIVPeter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit, also known as the Spirit of God, Paraclete or Comforter, is the third person of the Godhead. He is the same Spirit that brooded upon the waters when the world was created (Genesis 1:2).
The very moment a person confesses Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, they are sealed by the Holy Spirit. From thence, the Spirit takes up the work of bringing out God's best in them.
The Holy Spirit does us good! Everyone needs this Holy Spirit. Had it been we all understood how much we need the Spirit of God, everyone would ask to receive Him.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit doesn't just come to make us feel good that we are Christians. The moment a person receives the Spirit of God, He commences a mandatory work of transforming them.
The Holy Spirit doesn't exist in the life of the Believer for the fun of it. He has a life-changing work to do in their life—which can't be done by no one else except Him. Anyone who attempts to downplay the importance of the Holy Spirit, is either a spiritually blinded person or an agent of darkness.
Why We Need The Holy Spirit
Why do we need the Holy Spirit? On creation morning, we saw the Holy Spirit at work. Genesis 1 tells us that in the beginning, the earth was without form and void. Darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was moving upon the waters.
In other words, in the beginning, the surface of the earth was covered by water, followed by thick darkness. The next presence mentioned here was God the Holy Spirit in action. The Holy Spirit's presence was crucial in the creation of all that God made on earth.
The Spirit of God wasn't moving upon the waters for nothing. He was working alongside the creator God, Jesus Christ. By supplying the power that was needed to manifest God's decrees, the Spirit had a mighty role to play in the creation of the earth and everything within it.
He didn't just end there. The Holy Spirit is God's life force working to sustain all that God created. After aiding the creation of the heavens and the earth, the Holy Spirit is still God's power upon which these things are sustained. If the Holy Spirit stopped holding in place all that Jesus Christ created, everything would go into extinction in a split second.
John 6:63a ESVIt is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.
If it is the Holy Spirit that gives life, why then would anyone think they don't need the same Spirit in their life?
Concerning why we need the Holy Spirit, let me quickly give you a few more instances from the Bible:
- The Holy Spirit empowered Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. (Joshua 1:8-9)
- The Holy Spirit enabled Samson to defeat the Philistines. (Judges 13:25; 14:6)
- The Holy Spirit gave Gideon the courage to lead the Israelites against the Midianites. (Judges 6:14)
- The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets to speak God's word. (Isaiah 61:1; Jeremiah 20:9; Ezekiel 2:2)
- The Holy Spirit gave wisdom to judges and kings. (Exodus 31:3; Deuteronomy 1:17; 1 Samuel 16:13)
- The Holy Spirit enabled the people of Israel to worship God. (Psalm 51:11; Isaiah 32:15; Zechariah 4:6)
- The Holy Spirit gave the people of Israel hope for the future. (Isaiah 40:31; Joel 2:28-29; Zechariah 12:10)
- The Holy Spirit prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 42:1; Malachi 3:1).
Apparently, the Holy Spirit has always been there. He has always played an important role in the success of all that God's people do on earth.
Having seen all that the Holy Spirit accomplished in and through the people mentioned in the scriptures above, I don't think there exists a reason to deliberate on whether or not we need the Holy Spirit.
7 Reasons Why We Need The Holy Spirit
To be more specific, here are 7 reasons why we need the Holy Spirit:
- The Holy Spirit seals us for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). He is God's stamp of ownership upon us.
- The Holy Spirit manifests the fruit of godliness in us (Galatians 5: 22-23).
- The Holy Spirit enables us to pray effectively (Romans 8:26).
- He comforts us in times of trouble (John 16:7).
- The Holy Spirit endows us with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4)
- The Spirit of God enables us to live a consecrated life.
- He guides us into all truth.
These are but just basic reasons why we need the Holy Spirit. We will explore more extensively under the next subheading.
10 Reasons Why We Need The Holy Spirit
There are innumerable reasons why we need the Holy Spirit. Stay with me, we will explore ten of those reasons below.
1. To Become Born Again
In the conversation of our Lord Jesus Christ with Nicodemus, we saw a very significant role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives: He makes us born again!
John 3:3-5 ESVJesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born. Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Our Lord Jesus Christ further makes us understand that, nobody can become a citizen of God's kingdom if they are not born again. You are not a Christian because you go to church, but because you have the Spirit of God residing in you. Anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit does not belong to God (Romans 8:9).
When a person accepts Jesus Christ into their heart as their Lord and Saviour, their citizenship is changed—from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God.
The Holy Spirit in us is God's stamp of ownership upon us. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us completes and seals our salvation.
2. To Receive The Power Of God
The power of God is resident in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the manifest power of God.
Before His ascension, our Lord Jesus Christ instructed His disciples to not venture into plubic ministry just yet. But they should wait in Jerusalem, until they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8 ESVBut 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.
The Lord gave this instruction because He wanted the Apostles to receive the measure of the power of God needed for their public ministry. The incoming of the Holy Spirit was to bring the disciples God's power, with which they would go forth and set captives free from the hands of Satan.
John 14:12 ESVTruly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
According to our Lord Jesus Christ, those who believe in Him will do greater works than He did while He walked the earth. But this can't be possible if the individual is not filled with the Holy Spirit.
We saw this truth evident in the Acts of the Apostles. As the disciples stepped out to share the gospel, God confirmed His Word with signs and wonders (Acts 5:12).
We need the Holy Spirit, because we need the power of God to help us fulfill ministry.
3. To Have Access To God's Truth
During one of His conversations with the disciples, Jesus made it known to them that, it was given unto them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but not to others (Matthew 13:11).
Also notice that as at that then, it was also the disciples who had a measure of the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). Without that, they wouldn't have been able to comprehend the teachings of the Lord.
John 14:7 NLTHe is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
Right from time, the secrets of God have always been made plain to those who had the Spirit of God with them. The prophet Daniel is a great example.
John 14:26 NIVBut the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Many unbelievers read the Bible with their intellect and think they have understood it. But the holy Bible is spiritually encrypted. Only the Holy Spirit decrypts it. If you don't have the Holy Spirit, you cannot say you understand the scriptures.
The Holy Spirit in us is the Spirit of revelation. He teaches and reveals to us the truth of God's Word.
4. To Possess Godly Wisdom And Knowledge
The Holy Spirit is the spirit of wisdom and knowledge. It was the same Spirit who worked through Jesus Christ, to cause the Pharisees and everyone who questioned Him to be confounded.
Isaiah 11:2 NLTAnd the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
The Holy Spirit endues us with wisdom from above. He doesn't only do this, but also impacts knowledge to us, as He breathes upon the scriptures and brings to our comprehension the truth of God's Word.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NIVWhat we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.
It was the wisdom of the Holy Spirit that worked through Daniel, and enabled him for proficiency in dreams interpretation, solving riddles, and explaining mysteries; giving him excellence in all that he did.
5. To Be Guided In Our Daily Lives
The Holy Spirit guides us by advising us on the right things to do and the wrong ones to avoid. The Spirit of God in the life of a Believer works to ensure that the Believer doesn't walk blindly into the snares of the enemy.
Romans 8:14 NIVFor those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
There are lies and deceptions that those who do not have the Holy Spirit easily fall into. But the individual who has the Spirit of the Lord is in a safer place.
Through His still small voice, and through His gift of discernment, the Holy Spirit guides and leads us, ensuring that we walk in the path of God and stay within His will. Where others slip and fall, the Holy Spirit guides our steps away from it.
6. To Enable Us Pray Effectively
You can call the Holy Spirit the spirit of prayer. Because the Holy Spirit loves prayer, He empowers those who have Him, to pray beyond their natural ability.
Without the Holy Spirit, no one has the zeal to pray enough. The Holy Spirit provides the fire that ignites in us the hunger for prayer.
Romans 8:26 NIVIn 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.
Needless to wonder why someone who initially would avoid prayer or sleep off while praying, begins to love prayer and pray longer. It is apparent that they have had an encounter with the Holy Spirit; and the enabling power of the Spirit of God is evident in their prayer life.
Romans 8:27 NIVAnd 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.
The Holy Spirit also guides and enables us to pray according to the will of God. He leads and enables us pray effectively and efficiently.
7. To Bear Godly Fruit
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the evidence of the transformation work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian.
Galatians 5:22-23 BSBBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Just as our Lord Jesus said, a tree is known by its fruit. A good tree does not bear bad fruits, and a bad tree doesn't bear good fruits (Matthew 7:18).
In other words, we cannot profess that we are saved and belong to God, but godly fruits are absent in our lives. The Holy Spirit works in us to ensure that we bear fruit unto righteousness (Philippians 1:9–11).
8. To Prepare For Eternity
When we get saved, the Holy Spirit doesn't stop at sealing us as people who belong to God. He goes on to work in us, to purge us, to sanctify us and to help us live a consecrated life.
Ephesians 4:30 ESVAnd do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Since our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back for a Church without spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:27), the Holy Spirit works tirelessly to preserve for the Lord, a holy and blameless Church—till the day of His return.
The Holy Spirit sustains and preserves everyone who belongs to God while they are on earth. He works hard to ensure that every saved soul is not lost again to the kingdom of darkness.
9. To Be Victorious In Spiritual Warfare
The power to confront the kingdom of darkness and destroy their works doesn't come from a Christian. Power belongs to God (Psalm 62:11).
Zechariah 4:6 ESVThen he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
The battle is the Lord's. It is God who fights through us, via the indwelling Holy Spirit—to trample upon the works of darkness. No one without the Holy Spirit can confront the enemy and return unscathed.
Most spiritual oppressions people go through only persist because they do not have Anointing of the Holy Spirit—which would enable them to resist and put the enemy under their feet.
10. For Conviction And Restoration
The Holy Spirit watches over us and convicts us of our wrongdoings whenever we stray.
It is true that there are people who act wickedly and are adamant to change; they feel no remorse for their sins. But that simply reveals that they do not have the Spirit of God living in them.
John 16:8 BSBAnd when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.
When necessary, the Holy Spirit shows us that we have fallen short of the standard set by God for us. This in turns leads us to repentance, then to a better relationship with God; positively influencing our spiritual growth in Christ.
Prayer To Receive The Holy Spirit
Now that you know how important the Holy Spirit is in our lives, wouldn't you want to welcome Him into your life? If you don't have the Spirit of God dwelling in you, pray this prayer of repentance, then go on and pray the prayer to receive the Holy Spirit below:
Dear Heavenly Father, I believe that You sent your Holy Spirit to make me His dwelling. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit, according to the promise in Your Word. My desire is to be led by Your Spirit and to live a life that pleases You. I want to be transformed and used of You in the earth realm. Just like Daniel, I want to create a lasting impact in my generation and beyond. Thank You Father for Your love and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.
If you prayed this short prayer with faith and from a sincere heart, you can be confident that the Holy Spirit will come into your life. The Lord Jesus Christ will baptize you in the Holy Spirit, to enable you to grow in your faith, to live a holy life, and to fulfill your divine purpose on earth.
Final Thoughts On Why We Need The Holy Spirit
Interesting times we live in, yet the deadliest. In these last days, we need the Holy Spirit now, more than ever.
The holy grail is in being full of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian should daily seek to be full of the Spirit of God. Our utmost desire should be to stay filled with the Holy Spirit.
Amongst those who make a difference in the world today, include those who have and are led by the Holy Spirit. After reading this article, I believe you have seen how needful it is to have the Holy Spirit.
If you do not have the Holy Spirit, go on and pray the prayer in this article. Pray it daily until the Lord answers and baptizes you in the Holy Spirit.
Beloved, I trust that you learned a new thing today, after reading our article on 10 reasons why we need the Holy Spirit.
My prayer for you is that, you would be filled and stay full of the Holy Spirit. And that the Spirit of the Lord preserves you till the very end. Amen!
Thanks again for reading. God bless you!