GETTING TO KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT

In the evangelical world exists in many circles the idea that the Holy Spirit, even though it is acknowledged as GOD, leads an active but silent existence, serving the plan of God the Father and Jesus, refusing any attention to Himself, and that it is sinful to address prayers to Him.

If this is correct, then this extension of the divinity would be more like an energy or an angel, than God Himself.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD

To start we need to establish that the Holy Spirit is divine, meaning God.

The Bible calls openly the Holy Spirit God (Acts 5:3-4), and identifies Him as being of the same divine nature as YHWH and Jesus (Romans 8:9; 2Corinthians 3:17), and that He should be honoured in the same way as the Father (1Corinthians 3:16).

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT THE FATHER OR THE SON

However, even though the Spirit shares the same divine nature of YHWH and Jesus; He is neither YHWH not Jesus (Luke 3:22; Matthew 4:1; John 14:16-17).

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON

The Holy Spirit also not just an energy or unanimated ‘it’; but an entity with his own will. He speaks for Himself with full authority (Acts 8:29; 13:2), and investigates YHWH’s inner self (1Corinthians 2:10-11) and intercedes intelligently on our behalf to YHWH (Romans 8:26-27)

DEALING WITH HIM

As the Holy Spirit is divine, equal to YHWH and Jesus in essence, and has his own personality and speaks to us directly, we also can speak back to Him as the people in the NT did (Acts 8:29; 11:12; 13:2), which indicates that prayer to Him is naturally possible and did happen in the apostolic church.

As the NT is not a systematic book of theology, but a collection of lose writings and chronicles that reveal to us in a translucid way the apostolic faith, many things are not explicit, except the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. But nevertheless, it is inspired guidance from God and the only one fully trustable divine statement, so important things about the nature of God are revealed in it, either through a direct manner or in a more discreet way.

The Bible openly teaches the divine system of worship of the Holy Trinity, which prayer to the Father, in the Name of the Son, as guided by the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus in fact taught us to pray that way (Matthew 6:9). However, He also said once:

“You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

John 14:14

And martyr Stephen prayed to Jesus directly, commending to Him his spirit at the time of death (Acts 7:59).

These things are mentioned in Scripture, but never were explicitly ordered by Jesus, except in John 14:14, which some argued against. However, the NT leaves testimony of this practice in the times of the apostles; and this can only be understood by the fact that Jesus was considered divine by the disciples, and even though they knew of the supreme sovereignty of the Father over the whole Trinity, they did pray to Jesus as He also was God. And that is also the reason behind why our bodies are called ‘temples’ of the Holy Spirit, because the recognized his divine nature, and that is why they obeyed Him as God Himself.

In the same way, we can conclude we are free to pray to the Spirit of God, directly on his own right, the same way we pray to the Father and the Son, because He is God Almighty also, and He listens and has mercy as God.  

The day the prophets and teachers were fasting and praying, and the Holy Spirit talked to them (Acts 13:1-2)), and they answered to Him, they were praying to the Holy Spirit. And so, did any other who ‘talked’ to the Holy Spirit in the NT.  

FINAL WORD

It is important that we pray to the Holy Spirit, as it is important that we pray to Jesus directly, as much as we offer prayers and worship to Lord YHWH.

Many Christians, wrongly, are used to pray only to Jesus, others only to the Father, even though they profess to be trinitarians. They don’t realize that to refuse prayer to any Person of the Holy Trinity is greatly sinful, because we have in fact a direct relationship with every Person of the Divine Trinity. We worship the Father, we are saved by the Son, and we follow the guidance of the Spirit of GOD. How can we refuse to also pray to each of them, without falling into sin?. It would be denying GOD his rightful worship. All true worship must be addressed to every member of the Holy Trinity, ONE ETERNAL GOD.

Praying to the Holy Spirit opens a direct relationship with the fulness of God. Helps us to alternate with our Sanctifier, and the Guide of our lives, and makes us used to hear His voice and direction, without losing sight of the eternal order of the Divinity, where Lord Almighty YHWH reigns supreme forever.

Omar Flores.