EP 21 Who is the Holy Spirit

After a decade of gathering women together for prayer, we are inspired to bring our words of encouragement to you. This is iRefresh. Welcome to the podcast today. We will be discussing the Holy Spirit. And with me, I have Laura Watson, Cheryl Clare, Veronica Scott, and I'm Christy Waters. So as I said, we're going to be discussing the Holy Spirit, which means a different thing to a lot of people. So, Veronica, when I say Holy Spirit, what do you think? Who is He to you? I think of Him as my best friend, as a comforter, as my direction. You know, there's a lot of ways that He is part of who I am. And, you know, He is... always there, never leaves me, never forsakes me. You know, Jesus said to the disciples that he was going to go away, but he was going to bring another one to be with them. And I think of that often because I look, you know, as you read through the Bible and you see the stories, And you see, wow, how cool would that be to be one of those people that could walk with Jesus and talk with him and know him as, you know, the person he was. But we have that same ability through the Holy Spirit. So true. Because he told us that he would send another one. And the Holy Spirit is all things. You know, he wraps up the package and puts the bow on. And he's there for us to lean on, to look to, and to rely on. That's good. What about you, Laura? Pretty much the exact same things Veronica was saying. There's just so many aspects to the Holy Spirit and so many ways he ministers to everyone so differently depending on where they are, what they're going through, or what the Lord is confirming in them or revealing to them at that time. For me, the Holy Spirit is... He's a guide. I use him all day long in the sense of, you know, I try to be conscious of no matter what I'm doing, you know, okay, Holy Spirit, is this what I need to be doing today? And what do I need to put my hand to today? And what, you know, redirect me. on the way I need to go. Actually, Laura, we were discussing this previously to the podcast, and you had an analogy of how the Trinity, the God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit, sorry, how they all work together. Why don't you share with our listeners that analogy? Because I thought it really put things in perspective. And actually, it came from your example. You kind of started where Veronica and you and I were talking about using a car as an example. So... Like you say, for example, God is the car. He is your vehicle. He is your source. And then Jesus is the key where it runs it. It makes it go. But the Holy Spirit is like your navigation system or like all the technology, all the bells and whistles on your car. But if you use them in conjunction together, it minimizes the work you have to do. Okay. to get where you're supposed to be going. That's great. Or to go through your day or to go through a circumstance or to go through a situation. You can do it without a navigation, but you're going to do it in your own power, your own understanding, and your own direction. But if you utilize all the tools that are available, you're going to get there with minimum effort on your part, and you're going to get where you're going. in the right time, the right season, the right direction, without wasting time or wasting missteps or wasting. We still have those moments. We all do. We know there's times when even the navigation will redirect, recalculate. And so sometimes even that's the Holy Spirit saying, okay, because of circumstances here or circumstances there, we're going to redirect and recalculate. But I would much rather, as Veronica said, do that being guided by the Holy Spirit than in my own power and my own strength. Right. The four of us were all in a car together yesterday, and Cheryl was driving, and I had the phone out. How many of us rely on that navigation all the time? Right. And it was interesting because we started with one mapped out route, but by the time we got to our destination, it had changed a few times, and that's what we need in our lives. We may assume... that I can go from point A to point B, but really what we're needing to do is go from point A to C to D and then to B because it protects us. He keeps us from that danger. The reason why we had to re-navigate yesterday or recalculate this danger steps of our drive was because there was danger ahead, whether there was an accident or whether there was a delay or something like that, or even could be weather conditions when you're in the car. But that's what the Holy Spirit is to us. He is our, he is our navigation, as you said, just saying, go this way, go this way, go that way. Cheryl, what about you? When you think about the Holy Spirit, I know we've said so many of the things and you may just have a little extra on one of those, but what do you think with the Holy Spirit? How does he speak to you? Well, I think it's just a journey that we have to spend time when we are in the Word. When we go about our day, you know, there's a constant dialogue that's going on in our lives. And it's about the Holy Spirit, asking the Holy Spirit to speak and to guide us throughout our day. And I think that's where I lean into is I expect that when I'm having that conversation that I know that whatever I have to get done in that day, that He is going to make sure that, like you've said, is protected. But then if that means there's a redirection of what I had planned, It may not happen, but there may have been a good reason for that. But trusting that the Lord has a way to us to do all that we need to do because that's who He is, and that's where I believe that it's great, though, that I think for all of us is the Holy Spirit speaks to us in various ways. And sometimes when we're not listening, then there's other avenues that he will use. He'll use a friend, you know, maybe something that one of you guys has spoken in my life. It may not look like I'm paying attention, but sometimes it'll come back, that conversation comes back, and then I feel like that's when the Holy Spirit begins to use those words for me to ponder, and like maybe that means I need to change a thought way. Maybe I need to change a behavior way. or help me in a decision I need to make and making good decisions. And so I think the Holy Spirit is wonderful in how He will use not just direct, but He will actually use those that are walking with the Lord to actually even help spur me on. Amen. Amen. And you brought up a great point, and it kind of still went with our analogy and the example we were using. You have the tools, but unless you read the manual, which is the Word of God on how to use them. Very good. And how to use them to the best of the ability. You've got all the bells and whistles, but how do you use them? How do you get it started? How do you turn it on? How do you command it? How do you direct it? So I love, Cheryl, that you mention that. It's like it's, this is, the Word of God is your manual. This is what you use. to utilize and to walk with and to be guided by the Holy Spirit and be directed by the Holy Spirit. That's a great tip, Laura. And so I know, Veronica, our ministry is based on prayer. And really, as we've spent time together, as we've prayed with women, we pray for direction. And So many women come to iRefresh and say, I don't know what to do next. I'm stuck. I need transition, but I don't know how to transition. So, Veronica, how about you talk about the aspect of prayer and the Holy Spirit? How did those two go together? Well, I think the Holy Spirit is critical because we're asking for wisdom. We're asking for understanding. When we go to the Father in prayer, what is our purpose? Our purpose is there's something that we are looking for that we don't have. We need answers. We need direction. We need wisdom. We need guidance. And in doing that, we're calling on the Holy Spirit and, to lead, guide, and direct, show us those things that we do not know. And I think that as we submit ourselves to him, then we're open to receive. And a lot of times, you know, what we don't really understand is, is that the Holy Spirit's always there. He's always with us. From the moment that we say the prayer of salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit then. And so He's there, but it's just like the car analogy. If you do not use Him, then you don't hear Him. If you don't tune yourself in to what is he saying, and it's as simple as just asking and just saying, you know, Lord, what about, like Laura said, what about this for my day? What about this situation in my life? I am, I've done all I can do. I physically, as you said before, you know, we try so hard to do it ourselves. But there are things in our lives that will happen that we cannot do. And we have to rely on Him to lead, guide, and direct. And there's a lot of times in my life that the Holy Spirit has just opened up an idea that I didn't even think of. But when I pray, then I hear Him and I know, oh... I didn't even think about that. And a lot of times, you know, again, I'm going to go back to the navigation. Without a navigation in your car, you will get there. It may take longer. It's going to, in my case, it will be extremely stressful. But, you know, you can make it happen. But with the navigation... you at least have something you're relying on. Like you said yesterday, you're relying on the direction. You know that the Holy Spirit will get you there. You're relying on Him. And it might take you a different route than you even imagined, but you can trust Him. You can know that He's your best friend. He's there for you. And he wants good things for you. That's good. And you know, the reason, Veronica, that we trust our navigation system is because someone's been there before. Okay. Someone has gone in these areas before and mapped it out. That's a good point. And I've never been to this area, and so I don't know this area, or perhaps even a familiar area, but I'm going to someone's house or something like that. Right. Right. So I put in my navigation unit because I trust that whoever is guiding me on that navigation system has been there before. And the Word tells us the Holy Spirit goes before us. Good. He makes a way for us. That's true. And so we trust when we pray and ask that the Holy Spirit is leading us in the path that we should go. James 1.5 also tells us, that if we lack wisdom to ask, and he will give it to us liberally without condemnation. And so how many times do we even come up to a situation, whether it's do I purchase this vehicle or that vehicle for keeping with the vehicle analogy or whatever? You know what? God wants to be our friend, our ever-present help, and so He definitely desires to guide us in the places He has gone before and prepared for us. So, Laura, what else do you feel when you think of the Holy Spirit? Veronica said it a number of times when she mentioned, like, the Holy Spirit is, like, your best friend. And it's true. It's somebody you want to share things with, you want to ask questions of, you want to, you know, just talk things through. And it's, I find I do that as well. It's, like, during the day when you're... You're praying things, but you also want to talk it through. So you'll be like, okay, here's what I'm struggling with. Here's what I'm not understanding. Here's where I'm frustrated. And then it's just amazing that sometimes if you just kind of wait and listen, it's like you'll just get this piece. Or like she even mentioned, you'll get this creative idea or you'll get a God-given idea or you'll get a plan or a course of action. You're like, I never would have thought of that. But isn't it amazing how every time when you... take action and you do that plan, put that plan into place, or you take that course of action, how easily things fall into place. That's good. And that's when you recognize, okay, Lord, that was you. That was the Holy Spirit. That was just you providing, you talking to me, you're spending time with me, you're directing me, you're guiding me. And those encourage me so greatly. And it just, you know, it just fills you up and it just kind of keeps spurring you forward. But yeah, For me, I love just making a point each day to invite him in and have him be a part of your journey through the day, through the evening, through, you know, circumstances, situations. It makes a huge difference. Absolutely. I agree. And, you know, maybe this is your first time tuning into an iRefresh podcast, so you haven't heard our voices before. So when we're talking... you're becoming more familiar with our voice. So that was Laura that just spoke. I'm Christy and Veronica and Cheryl. And you're becoming familiar with hearing us. And so the next time I start to speak or Veronica starts to speak, you'll go, oh, that's her or this one or whatever. That's how the Holy Spirit is. The more we listen to him and ask for his guidance, the more we hear him, we know his voice, And we can recognize that because how many times is there so much going on and around you that it's everything's muddy. Everything is just sometimes life is chaotic at times. Life can be stressful at times. There are people going through very difficult situations listening to this podcast. And maybe you're even having a hard time thinking straight. So the Holy Spirit will bring you clarity of mind. if you ask and you believe, but he'll also start to speak to you where you can hear him. But sometimes it is such a small, little inner feeling. How would you describe that? When you first started becoming familiar and walking with the Father, Veronica, what did that voice sound like to you? Because it may sound different to Laura, or Cheryl, or myself. I know you have a beautiful relationship with God. What does it look like? Well, for me, when I first started learning how to hear the Holy Spirit, was an unction. I would, like you said, it was just a still, small, sometimes it's a voice that's like, hey, you know, why don't you try this? But sometimes it's just a little unction, like, don't go there, go here. And then when I get there, I find that... they're having a sale of whatever it is I'm going for, you know, or, and to me, those are like little blessings that the Holy Spirit just kind of is smiling on me saying, Aren't you glad you listened? And I am glad. And I think that, you know, a lot of it is just allowing him to talk to me and waiting. That was probably the biggest thing I had to learn was how to quiet myself and listen to him. Instead of constantly looking for an answer or saying, I got to hear, I got to hear, I got to hear. It's kind of like when you wake up in the middle of the night and... and you're trying to go back to sleep. And you're like, I should be sleeping, I should be sleeping. Well, all that does is wake me up more. It was kind of a similar situation with the Holy Spirit. When I was trying so hard to hear Him, my voice of trying to hear Him was louder than He was. But when I stopped and I would just be quiet and just call on Him and say, okay, Lord, I need to know what to do about this one thing. And then it's in that quiet time. that, you know, just the idea will pop into my, you know, an unction or an idea pops into my head that, have you tried this? Or when I'm looking for something that I've lost, you know, I'll say, Holy Spirit, you know where this is. I have looked everywhere. And then if I'm just quiet, sometimes they'll get the thought, well, you know, look there. Right. And sure enough, most of the time when I follow that, and that's the beauty, I think, of the Holy Spirit, is He will give you victory. He will give you the reward of listening to Him by allowing you to see Him work. And, you know, it's not that He doesn't want to hide from us. He wants to be in our daily lives. It's practical what you're saying, Veronica. I think that's great. You know, one thing I marvel at, what Laura does, Laura, before she goes shopping... Yeah. she prays and that's where I think if we understand is God wants to be involved with every part it's not just I think not to assume it's just in the big decisions or in the major heavy parts of life but he wants to bring us joy but he also wants to delight in us and Laura tell us how you the Holy Spirit works with you I'm jealous sometimes. Like, no way. Yes. And I love Veronica's example because I learned to do that as well. If I lost something or couldn't find something, sometimes I just stop and I say, okay, Holy Spirit, at some point you're going to bring it to my remembrance. I'm going to find it. I'm not going to worry about it. But from a friend of mine years ago, We were going shopping, and she just stopped and said, you know what, we're going to pray. We're going to ask the Lord, okay, Holy Spirit, you know what I'm looking for. You know what I need. You know what is reasonable for me, so we're going to pray. And I'm like, okay. So we prayed and just asked the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us and send us where we needed to go. And everything I needed I found, and it was like 50% off, 40% off. Wow. And I mean, so I ended up spending just a fraction of what I had actually started off with. And so at that point, I thought, you know what? That is true. And I'm like, just as we're concerned, like if you have a best friend or your own children, you're concerned with every aspect of their life. Good point. Everything. Every need. Every want. Not that you necessarily fulfill every one of those, but you're aware and you consider it. And so I just started praying, Lord, this is what I need for the boys' school. This is what I need for groceries. This is what I need for any aspect. And I have to say, he has never failed. Every time, even when it wasn't advertising where you're posted, you walk in and it is on sale. It is 30% off, 40% off. 50% off. Cheryl, I know. Cheryl's like, okay, I'm going to give you a list of what I want, and I want you to go shopping for me. I'm returning all my clothes with Laura. I'm going to save a serious amount of money. But that is just a blessing. I look at that as that is just his way, like Veronica said, encouraging me and blessing me and just letting him know that his thoughts are towards me. And the scripture says in Psalms, I'm not sure exactly where, but it says, God is caught up in the details of our lives. I love that. And that's the example about he's so caught up in our details that he wants to be present. And it's not to control us. No. But it's to help to love us, show his love for us. Exactly. And I think we've all experienced as we've been together, we have... gone out and did some walks and we've been seeing the nature around us and just taking it in and like that beauty is so refreshing it it's amazing what god is doing when you see like how did god create such diversity yes and it just helps us it's just a reminder yes that he's present and he does so amazing things for us to enjoy with him i agree absolutely so um Veronica, I know that you love to use our website. Can you tell us a little bit how you would use that with the Holy Spirit and scriptures? And what do you see that would help our listeners today? what I like to do is to go on our website at irrefresh.net and go under, you know, find the scriptures and locate. There's different ones for different categories. There's different scriptures that are titled and headed according to different needs. So, you know, I may be praying to the Holy Spirit saying, Lord, I need help in an area of finances. You know, I need to find a way that I can... you bring in more income. What do I do? Do I take this job? Do I take that job? There's so many options out there. And so there are scriptures under finances that I can print off or I can just read on the website. But if I print them, I can take them with me. I can have them on the go. I can have them on my phone, in my car. And that way I am meditating on what does the Word say about finances instead of meditating on the lack. Instead of meditating on, I don't have enough, I don't have enough, because that's what the enemy wants me to work on. And as I meditate on that, then I become frustrated. Then I become depressed. Then I become sad. But if I take the scriptures off the website... is a great resource. They're all in the Word of God. But I may not have my Bible with me or the time to look them up. So what I like to do is look on the website, grab the scriptures, take the ones that I can digest and meditate on those. Every time the enemy wants to remind me of my lack, I can then remind him of my source. That's awesome. And isn't it the Holy Spirit, the other part of the role of the Holy Spirit is when we read the Word... He helps us to have understanding. Exactly. What the scriptures talk about, how it is up to him to reveal the mysteries of his word. Yes. So when I see a scripture and I get it, I understand it. I'm like, I marvel. I'm like, you allowed me to understand your word. True. Yes. That's awesome. So that's another avenue in which the Holy Spirit works with us is gives us understanding. which then directs us, gives us hope, builds up our faith and hope to believe what we're praying for. That's right. So, just a reminder, we're going to start wrapping this up, but remember, when you ask Jesus into your heart, the Holy Spirit was part of your salvation. So, use not only the key with the car, but also the navigation tools and everything that comes along with it. Also, reminders of Quiet yourself. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Tune in to hear what He is saying. Read the manual. Yes. Bring your Bible. And also you can go to the website. The scriptures are out there. As you pray for direction, He will give you those answers. The more time you spend with the Holy Spirit, the better you'll know His voice. Amen. So we invite you today to walk your day asking, what do I do next? Holy Spirit, guide me. He will guide you through your day, and we just encourage you to invite him in all that you do. We are glad you tuned in. Join the iRefresh community by subscribing to podcasts and following us on social media. You can go to iRefresh.net for more inspiration.