Scriptures About the Holy Spirit

Who the Holy Spirit is

The Holy Spirit is not a force or a feeling. He is a Person, fully God with the Father and the Son, and Jesus promised Him to everyone who follows Him. Older translations like the King James call Him the Holy Ghost; it is the same Spirit.

On the night before He died, Jesus told His friends He was leaving, and that it was good for them, because the Spirit would come. These are some of the clearest holy spirit scriptures in the Bible:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 14:16–17 · NIV

Another advocate: someone called alongside to help, exactly as Jesus had been. And not for a season. Forever.

But 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.
John 14:26 · NIV

Teacher and reminder. When a verse comes back to you at the moment you need it, that is often the Spirit at work.

1 Corinthians 3:16You yourselves are God’s temple, and God’s Spirit lives among you.

What the Holy Spirit does: verses about the Holy Spirit

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
John 16:13 · NIV

He guides rather than drives. He leads you into truth one step at a time, often more gently than you expect.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 · NIV

The power of the Spirit is never only for you. It is power to love and serve and speak about Jesus to others.

Romans 8:11The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, and He will give life to your mortal body too.

Ezekiel 36:26–27God promises a new heart and a new spirit: He will take out a heart of stone, give a heart of flesh, and put His own Spirit within His people.

Hundreds of years before Pentecost, God was already promising to live inside His people, not just among them.

The Spirit helps us pray: how to pray in the Spirit

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.
Romans 8:26 · NIV

If you have ever had nothing to say to God but a sigh, Scripture says the Spirit is praying with you in it. The next verse adds that He prays in line with God’s will (Romans 8:27).

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18 · NIV

Jude 1:20Jude tells believers to keep growing strong in their faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.

So how do you pray in the Spirit? Christians understand it in slightly different ways. For some it includes praying in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:14–15). For everyone it means prayer that depends on the Spirit rather than on your own words. A few simple places to start:

Invite Him first. Before you ask for anything, ask Him to lead your prayer. Then be honest; He already knows what is on your heart. Pray Scripture back to God, because the Spirit never leads against His own Word. Leave room for quiet, and notice what comes to mind. And keep praying through the day, in short sentences, on all occasions, the way Paul describes.

The fruit of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22–23 · NIV

Fruit is singular: one harvest with nine flavors, grown together. And fruit grows; you do not manufacture it. You stay connected to the vine, and the Spirit does the growing.

Gifts of the Spirit

In 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, Paul lists gifts the Spirit gives to believers, among them wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy and discernment. There are different gifts but the same Spirit, and every one is given for the good of others, not for status.

If you have wondered how God has gifted you, the free Discover Your Spiritual Gifts Quiz (free PDF download) is a good place to start, alongside Finding Your Spiritual Gifts.

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Scriptures to stand on

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Romans 8:16 · NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Ephesians 3:16 · NIV

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17 · NIV

Learning to hear the Holy Spirit

Knowing about the Holy Spirit is a start. Learning to recognize His voice takes practice, patience, and a lot of grace for yourself along the way. These two teachings walk through it gently.

Read: How to Hear From the Holy Spirit

Read: How to Hear the Holy Spirit: A Guide to Discerning God’s Voice