Guest blogger: Dawn Levene - What does it mean to grow in friendship and love with the Holy Spirit?

“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)

The Christian life is not meant to be lived in our own strength. God in his wisdom and love has given us believers the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to guide us, to comfort us and to empower us. To grow in love with the Holy Spirit means developing a deeper relationship with Him, becoming more aware of His presence, responding to His leading, and allowing Him to transform our hearts and lives. It is a journey of intimacy, surrender, and spiritual maturity. In other words, it is a life totally sold out to the Holy Spirit.

To grow in love with the Holy Spirit, we must first understand who He is. The Holy Spirit is not simply a force or influence. He is the third person of the Trinity, fully God, co-equal with the Father and the Son. He is personal, relational and active in the lives of every believer.

As you grow in your love relationship with the Holy Spirit, you’ll begin to experience a sense of wholeness and joy unattainable through any other relationship. You must put in the effort to cultivate a close and intentional relationship with Him, which means you first develop an awareness of His presence. It means trusting His guidance and yielding to His transforming work.

For transformation to take place, we have to spend time in prayer, in the Word, and in worship, and be willing to respond with obedience. When all this takes place, our lives begin to develop the spiritual fruit spoken of in Galatians 5 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). You will develop and increasing sensitivity to God‘s will and become more discerning. There will be a deeper hunger for God’s presence. Walking with the Holy Spirit is a lifelong journey which ultimately leads believers into a richer and more vibrant relationship with God.

Jesus promises in John 14:16-17 that He would “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.” And as Paul tells us in Romans 8:14, “All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Thank God today for the good gift of His Holy Spirit, and ask Him to give you a deeper relationship with Him.