7 ways the Holy Spirit helps you talk about Jesus

Imagine having a best friend who’s always by your side, ready to help you have a conversation with others about the best news ever. That’s kind of what it’s like when you grow closer to the Holy Spirit. Think of it like having a constant companion who cheers you on and makes talking about Jesus easier and more natural.

This friend understands you deeply and knows exactly what you need and when you need it, helping you find the right words and the best approach to connect with people. The Holy Spirit simplifies your thoughts, clarifies your feelings and enables you to express yourself clearly and lovingly.

Let’s learn together how this wonderful relationship works and explore how it can profoundly influence the way you talk about Jesus with others.

The Holy Spirit as your closest friend

Think of the Holy Spirit as a friend who knows you better than anyone else. This friend is always with you, cheering you on and giving you the right words at the right time. When you are close to the Holy Spirit, walking together, you embody the Holy Spirit’s power and fruit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22,23, New Living Translation). This relationship gives you confidence that you can represent the kingdom of God and talk to others about Jesus because you are not doing it alone. Jesus said, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Listening and learning

Growing closer in a relationship with a friend means spending quality time together. It’s similar with the Holy Spirit. You enhance this relationship by reading the Bible, talking to the Holy Spirit as you would to a close friend, and being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:12, New International Version). These practices help you understand how to convey Jesus’ love to others more effectively. God also prepares you and makes your words resonate with those who hear them.

Practicing compassion

Compassion is core to Jesus’ message, and practicing it involves more than just making people receptive to us. You demonstrate compassion as you live out Jesus’ love in your daily actions. When you embody Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, your caring actions become a powerful testimony to his influence on you. This genuine display of compassion often opens doors for deeper conversations about faith.

Sharing stories

Sharing personal stories is one of the most effective ways to communicate about Jesus. Everyone loves a good story, and the Holy Spirit can remind you of narratives from the Bible or your own life that highlight Jesus’ love and compassion. For example, you might share about how you found comfort in a difficult time through prayer, or how a particular Scripture gave you peace and direction. Another story could be about a day when you felt an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude during a community service event. These stories help others see the real-life implications of your faith, and they make the message of Jesus relatable.

Being brave together

Talking about Jesus can seem intimidating, but with the Holy Spirit, you never face these challenges alone. Consider the analogy of jumping into a swimming pool. It might seem daunting at first, but it feels great once you’re in the water. The Holy Spirit gives you that initial courage when you hesitate. For example, when you’re at a social gathering and the topics of religion, current events or opinions come up, the Holy Spirit can inspire you to talk about your faith with courage and sensitivity. He can help you turn potentially awkward moments into opportunities for meaningful dialogue.

It’s a journey

Growing in your relationship with the Holy Spirit and learning to talk about Jesus are ongoing adventures. You will experience highs and lows, but every step is part of a grand adventure that enriches your faith and molds your character. The journey involves learning about God with excitement and discovery as you find encouragement to talk about the gospel passionately.

You’re not perfect, and that’s OK

You don’t need to be perfect to talk about Jesus. Everyone makes mistakes, and that’s normal. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul writes, “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” God looks for willingness, not perfection. Being real and transparent about your struggles and victories in life with God can make your interactions more relatable, developing a deeper connection with people.

If anything, remember that the Holy Spirit empowers you to represent God to others

Growing closer to the Holy Spirit transforms how you communicate about Jesus with others. You can depend on the Holy Spirit to help you build confidence, practice authentic compassion and provide courage to share your stories.

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” (2 Corinthians 5:19,20, NLT).

Remember, this is a journey for all Christians, filled with continuous learning and opportunities for growth. Let’s encourage each other to keep exploring this adventure and spread the good news to all the corners of the world, starting with where you are.

Reflect:

Who is one person you can encourage by sharing this article?
What is the one thing you needed to read most from this article?

People Around You PDF Resource

Identify the people around you with one or more of the three different options in the following pdf. This resource can help you to recognize the people you interact with on a regular basis so that you can more intentionally pray for them, care for them and hopefully share the good news of Jesus with them.

Download the PDF here.

How a Soldier Found Faith and a New Hope in Jesus

*Trigger Warning: depression and suicidal thought.

This video addresses mental health issues that affect people from all walks of life. While addressing parts of these issues within the context of Christian community is important, there are times when further professional help may be required. It is OK to ask for help! If you are in this situation, please seek out a mental health professional. A tool to find a professional in your area, along with other resources, can be found at https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/life-and-relationships/emotions/mental-health-resources.html.

Call 988 – Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline

Transcript: So when America’s Capitol was stormed, January 6, my unit was called to go down to respond, and so that’s exactly what we did. I’m a chaplain and the entire unit, we went down there, and our job was to protect the House of Representatives. I’m thinking, like, “Man, what does a chaplain got to do with this type of situation?” And there was all kinds of unique environments that I found myself in.

But one of them was when a soldier approached me and said, “Hey, listen. I need you to check on my friend. He’s not himself.” I said, okay. So I just. As a chaplain, I go and I listen to people all the time. That’s a lot of what we do, is we listen and take care of people.

And so he was back at his room, and I had a conversation with him and just kind of wanted to see where he’s at. And he seemed to be really stuck. He was just in a very dark place. He would not answer his cell phone when his wife would call. He was completely immobilized.

And this guy’s a tough guy. He’s a sniper. He’s a pretty bad dude, and just totally mentally out of it. And so basically, I just kind of just kept listening, talking to him, and nothing was happening. And then I basically kind of put on my chaplain hat a little bit and said, well, “do you mind if I just talk about my faith and kind of how my faith really kind of speaks into this situation?” And really he said, “Yeah, sure, you have my permission, you could talk about that.” And so, for him, he was in a suicidal spot. He didn’t really want to live anymore. He was completely numbed out.

And so I talked about how God embraces suffering. And he comes into our world, Jesus Christ fully, man, fully God, embraces that narrative of suffering, and he completely took away our sin and absorbed the punishment that we deserve. And so for him, it was really important to see that Jesus wasn’t just such a,

He wasn’t just a man. He was God in the flesh. He fully identified with humanity. And so he really connected with the gospel story. And so after I talked about that, he said, “You know, you’re like, one of the only guys I’ve ever heard really articulate it this way.”

And so he said, “So, I want to believe.” And I said, “Well, slow down. Let’s slow it down. I said, that’s awesome, but I really kind of want you to understand a little bit more about the content of the story.” So I went through the KGP, through the GodTools app, and I just reviewed the gospel story, just looking at the scripture, letting God’s word speak to him.

And he really connected with it and still had more questions and really wanted to make sure it was his own. And then eventually, I shared the suggested prayer with him, and I told him to make it his own. And he’s like, “I am ready for this”. And so that’s what he did. He prayed. He accepted Christ right there on the spot.

And throughout the rest of that know, he’s been camping out in the gospel of John, reading it, and growing as a new disciple of Christ. So I just thought it was pretty cool. God brings unique stories, and just being able to articulate the gospel whenever it was needed was just awesome to see God work that way.

How compassion and understanding makes for a better faith conversation

When you tell a friend about something good in your life that can make a difference for them, think about a caring approach to the conversation. A mindset of kindness, rather than forcefulness, can help you have a more meaningful discussion. Scripture encourages this attitude.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15, New International Version).

As you interact with the person, there are three things you can keep in mind through your conversation: their story, the goodness of God, and how deep needs create common ground.

Learn about the person’s background

Listening to someone’s thoughts and perspectives demonstrates interest. Ask follow-up questions to hear more and to understand. You can hear what the person says instead of making the conversation a one-sided teaching.

As you listen, it could help to gain more understanding about how the person has reached their spiritual conclusions. You might think about how their story or past events play into this. Empathy for someone’s story demonstrates love for that person.

Remember the goodness of God

When you learn someone’s thoughts about spiritual topics, remember the goodness of Jesus. This means having a desire for the person to experience God. You want them to know the reality that He is better than anything else.

So, with the help and power of the Holy Spirit, you communicate about good news that brings joy and freedom. It’s not an irrelevant subject but a message of light.

God can work in the person’s life to help them understand this hope.

Communicate on common ground

When you want your friend or family member to experience knowing Jesus, it’s possible to talk about his grace and forgiveness as well as about truth and sin. While communicating about the gospel in this way, you don’t look down on the person but have kindness.

Think about where the gospel meets a deep need, even your own needs. For example, every person needs someone who is able to bear all cares and concerns, giving rest (Matthew 11:28). Jesus is the perfect friend to come to in prayer. Sometimes, a spiritual conversation might feel awkward, but relating to the needs of others places you on common ground.

The caring approaches to these conversations are applicable whether you’re talking to someone who doesn’t know Jesus or a Christian who is struggling. Leading with compassion and empathy, you can talk with a friend or family member about the gospel in a way that is respectful and helps them.