Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion Q04011 Prayer is often treated as though it were entirely a human activity, a matter of finding the right words or generating sufficient sincerity. Scripture presents a far more astonishing picture. The Holy Spirit is not a passive observer of our prayer life; He is an active participant in it, working from within us…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion Q04012 The question may seem almost impertinent. Can a divine person be suppressed? Can a member of the Godhead be hindered? Yet Scripture addresses this directly, and the answer it gives has significant implications for how we understand both the Spirit’s work and our responsibility towards it. What the Text Actually Says Paul’s instruction…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion Q04013 The phrase “praying in the Spirit” appears in two places in the New Testament: Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 20. It has generated considerable discussion, particularly in Pentecostal and charismatic circles where it is often associated with speaking in tongues. Understanding what the phrase actually means requires attending carefully to what these texts say…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 04120 Jesus’s words in John 16:8-11 describe the Holy Spirit’s work in relation to the world: “when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement.” This is one of several works the Spirit performs, and it is distinct from His illuminating ministry within believers. Recognising the difference is practically…
Reading Time: 6 minutesQuestion 04121 The sight of someone placing their hands on a sick person and praying for healing can provoke a range of reactions in evangelical circles, from warm affirmation to deep suspicion. For some, the practice conjures images of televangelist excess and manufactured spectacle. For others, it represents a sincere and scripturally grounded act of…
Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 04016 When Christians think about prayer, the question of who exactly we are addressing is more significant than it might first appear. Most believers instinctively pray to “God” or “Father” without pausing to consider the Trinitarian dimensions of what they are doing. But when someone asks whether it is appropriate to direct prayer specifically…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 04005 There is a moment in corporate worship that raises a question worth pausing over. A song rises, the congregation lifts its voice, and the lyrics address the Holy Spirit directly: “Spirit, glorify your name.” It feels devotional. It may feel moving. But is it right? Can we give glory to the Holy Spirit…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 2008 The question of whether God speaks today, and how He does so, sits at the intersection of several significant theological debates. Cessationists argue that God speaks exclusively through Scripture now that the canon is complete and that the gifts of the Spirit, including prophecy, have ceased. Many charismatics emphasise direct divine communication through…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 04015 The phrase ‘the procession of the Holy Spirit’ sounds abstract enough that most Christians assume it belongs to the world of academic theology and has little to do with their daily experience of God. That impression is understandable but mistaken. What is at stake in this doctrine is the Spirit’s genuine identity as…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 6009 Every genuine Christian wants to overcome sin. We hate the way it dishonours God, damages our relationships, and disrupts our peace. But how? We have tried willpower and failed. We have made resolutions and broken them. We have promised God we would do better, only to fall into the same patterns again. Is…