Cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit and an understanding of the supernatural is an exciting part of our spiritual journey.

When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His coming death, resurrection and return to heaven, He told them one of the reasons He needed to go was so He could send the Holy Spirit to them. He referred to a Counselor and Spirit of truth who would in turn guide us into all truth. (See John 16:5-16.)

Scripture has so much to say about the Holy Spirit--who He is and what He does--far more than we can delve into in one brief article. But perhaps the most important place to start is with the knowledge that we can have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is not scary or out of reach. He’s the One that draws our hearts to God and helps us walk in truth. He’s our encourager and comforter.

Through our interactions with the Holy Spirit, as He teaches us, our perspective is stretched to understand that beyond natural things we can see, there is a realm of supernatural activity--things we would deem as impossible or “out of this world.”

Because of this perspective, we are able to open our hearts to the possibilities of miracles, signs, and wonders. Miracles occur when the impossible becomes reality--sickness is healed, provision unexplainably comes, dead people are raised to life. These things still happen, and more amazing, they can happen through us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.

In a way, signs and wonders are God showing off! He is demonstrating that His power is real and that it goes beyond anything we can imagine or do on our own. Often, signs and wonders happen when there is a clash happening between good and evil; the enemy is pushed back by a reminder of a power he will never have.

A quick glance at the favorite movies, books and heroes in our culture reveals an intense desire for the supernatural. We are drawn to the idea of power, things we cannot explain, and strength that defies limitations. This is not a negative fascination at all, but the enemy wants to exploit this hunger and use it to enslave us with a false power--one he promises but cannot deliver. This makes learning about the Holy Spirit and how He functions even more important.

We want to be wise and discerning, so we can recognize when something is God and when something is counterfeit. We want to be people who know and demonstrate the true power of God’s Spirit, so others can know Him and experience His wonders too.