“For a man solemnly to undertake the interpretation of any portion of Scripture without invocation of God, to be taught and instructed by His Spirit, is a high provocation of Him; nor shall I expect the discovery of truth from anyone who thus proudly engages in a work so much above his ability.”

When is the last time you begged God for help? Whether it is understanding Scripture, or applying it to your life. Or whether it is a desire to kill a particular sin, or asking Him for an open door to share the Gospel, how often do you spend a little time begging Him for help?

I mean, are we able to do anything spiritual apart from the Holy Spirit’s help?

I read a quote recently that filled me with conviction.

John Owen, speaking about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, said,

For a man solemnly to undertake the interpretation of any portion of Scripture without invocation of God, to be taught and instructed by His Spirit, is a high provocation of Him; nor shall I expect the discovery of truth from anyone who thus proudly engages in a work so much above his ability.

And as Dale Ralph Davis says, “we are guilty of arrogance, not merely neglect, when we fail to beg the Spirit’s help in the study of Scripture.”

I’d like to remind you of a simple truth that we all tend to neglect, that is that we must be dependent on the Holy Spirit for help in three major areas of life.

We need help when we are exposed to God’s Word

When we truly grasp our utter inability to not only apply God’s Word to our lives, but even to understand it (1 Cor. 2:14), it becomes much easier to depend on the Holy Spirit for help. It is so easy to read chapters of the Bible without requesting the Holy Spirit’s help. Some pastors even prepare whole sermons without ever asking the Holy Spirit to illumine their minds. Thousands, if not millions, of people drive to church each Sunday morning without ever asking the Holy Spirit to use the message that they will hear to penetrate their hard hearts and cause them to be transformed.

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