“The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said when I was with you.” John 14:26 (CEV)

Do you know why God gave you the Holy Spirit? He is God’s gift to you, showing you how to live faithfully in this world. God speaks to you through ideas and thoughts and suggestions from the Holy Spirit—and it’s called inspiration.

Jesus said in John 14:26, “The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said when I was with you” (CEV). The Holy Spirit is our teacher. The Bible also calls him our Counselor. He’s like a personal coach. I know people today who spend tens of thousands of dollars on an executive coach.

While some may invest a lot of money on an executive coach, I’ve had one guiding me for over 50 years. His name is the Holy Spirit. I’ve constantly asked him—and am still asking today—"What do you want me to do? What’s the next step? How can I be obedient to you?”

A paraphrase of John 14:26 says the Holy Spirit will “bring to your minds all that I have said to you” (Phillips). The Holy Spirit doesn’t speak in an audible voice. But he doesn’t need to go through your ears when he can go directly to your mind, bringing you whatever you need to know for the next step.

If the Holy Spirit works by bringing something to your mind, then there must be something already there to remind you of. That’s why you need to read the Bible. When you read and study and fill your mind with God’s Word, you are storing up truth. Then the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind at just the right time.

There will be many times when you’re under stress, dealing with a problem, or resisting a temptation—and you won’t have your Bible with you. Even if you have an app on your phone, you might not know where to look for help. But if you’ve hidden God’s Word in your heart, then the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind.

You don’t have to get something out of the Bible every time you read it. But with regular Bible study and Scripture memorization, you’re storing up truth in your mind that God can use later to speak to you—right when you need it most.