Yellow: Direct Response
Light Yellow: Additional Response
Celeste: Additional Points
TEXT FOR THE YEAR 2026: “Blessed are those who recognize their spiritual needs” (MAT. 5:3).
1. What basic needs did Jehovah create us with? (Matthew 5:3).
Jehovah created humans with certain basic needs. For example, we all need food, clothing, and shelter. These things are so important that if we were to lack them, even for a short time, life would become very difficult. But Jehovah also created us with spiritual needs (read Matthew 5:3). If we want to be truly happy, we must acknowledge that we have these needs and never fail to satisfy them.
2. What example helps us understand what it means to recognize our spiritual needs?
2 What did Jesus mean when he spoke of “those who recognize their spiritual needs”? In Greek, that expression literally conveys the idea of being beggars of the spirit. To understand this better, imagine a very poor man, dressed in rags and sitting in a corner, exposed to the heat of the day and the cold of the night. He is emaciated and weak because he has no food. And because of his poor appearance, people avoid him. The beggar knows very well that he needs help to improve his situation in life. The same is true of spiritual beggars, those who recognize their spiritual needs. They are acutely aware of their desperate situation and their need for help to improve it. Therefore, they are eager to take advantage of the many spiritual gifts Jehovah gives to those who love him.
3. What will we see in this article?
3 In this article, we will first discuss the Phoenician woman who begged Jesus for help. We will see that she demonstrated three qualities that are essential for those who recognize their spiritual needs. Next, we will analyze the example of three very spiritual men: the apostles Peter and Paul, and King David.
AN EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY, PERSISTENCE, AND FAITH
4. What did the Phoenician woman want Jesus to do for her?
4 On one occasion, a Phoenician woman came to Jesus because her daughter was “severely possessed by a demon” (Matt. 15:21-28). She approached him and knelt down, pleading for his help. This woman demonstrated outstanding qualities. Let's look at some of them.
5. What qualities did the Phoenician woman demonstrate, and what did Jesus do? (See also the image.)
5 The Phoenician woman demonstrated true humility. How do we know this? She wasn't offended when Jesus compared her to a little dog, a pet that was likely common in non-Jewish families. How would we have reacted? Would we have felt insulted and turned away without asking for help? The Phoenician woman didn't. She was humble. Furthermore, she demonstrated persistence, as she begged Jesus again and again for help. Why did he insist so much? Because he had faith in him. In fact, Jesus saw that the woman had such great faith that he decided to do something amazing. Even though he had told her that he was sent only to help “the lost sheep of the nation of Israel,” he cast out the demon that was tormenting her daughter.
ILLUSTRATION
A Phoenician woman is on her knees asking Jesus for help, while he is sitting at a table eating with three of his disciples.
The Phoenician woman demonstrated humility, persistence, and faith, and thus obtained the help she needed. (See paragraph 5.)
6. What do we learn from the story of the Phoenician woman?
6 To satisfy our spiritual needs we have to be like the Phoenician woman. We must be humble and persistent and have strong faith. Only if we are humble will we be able to persistently ask God for help. It is also important that we have a strong faith in Jesus Christ and trust in those He is using to lead His disciples. (Matt. 24:45-47) Jehovah and his Son are happy to meet the spiritual needs of those who demonstrate these qualities (compare James 1:5-7). Let us now see how Jehovah provides us with spiritual food, clothing, and shelter, and what we must do to benefit from his help. To do this, we will consider the examples of Peter, Paul, and David.
LET US BE LIKE PETER: LET US ALWAYS BE WELL-NOURISHED SPIRITUALLY
7. What task did Peter receive, but what else did he have to do? (Hebrews 5:14-6:1).
7 Consider the example of the apostle Peter. He was one of the first Jews to recognize that Jesus was the Messiah. He knew that Jehovah was using him to feed his people with “words of everlasting life” (John 6:66-68). Before ascending to heaven, Jesus told Peter: “Feed my little sheep” (John 21:17). The apostle faithfully carried out that task, and Jehovah even used him to write two letters that became part of the Bible. But Peter also needed spiritual nourishment. For example, he studied the letters that the apostle Paul had written under inspiration. Peter admitted that they contained “things hard to understand” (2 Pet. 3:15, 16). However, he persevered and had faith that Jehovah would help him to digest—that is, to understand and apply—the “solid food” that Paul had written in his letters (read Hebrews 5:14–6:1).
8. What did Peter do when he received new instructions from Jehovah?
8 Peter demonstrated his faith in Jehovah by obeying his instructions. Consider the vision he received in the city of Joppa. God’s representative told him to kill and eat animals that were considered unclean according to the Mosaic Law. Doing so was unthinkable for any Jew! So Peter replied: “Absolutely not, Lord. I have never eaten anything polluted or unclean.” But then he received this instruction: “Stop calling polluted the things that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:9-15) After receiving the vision, three men arrived and told him that his master, Cornelius, wanted him to come to his house to speak with him. Before that vision, Peter would never have set foot in Cornelius's house, because he was not Jewish, and the Jews considered people of other nations to be unclean. (Neh. 10:28, 29) Did the apostle change his perspective? Yes, for he understood that Jehovah was giving new spiritual enlightenment, and he accepted it immediately. (Prov. 4:18). He preached to Cornelius and all who were in his house, and he rejoiced when he saw them accept the truth, receive the Holy Spirit, and be baptized. (Hebrews 10:44-48).
9. What two benefits do we gain from developing a strong desire for solid spiritual food?
9 Like Peter, we must feed on the basic teachings of God’s Word, which are like milk. It is also important to develop a strong desire for solid spiritual food—truths that may be more difficult to understand. Of course, it takes time and effort to understand the deeper truths of the Bible. But it is certainly worth it, for we reap many benefits. Let’s consider two of them. On the one hand, we learn things about Jehovah that motivate us to love and respect him more. On the other hand, we feel more compelled to tell others how wonderful our Heavenly Father is. (Rom. 11:33; Rev. 4:11). And there is an additional lesson we learn from Peter's example: when an organization changes its understanding of a biblical truth, we must accept that change without delay. That is the only way to remain well-nourished spiritually and to continue being useful to Jehovah.
LET US BE LIKE PAUL: LET US ALWAYS BE WELL-CLOTHED SPIRITUALLY
10. What does it mean to be well clothed spiritually? (Colossians 3:8-10).
10 Jehovah also gives us spiritual clothing that we must put on to please him. What clothes are we referring to? The apostle Paul gave this counsel: “Put off the old personality.” And then he said: “Clothe yourselves with the new personality” (read Colossians 3:8-10). “Putting on” the qualities of the new personality requires constant effort. Consider Paul himself. From a young age, he made every effort to please God (Gal. 1:14; Phil. 3:4, 5). However, because he lacked accurate knowledge of God’s purpose, he was spiritually impoverished. For example, he was unfamiliar with Christ’s teachings. And when his spiritual ignorance is combined with his pride, the result was an “insolent” man, who wore an unpleasant personality (1 Tim. 1:13).
11. What flaw in his old personality did Pablo struggle against?
11 Before becoming a Christian, Paul was, to put it mildly, short-tempered. In fact, the Bible says he was so furious with Jesus' followers that he kept threatening them and "wanted to kill them." (Neh. 9:1). After becoming a Christian, he undoubtedly made a great effort to rid himself of that part of his old personality. (Ephesians 4:22, 31). Even so, when he had a disagreement with Barnabas on one occasion, there was “a strong outburst of anger” between them. (Acts 15:37-39). That was a setback in his struggle to control his temper, but he did not give up. On the contrary, he continued to fight with all his might against his imperfections in order to maintain God's approval (1 Corinthians 9:27).
12. How did Pablo manage to get rid of his old personality?
12 How did Paul manage to get rid of his old personality and put on the new one? Not trusting in his own strength (Phil. 4:13). Like Peter, he depended “on the strength that God gives” (1 Pet. 4:11). Even so, he sometimes made mistakes and became discouraged. At those times, he thought about all the good things his heavenly Father had done for him, and so he regained the strength to continue his struggle (Rom. 7:21-25).
13. How can we imitate Paul?
13 Whether we have been serving Jehovah for a short time or a long time, we can all imitate Paul. How? By making a continuous effort to take off our old personality and put on the new one, the spiritual clothing that Jehovah gives us. If we take a step back in our struggle to control, for example, our temper or our tongue, let's not think we're a lost cause. On the contrary, let's continue to put all our effort into transforming our way of thinking and acting. (Rom. 12:1, 2; Eph. 4:24). However, there is one very important thing we must not forget: the new personality is not like a garment that we can adjust to our liking or size; rather, we are the ones who have to change our way of being to adapt to what God expects of us.
LET US BE LIKE DAVID: LET US ALWAYS SEEK THE SHELTER OF JEHOVAH
14, 15. How does Jehovah protect his people today? (Psalm 27:5; see also the picture.)
14 Spiritual food and clothing are not enough to make us truly happy. We also need spiritual shelter, or protection. Let us examine in detail what this entails and what we must do to continue benefiting from this gift from Jehovah.
15 King David knew that he could count on Jehovah’s protection, that he could take refuge in him (read Psalm 27:5). Now, how does Jehovah protect his people today? Ensuring that nothing and no one can destroy the faith of His servants. He promises that no weapon forged against us will succeed. (Sal. 34:7; Is. 54:17). Although Satan, the demons, and those who persecute us are powerful, they cannot do us irreparable harm. Even if they take our life, Jehovah will restore it. (1 Cor. 15:55-57; Rev. 21:3, 4). Besides protecting us from external things, our Father helps us deal with our worries so that we can continue serving Him. (Prov. 12:25; Matt. 6:27-29). Also, because He loves us so much, He gives us a large family of spiritual brothers and sisters who support us and pastors who care for us. (Is. 32:1, 2). And at our meetings we learn other ways to benefit from the protection that Jehovah provides. (Heb. 10:24, 25).
ILLUSTRATION
A sister raises her hand during the Watchtower Study. Other brothers and sisters also raise their hands.
A sister seeks Jehovah's protection by attending a meeting with her brothers. (See paragraphs 14 and 15.)
16. In what ways did Jehovah protect David?
16 When David obeyed Jehovah, Jehovah helped him to make good decisions that protected him from the consequences suffered by those who do not respect God's standards. (compare with Proverbs 5:1, 2). Of course, when David was disobedient, Jehovah did not protect him from the consequences of his actions. (2 Sam. 12:9, 10). And what happened when David suffered because of others? He took refuge in prayer, and Jehovah protected him by giving him comfort and assuring him that He loved him very much and would take care of him. (Ps. 23:1-6).
17. How can we imitate David?
17 We imitate David by turning to Jehovah when we have to make decisions. We are also aware that if we make bad decisions, Jehovah will not protect us from the negative consequences we may suffer. (Gal. 6:7, 8) And when we face difficulties caused by others, we take refuge in prayer, confident that Jehovah will protect our hearts and minds. (Phil. 4:6, 7).
LET US NOT NEED TO SATISFY OUR SPIRITUAL NEEDS
18. What challenge do we face, and how can we continue to meet our spiritual needs? (See also the pictures.)
18 The text for the year 2026 says: “Blessed are those who recognize their spiritual needs.” And now more than ever it is important that we put those words into practice. We live surrounded by people who are unhappy because they refuse to accept that they have spiritual needs or try to fill that void by worshipping God in their own way or resorting to human philosophies. We absolutely do not want to adopt that attitude. So let us not neglect to satisfy our spiritual needs: let us continue to feed on God's Word, putting on the new personality and seeking the spiritual shelter that Jehovah gives us.
ILLUSTRATION
Images: The sister in the previous image continues to meet her spiritual needs. 1. She studies an article in “The Watchtower.” 2. She goes to a couple’s home to bring them food. The husband is sitting in an armchair with his head bandaged and an IV in his arm to receive medication. 3. Two elders are shepherding the sister.
We must continue to satisfy our need for spiritual food, clothing, and shelter. (See paragraph 18.)
WHAT CAN WE DO TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FOLLOWING GIFTS FROM JEHOVAH?
Spiritual food
We must value and accept spiritual food with faith, and persist in understanding and applying teachings that are difficult to grasp or that seem profound to us, trusting that Jehovah will help us.
Furthermore, we must go beyond basic teachings, promptly obey new instructions, and apply what we learn, sharing it with others.
Spiritual clothing
We must strive to put off our “old personality” and put on our “new personality” through continuous effort. We must not rely on our own strength, but on “the strength God gives,” praying constantly and asking for Jehovah’s help.
We must not give up when we make mistakes or fail to control our temper, nor should we think we are a lost cause, but rather continue striving. Furthermore, we must transform our way of thinking. This involves renewing our minds and aligning our thoughts with Jehovah's.
We can benefit from spiritual clothing when we make a constant effort to change our “old personality,” depending on God’s strength and persevering in our struggle to reflect the “new personality” that pleases Jehovah.
Spiritual shelter
We must take refuge in Jehovah through prayer, obey his standards to avoid painful consequences, accept responsibility for our decisions, trust in Jehovah's spiritual protection, and value the support of the congregation.
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