Discerning the Direction of the Holy Spirit in Your Life

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;

I will give you counsel and watch over you.

Do not be like the horse or mule,

which have no understanding;

they must be controlled with bit and bridle

to make them come to you.

-Psalm 32:8–9

Think for a moment about Revivals in the past. If you don’t know of any, that’s okay. Think about the book of Acts.

What started the Revivals?

What stopped the Revivals?

I mentioned some of the common answers to the first question. Typically you’ll see the prayer of repentance, a need for holiness, and a desire for God.

But the second question can range (for obvious reasons).

1. Moral Failure
2. Division/Split of church/leadership/movement
3. Failure to create a legacy
4. Being Stuck in the past ways of doing things
5. Lack of leadership to sustain what was happening
6. Burnout
7. Complacency
8. Dumb Choices

There are plenty more reasons, I am sure of it. But there is one area that I want to shine a light on The need for the sensitivity of to Holy Spirit. The sensitivity of the Holy Spirit is one of the most valuable qualities we can have, and a lack of it surely keeps us from experiencing all that God wants for our lives. It’s the most basic building block for encountering the Lord and experiencing Revival: The ability to respond to the promptings of God. And without it, we cannot have Revival.

Below I’ll share how a lack of this characteristic could have killed the Holy Spirit movement in the book of Acts, how this one trait has set me up for one of the most radical faith journeys I’ve ever been on, and keys for you to grow in your own personal sensitivity.

Spreading Revival

As I mentioned in the previous article, The Holy Spirit in Acts 11 sets up an interesting dynamic for Peter. Peter has convictions given by God about how to steward his body, and Peter received a vision instructing him to essentially go against what God had clearly spoken in His word.

Peter had to learn to repent quickly. Peter witnessed God do something out of His comfort zone, and you know what? Peter was willing to go along with it. It’s one of the factors that led to the decision in the Acts 15 Jerusalem council.

And it’s pretty clear that if the Jerusalem Council did not make that decision, the early believers would have completely alienated most of the world by superimposing a cultural expectation on new believers. That’s Missions 101, and it’s interesting to think that you and I today may not have been Christians because the Early Christians would have just become another form of the law!

But they didn’t fall into that trap. Why? They were teachable. They learned to let the Holy Spirit have the lead in this adventure. And so do we.

Being Led Out Into Waters

Peter’s experience can really teach us a lot about what teachability towards God means and it’s especially relevant for the Western church today.

We cannot disregard the promptings of the Holy Spirit by considering them less important than the written Word of God. It’s a false sense of wisdom to set one up as greater than the other.

I say that because If it’s from God, it’s from God. The same Spirit who authored the Word still speaks. it’s unfruitful to give yourself a framework of thinking that easily dismisses the voice of the Lord. What I will say is to test the word. And we know we’re probably very comfortable with the idea of testing the word. We’ve got our scriptures in our back pocket because that’s what we know. But Paul says not to despise prophecy. And the temptation for us is that we allow fear, skepticism, even jadedness from other expressions of spirituality prompts, even tempts us to wander in the desert of worshipping a God whose voice we ignore. Some call this wisdom, but it’s carnal.

But if dreams and visions make you uncomfortable, that’s fine. Find a safe way to grow in discernment. Find a community, and ask for help. Don’t assume because you’ve experienced it that it is from God. I am sure we can point to abuse in this area as well. But we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater — rather, we learn to grow through constant practice and learning ( Hebrews 5:14).

And this brings me to the attribute of someone needed to see God show up in their life: The ability to listen and respond to God.

A few years ago God called me to leave everything that I knew to join a ministry school I knew nothing of. All I knew was that this ministry school had a vision for the same thing that I was burning for and cultivating alone in my dorm room: A desire to see the world experience Revival and to see Jesus come in power through His voice, His presence, and miracles that change everything.

I was currently attending a Baptist University and was successful there. I was on fire for Jesus, and was successful academically and was really investing in people at the campus. God was moving.

But that season of two years was interrupted when God began to speak to me. Through multiple dreams, supernatural occurrences, and even the physical healing of my back, I knew God was telling me to pack my bags and go to this place.

But it was not easy.

I was terrified. Fearful of what others thought, I was fearful of the school — I did research and didn’t have a clear knowledge of what they represented. Were these people deceived? I read articles from conservative circles that completely bashed the entire concept of the Holy Spirit. Not to mention that I was two years into my degree as an Honors Society Inductee, ready to get my Resume a nice graduate title.

But God was clear. Go, leave everything you know to follow me.

And so I took the jump of faith.

I didn’t know just how impactful this transition would be for me. Aside from my experience with my first mentor Eli, this has been the most transformative move of my life. There was a price because of the rumors, the criticism, the opinions of people — but It is always to be expected. And the small price to pay doesn’t compare to the joy of entering into the promised land.

I’ve tasted and seen the goodness of God. I have seen God heal people in extraordinary, impossible ways. I’ve encountered a new world of Him through the people I have been surrounded by. I have received healing from the deep pains of my past, and I have found people that I will run with for the rest of my life. One of which happens to be married to me 🙂

But it took a teachable heart. It took being willing to listen to God and obey. I could have prolonged my journey getting where I needed to be, or even worse yet — become desensitized to the voice of the Holy Spirit and allowed the lies of people’s opinions to dictate my life.

But praise God I didn’t. And I pray none of us will. The world is counting on it.

The Humble Will Inherit the Earth

God may offend our minds. God may go beyond what we are comfortable with. But if we are willing, if we are humble and teachable, then perhaps what was just a burning bush to one person will become the burning bush of destiny in your life. I know it was for me.

I want that. I don’t want to miss out on what God has for me. I am thankful for where I am, and where I’ve been. But I can’t mature my way out of teachability.

Here are some things that I believe are important for growing in sensitivity that I’ve learned over the years:

1. Trust that there is a greater chance of God directing your footsteps than the devil’s ability to deceive you.
2. Pay attention to what God is highlighting in your season. Ask God for a word and look for the confirmations.
3. Pay attention to your gut instincts. They are likely promptings from the Holy Spirit regarding what direction you should take.
4. Work on hearing God in smaller things or in things that are about perspective and identity before looking for massive words that drastically alter the course of your life. (This is a general rule of thumb, not a law to be followed. God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, as you know.)
5. Learn to clear every factor that may create “muddy thinking.” Concern for what people will think, say, and perceive is only going to inspire a fear of man and cause confusion.
6. Once you decide, decide in faith. Don’t half-decide, otherwise you may be so concerned with making the wrong decision that you’re not ready for the next step God wants to give you. (James 1:6).
7. Involve many advisors who are Spirit-Led. Look for confirmation in their words. You will recognize what God is breathing on and what is only people’s carnal opinion.
8. Set fleeces and look for the signs. Sometimes you need a greater confirmation based on the level of commitment your choice requires. This will set you up for success in the future if things are challenging because you can review what God said or did.

These 8 things are my rules of thumb. They will serve you well as you pursue greater depths of sensitivity.

So, to take this article and make it practical, what is God saying to you in your season right now? And what does it look like to respond in faith to His voice?

If you need questions to ask God, here are questions to get you started:

1. God, what season am I in, and how can I position myself for success?
2. What are the people you have called me to, and how can I partner with your leadership in their life?
3. What is one thing you want to teach me this week or emphasize in our relationship?
4. Who do you say that I am?
5. What is your opinion about (insert a situation, a person, a worldview)?

One of the greatest things that derail some of us from our destiny is the lack of sensitivity and confidence in perceiving the voice of God. But there is overwhelming hope for us who are beginning the journey, and that God can supernaturally accelerate our journeys, even if we haven’t been listening! When we are focused on the Lord, anything becomes possible.

Originally published at https://fantheflamerevivalnetwork.com on September 30, 2019.