Happy Mother’s Day!
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16
How do I follow the Holy Spirit?
This is a huge subject, about which we may have specific ideas, and growth is possible for each of us. The wisdom of God can be heard when we realize that our ideas are not the only ideas, and that God has ideas that have also been shared with others. We all benefit from a desire for knowing God more today than yesterday, hunger for growth, curiosity, and passion for learning. How God Speaks notes in the past, Bible study – Glenda Malmin. Almost all of the New Testament Scriptures on this subject are written to the local church. This is not a solo campaign but a local church unified effort.
1. Listen to the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is guiding us if we are looking for and listening to.
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” – John 14:16-17
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16 (will unpack this passage/context next Sunday)
How do we listen to the Holy Spirit?
A. Giving God quiet relational time. Be quiet. Listen. The Lord’s Prayer helps our relationship with God, our conversation with God. It also very helpful to clear our minds of things we need to bring to God, let go of (possibly temporarily), so that we can allow God the freedom to speak on any subject. This can be expanded with unscripted times throughout the days and nights.
B. Reading what God has already said, in the Bible, gives our spirit the opportunity to hear a Rhema word from God (Whoa! God is speaking to me!). This does not devalue the plain simple truth of God’s original intent for the Scripture. The more we know the truth of God’s Word, the easier it will become for us to recognize God’s here and now words to us.
2. Live in a close personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is directly involved in a close personal relationship with us.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“The Holy Spirit is given to all who come to Christ, and the Spirit sets us free from self-centeredness to live for God and for others.” – Lausanne Covenant
“But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” – Galatians 5:5-6 (refer back to Part 1)
3. Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16
“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27
How do I know what guidance is from the Holy Spirit?
3 sources possible: God, people, enemy
Each of us is unique in some ways. We may sense the leading of the Holy Spirit in unique ways. And yet our gracious God gives us some ways in which we can know it is Him.
A. Consider the destination. Direction leading you in? Football pass analogy. Leading the receiver. Holy Spirit leads with purpose. God’s Good News/covenant/Kingdom purpose and shaping influence.
B. Consider the consistency. Is it consistent with the established vision and values of God seen in Scripture?
C. Consider the fulfillment. Note when something you have heard from God is fulfilled, comes to pass, etc. This helps in learning to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit as well as how you hear from the Holy Spirit.
“Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” – Galatians 5:16
How does this work? What does this look like? Why does this matter? Relationship Integrity
“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” – Romans 8:5-6
“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.” – Ephesians 4:30
What should we do?
1. Think and pray about today’s notes.
2. Ask God what you should do about it.
3. Listen.
4. Make time to listen to the Holy Spirit more than before. TAWG prayer Bible on items specific as well as open ended,
5. Make plans to do this more. Special occasions, weekly, monthly, quarterly annually.