Mensa Otabil - A Spirit-Led Life (11/02/2025)
This is day number seven of our 40 days of power, and the Spirit of God is moving strong, powerful, and mighty in our lives. The Lord will perfect his will in your life. We’re talking about the leading of the Holy Spirit, and we look at Acts 13:2: «As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'»
The Holy Spirit leads us daily; he leads us as believers because the Holy Spirit is our guide. He is our instructor, and we must learn to follow his direction. The reason the Holy Spirit is able to lead us is that he dwells within us. Jesus Christ told his disciples that when he ascended, he would send the Holy Spirit, who is him in spirit form. Jesus in spirit form is the Holy Spirit. He says, «And when he comes, he will lead you into all truth; he will guide you; he will comfort you.» So, the Holy Spirit is very important in our discerning the will of the Lord, knowing what Jesus wants us to do, knowing what God wants us to do. The Holy Spirit doesn’t shout into our ears; the Holy Spirit leads from within us. He sometimes leads us through the gifts of the Spirit, but most times, he leads from within us.
To discern and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, there are three spiritual truths that you must grasp. They are very simple but important. The first is that the Spirit of God dwells within us. When you give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ and say, «Lord Jesus, come and live inside my heart,» he comes indeed, but he doesn’t come as a full-flesh physical human being. He comes through the Holy Spirit, who is also the Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit comes and does exactly what Jesus said he would do: he begins to guide us, he begins to lead us, and he begins to instruct us. Because he lives within us, he guides us from within us.
Secondly, the Holy Spirit speaks within us. The Spirit of God speaks within us because the Holy Spirit is within us; his voice also comes from within us. Many times when we say, «Oh, God has spoken to me,» we are thinking of external voices speaking to us. Once in a while, that may happen, but the primary way the Holy Spirit leads is from where he is resident- within us. He speaks from within us and leads us through our spirits. The Holy Spirit is a spirit, but we also have a spirit within us. The Holy Spirit then inspires the spirit within us so that we can hear his voice. The spirit within us identifies the voice of the Holy Spirit, so from within us, we are going to hear his direction.
The third thing is that the Spirit of God leads us from within, sometimes without speaking to us. The Holy Spirit leads us; it’s almost like somebody gives you a nudge or pushes you. It’s not a voice, but rather a leading- a person guiding you to do something without talking. Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us without speaking; he moves us, he guides us. There will be times when you want to do something, and you feel very strongly that you should not do it, even if you cannot find the words to articulate it. That would be the Holy Spirit guiding you, nudging you not to proceed. Or sometimes, the situation may seem difficult, but you just feel very confident and strong from within that everything will be well. That is the Holy Spirit assuring you, «I’m with you; just go ahead; it will all be okay.»
So, we have to learn when he speaks and when he leads without speaking, and it all comes from within us. Let’s pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, lead me by your Spirit who lives within me. I receive your guidance for today. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»