hearing from the Holy Spirit

Last Sunday's sermon was inspiring.

I was blessed by the various illustrations that pastor gave to explain the leading of the Holy Spirit, as well as her personal encounters of His guidance and prompting.

She shared that at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, she boldly read out a verse three times to a pre-believer, even when told by family members that the person was not open to the gospel. She then asked the person whether she wanted to believe, and the person did. Pastor then knew at that moment that she would want to be baptized and thus asked the family member to check with her. The family member finally relented and asked and was surprised at the answer. Pastor had left by this time, and returned that very afternoon to baptise the lady.

• She taught that conviction, not emotions or goose bumps, indicate the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• Neither trying nor drifting are beneficial to spiritual transformation, but depending on the Holy Spirit.
• We discern and move along with Him, so we can keep step with Him.
• She also gave the example of the church as a pair of gloves, and it is the Holy Spirit in us who fills the gloves.
• IT IS TIME, she said, for the church to move.

One phrase that she shared spoke so strongly to me, that tears ran down my face. It was an example of how the Holy Spirit was using her, as i believe that the particular phrase was not in her sermon notes. "Your grace is sufficient", she said, and i was reminded once again of how God had spoken to me the day before regarding the truth that He is on my side. It was a RHEMA word spoken right into my spirit.

Her message had me thinking further about how we gauge or 'feel' or 'sense' the presence of the Holy Spirit. Like she said, this is not emotional in origin. It is a spiritual encounter or experience not easily described with mere words. However, when we sense the presence of God, our emotions are involved, impacted, affected as well.

The prompting of the Holy Spirit is birthed in our spirit. Often, these promptings go against conventions or logic. Our usual ways of thinking or behaving are challenged. When we choose to follow or obey His prompting, we are emboldened, even strengthened, and the results are good, sometimes even phenomenal. Often our spirits are stirred, prompted, nudged, inspiring our very passions. If we ignore His promptings, we grieve the Holy Spirit.

I was talking to my cousin in law at a family function yesterday. She expressed a spiritual principle in very simple terms with a clear illustration. It was like an unintended answer to an unasked question. She was sharing that she was touched by a powerful message delivered in Mandarin by my late grandfather. As the message was in a unfamiliar language, one that she understood just a little, she felt that that message cut to the quick, right into her spirit. Often, she said, we would allow our intellect, our own thinking to tamper with or temper the message. She understood that messages are imparted spirit to spirit, even subliminally.

In that moment, i understood more clearly some of the things i had been experiencing.

This, i believe, is what happens in our spirit when we pray or sing in tongues. The Holy Spirit communes with our spirits directly without interference from our understanding, and we are stirred, established, encouraged and strengthened.