What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?
Key Scriptures: Galatians 5:16 and Romans 8:14
Being led by the Holy Spirit means that our life’s decisions are influenced by Him. When under this influence, we detest sin, walk more in Christ-like love, and develop deep intimacy with God. The topic is mentioned in Galatians 5:16 and Romans 8:14. In addition, the Bible is replete with many cases of people who enjoyed the leading of the Holy Spirit. For example, the Holy Spirit forbade Paul and his friends from preaching in Asia (Acts 16:6).
The Significance of a Spirit-Led Life.
Maturity in this Kingdom is reflected in how easily we’re led by the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:14, Paul says that those led by the Spirit are the sons. Here, Paul does not use the names “children” or “babies”, but sons to signify maturity.
A believer who neglects a Spirit-led life becomes a spiritual retard– In physical life, retarded individuals have a low IQ, struggle to comprehend basic concepts, and are generally a bother to many people. Likewise, spiritually retarded believers can hardly discern temptations, distinguish between spirits, or overcome sin, and are, therefore, a burden to their fellow believers and an obstacle to unbelievers. In Hebrews 5:12, the writer deals with such individuals, who should be teachers but still need to be taught again basic things.
How can I hear the Holy Spirit more clearly and quickly?
Recognize the authority of the Holy Spirit over your life-
It is impossible to hear or be led by the Spirit if we do not acknowledge and respect His authority in our lives. The Holy Spirit was not given to us as a mere advisor but as our Lord. In 1 Cor. 3:17, Paul says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit” (ESV). Even without this scripture, the Holy Spirit remains the Lord on account of His equality with the Son and the Father. With this understanding, we can now see that we ought to regard the Holy Spirit as Lord. In Romans 7:4, Paul says that we died to the Law that we might belong to Christ. Recognizing the Holy Spirit’s authority means we do not do anything without His instructions, inspiration, or approval. In real life, we never disrespect or usurp the authority of those above us. If we’re eager to obey earthly masters who only reward us with perishable and insufficient gifts in the form of money, how much more obedience should we show the One who has already given us eternal life?
Maintain an atmosphere of worship–
I have noted that I hear the Holy Spirit better when I am engaged in prayer, meditation, and worship. Jesus had a habit of spending much of His time in prayer. When not praying, Jesus was glorifying the Father either through teaching or performing miracles. In essence, His life centered around the Father. Similarly, we are expected to saturate our lives with the things of God. When not working, we should either be praying, meditating, or doing things that please the Lord. Such an atmosphere makes it possible for us to hear the Holy Spirit more easily and clearly.
Block all other voices–
You do this limiting exposure to other unnecessary content. In our modern world, we are prone to too many sources of ideologies and arguments, some of which affect our Christian lives. Today, filmmakers are doing their best to push their homosexuality agenda and other philosophies. If we’re to hear the Holy Spirit speak to us, we’ve got to let Him monopolize or dominate our lives. Also, it is by resting and quitting anxiety. In Luke 10:41, Martha was concerned with the wrong things. She only needed to rest like her sister, Mary.
