Recognizing and Responding to the Spirit's Prompting
Acts 18:5
And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
One of the keys to learning to walk in the Spirit is that of knowing when you are being pressed by Him to move this way or that. It is a fact that every minister of the Gospel who is truly called of God to preach has within them a certain amount of “inner pressure” to declare boldly the Word of God. The prophet Jeremiah described it as a burning fire shut up in his bones (Jer. 20:9). Paul described it as being pressed in the spirit. However you describe it is not as important as simply recognizing its presence and responding to its promptings.
Perhaps you are like many Christians who wished that an audible voice would come out of the sky when God was speaking so that there would be no doubt that it was Him. Guess what…that’s most likely not going to happen! However, for those who will look in, love all, and live by the Word of God, the Spirit of God will speak to them much like He did Elijah, in a still small voice. The next time you are around someone, and you just feel a nudge in your spirit to testify about Jesus, pay close attention to that, because that is the Holy Spirit cluing you in to the proper timing in which to be a witness.
The ministry of Paul the Apostle was primarily effective because he knew how to listen to the voice of the Spirit of God everywhere he went. As a matter of fact, there were even times that Paul would have preached, but the Holy Ghost refused to let him, and then led him in a different direction. Only God knows the heart of man, and only God knows when someone is ready to receive the Word, and when they are not. It is imperative that the church gets back to seeking a Spirit-Filled life, so that our ministries will be effective in reaching this generation with the only hope they have…Jesus Christ!
If you are always urged in the Spirit to open your mouth boldly to declare the Gospel, you might just be the next Paul the Apostle if you will allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in all of your ways. Answer to the call, and yield to God’s will for your life today. Become the witness that you were destined to become. Live the life that God has ordained you to live. Decide that you will no longer be silent about your faith; go preach!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
One of the keys to learning to walk in the Spirit is that of knowing when you are being pressed by Him to move this way or that. It is a fact that every minister of the Gospel who is truly called of God to preach has within them a certain amount of “inner pressure” to declare boldly the Word of God. The prophet Jeremiah described it as a burning fire shut up in his bones (Jer. 20:9). Paul described it as being pressed in the spirit. However you describe it is not as important as simply recognizing its presence and responding to its promptings.
Perhaps you are like many Christians who wished that an audible voice would come out of the sky when God was speaking so that there would be no doubt that it was Him. Guess what…that’s most likely not going to happen! However, for those who will look in, love all, and live by the Word of God, the Spirit of God will speak to them much like He did Elijah, in a still small voice. The next time you are around someone, and you just feel a nudge in your spirit to testify about Jesus, pay close attention to that, because that is the Holy Spirit cluing you in to the proper timing in which to be a witness.
The ministry of Paul the Apostle was primarily effective because he knew how to listen to the voice of the Spirit of God everywhere he went. As a matter of fact, there were even times that Paul would have preached, but the Holy Ghost refused to let him, and then led him in a different direction. Only God knows the heart of man, and only God knows when someone is ready to receive the Word, and when they are not. It is imperative that the church gets back to seeking a Spirit-Filled life, so that our ministries will be effective in reaching this generation with the only hope they have…Jesus Christ!
If you are always urged in the Spirit to open your mouth boldly to declare the Gospel, you might just be the next Paul the Apostle if you will allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in all of your ways. Answer to the call, and yield to God’s will for your life today. Become the witness that you were destined to become. Live the life that God has ordained you to live. Decide that you will no longer be silent about your faith; go preach!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill