It’s not mysterious or spooky. You don’t have to be super spiritual or carry a 20-year-salvation card. To follow the Spirit of God, all you have to do is follow the Word of God. “It can’t be that easy!” you say? Yes, it’s that easy. Right off the bat you must understand that God’s will is His Word and His Word was written by His Spirit. Peter wrote that holy men of old were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:20-21). All scripture is God-breathed according to second Timothy 3:16. Walking by the Word is following the Spirit. As you do this, the Holy Spirit is able to direct you on specific details of your life. Take the following steps and enhance your ability to follow the Spirit of God:

Step One. Pray the Word. It is the perfect will of God. Hearing the Word of God not only builds your faith, it sows the Word directly into your heart and enables the Spirit to speak. Many times you will be reading/praying the Word and get your answer.

Step Two. Pray in the Spirit. It is another form of perfect prayer. Your natural mind is unfruitful and can’t hinder your prayer (1 Corinthians 14:14).

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

—Romans 8:26-27

Step Three. Live by the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Verses 22-23 later list the following fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If you intentionally personify these traits everyday, when the Spirit does give you a command you know it because there will be no mental clutter.

Step Four. Listen and obey. We have the secret! In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). All we have to do is obey. Imagine a person who lived their whole life totally committed to God’s Word—obeying it to the letter. This person, however, never actually “heard” from God. He only did what the Bible taught. What are the odds that his life would be successful? You get the picture.

Of course the scenario in step four is impossible because a man or woman of that stature would surely hear from God many times. Even sinners on occasion hear from God—it’s called a conscience. We are spirit beings. Now the conscience can be seared (1 Timothy 4:2) and therefore become ineffective. But, it was put in every human by God. So the more you discipline yourself to follow His Word, you will inevitably be following His Spirit. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice (John 10:27).” You learn to know His voice by knowing His Word.

Clues that Expose the Enemy’s Voice

1. If the voice is talking about killing, stealing or destroying, it’s not of God (John 10:10; Jeremiah 29:11).
2. If you can’t verify it in the Bible, it’s not from the Lord (1 John 4:1). Any voice you hear should line up with Scripture.
3. If it’s negative, it’s not God (Psalm 145:13). Even in chastisement, God is gracious.

Tips for Following the Spirit in Decision Making

1. Go in the direction of peace, even when your flesh is unsure. Know that your steps are ordered and it’s all working out for your good (Psalm 37:23; Romans 8:28).
2. Don’t stop moving. If you’ve not gotten a clear answer, just keep doing the right things and stay prepared. My natural father always tells me, “Stay ready so you won’t have to get ready.” This way when God speaks you’re nimble.
3. Have a short memory—forget past mistakes. So you flubbed a decision, who hasn’t? Psalm 138:8 is true concerning you. Don’t get deterred from following the Spirit just because you miss it.

Again, follow the Word and you’ll always be in line with the Spirit. My goal in this series of articles is to simplify the processes of life by the Spirit and prayer in the Spirit. I give Scripture references to encourage you to seek these things out for yourself. It is the best way to start following the Spirit of God. It’s just like following a recipe. You may not get it perfect the first time, but the more you tweak your life by the Word, the better it becomes.

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

—Shontta
Psalm 138:8

If you’ve been feeling like your prayer life is stagnate or that your prayers are not being heard, this article is for you. Perhaps your spiritual ears are dull. Maybe you feel like the Holy Spirit hasn’t been guiding you in decision-making. In short, you need a spiritual tune up. We all face times when we feel like we’ve hit the wall so to speak in our prayer lives. But not to worry, I’ve got the answer for you. The following are three simple steps you can take to tune up your spirit any time you feel you’re at an unproductive point in your Christian walk or your prayer life:

Step One: Pray the Word of God

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.—James 5:16 NIV

One thing that almost always hinders our prayer lives is improper forms of prayer. According to this scripture there is a form of prayer that is effective; so, there must also be forms of prayer that are ineffective. The best way to avoid this and know that you’ve succeeded in prayer is to rehearse God’s word back to Him. Two great places to start are Psalms and Proverbs for daily confessions. I suggest reading a Proverb a day; whatever the date is read that Proverb aloud. Some faith-building Psalms to start with are 1, 23, 34, 91, 103, 112,121 and 138. As you grow in this, begin to inject your favorite passages from all over the Bible into your daily confessions. For example, before I teach a fitness class of any kind, I recite Psalm 121. I also attach several other scriptures regarding the tongue. I ask the Lord to guide me with His eye (Psalm 32:8). These are Word-based prayers and I can have full confidence in their effectiveness. To me, praying the Word is the equivalent of taking the purest form of an anecdote. Uncut is the strongest form possible. When you begin to pray this way, your prayers will almost always be aloud. Remember in Mark 11:23 Jesus said that you will have whatever you say.

Step Two: Pray in the Holy Spirit

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.—Jude 1:20 NIV

The gift of the Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues is your secret weapon; it is your sixth sense. Paul said that the one who prays in the Spirit edifies or builds himself up (2 Corinthians 14:4). When you need a spiritual tune up, this is exactly what could be hindering you—your spirit is not built up. Again in my profession as a fitness instructor, I am constantly in contact with people who are strong and well built in their physical bodies. In their spirits and minds however, they are fragile and weak. People are confused and doubtful about their lives—not sure who or what to believe. But Jesus said, “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future] (John 16:13 AMP).” When we use our prayer language our spiritual sense becomes heightened, we are more aware of people and situations around us and God’s presence is more tangible in our daily lives. By praying in the Spirit, Romans 8 becomes real to you because you are then led by the Spirit.

Step Three: Hear the Word of God

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.—Romans 10:17

The concept is simple, the more you hear (and obey) the Word of God the more you hear God. Your ability to hear the voice of God is directly related to the amount of His word you hear. Jesus told us to be careful how we listen because to the one who has spiritual knowledge would more be given (Luke 8:18 AMP). Here are three ways to hear the Word. One, through your own mouth (see step one). Next, go to a Word-based church at least twice a week and hear the Word preached. And finally, use technology—listen to cds, watch television or internet broadcasts and load up that mp3 player with the Word so you can listen to it while you’re working out or in your car. The difference in your awareness will be amazing. It’s the same concept as tuning up your car so it performs better. You too will perform better by taking these steps to tune up your spirit. And in hearing the Word, remember what James told us. He said in James 1:22 do not just listen to the word and deceive yourself, do what it says.

In these times it is imperative that you as a child of God know, hear and follow His voice. Jesus said in John 10:4-5, “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” This is how you live above the circumstances and experience plenty in a time of famine. Tune up your spirit—pray the Word, pray in the Spirit and hear the Word of God!

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta