I’m certain you have had moments in your life where you either sensed God’s presence or felt a surge of His power filling your soul, encouraging your faith and banishing your fears.
Like me, you’ve probably wanted to prolong those moments.
Well, according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 8 and Galatians 5 there is a simple truth that, when lived, enables us to increase the frequency of those experiences.
The power follows the promptings.
That’s the bottom line of Paul’s teachings about how to live a victorious, Spirit-empowered life. He asserts that simple obedience to the internal promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit brings us into direct contact with God’s power.
In Galatians 5:16 he says it this way: “Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” A commentator’s text note on this verse reminds us that “walk” is a present tense verb, implying a command to “keep on walking.” And when we keep on walking, making daily, moment-by-moment adjustments to follow the Spirit’s leading in our lives, God’s power becomes our consistent portion.
Just as guilt and condemnation flood our soul when we routinely disobey God’s leading, so His peace, security, and power meet us when we obey.
That’s it. Obey the promptings; experience the power. It’s difficult enough to become the spiritual battlefield of our lives, but it’s simple enough that even a child can understand and do it.
Incidentally, when we live this, truly walking in ongoing obedience, we prove that we actually are His children (Romans 8:14).