God expects you to be sensitive and to listen to the promptings—that unction, that inward witness. According to Hebrews 4:12, the Word of God divides between the soul and the spirit. It will distinguish
within you between your natural mind and your spirit—between what is coming from your mind and what is coming from your spirit. If you want to walk in the spirit, you will have to spend time studying in and meditating on the Word and praying in the spirit.

The more you grow in the Lord, the more your soul will come into agreement with God. The more your soul is renewed to think like God thinks, the easier it will be for you to be led by the Holy Spirit.

We were born again in God’s image on the inside, but the Holy Spirit will begin to change us on the outside as we obey Him. As we walk with Him and obey Him, the Spirit of God within us will manifest the presence of Jesus until Romans 8:29 is fulfilled: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

As we begin to think like He thinks, the things of God will become so great that the things of the world will seem ridiculously insignificant.

Let loose the Spirit of God in your life. Walk in that anointing. Abide in that anointing. The Spirit of God is leading you, counseling you, teaching you, ministering grace to you every day of your life.

When we receive that unction from God, giving us direction, we are to obey. We are not to mentally question it. We are not to talk ourselves out of it. We are not to reason it away. (But, of course, we judge all direction by what God has already said in the written Word concerning His will and the laws of the Spirit. He will never tell us to do something that is crosswise to His Word.) When the Spirit of God rises up within us, we must act. That is what makes God able to manifest Himself in our lives, from one degree of glory to another.

Obedience opens the door that nothing else will open. Being obedient to the Spirit of God opens the door for God to honor us in full measure. God is able to work His perfect will in our lives when we honor Him, reverence Him and abide in Him. Whatever we do toward Him, we open the door for Him to do toward us.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him…. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:29, 31-32).

The Spirit of God is the voice of God to us. He proceeds directly from the Father. The way the Holy Spirit leads us most of the time is by the inward witness. We also call it a prompting, guidance, a leading, an unction. It is an instruction in our spirits.

It is important to know that the Holy Spirit is not going to push His way into your life. Yes, He wants to lead you, but He won’t force Himself into your affairs. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

Proverbs 20:27 says, “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord….” He wants to burn His light brightly in our hearts, to illuminate our path.

The Spirit of God is within you to control your life—not by forcing you, but by leading you. He wants control of you because He is the only One on earth who knows what to do to make your life work.

Now you might think, I don’t want anyone controlling me.

Let’s think about that. Suppose there was a human being who could answer every problem you have. You could phone this person at any time, tell him your problem and always receive the solution. You would take his direction gladly, and you would call him whenever a problem arose. That person would have control of your life with your permission. And you would be glad!

Of course, there is no natural person who knows the answer to every problem. But the Holy Spirit does! He knows all of the answers. He is in you to help you, to give you revelation and direction for your life. He wants you to call on Him. He is waiting for you to recognize Him as the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby). He is always available to come to your aid and make the difference between life and death, failure and defeat.

So too the (Holy) Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance (Romans 8:26, The Amplified Bible).

Many people have been filled with the Spirit for years, but never have really listened to Him. They never have learned to obey Him. They have not paid attention to the Word of God to learn how. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher, but to hear Him you will have to give Him your attention.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Did you notice the words servants and handmaidens in

Acts 2:18? When you are born again, you do not become a

servant of God. You become a child of God. In order to become

a servant or handmaiden, you must make a choice. Vine’s

Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words says these words mean

“one who gives himself up to the will of another.” Because of

your love for God, you choose to serve Him. You yield your

will to His will and become a co-laborer with Him. Those who

totally give themselves to His service will be God’s mouthpiece

in the earth. They will be the vehicles of His Spirit.

The Apostle Paul called himself a servant of Jesus Christ.

Vine’s defines servant as being in “subjection without the idea

of bondage, the perfect example being Christ Himself.” Paul

had the right to go free, but didn’t. He served his Master out

of love and dedication. God is calling us to be His servants.

Jesus said that many are called but few are chosen (Matthew

20:16). In other words, few dedicate themselves to servant hood.

Upon those and out of those who are dedicated to

Him, God will pour out of His Spirit upon all flesh.

Jesus said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall

give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him

shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting

life” (John 4:14). The Spirit of God is a well of living water

inside you, springing up. A well is for personal use. God’s ultimate

purpose is that other thirsty souls can partake of that

water. He desires to pour out of His Spirit from the inside of

you through intercession.

“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of

his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). A river is

for everyone’s use. The outpouring of the Spirit is a flow of the

Holy Spirit coming from inside the believer. That flow is the

source of all the signs and wonders and miracles! Everyone—

the Scripture says, all flesh—will benefit. Intercessory prayer

is going to play the major role in this outpouring. It is what

causes God’s power to flow in the earth, unhindered.

Prayer is the doorway into the mightiest release of power

known to man. It brings the very presence of God to and

upon man, in any part of the world. That power operates as

believers allow those rivers of living water to gush toward

the dry and thirsty. The torrential outpouring of the Spirit

will cause life to spring forth in those who receive the seed

of God’s Word. The result is the harvest of new creatures in

Christ Jesus (1 Peter 1:23).

Let’s study the art of intercession. Isaiah 59:16-17 says,

“And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there

was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto

him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on

righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon

his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,

and was clad with zeal as a cloak.” What is His arm? Jesus.

The sole purpose of Jesus’ coming to the earth was to be that

intercessor. He wore the helmet of salvation and the breastplate

of righteousness.

That is the same armor in Ephesians 6 for the Body of Christ.

Jesus came as an intercessor. We are to put on that same armor

and enter into the same field of prayer. His arm is bringing

salvation again. As intercessors, we are His arm in the earth

causing reconciliation between men and God.

Jesus said, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you”

(John 20:21). The armor is the same and the calling is the same.

You may say, “Do you mean to tell me that I have the same

calling on my life Jesus had?” Absolutely! Second Corinthians

5:18 says we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.

Jesus said, “[You] go…into all the world, and [you] preach

the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). He also said, “The

works that I do shall [you] do also; and greater works than

these shall [you] do; because I go unto my Father” ( John

14:12). He went, didn’t He? Then you and I are responsible

for the works. He provided us with the new birth. God said in

Ezekiel 36:26 that He would put a new spirit within us. Jesus

said in John 14:17 that His Spirit would be in us. That gives us

the right and the miraculous power to enter into the intercessory

prayer ministry.

Intercession is the highest expression of love. It is loving in

the spirit, applying spiritual power for another person. It will

overpower the evil influences that have bound that person.

Your prayer may be for salvation, healing, or any other area

of deliverance from Satan.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries