How to choose a life led by the Holy Spirit

When we choose a life led by the Holy Spirit, we discover a purpose filled life in the Will of God.

It’s important to first understand who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is the Triune God or the unity of 1 God in 3 distinctive persons who are equally divine. (See diagram below)

The working of the Holy Spirit in our lives is fascinating. I can’t help but wonder if we will comprehend the wonders of God once we are in His presence. 🙌

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit

In John 16, prior to His crucifixion, Jesus is having a long conversation with His disciples. I love this beautiful exchange He has explaining His departure, back to God and that He will be sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit.

But now I go away to Him who sent Me. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. Please, read the full text here: John 16:5-15 NKJV

Here you see Jesus reference 3 distinctive persons (God, the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit). We see why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit because soon, He would no longer be on the earth in the flesh. And we would need someone in His place to guide us in the way we should go.

To be led by the Holy Spirit means that we are taking up our cross to follow Jesus and be led by Him, through His Spirit.

Benefits to living a life led by the Holy Spirit

The benefits to living a Spirit led life are many. The Holy Spirit lives within us and we become one with Christ. He seals us, empowers, enables, leads, convicts, renews, comforts, intercedes, strengthens and transforms us into the person God wills for us to be.

The Holy Spirit gives our lives meaning and purpose in an incredible way. Submission to the Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self control.

Bible verses about growing through the Holy Spirit

The bible gives multiple illustrations to help us understand how to grow through the Holy Spirit and maintain our lives with God.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 20-21

Some of these illustrations are written in parables (an earthly story with an eternal meaning) such as the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13:3-8:

“A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!“

The seeds that fell on fertile soil represent “us” being rooted & grounded in God’s truth and growing in the Holy Spirit.

There’s the illustration of the True Vine found in John 15:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

This is another beautiful expression of the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. God is the vinedresser who clips away the parts of us that are unworthy to His calling.

For more, see How to Cultivate the fruit of the Spirit

Be sanctified & refined through the Holy Spirit

Definition of sanctify: free from sin; purify; set apart

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” John 17:17,19 Read full chapter here

“But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11 Read full chapter here

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Definition of refined: with impurities or unwanted elements having been removed by processing

When a piece of gold goes into the refiner’s fire it’s covered in deposits & impurities which have to be removed and refined. The end result is a pure bar of gold. In the same way God removes everything that is holding us back from being who He designed us to be.

“For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.” Psalm 66:10

“He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord, An offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3

How to live a life led by the Holy Spirit

These 3 ways to live a life led by the Holy Spirit that I’m listing are about a personal relationship with with Jesus Christ through love and acceptance.

#1 Surrender your life to the Lord and He will give you the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 10:9-10 says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

If you have never said the sinners prayer but would like to repent and ask Jesus into your life, click here for a sinner’s prayer printable. Then please message me so I can pray for you!

Reading words off a piece of paper doesn’t save you. It’s completely a heart thing. Remember Ephesians 2:8-9 which says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

#2 Study, application & prayer. It’s one thing to know what the bible says but it’s another thing to apply the Word of God to your life. If you need a bible, I will recommend some below. We get to know God through reading the scriptures and developing a relationship with Jesus through prayer.

#3 Be obedient to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. It’s as incredible as it is wondrous how the Holy Spirit works in your life. Just like Jesus said to His disciples in John 16, this applies to us as well.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit will guide you in truth. When you want to do something you shouldn’t do, the Holy Spirit literally prompts you, gently nudges you, speaks to you, whatever terminology you want to use.

If you’re my age you may remember the Tom & Jerry episode where Tom had a good angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other shoulder. This represents the constant battle we live each day. The devil justifies our anger and sin while the Holy Spirit leads us in truth. The choice, is ultimately ours.

Prayer to be led by the Holy Spirit

Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love, your will and plan for my life. I know that you have a purpose specifically for me. I know that your purpose cannot be made complete in my life without the leading of the Holy Spirit.

God I submit myself to you, my thoughts, needs and desires in life. Align me with your perfect will and light the path before me. Lord fill me by your Spirit and lead me in truth giving me a spirit of discernment so that my choices in life would be pleasing in your sight. Protect me from the enemies schemes and tactics to deter me from the narrow path that leads to you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

I also pray that we would not be like the parable of the foolish man who built his house on the sand and his house fell. Choose wisdom and build your house on the rock (God) our unshakable foundation. See Matthew 7:24-27

Thanks for reading, I appreciate your time spent here. Can you help me continue to spread this message about the Holy Spirit by sharing it down below?

What are your thoughts on how to choose a life led by the Holy Spirit? Please take a moment to leave a comment below; I love hearing from you!

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE CHOOSE LIFE SERIES, HERE.