Developing your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit

Sunday, 24 July 2022 07:17

Developing your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit - Taiwo Akinola

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I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye ~ Psalms 32:8.

Introduction:

Everything that has to do with our relationship with God depends absolutely upon our capacity for spiritual sensitivity. Sensitivity is a major index of spirituality, and none can ever be greater in spiritual things than his or her level of sensitivity to God’s Voice and to His leadings.

Sensitivity can be likened to the ability of a radio receiver to pick signals from a radio station; in which case, the receiver must be tuned to the frequency and the direction of the signals from the station. By the same token, your spirit as the receiving platform for supernatural signals must be fine-tuned to God's realm to engage your capabilities for sensitivity in spiritual things.

You were designed with spiritual sensitivities, to touch God and the supernatural. Your sensitivity is required to hear what God is saying, and also to feel what other people are experiencing. Our lives depend strictly on our ability to relate more intimately with God; hence, spiritual sensitivity is the order of life with anyone who must walk with Him.

Things don’t just happen by chance, even when they appear dramatic or inexplicable. Most times, things that we see are caused, ruled or otherwise overruled by things we don’t see.

Put simply, our physical world is oftentimes controlled from the spiritual realm. It is imperative, therefore, that we become spiritually sensitive in our approach to issues and things if we must keep our heads, maintain our relevance and generate meaningful impacts on earth.

One of the most painful things one can endure in a relationship is to be ignored. Alas, the Holy Spirit has been ignored a lot by people who claim to share relationships with Him. Whereas the Holy Spirit is the most important Person in our lives, yet we often speak little of Him.

We ought to cover our faces in shame for this profanity. Yet, He quietly continues to offer us leadership, comfort, wisdom, strength, teachings and power (Isaiah 11:1-2). He must be a very wonderful Person to keep working among us in such a circumstance.

Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is also a very sensitive Person, and He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). If we try to do His work in our own way, He won’t perform because He doesn’t sing a duet. Either He does the work that He wishes to do, or He quietly tiptoes away and allows us flounder with our own flimsy substitutes. We need Him always, and in all our ways!

We cannot and should never expect to have the best of spiritual experiences in Christ if we are not sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit. High sensitivity to Him is required of all people who wish to identify with His glory and power while here on earth.

The Need for Improved Spiritual Sensitivity

Spiritual sensitivity is required to connect with God's Voice. God is a Spirit Being, and He can only communicate with us through spiritual channels. We are also spirit beings, but with human souls living in human bodies.

Unfortunately, as a result of the Fall of Man in Eden, we became more naturally attuned to the body than we are to the spirit. Therefore, we need to develop our spiritual capacities to perceive and to hear God’s Voice today (Psalms 37:23). Whenever we are sensitive to His leadings, we are more likely to follow His ways, and consequently become more successful in life (Deuteronomy 28:1-2).

High sensitivity in the spiritual realm allows us to peer beyond the veil and perceive the workings of heavenly agents, beholding heavenly scenes and witnessing the ministrations of the angelic hosts. However, we must remember to “try the spirits”because Satan and demons can sometimes disguise themselves as "angels of light"(1 John 4:1-4; 2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

Jesus Christ has provided for us an open door that leads into the heavenly Throne Room, not only in some future days, but even now (John 10:7-10). And, for real, the Holy Spirit wishes to literally take any believer on this flight of ascension unto the Throne of God, if we will only put our faith to task, boldly (Hebrews 4:16).

Developing Our Spiritual Sensitivity

Becoming spiritually sensitive is becoming more attuned to the Spirit of God rather than following our carnal senses (Galatians 5:16). However, it is not possible to be sensitive to someone you hardly know; intimacy leads to sensitivity. Hence, a major key to accomplishing this is pure revelation of God’s Word in our spirits.

Anyone who catches a pure revelation of the Word and wishes to serve God in our world today will readily find a big room for fresh Holy Ghost infilling and renewed sensitivity. Peter, John and other disciples gathered together and praised God, read scriptures, and prayed and they saw a fresh move of God in their camp (Acts 4:31-33).

The Holy Spirit makes witnesses out of weaklings (Acts 1:8). He also produces grace without gimmicks and power without pollution (Acts 4:33). We all must make large rooms for the Word in our hearts to reconnect us to this sacred experience again (1 Peter 3:15).

In summary, it appears to me that when the human senses fail, as it is commonly experienced during prolonged fasting and some near-death experiences, the senses of the spirit become quickened, then we can streamline our spiritual sensitivities and obtain fresh Holy Ghost exactitude (Psalms 35:13; Daniel 9:3; Mark 9:29).

Moreover, when we become so sincere that we pay the price in agonizing, pleading and tarrying for God’s power through prayers and fasting, and when we separate ourselves from the world, demonstrating love and faithfulness to the cause of Christ, engaging seriously with the Word, and living in clear obedience to the will God, we become graciously enabled to perceive things that ordinary mortals cannot (Luke 11:5-13).

The Bible is replete with accounts of men and women who made tremendous impacts upon their generations by being sensitive to the move of the Spirit: Samson (Judges 14:6), David (I Samuel 16:13), Paul (Acts 9:17) and so many others, even in our contemporary history. Some of them had failed woefully before the Holy Spirit took them over.

Friends, you too can receive this glorious dimension of spiritual sensitivity. You were made to live in two realms: the natural and the supernatural. You were uniquely designed with a high degree of spiritual sensitivity, so that you can join Jesus in the work He began and continues to do in the earth today.

It is your inheritance as a born again child of God. Release yourself to the Holy Spirit today, and begin to respond positively to this Most Precious Gift from our Heavenly Father. Press through in faith, and wait on the Lord as you seek after His power and glory. You won’t miss the fire, in Jesus Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!