Walking with the Holy Spirit: Part 3

This post is continuations of the sermon series "Walking with the Holy Spirit," which pastor Sam Merigala gave at Grace Gospel Church on 6/1/25. In his sermon pastor Sam discusses about walking with the Holy Spirit involves developing a daily relationship, recognizing His voice, inviting Him into all areas of life, experiencing transformation, and actively maintaining a spiritual passion.

One significant aspect Pastor Sam discusses is learning to recognize the Holy Spirit's voice. He outlines several ways this happens. Primarily, His voice is always in alignment with Scripture; the Holy Spirit will never contradict God's written Word. Many people seek guidance while overlooking what God has already revealed in the Bible. John 16:13 states that the Spirit of truth guides into all truth, implying that anything contrary to biblical truth is not from the Holy Spirit. A second way to recognize His leading is through peace, not pressure. Even when making difficult decisions, the Holy Spirit's guidance brings peace. In contrast, the enemy often uses confusion, fear, and urgency to rush people into wrong choices. Colossians 3:15 speaks of the peace of Christ ruling in hearts. Pastor Sam emphasizes that His peace is a clear sign of His direction.

Thirdly, repetition is another sign. The Holy Spirit often confirms His message multiple times through various means such as Scripture, sermons, or conversations, turning what might seem like coincidence into divine confirmation. Fourthly, godly counsel is a channel for His guidance. Proverbs 11:14 highlights the wisdom found in having many advisers. Seeking wisdom from mature believers with a strong relationship with God is important when uncertain about a decision. Fifthly, the Holy Spirit brings conviction, not condemnation. He corrects in love, drawing people back to God. The enemy, however, condemns, leading to shame and hopelessness. Romans 8:1 states there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. If a voice instills guilt and despair, it is not from God, but if it corrects with love, leading to repentance and restoration, it is the Holy Spirit. Pastor Sam also mentions divine interruptions as a way the Holy Spirit speaks, redirecting with sudden urges to pray, avoid danger, or take a step of faith.

Training our spiritual ears is also essential, much like recognizing a familiar voice in a crowd. This comes from spending time in prayer, worship, and stillness. The Holy Spirit can also speak through dreams and visions, although not every dream is from God. Scripture, such as Joel 2:28, confirms that He uses them. If a dream seems significant, it should be compared to scripture and confirmation sought. Another way is through an inner knowing or a deep conviction that goes beyond logic. Romans 8:16 is mentioned, indicating that the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Sometimes, He places a strong sense of certainty in the heart, guiding beyond human reasoning. Finally, obedience is a key aspect of hearing the Holy Spirit. If His voice seems distant, reflecting on whether past instructions have been obeyed is crucial, as obedience unlocks greater clarity. Pastor Sam stresses that hearing the Holy Spirit is available to every believer willing to listen, encouraging people to seek and obey, noting that practicing these principles makes hearing His voice daily more natural.

Pastor Sam points out that many desire a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit but struggle to make Him part of daily life, often waiting for specific events like church services or emotional moments. However, the Holy Spirit is always with believers; the challenge is often awareness, not His presence. Walking with Him is presented not as occasional encounters but as making Him the foundation of everything. People unknowingly separate their spiritual life from daily decisions, work, and struggles, but true intimacy involves inviting Him into every part of life. He suggests starting each day by surrendering to the Holy Spirit with a simple prayer, aligning the heart with God's direction. Recognizing His presence throughout the day – at work, in conversations, during anxiety – makes His presence more real. Inviting Him into every decision, big or small, trains the heart to rely on His wisdom. Creating an atmosphere that welcomes Him, removing distractions and negative influences, and filling space with worship, prayer, and God's word is also important. Developing a lifestyle of gratitude is highlighted as the Holy Spirit moves powerfully in an atmosphere of faith, shifting the heart from doubt to trust. Keeping the heart pure is crucial because while the Holy Spirit never leaves, sin dulls the ability to sense His presence. If feeling distant, asking if anything is grieving the Holy Spirit, as warned in Ephesians 4:30, and removing sin and distractions helps maintain sensitivity to His leading. Talking to Him throughout the day, recognizing He is a person, and asking for guidance before responding or deciding helps train the heart for constant communion. Listening for His guidance in unexpected ways, like simple impressions, inner nudges, or divine interruptions, helps recognize His voice more clearly. Allowing Him to change desires is presented not as losing dreams but as transformation, where He removes what is not from Him and replaces it with something greater, aligning desires with God's will as Philippians 2:13 indicates. Trusting that He is always working, even when not felt, is vital because faith is based on truth, not feelings; He is present and working even in silence. Pastor Sam concludes this by stating that inviting the Holy Spirit daily is about increased awareness, leading to walking in His power, wisdom, and presence, and that surrendering to Him allows life to move beyond the control of emotions, circumstances, and human limitations into a supernatural way of living.

Pastor Sam then details the transformations that happen when walking daily with the Holy Spirit. The first transformation is supernatural peace. Unlike the anxiety, stress, and worry experienced when carrying life's weight alone, being led by the Holy Spirit makes peace the default state, an unshakable peace that transcends understanding, as described in Philippians 4:7. The second transformation is divine wisdom. Decisions are no longer based on emotions, fear, or pressure but on divine insight, seeing situations from God's perspective, making choices aligned with His will, and avoiding mistakes. James 1:5 encourages us by asking God for wisdom. The third transformation is spiritual boldness. Fear loses its grip, enabling people to step out in faith without fear of others' opinions or doubting their calling. Acts 4:31 mentions believers being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking boldly. The Holy Spirit fills with courage, confidence, and authority. The fourth change is heightened sensitivity to God's presence and leading. Spending more time with the Holy Spirit makes recognizing His voice easier, so it becomes the loudest voice in life, as supported by John 10:27.

The fifth transformation is a deep hunger for God's presence. Instead of spiritual dryness, there's a craving for time with Him, making prayer and worship enjoyable parts of life rather than obligations. The Holy Spirit creates a longing only God can satisfy, echoed in Psalm 42:1. The sixth transformation is increased discernment. Walking with the Holy Spirit daily allows one to see things others miss, recognize deception, sense what isn't from God, and avoid relationships, decisions, and paths that lead away from His plan, opening spiritual eyes to distinguish truth from lies. The seventh transformation is divine appointments and supernatural favor. Things fall into place effortlessly, the right people appear, doors open without forcing them, and impossible situations shift, as Psalm 37:23 suggests He makes steps firm; the Holy Spirit orchestrates steps, opportunities, and breakthroughs. The eighth transformation is a great flow of spiritual gifts. Closer walking with the Holy Spirit activates the gifts within, leading to praying with more power, receiving prophetic insight, or seeing healings. In 1 Corinthians 12:7 we read that the manifestation of the Spirit is for the common good, emphasizing that spiritual gifts are for serving and strengthening the Christian community, not personal gain. Daily walking with the Holy Spirit unlocks these gifts. The ninth transformation is a victorious mindset. It moves beyond defeat, doubt, and discouragement to seeing obstacles as opportunities for God, recognizing that He uses every situation for growth and preparation, leading to being "more than conquerors" through Christ, as Romans 8:37 states. Finally, the tenth transformation is becoming a light to others. Life begins to reflect God's power, becoming a testimony that draws others to Him. Peace, wisdom, and strength become evident, making people curious about the difference, aligning with Matthew 5:16 about letting one's light shine so others see good deeds and glorify God.

Pastor Sam also addresses why spiritual fire can fade, stating it must be fed, just as a physical fire needs fuel. He clarifies that God doesn't leave, but hunger decreases when daily seeking stops. The key to staying spiritually on fire is intentionally maintaining and protecting the Holy Spirit's presence. He provides keys to keep the fire burning. First, daily prayer with intensity. This isn't casual prayer but engaging with God's presence with hunger and desperation, as James 5:16 suggests fervent prayer is effective. Second, living in worship. This means cultivating an atmosphere where God's presence is welcomed daily through a lifestyle of surrender, gratitude, and adoration, choosing worship over worry, which keeps the heart connected to God's presence, as true worshippers worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23). Third, consistently feeding on God's Word. The Bible is the spiritual fuel; daily consumption is necessary to stay spiritually strong, as Jeremiah 15:16 describes finding and eating God's words. Fourth, fasting regularly. Fasting disconnects from distractions, realigns with God, increases spiritual hunger, breaks complacency, and sharpens sensitivity, shown as a normal part of spiritual life in Matthew 6:16. Fasting ignites the fire and removes things that dull passion. Fifth, staying surrounded by Spirit-filled believers. Isolation and negative influences threaten spiritual fire. Proverbs 27:17, "iron sharpens iron," illustrates the need to walk with people also on fire for God in a strong community that encourages, challenges, and holds accountable. Sixth, protecting the spiritual environment. Allowing entertainment, conversations, and habits that quench the spirit, as warned in Ephesians 4:30, weakens passion. What is allowed into the heart either feeds the fire or extinguishes it. Seventh, being quick to repent. Allowing sin creates distance from God, dulls sensitivity, and weakens hunger. 1 John 1:9 assures that confessing sins leads to forgiveness and cleansing, keeping the heart pure and fire strong. Eighth, walking in obedience. Disobeying the Holy Spirit hardens the heart and weakens sensitivity; obeying what God has spoken keeps the fire burning, linked to loving Jesus by keeping His commandments (John 14:15). Ninth, sharing your faith. Pouring out what God has put inside leads to continual refilling. Evangelism, serving, and ministering keeps the spirit engaged with God's work. Romans 1:16 notes that the gospel is the power of God for salvation; sharing God's love strengthens passion. Tenth, expecting fresh encounters with God. Don't settle for past experiences; seek Him daily for fresh Revelation, new encounters, and deeper intimacy, as Psalm 63:1 expresses a thirst and longing for God. Pastor Sam concludes that staying spiritually on fire is not passive waiting but intentional daily feeding, leading to a growing passion for God over time.

Walking with the Holy Spirit is not an occasional or passive experience, but a dynamic, daily, and intentional relationship that profoundly transforms a believer's life. Embracing this daily walk and actively nurturing the relationship ultimately allows believers to move beyond a life controlled by circumstances and emotions into a supernatural life filled with God's power, wisdom, and presence, thereby fulfilling their divine purpose and becoming an effective testimony to the world.