Lesser things
The Holy Spirit speaks personally and communicates the things of God to you. He’s not playing a spiritual game for advanced-level, super-spiritual players only!
When we are born of the Spirit by giving our lives to Jesus as Savior and Lord, we have the Holy Spirit of God living inside us. We have access to the thoughts, insights, revelation, and wisdom that God gives to His people.
He is the power that transforms religion to relational reality.
I really want to share a very specific recent example from my own life. I pray it will encourage and challenge you to be alert to the Holy Spirit speaking and prompting you.
Feeling the pressure of calendars and commitments, I was focusing my prayer on when to say “yes” and when to say “no.”
Straddling between good things and the most important things is a constant decision worthy of deliberate prayer, and I find it can be difficult to discern.
Going about my business later in the day, I heard in my spirit, in my thoughts, a phrase I recognized but had no idea where I knew it from. I forgot about it for a couple of days. Again, I heard it—not audibly but within. Now…I’m listening and I write it down.
Because it stays on my mind, I stop and look it up. I recognize a message from the Lord to me, and I’m awake to the Holy Spirit speaking personally. This was the message:
“Rise up o saints of God!
Be done with lesser things;
Give heart and soul and mind and strength
To serve the King of kings.”
Words to a hymn. I have no idea where or when I last heard those words. It’s been decades since I sang that but the tune was there. The phrase I heard in my heart earlier was, “Be done with lesser things.”
I’m alert to His voice giving me practical wisdom.
A couple of days later, I hear myself trying to explain why a previous commitment no longer works for me. I want to be there. I care about the people. It’s a “good thing” but I know instantly the Holy Spirit is telling me it’s a lesser priority for this season. Relief, clarity, and peace release me from an obligation to obedience so I can be focused on the most important thing.
