Following the Holy Spirit

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. -Acts 10:38

God anointed Jesus with the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit were working through Jesus when He walked through the crowd at the pool of Bethesda and asked a man, “Is it your will to be healed?” The man said, “I have no man…” But Jesus said, “Get up and walk anyway,” and the man was instantly healed. (John 5:1-15)

Many times, Jesus just walked into a situation and delivered a miracle. In Mark 7:32-35, a deaf man with a speech impediment was healed. In Mark 8:22-26, a blind man at Bethsaida was healed. God sent Jesus to those individuals with the gifts of the Spirit in operation. But Jesus couldn’t turn those gifts on and off at will. If he could have, He would have healed everyone in the place every time.

After studying the ministry of Jesus, I’m convinced that He was just following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Whenever He came to a new place, He checked in His spirit and asked, “Is there something You want Me to do sovereignly, Father?”

You see, God may not want to manifest Himself through the gifts of the Spirit in each case. If He did, people might begin leaning on the manifestations more than they lean on His Word.

So Jesus must have had His “spiritual antenna” up all the time, checking inside to see how the Holy Spirit wanted Him to minister healing. And we should be doing the same thing.

You may say, “But that was Jesus.” Yes, but Jesus laid aside His mighty power and glory to live and minister as a man anointed by God. That means the strength of His ministry was in obeying the Holy Spirit and preaching the Word.

Well, if that method worked for Jesus, it will work for us! He’s the same Holy Spirit who leads, guides and heals today, and He is dwelling in us!

CONFESSION:

I follow the Holy Spirit’s leading just as Jesus did. The Holy Spirit guides me each step of the way, telling me what to do to minister healing to others or to receive my own healing.

From: A Devotional for Divine Health Prescription for a Miracle, Mark Brazee, 1999