However, 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. John 16:13 NKJV

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit? At the least, to be led by the Spirit is to be influenced by the Spirit of truth to guide you in doing the will of God—it’s like tuning into the “Holy Ghost’s” channel; you just raise your “spiritual antenna”, dial in and be led. But how do you reconcile that some people are able to dial in and are led by the Spirit, and others seem to never find their way to obey the will of God. Is it because a lack of spiritual awareness? If so, how do you develop spiritual awareness? I can suggest four things to help one develop spiritual awareness:

First, meditate in the Word of God; just as God instructed Joshua when he succeeded Moses as the leader of the congregation of Israel and the commander of its army (Joshua 1:8). The Hebrew word translated “meditate” (hagah) also means to mutter, ponder, and speak to yourself. God the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit are One (John 17:21-22). Meditation in the Word proffers awareness of the Spirit, and prosperity and success.

Second, spiritual awareness necessitates that one practice being a doer of the Word of God (Jas. 1:22-25). Without being a doer of the Word, the “Holy Ghost” channel is always distorted and unclear. You want a clear channel! Don’t make the mistake of thinking that talking about the Word and rejoicing about the Word is being a doer of the Word—not so! In fact, practicing the Word begins with walking in love (John 13:34). God is love (1 John 4:16). It is being about it, not just talking about it.

Third, give the Word of God first place in your life. Make the Word your first priority and final authority. Borrow from the wisdom of the writer of the Book of Proverbs, where he admonished you to “give attention to [God’s] words; incline your ear to [His] sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh” (Prov. 4:20-22). If you want to develop spiritual awareness and sensitivity, always ask yourself in every situation: “What does the Word say about this”? (See an example in 2 Chron. 16:12-13 as to what may happen when you don’t). And,

Fourth, instantly obey the Inward Voice and the Voice of Spirit. Remember, that your human spirit is the conduit that the Holy Spirit uses to communicate, lead and guide you (Prov. 20:27). Don’t second guest God’s voice. After all, you are a new creature in a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). In your new spiritual nature, you are of God and have overcome every spirit and voice of the anti-Christ and the anti-God influences in the world (1 John 4:4). Don’t be afraid. Just obey God! Spiritual awareness is walking in the Spirit, not fulfilling the desires of your flesh (Gal. 5:16).