A Prayer to Be Led by the Spirit
By: Emily Rose Massey
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” – Psalm 119:105
What does it look like for the Holy Spirit to lead in the Christian’s life?
From the onset, I believe it is helpful to define the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 16:7-8, we see that the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. With this being established, in the life of the Christian, we are continually being conformed by God’s grace, to the likeness of His Son. We seek to obey the commands of scripture and live our lives in obedience to Christ.
Being led by the Spirit is the antithesis of being led by the flesh (Galatians 5:17-18). When we are being led by the Spirit, it means that we are putting to death the ways of the flesh because the sins and desires of the flesh are against the Spirit.
Being led by the Spirit is not a passive or mysterious leading or “subjective feeling,” but rather an active, ever-present fight in the life of the Christian. Some believe they are led by the Spirit by the dreams they have as they believe that God is trying to tell them something or that they saw a butterfly flying in a certain direction and that’s “how they knew God was leading them.” Unfortunately, this subjective, experience-based reliance leads to many misunderstandings of what it looks like to be led by the Spirit.
Thankfully, we as disciples of Christ are not left to human subjectivity and confusion. We have God’s Word as a lamp to our feet in a world of darkness and sin. The Spirit will always use the Word to guide us.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” – Psalm 119:105
If we need direction in our lives, the best way to get it is to fill our hearts and minds with God’s Word. This will increase our trust in God, and we will no longer live in fear of the “what ifs” of life but rely solely on His divine providence to cover every step we take. As we study the scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate truth to us, we learn to rest in God’s sovereignty, trusting He is in control and will care for every detail. Believe today that he will give you wisdom and help you resist the temptation of the flesh.
Let’s Pray:
Father God,
I need direction in my life. I often want some type of external, tangible evidence or sign that will give me the answer or show me the way. I know You have called me to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. I trust that the Holy Spirit guides me by the Truth that is found in Your Holy written Word. I repent of looking to signs, omens, and dreams, which are subjective. I resolve to build my life upon Your Word: a strong foundation that cannot be shaken or changed.
Give me a hunger to study the scriptures so that I may know You and Your will and walk in wisdom to make righteous decisions that please only You. Please strengthen my faith and trust in Your sovereignty, so that I can rest in knowing that Your providential hand leads me every day, even when I cannot always see it or understand it. Thank You for Your Word that is a light to my path and lamp to my feet so I can see the narrow way clearly that You are calling me to walk on.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
