As The Spirit Leads — What does that really mean?
Why ‘Action’ is Such an Important Part of How the Holy Spirit Works in a Christian
Key Scriptures: 1 Kings 3:16-28, Matthew 26:20-25, John 8:2-11, 1 Corinthians 1:27
How the HolySpirit leads us into faith actions
As Christians, we must not only seek the truth but allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in acting upon it. Many times, when seeking answers, people default to lies or deception. However, when the Holy Spirit leads us to take specific actions, those actions expose the truth.
At the Synagogue, most especially in the early ministry days of Prophet TB Joshua, he will often use this most common phrase “As the Spirit Leads” in response to almost every question or situation. As a result, we all adopted this phrase. As time went on, I began to understand the meaning better. It is a statement of faith which means, I might not have an immediate answer for you now but I trust the HolySpirit to lead me and to guide my actions.
Matthew 10:19 “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.”
The Bible gives us many examples of how God used action based on HolySpirit intimation to reveal truth and expose deception.
Biblical Examples of Spirit-Led Action That Exposed Lies
1. Solomon’s Judgment—A Sword Revealed the True Mother (1 Kings 3:16-28)
“23 Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. 24 All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.25 Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”26 Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!”But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”27 Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”
In verse 24, King Solomon ordered a sword to be brought and suggested dividing the baby in two, giving half to each of the two women who claimed the child. This spirit-led action exposed the truth—only the real mother would rather give up her child than see him harmed.
How It Exposed the Lie:
The real mother’s compassion was immediately evident as she pleaded for the baby’s life.
By proposing such a shocking act, Solomon revealed the truth—only the true mother would rather lose her child than see him harmed
2. Jesus Exposed Judas’ Betrayal Through an Action (Matthew 26:20-25)
When Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betray Him, Judas, though guilty, pretended to be innocent. Instead of directly accusing him, Jesus took action: “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me is the one who will betray me” (v. 23). That action exposed the betrayer.
How It Exposed the Lie:
Judas, though guilty, acted as if he were innocent.
Jesus’ simple act of dipping bread in the same bowl unmasked Judas’ hidden intentions before the whole group.
3. Jesus Used Writing on the Ground to Expose the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees (John 8:2-11)
When religious leaders brought a woman caught in adultery, expecting Jesus to affirm the law of Moses and order her stoning, He did something unexpected—He bent down and started writing on the ground. Then He said, “Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7). That action exposed their hypocrisy, and they walked away in shame.
How It Exposed the Lie:
By not responding in the way they expected (immediately affirming the death penalty), Jesus turned the accusation back on the accusers.
His provocative action made them aware of their own guilt. One by one, they dropped their stones and left, revealing their hypocrisy and inability to stand by their own self-righteous standard.
4. Elijah’s Challenge on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:16–39)
Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” 34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!
Key Action: Elijah proposed a public test to determine the true God. The prophets of Baal built their altar and prayed for fire; nothing happened. Elijah then rebuilt the altar of the Lord, soaked it with water, and prayed. Fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice, the stones, and even the water.
How It Exposed the Lie:
This dramatic action uncovered the falsehood of Baal worship.
Before the people of Israel, Elijah’s challenge proved that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the one true God, thus exposing the emptiness of the prophets’ claims.
5. Nathan’s Parable Confronting David (2 Samuel 12:1–15)
So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.” 5 David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man!
Key Action: After David’s sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the arranged killing of Uriah, God sent the prophet Nathan with a parable about a rich man who stole a poor man’s beloved lamb.
How It Exposed the Lie:
When David angrily condemned the rich man in the story, Nathan declared, “You are the man!”
Nathan’s carefully chosen parable (a Spirit-led approach) bypassed David’s defenses and revealed his hidden sin before he could deny or cover it up any longer.
6. Elisha Exposes Gehazi’s Deceit (2 Kings 5:20–27)
25When he went in to his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”“I haven’t been anywhere,” he replied.26 But Elisha asked him, “Don’t you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants? 27 Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy forever.” When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow.
After Naaman was miraculously healed of leprosy, Gehazi (Elisha’s servant) secretly pursued Naaman to ask for gifts under false pretenses.
How It Exposed the Lie:
Even though Gehazi tried to cover his tracks, Elisha knew (by the Spirit’s revelation) exactly what had happened.
Elisha confronted Gehazi directly: “Was not my spirit with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you?” (v. 26).
Gehazi’s deceit was laid bare, and he suffered leprosy as a result.
7. Peter Confronts Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11)
5 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”9 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died.
Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of property but secretly kept part of the proceeds while pretending to donate the full amount to the church.
How It Exposed the Lie:
Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Peter knew they were being dishonest.
He asked Ananias why he had lied “to the Holy Spirit” (v. 3). Ananias fell dead.
Later, Sapphira repeated the lie, and she too died. Their public judgment served as a warning against hypocrisy.
8. Prophet TB Joshua confronts a beautiful woman about a secret issue she never told anyone.
Prophet TB Joshua under the guidance and conduct of the HolySpirit walked up to a woman on a sunday live service with over a million watching all around the world. He said “Madam, can I talk to you? Come on. When you sleep at night, something happens to you. It started when you were young; you thought it was over, but you are still experiencing it now. Don’t be shy; get rid of it and be delivered. It is all about sleeping and bedwetting. This bedwetting happens to you every time you sleep. Can’t you salute my God? Because nobody would look at a beautiful woman like this and say you are a bedwetter—if they don’t see it clearly. If I were not confident in my words, I would not confront you to tell you”
Watch and listen to Prophecy Video
A mature woman had a problem with bedwetting that she had kept secret, even from those living in her home. She had been going to churches for deliverance, and the last church she visited told her to fast for 50 days. She followed their instruction, but on the night of the 50th day, she still wet the bed. That night, she had a dream in which she saw the man of God, Prophet TB Joshua, praying for her.
How It Exposed the Lie:
She never told anyone about her main problem because she was quite ashamed of it. Instead, she came to church for an entirely different purpose.
Prophet TB Joshua walked up to her and boldly revealed the root cause of her problem—the main source of discomfort in her life. These types of prophecies leave no room for doubt.
What This Means for You as a Christian
The message for you today is clear: No lie can or should be hidden from you as a child of God. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into action.
On the outside, these actions may seem foolish or insignificant, but they serve a divine purpose. Think about it:
Solomon’s sword—Would a wise king really cut a baby in half? No, but the act exposed the truth.
Jesus dipping His hand into the bowl—What did that have to do with betrayal? Yet, it unmasked Judas.
Writing on the ground—It seemed like nonsense to the Pharisees, yet it revealed their guilt.
1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.” What may seem foolish in the eyes of man is wisdom in the sight of God.
Life Lesson
Most liars often feign innocence, so if you base your judgment on outward appearance and not spirit intimation, you are bound to be misled. As a Child of God, you can unravel the truth based on spirit-led intimation. This is why you must be sensitive to the inner voice of discernment. It’s just like prophet TB Joshua who hears a voice in his heart telling him that the woman in the white suit is bedwetting. The prophet then demonstrates God’s power by walking up to the woman in the white suit to speak to her about her hidden trouble. This spirit-led action exposes the demon behind the problem and brings God’s solution to the situation. Without that spirit-led action, the problem will still be there.
How to Apply This to Your Life
Be Spirit-Led in Your Actions
Don’t rely on human wisdom alone; seek the Holy Spirit’s direction.
When facing a situation where truth is hidden, ask, “Holy Spirit, what action should I take?”
Read Your Bible Slowly, Repeatedly, and Attentively
- The more you meditate on the Word, the more the Holy Spirit will reveal divine strategies to you.
Trust God Even When His Instructions Seem Unusual
- God’s methods may not always make sense to human reasoning, but they always accomplish His purpose.
Conclusion: Let the Holy Spirit Guide Your Actions
God reveals truth not only through words but also through spirit-led actions. As believers, we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, knowing that our actions—however small or unconventional—can bring light to hidden matters.
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, guide my actions through Your Spirit. Help me to rely on Your wisdom rather than my understanding. Teach me to act in faith, knowing that Your ways are higher than mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
God bless you!
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References
Watch and listen to Prophecy Video
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