Hello Church!

In John 7:38 Jesus said,

• He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.

The reference to what’s flowing out of the believing ones belly is the Holy Spirit. Instruction comes out of your spirit by the Holy Spirit. When God gives instruction, that’s the river. If you can learn how to follow the Holy Spirit, He’ll lead you and guide you to the place you need to be.

We’re told in John 10:4-5,

• After He has gathered His Own flock, He walks ahead of them, and they follow Him because they know His voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.

The secret to a blessed life is to follow the instructions from Proverbs 3:1-6. We are told to not forget His law (His Word); to let our hearts keep His instructions, commands, and precepts. To not let mercy and truth forsake us – to bind them around our necks and to write them on the tablet of our hearts. In doing so, it will add length of days, long life, and peace to us. Also, we’ll find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. When we trust in the Lord with all our hearts, don’t lean on our own understanding, and acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct and make straight and plain our paths.

Look at the flow of the river in the life of Joseph. It wasn’t a nice, tidy river, yet the river was flowing when his brothers threw him into a pit and left him to die (Genesis 37:24). Then they took him out of the pit and sold him on the slave block for profit (Genesis 37:28). No one had any idea where this river was going to take Joseph. From the slave block, he ended up in Potiphar’s house. But God was with him, and he was a prosperous man! (Genesis 39:1-2).

If we read on in verses 18-20, we find out that Joseph was accused by Potiphar’s wife of assaulting her, and Joseph ended up in jail. So far, the river wasn’t taking Joseph where he wanted to go, but wherever he found himself, God was with him, and he submitted himself to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. When it was all said and done, Joseph became governor over the entire land of Egypt, in charge of all that Pharaoh possessed (Genesis 41:43).

Sometimes as Christians, we want the Holy Spirit to follow us – to bless our plans for our lives. But that’s not how it works. We need to follow HIM! The Holy Spirit is taking you somewhere. You may not care for where the Holy Spirit has taken you up to this point, but keep following Him!

Joseph’s promotion came right in the middle of a jail cell! The promotion was a reward for what happened while he was sleeping, of all things! God gave him the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream and the Holy Spirit brought him to his destiny to become one of the most powerful men in all of Egypt! (Genesis 41:39-40). You can’t plan that! Sometimes your hard times are the launching pad into your good times. We can’t talk about prosperity unless we understand there’s a cost; there’s a price, and the price is really simple ~ follow the voice of the Good Shepherd!

So, if you really want to prosper in every area of your lives, you’re going to have to trust in the Lord with all your heart. Go before God with your Bible open and a prayerful heart. The rivers that flow out of your belly will be the rivers that you’ll follow. Pray in the Holy Spirit (in tongues) and when you do, you’ll be speaking mysteries and divine secrets. You’ll be speaking hidden wisdom, and the answers to your life will come out of you and will flow like RIVERS OF LIVING WATER. So, I exhort you to always ask God to give you the interpretation of what you’re praying in your heavenly language.

Follow the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit. As you follow and obey the Holy Spirit, He’ll guide you into God’s divine, preordained plan for your life!

Following the Holy Spirit,

Lisa Gordon

Jesus City Church