Soar with the Spirit: Divine Acceleration and Alignment

Isaiah 40:31 becomes the hinge for a practical call to spiritual sensitivity: waiting on the Lord produces renewed strength and supernatural alignment with the Holy Spirit. Waiting means more than a hurried prayer; it means sustained presence, worship, and listening so the Spirit can draw and lead. Being led by the Spirit identifies sons and daughters of God, enabling people to operate beyond natural constraints and to align with the Lord of hosts. The difference between flapping and soaring shows up in behavior: flapping tries to manufacture results through anxiety, force, and relentless effort, while soaring enters the Spirit’s wind and experiences grace, empowerment, and divine acceleration.

Biblical examples clarify the pattern. David faced Goliath with no natural advantage but with alignment to God’s armies; that alignment produced victory. Elijah experienced the Spirit’s sudden empowerment and outran a chariot—an image of acceleration when heaven moves. Pentecost brought an accelerated rushing wind that launched the church into widespread influence, miracles, and gospel expansion. Personal accounts of sudden empowerment and providential openings illustrate how the Spirit prompts, opens doors, and brings moments of power that cannot be engineered.

Practical signs reveal whether someone is flapping or soaring. Flapping surfaces as anxiety-driven pushing, emotional reactivity, replacing faith with effort, and repeating the same stalled cycles. Soaring shows up as inner promptings, recognition of providential doorways, and moments of empowerment that enable bold action. Each believer must cultivate sensitivity to the Spirit through prayerful waiting, obedience to inner nudges, and openness to the baptism of the Spirit so that personal and corporate acceleration can follow. The aim centers on living in supernatural alignment—running without weariness, walking without fainting—and asking for the Spirit’s filling to break through delays, change outcomes, and release God’s power in ordinary life.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Wait to receive Spirit's wind Sustained waiting in God’s presence produces a receptive posture; quick, transactional prayers rarely cultivate the inner stillness to hear God. Waiting trains the soul to recognize the Spirit’s promptings and to enter seasons of renewed strength rather than defaulting to anxious activity. Waiting reorients motives from proving faith to obeying the Spirit’s lead. [01:01]
• 2. Distinguish flapping from soaring Emotional reactivity, forced effort, and repeated stalled cycles reveal flapping—trying to manufacture the Spirit’s work through the flesh. Soaring arises when one stops striving and instead learns to be drawn, responding to inner promptings and providential openings. This distinction calls for honest self-examination and a change from performance to sensitivity. [08:54]
• 3. Be led by the Spirit Being led by the Spirit identifies a child of God and shifts the authority behind daily decisions from circumstances to divine guidance. Living under Spirit-leadership anchors faith against cultural panic, preserves clarity, and produces alignment with God’s purposes. Seeking leadership of the Spirit reshapes priorities and outcomes. [01:53]
• 4. Divine acceleration breaks natural limits When the Spirit moves, He accelerates circumstances—Elijah outran a chariot and Pentecost brought a rushing wind that launched global mission. Acceleration looks like unexpected doors opening, sudden empowerment, and rapid shifts that human effort cannot explain. Pursuing the Spirit invites seasons where God advances life beyond normal timelines. [25:34]
• 5. Hear inner promptings and providence The Spirit often signals through an inward build-up, subtle nudges, and a stream of providential coincidences that point to God’s hand. Learning to stop, ask, and act on those promptings prevents missed opportunities and calms fear when the outcome seems impossible. Cultivating discernment around these signs deepens confidence to step into what God prepares. [16:31]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:38] - Isaiah 40: Renewed Strength
• [01:53] - Led by the Spirit: Identity
• [04:31] - Flapping vs Soaring Defined
• [06:45] - David and Divine Alignment
• [08:54] - Signs of Flapping
• [15:48] - How to Hear the Spirit
• [18:31] - Moments of Empowerment
• [25:34] - Elijah: Divine Acceleration
• [27:21] - Pentecost: Rushing Wind
• [31:07] - Corporate and Individual Acceleration
• [35:36] - Prayer: Ask for the Spirit

1. According to Isaiah 40:31, what are the four outcomes for those who wait on the Lord?
2. What does Romans 8:14 say is the identity of those who are led by the Spirit?
3. In 1 Kings 18:46, what unusual physical feat did Elijah accomplish through God’s empowerment?
4. What are some practical signs mentioned in the sermon that someone is “flapping” instead of “soaring”? [08:54]

1. Why do you think “waiting” on the Lord is directly connected to “renewed strength” in Isaiah 40:31? What does this imply about the nature of spiritual strength?
2. How does being “led by the Spirit” (Romans 8:14) practically change the way a person makes decisions or responds to difficult circumstances? [12:42]
3. Elijah outran a chariot in 1 Kings 18:46. In what ways might the Holy Spirit bring “divine acceleration” in a believer’s life today? [26:15]
4. The sermon contrasts “flapping” (self-effort) and “soaring” (Spirit-dependence). Why is it often difficult to recognize when we are relying on our own strength rather than God’s? [08:54]

1. In what area of your life are you currently “flapping”—pushing in anxiety, reacting emotionally, or repeating the same stalled cycles? What would it look like to stop striving and instead wait on the Lord in that situation? [08:54]
2. How can you intentionally create space this week to “wait on the Lord” in a way that isn’t rushed or transactional? What would help you listen more than speak during that time? [01:01]
3. Have you ever experienced a moment of “divine acceleration”—where God opened a door or provided in a way that felt supernatural? How did that affect your faith? [25:34]
4. What is one practical step you can take to become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s inner promptings or nudges this week? [16:31]
5. Are there areas where you’ve replaced faith with effort? What would it look like to release control and trust the Spirit to draw you instead of trying to force outcomes? [09:58]
6. How can you encourage others in your community to depend on the Spirit’s leading rather than their own understanding or strength?
7. Is there a situation where you need to ask boldly for the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, like Elijah or the early church? What would it look like to pray with that kind of faith today? [35:36]