How to Develop Sensitivity by Kenneth CopelandPosted by admin on June 24th, 2009
Making a quality decision to live the commandment of love is the beginning of a sensitive heart. A decision of quality is one from which there is no return and about which there is no further debate.
Love is tender. When I made the decision to walk in the commandment of love, I began to order my thinking in that direction and it softened my heart. This decision started the laws of the spirit working in my heart; causing it to be tender and sensitive.
I had to become sensitive to the commandment, to walk in love, when God called Gloria to preach. It was not easy to give up my cook! There are still people today who think that “women can pray. But bless God, they sure better clean house while they are doing it!” I am not saying women ought to neglect their families. Don’t neglect your family. Everybody has duties in a household and must be sensitive to those duties. Make it a point to be sensitive to the fact that the other members of your family have things to do for God, too.
The hard part for me was dealing with my flesh. God had dealt with Gloria to pray in other tongues at least an hour every day. She morning. It is just wonderful for her to pray. But I couldn’t cope with why she didn’t stop long enough to come cook me some eggs! I was so insensitive. I thought it was more important for me to eat than for her to be in intercession for me, my life and ministry.
One morning I tore into the kitchen, slamming doors and banging pots around because I was angry. “Why won’t she get in here and cook me some eggs?” I made the mistake of asking God. I said, “You called her to preach. Now what am I going to do about some eggs?” He said, Go cook them yourself. That is not what I wanted to hear! It finally got to me that I was shameless and insensitive. I know what spiritual values are all about. She has saved my life more than once because of her tenacity about the Word of God.
I quickly started getting sensitive. I got on my knees and I made a decision before Almighty God, and wrote it down. “I settle this forever before Almighty God. I will not listen to a lying spirit of the devil again. Self-pity, condemnation, self-debasement, unbelief and doubt have no more part in me, nor I in them. I know how to receive, and how to please God, and I will do those things.”
Then, I started getting tender in my heart. I made a decision to walk in love where this is concerned and do what I know to do. It straightened my thinking. Instead of majoring in a minor like making her cook, I began to major in a major thing, which is intercessory prayer.
Tenderness rose up on the inside of me. I made the decision to make this commandment of love the commandment of my life. I want to be someone Jesus can have some fun with and share His life with. I’m just barely beginning to get there. He’s with me all the time, but there is something about being close to Him all the time. I don’t want Him to withdraw from me because I’m insensitive.
Make the decision to live by faith. God is your source. You can’t be sensitive to God, and to those around you, if you are criticizing the government. Inflation and depression are not greater than the laws of God. Act on the laws of God when things get rough. Don’t stop your giving, double up on it. Don’t violate the laws of God, honor them and God will honor you. Give the Word first place.
Be sensitive to the Word. Whatever the Word says, do it. If the Word says you are His righteousness, believe it. If the Word says you are healed, believe it. Walk in it. Live it. Eat it. Sleep it. Study it. Meditate it. Feed it into your heart and become sensitive to every word.
Develop a personal relationship with God. Receive His Word as God speaking to you. Put your name in the promises. Talk to God like you talk to your closest friend. Be sensitive to enter into praise and worship. It will cause you to be more sensitive to the Spirit of God, and more aware of His presence.
Then, get the sin out of your life. I made up my mind, some time ago, that I had been fighting some things long enough. There were some things in my life that needed purging. I separated myself to fast, pray and fellowship with God.
Fasting won’t get the sin out of your life. Repentance will. But I made up my mind, I was not going to do anything else until it was all gone. I did what Joel 2:13 says: “Rend your heart, not your garment.” I opened my heart before God and I dug things out that I had been keeping hidden. I made the decision to do what it took to get the sin out of my life.
I came out of there changed. Finally, pray. Enter the life of the Spirit with all of your heart, all of your mind, all of your body and with all of your resources. Walking in the spirit is walking with God, being sensitive and having a sensitive heart to God.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries