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Sensitivity of The Spirit: Learning to stay in the flow of God's direction
We must learn the difference between being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and being aware of the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit!
Drawing on the story of Mary and Joseph moving ahead of Jesus, Dr. Kendall explains how easy it is for us to make assumptions in the natural and run on ahead of the Holy Spirit. When you find yourself ahead of God's timing and moving forward with your own personal plans, you must stop and go back! You can find the road back from anywhere, and that road is called repentance! It points you in the direction of peace!
Drawing on the story of Mary and Joseph moving ahead of Jesus, Dr. Kendall explains how easy it is for us to make assumptions in the natural and run on ahead of the Holy Spirit. When you find yourself ahead of God's timing and moving forward with your own personal plans, you must stop and go back! You can find the road back from anywhere, and that road is called repentance! It points you in the direction of peace!
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 16, 2021
I love Kendall’s analogy of the dove. He has a keen a eye for details in scripture.
His allegorizing is unlike anything I’ve seen even among other charismatic scripture interpreters. It is nothing we should look down upon unless it goes against a clear command of scripture. If anything, Kendall has a spirit-filled way of looking into the story of Joseph and Mary leaving Jesus behind and draws countless implications of it for our lives.
I look forward to reading more of him and hearing him preach. There is a strand of Puritan-like spirituality in his writing.
His allegorizing is unlike anything I’ve seen even among other charismatic scripture interpreters. It is nothing we should look down upon unless it goes against a clear command of scripture. If anything, Kendall has a spirit-filled way of looking into the story of Joseph and Mary leaving Jesus behind and draws countless implications of it for our lives.
I look forward to reading more of him and hearing him preach. There is a strand of Puritan-like spirituality in his writing.
July 28, 2022
I loved this book! I think it should be a classic and read by every Christian who desires to grow in being led by the Holy Spirit. It imparted information of how to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and how to discern authentic vs counterfeit which is explained as dove vs pigeon religion. I am also grateful for R T Kendall’s humble sincerity in sharing his own personal stories regarding his own walk with the Lord which delivers a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. This is a topic that should be taught more in Christian churches and it is information which is vital to a Christian’s walk.
December 29, 2022
Biblical and helpful dive into what it truly looks like to walk by the Spirit - and most of all, how to know if you’ve gotten out of step. I will probably reread this annually - it’s that good! An all-time fave book and author!
October 19, 2023
Great teaching on the Holy Spirit with many practical ways we can grow more sensitive to His presence. This will definitely be a book I read again and refer back to often.
October 21, 2025
The truth that alarms me most is the possibility of grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit without realizing it—the painless way in which the anointing can be lifted from us. The supernatural often feels natural to the anointed man or woman.
The anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit—the special presence of God. Yet this anointing can be manifested in many different ways. Every Christian, therefore, has an anointing.
Billy Graham once said that the devil manages to bring down seventy-five percent of God’s best servants through sexual temptation. When the Holy Spirit is grieved, the anointing lifts. Often, we feel nothing at the time. It isn’t until later that we realize we’ve been operating out of habit or the momentum of natural gifting.
“If the Holy Spirit were totally withdrawn from the church today, ninety percent of the work of the church would go on as if nothing had happened.” — Episcopal Rector.
We may think the whole time that Jesus is with us, only to discover that He is hardly with us at all. Therefore, we must learn to adjust to Him—not expect Him to adjust to us. We can never escape His omnipresence, but we can lose His special presence—the anointing. Once we lose that special presence, we must return to the place where we lost Him to find Him again.
“The Holy Spirit comes by foot but leaves by horseback,” said Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. This illustrates just how sensitive the Holy Spirit is and how easily He can be grieved. When the Dove is present, there is not only peace but also clarity of mind, courage, confidence, and a deep awareness that God is in complete control. There is no panic—not even fear of panic.
Akeraios means “pure” or “moral innocence”—that which remains in its original state of wholeness. The genuine presence of the Holy Spirit is rarer than we may think. The Holy Spirit is a profoundly sensitive person. The sobering truth is that God will not bend His rules for anyone, regardless of position or calling.
We all desire the fire of the Spirit in our lives, but we must also honor the Spirit as a Person of dignity and holiness. We must desire to know Him—not to use Him for our own ends. To truly know Him is to hunger for His fire. The way to power and greater anointing is through deeper sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The Dove is the link to the fire.
Sensitivity means the capacity to be easily hurt, to be aware of the needs and emotions of others.
The Holy Spirit is equally sensitive to our feelings. He is a gentleman. When we develop sensitivity to the Spirit, we hear Him when He speaks and thus avoid quenching Him. The Holy Spirit has feelings, and we can wound His heart when we grieve Him by our actions. Grieving the Spirit refers to our actions that hinder Him from being Himself in us—what He could be in us. Quenching the Spirit refers to our actions that hinder what He could do through us.
When He is ungrieved within us, we manifest His personality—described in Galatians 5:22–23 as the fruit of the Spirit. Yet, among some Christians, there has been a disproportionate focus on the gifts of the Spirit rather than the fruit. Some seem to desire power more than purity—signs and wonders more than gentleness and grace—the forgotten anointing.
The anointing must encompass the totality of all that the Spirit is and does. We must desire to reflect the personality of Jesus as much as we desire to demonstrate His power. It often escapes us that the Holy Spirit, as a Person, possesses His own dignity. He wants to be consulted, honored, and acknowledged before we proceed. How quickly we recognize His absence is a good test of how well we truly know Him. Only the Holy Spirit can open people’s eyes and hearts.
The way back is a return to the anointing—not merely a return of the anointing. Adjusting to the Dove often requires obedience without full understanding of why the Spirit leads a certain way. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones said, “The Bible was not given to replace direct revelation; it was given to correct abuses.”
We must be willing to appear foolish, even to ourselves and others, when obeying God’s immediate voice. Sometimes part of our suffering is learning to put God first—even above those closest to us. It can take as much courage to stay as it does to move. In fact, it may require even greater faith to remain where we are than to venture into a new territory.
Whenever God says “stay,” He does so with a definite purpose. We will never regret remaining where He has placed us, even when we do not understand the reasons at the time. Listening is an art—one few people truly master. We often prefer talking to listening. A good listener, like a wise judge, hears all the evidence before making a decision.
Jesus proved to be the greatest listener who ever lived—and He still listens. As our great High Priest, He sympathizes with our weaknesses because He listens. Knowing how to ask the right questions reveals discernment and wisdom. It takes faith to stay—and sometimes even more faith to stay silent.
God may speak through someone unknown, or through someone well-known whom we may not even like. He is sovereign. God’s silence is holy ground. As we wait on Him, we must remove our shoes and worship.
The blessings that flow from accepting Him as He is—and adjusting to what pleases Him—are peace and joy beyond measure. If we let the Bible replace the immediate witness and voice of the Spirit, we quench Him in a single stroke. The more we read Scripture, the more we understand what God desires of us. God wants us to know Him by knowing His Word. The Word of God doesn’t adjust to us—we must adjust to it.
It’s important to remember there’s always a reason things didn’t work out at first. It is a wonderful revelation to realize that we truly love God, even when we feel painfully aware of our unworthiness and inadequacy. It is in those moments that God assures us He knows we love Him.
When we discover what grieves the Holy Spirit, we gain a deeper understanding of sin. Adjusting to the Dove means developing sensitivity by coming to terms with what hurts His heart. Only when this truth penetrates the heart does our perspective truly change.
Learning not to grieve the Spirit prepares us for glorious fellowship with Him. When we cultivate sensitivity to His presence, we will sense instantly when He is disturbed—and just as instantly when He is pleased. Being gracious is a choice—a grace that doesn’t come easily or naturally. But when we practice it, we reflect Jesus. It is the way God deals with us, and we show our gratitude for His grace by being gracious to others.
“To the spiritual person, the supernatural seems natural,” said Jackie Pullinger. The Spirit’s ways are not selfish—they are supernatural. Yet to one who desperately seeks a greater anointing, it may appear selfish! Adjusting to the Dove means welcoming His presence and giving Him no cause to leave. We develop intimacy with the Lord when we talk to Him about the simplest, most ordinary things—just as with a close friend.
The anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit—the special presence of God. Yet this anointing can be manifested in many different ways. Every Christian, therefore, has an anointing.
Billy Graham once said that the devil manages to bring down seventy-five percent of God’s best servants through sexual temptation. When the Holy Spirit is grieved, the anointing lifts. Often, we feel nothing at the time. It isn’t until later that we realize we’ve been operating out of habit or the momentum of natural gifting.
“If the Holy Spirit were totally withdrawn from the church today, ninety percent of the work of the church would go on as if nothing had happened.” — Episcopal Rector.
We may think the whole time that Jesus is with us, only to discover that He is hardly with us at all. Therefore, we must learn to adjust to Him—not expect Him to adjust to us. We can never escape His omnipresence, but we can lose His special presence—the anointing. Once we lose that special presence, we must return to the place where we lost Him to find Him again.
“The Holy Spirit comes by foot but leaves by horseback,” said Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. This illustrates just how sensitive the Holy Spirit is and how easily He can be grieved. When the Dove is present, there is not only peace but also clarity of mind, courage, confidence, and a deep awareness that God is in complete control. There is no panic—not even fear of panic.
Akeraios means “pure” or “moral innocence”—that which remains in its original state of wholeness. The genuine presence of the Holy Spirit is rarer than we may think. The Holy Spirit is a profoundly sensitive person. The sobering truth is that God will not bend His rules for anyone, regardless of position or calling.
We all desire the fire of the Spirit in our lives, but we must also honor the Spirit as a Person of dignity and holiness. We must desire to know Him—not to use Him for our own ends. To truly know Him is to hunger for His fire. The way to power and greater anointing is through deeper sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The Dove is the link to the fire.
Sensitivity means the capacity to be easily hurt, to be aware of the needs and emotions of others.
The Holy Spirit is equally sensitive to our feelings. He is a gentleman. When we develop sensitivity to the Spirit, we hear Him when He speaks and thus avoid quenching Him. The Holy Spirit has feelings, and we can wound His heart when we grieve Him by our actions. Grieving the Spirit refers to our actions that hinder Him from being Himself in us—what He could be in us. Quenching the Spirit refers to our actions that hinder what He could do through us.
When He is ungrieved within us, we manifest His personality—described in Galatians 5:22–23 as the fruit of the Spirit. Yet, among some Christians, there has been a disproportionate focus on the gifts of the Spirit rather than the fruit. Some seem to desire power more than purity—signs and wonders more than gentleness and grace—the forgotten anointing.
The anointing must encompass the totality of all that the Spirit is and does. We must desire to reflect the personality of Jesus as much as we desire to demonstrate His power. It often escapes us that the Holy Spirit, as a Person, possesses His own dignity. He wants to be consulted, honored, and acknowledged before we proceed. How quickly we recognize His absence is a good test of how well we truly know Him. Only the Holy Spirit can open people’s eyes and hearts.
The way back is a return to the anointing—not merely a return of the anointing. Adjusting to the Dove often requires obedience without full understanding of why the Spirit leads a certain way. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones said, “The Bible was not given to replace direct revelation; it was given to correct abuses.”
We must be willing to appear foolish, even to ourselves and others, when obeying God’s immediate voice. Sometimes part of our suffering is learning to put God first—even above those closest to us. It can take as much courage to stay as it does to move. In fact, it may require even greater faith to remain where we are than to venture into a new territory.
Whenever God says “stay,” He does so with a definite purpose. We will never regret remaining where He has placed us, even when we do not understand the reasons at the time. Listening is an art—one few people truly master. We often prefer talking to listening. A good listener, like a wise judge, hears all the evidence before making a decision.
Jesus proved to be the greatest listener who ever lived—and He still listens. As our great High Priest, He sympathizes with our weaknesses because He listens. Knowing how to ask the right questions reveals discernment and wisdom. It takes faith to stay—and sometimes even more faith to stay silent.
God may speak through someone unknown, or through someone well-known whom we may not even like. He is sovereign. God’s silence is holy ground. As we wait on Him, we must remove our shoes and worship.
The blessings that flow from accepting Him as He is—and adjusting to what pleases Him—are peace and joy beyond measure. If we let the Bible replace the immediate witness and voice of the Spirit, we quench Him in a single stroke. The more we read Scripture, the more we understand what God desires of us. God wants us to know Him by knowing His Word. The Word of God doesn’t adjust to us—we must adjust to it.
It’s important to remember there’s always a reason things didn’t work out at first. It is a wonderful revelation to realize that we truly love God, even when we feel painfully aware of our unworthiness and inadequacy. It is in those moments that God assures us He knows we love Him.
When we discover what grieves the Holy Spirit, we gain a deeper understanding of sin. Adjusting to the Dove means developing sensitivity by coming to terms with what hurts His heart. Only when this truth penetrates the heart does our perspective truly change.
Learning not to grieve the Spirit prepares us for glorious fellowship with Him. When we cultivate sensitivity to His presence, we will sense instantly when He is disturbed—and just as instantly when He is pleased. Being gracious is a choice—a grace that doesn’t come easily or naturally. But when we practice it, we reflect Jesus. It is the way God deals with us, and we show our gratitude for His grace by being gracious to others.
“To the spiritual person, the supernatural seems natural,” said Jackie Pullinger. The Spirit’s ways are not selfish—they are supernatural. Yet to one who desperately seeks a greater anointing, it may appear selfish! Adjusting to the Dove means welcoming His presence and giving Him no cause to leave. We develop intimacy with the Lord when we talk to Him about the simplest, most ordinary things—just as with a close friend.
July 14, 2023
Kendall included good truths in his book, however, he misapplied the account of Christ left in Jerusalem when He was twelve years old. He made an allegory out of it that was meant to represent the moving of the Spirit. He misused Scripture which was completely unnecessary for the truths he desired to teach.
November 8, 2021
Excellent book to find the way back to God’s anointing!
Thank you Father for leading me to this book. You are indeed gracious and merciful! Thank you for the opportunity to get back on track!
Thank you Father for leading me to this book. You are indeed gracious and merciful! Thank you for the opportunity to get back on track!
April 30, 2022
Kendall never fails to inspire and challenge
The right book at the right time. R.T.Kendall is brilliant in the way he opens the Scriptures and never fails to challenge and inspire you.
The right book at the right time. R.T.Kendall is brilliant in the way he opens the Scriptures and never fails to challenge and inspire you.
April 20, 2024
This book was so insightful and made me think of the Holy Spirit, the dove, in a new way! Encouraged to prayerfully consider how to not grieve the Holy Spirit!!! Loved it!! Left me loving the Lord more!
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February 1, 2021Sensitivity To The Holy Spirit (2 testimonies)
Video Length: 1 minute
https://youtu.be/fScUtIokbC0
Video Length: 1 minute
https://youtu.be/fScUtIokbC0
July 3, 2022
amazing
January 12, 2025
Great insight to the Holy Spirit grieving a person… being sensitive to the Spirit, when it is present or not
January 21, 2025
Every believer should read this!
December 31, 2016
"We only find Him by discovering where He is and by coming to terms with what He is doing." (R. T. Kendall, The Sensitivity of the Spirit: Learning to Stay in the Flow of God's Direction, Page 9)
The Scriptural foundation for this book is Luke 2:41-52. This biblical passage tells a story about how when Jesus was 12 years old He and His family went up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. After the Feast of the Passover, they all returned home. Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was with them and after having traveled for a day, they began to seek for Him among their friends and family; however, He couldn't be found. They went back to Jerusalem and after 3 days found Him in the temple courts, "sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions". Mary and Joseph asked Him why he had done this to them. Jesus response was the following: "Why were you searching for me?...Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"
The message that the author tries to convey in this book is that we can miss God and go ahead of Him. The reason for this is because we are not being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I felt the author was trying to "stick up" for the Toronto Blessing phenomenon and preachers like Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne also in this book. I didn't mind this; however, thought I would mention this. He doesn't outright say this, but I could see it in his heart by what he wrote in this book.
I think the author missed one of the main points of the Scripture this whole book is based on (Luke 2:41-52). That is, what was Jesus doing in this passage? It says, "they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (Luke 2:46). As we are called to be like Jesus, I think this is what God wants us to do. He wants us to be learning from him and Godly men and women of God, listening to Him and them and asking Him and them questions. The author of this book says nothing of this, which I found odd and I think he missed it on this one. He pays more attention to how Mary and Joseph missed it and went ahead of Jesus. However, I think he should have focused on what Jesus was doing in this passage, as that is what we should be doing as Christians and as Christ-followers. I agree a lesson is to be learnt from Mary and Joseph and how they went ahead of Jesus. I do wonder why Jesus didn't tell them he was going to the temple? Was God teaching Mary and Joseph a lesson? This would have been the considerate thing to do. Many mysteries in this passage.
The Scriptural foundation for this book is Luke 2:41-52. This biblical passage tells a story about how when Jesus was 12 years old He and His family went up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. After the Feast of the Passover, they all returned home. Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was with them and after having traveled for a day, they began to seek for Him among their friends and family; however, He couldn't be found. They went back to Jerusalem and after 3 days found Him in the temple courts, "sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions". Mary and Joseph asked Him why he had done this to them. Jesus response was the following: "Why were you searching for me?...Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"
The message that the author tries to convey in this book is that we can miss God and go ahead of Him. The reason for this is because we are not being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I felt the author was trying to "stick up" for the Toronto Blessing phenomenon and preachers like Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne also in this book. I didn't mind this; however, thought I would mention this. He doesn't outright say this, but I could see it in his heart by what he wrote in this book.
I think the author missed one of the main points of the Scripture this whole book is based on (Luke 2:41-52). That is, what was Jesus doing in this passage? It says, "they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (Luke 2:46). As we are called to be like Jesus, I think this is what God wants us to do. He wants us to be learning from him and Godly men and women of God, listening to Him and them and asking Him and them questions. The author of this book says nothing of this, which I found odd and I think he missed it on this one. He pays more attention to how Mary and Joseph missed it and went ahead of Jesus. However, I think he should have focused on what Jesus was doing in this passage, as that is what we should be doing as Christians and as Christ-followers. I agree a lesson is to be learnt from Mary and Joseph and how they went ahead of Jesus. I do wonder why Jesus didn't tell them he was going to the temple? Was God teaching Mary and Joseph a lesson? This would have been the considerate thing to do. Many mysteries in this passage.
October 13, 2014
PEOPLE, HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT A DOVE! THE DOVE IS JUST THE SYMBOL! I was disappointed reading this book as I was expecting more. Having a close relationship with the Holy Spirit I believe there's so much more to the 3rd Person of the Trinity! The book had a lot of "dove" comparisons and I was expecting Kendall to have more of a personal encounter and dialogue with Holy Spirit but there's none of that in this book. This was seriously lacking that special something and I could tell that he doesn't really know the Holy Spirit because there's so much more to Him.
If you're interested in Holy Spirit and being sensitive to Him I would recommend Benny Hinn "Good Morning Holy Spirit".
If you're interested in Holy Spirit and being sensitive to Him I would recommend Benny Hinn "Good Morning Holy Spirit".
October 29, 2015
WOW!!!
Talk about a wake up call! This is DEEP wisdom- very helpful on how to tune into the Holy Spirit- how to walk with a sense of His presence 24/7 and what to avoid to cause Him to quietly fly away. R.T. Kendall is, along with Francis Frangipane, one of the two most human important voices in my life.
Transformational- wonderfully humble, beautifully centered on Jesus, this will correct your blind spots and prepare you for the days ahead.
Talk about a wake up call! This is DEEP wisdom- very helpful on how to tune into the Holy Spirit- how to walk with a sense of His presence 24/7 and what to avoid to cause Him to quietly fly away. R.T. Kendall is, along with Francis Frangipane, one of the two most human important voices in my life.
Transformational- wonderfully humble, beautifully centered on Jesus, this will correct your blind spots and prepare you for the days ahead.
July 20, 2007
Very good book about the Holy Spirit, and how the Spirit is meant to interact in our lives.
June 10, 2011
Some good advice here. This author pastors a church in England (he is American) known to be very alive.
August 12, 2011
As you would expect from RT, it helps us to recognise that God is not there just to be our best mate
October 7, 2013
Interesting book on the interaction of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews