Dear Friend,

A zone is an area or region distinguished from its surroundings by some distinctive feature. In the zone, things are happening that are not happening outside of it.

1 Samuel 10:5-7 and 19:18-24 describe what happens in the Holy Spirit zone - an area in which the Spirit of God is densely present, and working with irresistible, overwhelming power. Let's examine what the record says and consider what it suggests to us today.

In 1 Samuel 10:5-7, God was preparing Saul for Israel's kingship. Samuel gave Saul explicit instructions. He was to rendezvous with a "company of prophets" (v. 5) returning from immersion in worship in the high places. At that moment, these Spirit-filled, Spirit-obedient, holy men would be full of, covered with, and flowing in the full, rushing, dynamically powerful river of the Holy Spirit. So, as Saul drew near them, he would be unwittingly entering the zone of the Spirit. Once there, Samuel assured him, four wonders would follow.

First, "the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee" (v. 6), and not lightly but surging and rushing upon him with great power. Second, "thou shalt prophesy" (v. 6), or speak under the Spirit's full, direct inspiration, alongside the other prophets. Third, "Thou shalt be turned into another man" (v. 6), or receive "another heart [mind]" (v. 9). And fourth, he was to thereafter "do as [the] occasion serve[s]" (v. 7), or "do what must be done" (NLT) for the kingdom of Israel.

Summarizing, Saul would be filled with the Spirit, speak in the Spirit, be changed by the Spirit, and serve the kingdom under the Spirit's perfectly wise guidance. All this essential preparation occurred in, not an ordinary, but an extraordinary location: the zone of the Holy Spirit.

1 Samuel 19:18-24, which occurred years later, describes even more amazing things happening in the Holy Spirit's zone. King Saul, whose heart had been changed earlier by the Spirit for good, had by this time been changed again by his sin (specifically, envy of David) for evil. No longer subject to and led by the Holy Spirit, Saul was being led by demons (see 1 Samuel 14:16) in an attempt to assassinate Israel's new, true, Holy Spirit filled, up-and-coming leader, David. In his envious rage, Saul heard that David was hiding with Samuel near Ramah in Naioth and immediately dispatched soldiers to arrest David there. But as they drew near Naioth, they unexpectedly entered the same supernatural setting Saul had experienced many years earlier: the Holy Spirit zone. There, again, more wonders followed.

As Saul's men approached God's man, Samuel, standing at the head of the "company [or school] of prophets" to whom he was teaching the Spirit's ways, they came under the power of the Spirit overshadowing, filling, and flowing from Samuel and, suddenly, "they also prophesied" (v. 20). Stunned bystanders reported to Saul the illogical but undeniable transformation Saul's men had undergone in the Spirit's zone: "Your persecutors have become Pentecostals" (my paraphrase)!

Saul was unphased. Hell-bent on eliminating David, he persisted, sending "other messengers" to arrest his estranged son-in-law (v. 21). But when they arrived, and entered the Spirit's zone, to their and his consternation, "they prophesied likewise" (v. 21). Frustrated again, Saul sent a third group of soldiers to arrest David, but as soon as they entered the zone, believe it or not, "they prophesied also" (v. 21). Fed up with these frustrating failures, Saul decided he would go himself to personally arrest David. But the poor, carnally minded king didn't yet understand what - or Who - he was up against.

As soon as Saul drew near Naioth, before he even entered the city, he breached the Holy Spirit's zone. There, surrounded by and immersed in the Spirit's mighty presence, the unexplainable happened again: "The Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on [walking forward], and prophesied" all the way to Naioth (v. 23). At this point, one thing was sure: on this day, David would not be arrested! Also, Saul was one more frustrated evildoer! Furthermore, by so obviously and unrelentingly resisting Saul and his servants, the Holy Spirit was urgently trying to send Saul a message: "Leave David alone! Stop this unjust persecution campaign!"

Let's pause and review what we've learned and identify what it means for us today. In the Holy Spirit zone, most unusual things happen. Let's describe the Spirit's place, power, pervasiveness, and purposes.

His "place" is the person or persons truly Spirit-filled; the zone of the Spirit surrounds the people of the Spirit. His raw power is amazing and superior to all others - whenever He wills, He overreaches, overwhelms, and overcomes all people, friends and foes, and all demons. His pervasiveness is wide and overflowing. His zone fills and surrounds companies of worshipers in churches, schools, houses, buildings, even cities, and all who enter His zone, even hell-bent persecutors, are sure to encounter Him. His purposes, as seen in these two instances from Saul's life, are twofold: to prepare God's people spiritually for kingdom service (1 Samuel 10:5-7); and to warn their enemies to stand down, and stop them if they don't obey (1 Samuel 19:28-24).

From this we may conclude the following. The greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit is yet to come in these last days. As it plays out, we will see all the above-described wonders, and more, when we touch, enter, worship, or live in the Holy Spirit zone.

The Spirit will fall mightily on those who hear and receive the gospel. They will speak under His power - with inspiration in their own language and with other languages. Hearts and minds will be lastingly changed in a moment (though some, sadly, may slide back again into sin, as Saul did). And Christians will be supernaturally equipped by the Spirit with gifts and power for their particular kingdom service. Many enemies, who visit Holy Spirit zones to mock, oppose, or find evidence for persecution, will instead come under the Spirit's power and be temporarily restrained, while others will be permanently converted to the faith.

The Holy Spirit's zones will be many. He will fill believers' houses and lands. He will hover over sanctuaries where Spirit-filled believers worship. He will brood over Bible schools, missionary training centers, and genuine schools of prophecy. He will rush into convention centers where pastors are meeting, dynamically renew their souls and ministries, and return with them to establish His zones in their local churches. And He will rest, like an invisible cloud of glory, over communities and villages and cities where concentrations of God's people are walking closely with Him, following His Spirit's guidance, and worshiping "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24). And He will even release His presence in automobiles, buses, trains, subways, and airplanes in which His Spirit-led servants are traveling! All these places will be distinguished from their surrounding areas by the marvelous, manifest, ministering presence of God's Spirit.

What will He do in these zones? Conviction of sin will melt even the most sin-hardened hearts. Healings will occur spontaneously, without laying on of hands, anointing with oil, or special prayers. Deliverances will flow as, exposed to the Spirit's power, demons will shriek and exit bodies they have long controlled and souls they have long oppressed. Suddenly supernaturally regenerated, sinners will stop sinning and begin believing. Backslidden Christians will stop sliding back and begin walking forward in steady spiritual growth. Lukewarm Christians will catch fire with sustained, renewed devotion for Jesus. Evangelical and other Christians long averse to everything Pentecostal or Charismatic will suddenly be filled by and speak under the inspiration of the Spirit.

Marriages long troubled will be healed and, amazingly, made ideal. Hopelessly divided families will be united again, and peace and love will replace strife and hatred. Bitterly divided Christians will discern their wrong attitudes and become sweetly united brothers and sisters again. Proud preachers will become humble ministers and fellowship easily and often with fellow ministers they formerly avoided. Fivefold ministry gifts will be imparted and gifts of the Spirit activated. Kingdom servants will be commissioned and sent, and the King's enemies frustrated and stopped (though others will continue persecuting us so, as with David, we may become tested, purified, proven, and mature). All this is coming on a grand scale in these last days.

But why wait? Why not wholly surrender your life today to become a living, walking, talking Holy Spirit zone? And your church? And your ministry? Or your mission? Or your school? Or your place of business? Wherever, whenever, and in whomever sin is fully forsaken, our wills are fully surrendered, God's Word is fully respected, and we truly desire the Spirit's fullness, He will come. And as we continue in this spiritual attitude and lifestyle, He is establishing His zone more powerfully and pervasively every day. And all His wonders described above will follow . . . in the Holy Spirit zone.

Please pray with me now: "Lord, take my life, my family, my church, my ministry, my sphere of activity, and make it your Holy Spirit zone! Fall in power, inspire new language, transform my heart, fully equip me to fulfill my kingdom assignment, and convert or thwart my enemies!"

Praying now,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries