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Glory to Glory

Partnership with the

Holy Spirit
Book 3

By Dave van den Berg

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Index
1. Introduction to the Holy Spirit : In this study, we give a list of the various functions of
the Holy Spirit. (Page 4)

2. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit: This study also appears in the first booklet, "The
journey begins." In this study, we give a Biblical basis for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and
practical steps we can take to receive it and to remain filled with the Holy Spirit. (Page 7)

3. The importance of speaking in tongues: This is an important gift of the Holy Spirit
to enable us to pray according to the will of God and to increase the level of the anointing and
power of God in our lives. Testimonies are included. (Page 13)

4. The anointing of the Holy Spirit: This is one my favorite subjects and a core subject
that we teach in our schools and seminars. Many have had fresh encounters with the Holy Spirit as
they have applied the principles of the anointing to their lives. One of my highest values in my own
personal life is to build up and maintain the anointing of the Holy Spirit. (Page 19)

5. Gifts of the Holy Spirit: This is a study of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of
this study is not to fill our minds with a lot of knowledge about these gifts but to enable us to use
the gifts. I have included a number of testimonies and examples. These gifts are very important,
and the Bible warns us not to ignore them. (Page 26)

6. How to be led by the Holy Spirit: In this study, we will look at the greatest key to
success, that is the ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. We look at examples in scriptures, and how
the Holy Spirit leads. We will also look the parameters that we need to lay down in our lives in
order to be led by the Holy Spirit. (Page 36)

7. Hunger for God: In this study, we look at the importance of spiritual hunger, symptoms of
spiritual hunger and how to develop a greater hunger for God. (Page 45)

8. Ministry to the Lord: In this study, we will look at this important and life changing
discipline. I will give my personal testimony. (Page 55)

9. Revelation of the love of God: This study deals with our greatest need, which is to
know experientially, how much God loves us. To me this is the most life changing truth in the Bible,
and if we can understand this, then everything else will fall into place in our lives. (Page 60)

Introduction to the Holy Spirit

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 In the New Testament, there are many verses which show that God is
Triune (consists of 3 people). Matthew 28:19: “Baptizing them in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” 1 John 5:7: “There are three that
bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word (who is Jesus - see John 1:1)
and the Holy Spirit.”

 The Holy Spirit is a person and not an influence. He makes His

appearance in Genesis 1:2, “And the Spirit of the Lord was hovering over
the face of the waters.” He appears many times in the Old Testament.
David said in Psalms 51:11 "Take not Your Holy Spirit from me." In Daniel
4:18 we read, "The Spirit of the Holy God is in you." In Exodus 31:3 it
speaks about Bezeleel. "I have filled him with the Spirit of God."

 1 Cor. 8:6. “There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things; and
one Lord Jesus Christ, through / by whom are all things.” In the Godhead,
The Father is the Decision Maker and the Initiator. Things are from the
Father and through the Lord Jesus. The Father is the Source, while Jesus is
the Means. The Father makes the decision and the Lord Jesus Christ
carries it out. But the Holy Spirit is the power to carry out the decisions.
Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the
kingdom of God is come unto you."

 God is on earth today, mainly in the person of the Holy Spirit. God the
Father is in Heaven, Jesus is at His right hand while the Holy Spirit is right
here with us today on earth.

 After Jesus ascended to His Father, the Holy Spirit was sent by the
Father and the Son to the earth. Jesus said in John 16:7. “It is to your
advantage that I go away…” He was saying: “It is better for you to have
the Holy Spirit than to have Me!”

WHY IS THIS TRUE? (1) Jesus was with them but not in them. John 14:17.
" the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and
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will be in you." (2) Jesus could only be in one place at a time in His body
on earth. (3) Jesus taught them the word of God, but the Holy Spirit
enabled them to do the word of God.

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 He is the Comforter (John 16:7). In Isaiah 61:1 It says that the

anointing (Holy Spirit) heals the broken heart. In the NKJ version
 He is called the Helper. He puts into us what God wants out of us. We
can always pray to Him and ask Him to help us. Romans 8:26 says that He
helps us with our infirmities (weaknesses). We can do nothing without the
Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus said, Luke 24:49 "Wait in Jerusalem until you
are endued with power from on high." Unfortunately, there are many who
are in missions and ministry who are not qualified to do so because they
are not filled with the Holy Spirit.
 The Father and the Son communicate with us through the Holy Spi rit.
John 16:13 "He will not speak of His own, what He hears He will speak and
tell you of things to come."
 He is the One who convicts us (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit convicts, but
the devil condemns. His purpose in doing this is to lead us to repentance
so that our relationship with the Godhead can be maintained.
 He is our Teacher: John 14:26. He can teach us through the Word of
God, through His relationship with us and through the experiences that
He takes us through.
 He is our guide (John 16:13). It says in this verse that He guides us into
all truth. He guides us when we read or hear the words of the Bible. He
guides also us by the inner voice in our hearts. In Galatians 5:18 it speaks
about being led by the Spirit.
 He makes Jesus real to us (John 15:26). He does this by imparting His
presence and His joy to us. He makes our fellowship with Jesus and the
Father real to us.
 He makes the Father real to us: Romans 8:15. "but you have received
the Spirit of adoption by which you cry 'Abba Father." Ephesians 2:18
"For through Him (Jesus) we have access by one Spirit to the Father."
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 He shows us all the wonderful things that God wants to do for us and
through us. But as it is written: 1 Corinthians 2:9 -10 “Eye has not seen,
nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man The things which
God has prepared for those who love Him."  But God has revealed them to
us through His Spirit."
 He gives us power (Acts 1:8). He gives us the power to be effective for
God., “You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you..”
Not only power for miracles and witnessing, but also to live the Christian
life! Galatians 5:16 "Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the desires
of the flesh."
 He is our Friend. We can know an intimacy and friendship with Him
that will cause us to be fruitful and effective for God. In 2 Corinthians
13:14 “And may the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you..” In the
Book of Acts especially in chapter 15, we see the strong partnership
between the Holy Spirit and the disciples.
 He heals our physical bodies: Romans 8:11. "The same Spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead, quickens our mortal bodies."
 He fill us with great pleasure and joy : Psalms 16:11 "In You presence
there is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures for ever
more." Joy and peace are fruits of the Holy Spirit.
 He is our guarantee of eternal life: 1 Corinthians 1:22 "Who has sealed
us and given the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a deposit." It is a deposit of
eternal life. It is a taste of life that we will one day enjoy in heaven.
 He changes us to become like Jesus: We have a list of the Fruit of the
Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, which is the nature of Jesus. Romans
15:16 "...being sanctified (made holy) by the Holy Spirit."

HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT OPERATE? We receive the Holy Spirit into
our human spirits when we give our lives to Jesus. That is the guarantee,
that we will one day receive resurrected bodies. The more we yield our
lives Him, the more He changes us to become like Jesus. The Holy Spirit
not only changes us to become like Jesus, but He gives us the power to do
the works of Jesus. For that to happen we must receive the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit.
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The Baptism with the Holy Spirit

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest needs in the church
and often the most neglected doctrine. It was so important to Jesus that
He commanded His disciples to "... tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you
are endued with power from on high.” (1) He would not allow them to
preach and do anything for Him until they received the Baptism in the
Holy Spirit. Today, many think that because they have been to Bible
School and know the Bible, that they are ready to do the work of the Lord.
The truth is that without the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, we are not
ready to do anything for God. (1) Luke 24:49

The reason why there are so many casualties on the mission field and in
ministry is that many have tried to go out and do the work of the Lord
without the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, if everyone
in the church was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, there would be
such blessing and breakthrough! One of the last words that Jesus spoke
before ascending to heaven was "But you shall receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me, in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(2) Acts 1:8

If we have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it is important to know

that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. The Bible says God “…. has sealed us and
given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” We have an inward
witness that we are God's children. (3) In the book of Roman’s we read,
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
God”. (4) We cannot be born again without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
imparts the life of Jesus into our human spirits and we are born again.
However, it is not enough to only have the Holy Spirit in us; we must also
have His power. In order to have this power we must be baptized with
the Holy Spirit. (3) 2 Corinthians 1:22, (4) Romans 8:16
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The term, "the baptism with the Holy Spirit" come from a number of
scriptures. John the Baptist said: “I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose
sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire.” (5) Peter said: “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how
He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with
the Holy Spirit” (6)
(5) Matt3:11, (6) Acts 11:16

Imagine pouring water into a bottle, we would then say, the "water is in
the bottle." Then if we throw the bottle into a river, we would then say,
"The bottle is in the water." This is an analogy of the difference of having
the Holy Spirit in us, and being baptized with the Holy Spirit. When we are
Born Again, the Holy Spirit comes into us. But when we are baptized with
the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes upon us. We are immersed into the
Holy Spirit. We see this pattern in the examples in the Book of Acts.

My testimony: When I was born again, I joined a Baptist Church. Two

years later I began to realize that there was another experience called the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit. I read books about it, heard testimonies
about it and saw it in the Bible. I approached my godly Baptist pastor and
asked him how I could be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Although he did
not believe in speaking in tongues, he leant me a book by Andrew Murray
to help me. In this book I found the key that enabled me to be baptized
with the Holy Spirit, that key was faith. In Galatians we read, ".... Did you
receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"(7)
We read further in the chapter “…that the blessing of Abraham might
come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise
of the Spirit through faith." (8) Everything we receive from God is by faith.
(7) Galatians 3:2, (8) Galatians 3:14

I then prayed the following prayer, "Lord, I believe that from reading the
Book of Acts, that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, is scriptural.
Furthermore, I believe that You are no respecter of persons, and because
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you did this for others, You will do so for me. By faith I now receive the
baptism of the Holy Spirit and by faith I will now speak with other tongues.
For You said, "These signs shall follow those who believe, ... they would
speak with new tongues." (9) Mark 16:15

I then raised my hands, took a step of faith and spoke in tongues. I did this
by faith! A thought then came to my mind, "this is not tongues but
gibberish." I silenced that thought and said, "I am doing this by faith, and
by faith I am being baptized with the Holy Spirit." The following morning
as I woke up I found myself speaking in a new language. This was not a
dramatic experience, but a simple step of faith. What I did notice that in
the weeks that followed, it began to be easier for me to lead people to
Christ and I began to see miracles as I prayed for people. I also noticed
that the more I spoke in tongues, the profound this language became.

Let us look at some examples from the Book of Acts:

Acts Chapter 2: 2-4: “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of
a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were
sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one
sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Notice the Holy Spirit came upon them and the room was filled. This
implies that they were immersed in the Spirit. (Remember the water in
the water illustration). They also began to speak with other tongues as
they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They spoke in tongues but the Spirit
gave them the ability to do so. Jesus referred to this as being baptized
with the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:5 "For John truly baptized with water; but
you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

Acts Chapter 8 verse 14-18: We read, “…who, when they had come down,
prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.  For as yet He had
fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy
Spirit.  And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’
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hands the Holy Spirit was given…” The Baptism with the Holy Spirit was
imparted to them by the laying on of hands of the apostles.

The word "receive" can also mean "come upon" (Strong’s). There was
visible evidence that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit when
Peter and John laid hands on them. It does not say that they spoke in
tongues, but it implies that something happened and they knew that the
new believers had been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Possibly it was the
same manifestation that they saw on the day of Pentecost.

Acts Chapter 9 verse 17: “And Ananias went his way and entered the
house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus,
who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may
receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Paul was filled with
the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid his hands on him. It does not say here
that Paul spoke in tongues, but we do know that Paul did so, for in 1
Corinthians 14:18 we read, “I thank my God I speak with tongues more
than you all.”

Acts Chapter 10 verses 44-46: “While Peter was still speaking these
words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of
the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with
Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the
Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.”

The Holy Spirit fell upon them and they spoke with tongues and magnified
the Lord. Peter referred to this as the Baptism with the Holy Spirit in
Chapter 11:15-16. “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said,
‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.”

Acts Chapter 19 verse 6: We read, “And when Paul had laid hands on
them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and
prophesied.” When Paul laid his hands on the believers in Corinth; they
received the Holy Spirit and began to speak with tongues. Therefore, the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit is often received by the laying on of hands.
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In three out of the five examples from the book of Acts, the believers
spoke with tongues when they were baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit.
The other two examples imply this. In fact, in Acts chapter 10, Peter
recognized that Cornelius and his friends had received the gift of the Holy
Spirit because he heard them speaking with tongues.

In order for us to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, we must first of
all be convinced that it is scriptural, for the Bible says that, "faith comes
by hearing and hearing by the word of God." (10) Secondly, we must be
sure that we are Born Again and have received Jesus as our Lord and
Savior. (10) Romans 10:17

Although there are many ways that God can use, following steps can
enable you to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

(1)We must confess and repent of any known sin in our lives. It is true
that the Holy Spirit can fill us even if we do not confess and repent, For
example, in Acts chapter 10. However, un-confessed sin can hinder us
from receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is especially true with
regards to un-forgiveness and bitterness. I have noticed in some cases,
those who repented of un-forgiveness and bitterness were able to speak
in tongues with greater ease.

(3) We can ask Jesus to baptize us with the Holy Spirit: The Bible says, “...
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (11) The Bible also says,
"that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us," (12) We ask
Jesus to Baptize us with the Holy Spirit, which is His will for us, and if we
ask anything according to God's will, He hears us! (11) Matthew 3:11, (12) 1
John 5:14

(4) We can take a step of faith and speak in tongues: Jesus said, "If any
man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. ... this He spoke concerning
the Holy Spirit." (13) This is a step of faith! Just as we lay hands upon the
sick as a step of faith to heal the sick, so we speak in tongues as a step of
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faith to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it is helpful to
worship in our own language for a few minutes, then stop, and then by
faith begin worship Him in tongues. (13) John 7:37

(5) We can get others to lay hands on us: Often, when those who are filled
with the Holy Spirit, lay hands on us, we receive the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit. This happened in Acts when Paul laid his hands on the disciples in
Ephesus, (14) they we filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
tongues. (14) Acts 19:6

It is our decision to speak in tongues. Paul wrote “I will pray with the
spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding”. (15) The Holy Spirit will
not speak for us but give us the words so that we can speak. These words
do not come from our minds, but from our spirit. The regular practice of
speaking with tongues will enable us to be continually filled with the Holy
Spirit. The Bible says, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself”. (16)
Paul was an example of this; he boasted that he spoke in tongues more
than anyone else. (17) (16) 1 Corinthians 14:15, (16) 1 Corinthians 14:4, (17) 1 Corin
14:18

Finally: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the initial experience to receive
the power of God. However, we need to be continually filled with the
Holy Spirit. In Acts 4:31 we read “And when they had prayed, the place
where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
Many of these were the same disciples who were baptized in the Holy
Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

The Bible says, "be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
(continually) filled with the Spirit." (18) Therefore, it is very important to
be baptized with the Holy Spirit and thereafter to be continually filled
with the Holy Spirit. Amen. (18) Ephesians 5:18
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The importance of speaking in tongues

I want to talk about one of the most wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit, the
gift of speaking in tongues. Unfortunately it is also one of the most
neglected gifts of the Holy Spirit. For the purpose of this study, I want to
focus more on a practical and personal application. I also take it for
granted that you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit with the ability
to speak in tongues. Furthermore, you have also overcome any difficulty
to speak or pray in tongues. Therefore, the purpose of this study is not to
help you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit or to speak in tongues.
With that in mind we can proceed.

There are various uses for the gift of tongues:

Firstly, tongues together with the gift of interpretation of tongues is used

to edify the Body of Christ. This is the public application of the gift. For the
purposes of this study, I will not cover this point in depth.

Secondly, tongues can be used to communicate with others in a language

the we have not learnt. We have an example of this in the book of Acts
chapter two. On the day of Pentecost, we read how the people of
Jerusalem were astonished and said "... we hear them speaking in our
own tongues the wonderful works of God." (1) Acts 2:11

When I was at university, my landlady gave me this amazing testimony.

"One day I was preaching the gospel to a group of Zulus living near the
city of Durban in South Africa. They could not understand English and I
could not understand their Zulu tongue. I spoke in English and what they
heard was me speaking in Zulu. When they spoke back to me in Zulu, I
heard was them speaking in English." I have heard many similar
testimonies. This gift can help us preach the Gospel in languages that we
do not understand!

The third use of this gift, is for our personal edification and anointing. This
is what I want to focus on In this study,. Paul writes in the book of
Corinthians "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself. (2) The word
'edify' means to 'build oneself up.' It is a wonderful gift that God has given
to us, to enable us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Evidently Paul
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practiced what he taught when he said, "I thank my God, I speak with
tongues more than you all.” (3) If it was important for Paul, then it must
be important for us. (2) 1 Corinthians 14:4, (3) 1 Corinthians 14:18

Smith Wigglesworth, that great man of faith who lived in the previous
century was greatly used by God. He healed thousands of people and
raised twenty three people from the dead. He was so anointed that
people travelling on the same train as he would come under the
conviction of sin and cry out to God for mercy, without him saying a word.
He was once arrested in Sweden because so many people were healed in
his meetings, that he almost put medical profession out of business.
When he was asked about the secret of his great anointing, he simply
answered, "I speak in tongues a lot."

I have witnessed this in my own life. Whenever I have spoken in tongues a

lot, I have experienced an increase of God's presence and anointing. I
remember once when I preached in Eastern Siberia a number of years
ago. My interpreter and I had to wait for an hour and a half for the
meeting to begin. We decided to speak in tongues before the meeting.

That evening there was a wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit. After the
message many came forward testifying that God had healed them. We did
not even pray for them but just sat in the front row and watched the
miracles. In the book of Jude we read, "Building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (4) Jude 1:20

The fourth use of this gift, is it enables us to pray according to the will of
God. Paul wrote in the book of Romans, “Likewise the Spirit helps our
infirmities. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself [Himself] make intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered” (5) [Another translation says; "with words that cannot be put
into a known language." ] (5) Romans 8:26

Praying in tongues enables the Holy Spirit to pray through us. Paul writes
and says, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, MY SPIRIT PRAYS, but my
understanding is unfruitful.” Notice he said, “My spirit prays.” (6) The
Amplified Bible reads, “My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays . . . ."
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When we pray in tongues, our spirit is in direct contact with God, Who is a
Spirit. To explain this, let’s look at some scriptures. (6) 1 Corinthians 14:14

I suppose we are all aware that we consist of spirit, soul and body. Paul
prays and says "may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (7) We are spirit, who
have a soul which lives in a body. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and
Savior, the life Jesus comes into our human spirit and we are born again.
In Galatians we read, "...Christ lives in me." (8) We have the perfect life of
Jesus living in us! That is why the Bible says, "If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creation, old things have passed away, all things have become
new." (9) (7) 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (8) Galatians 2:20 (9) Corinthians 5:17

Now what happens when we pray in tongues? To understand this, lets

read what Paul says: “For what man knows the things of man except the
spirit of man that is in Him? Even so no one knows the things of God
except the Spirit of God.” (10) There is an interaction between the Holy
Spirit and our human spirit. Firstly, our human spirit knows exactly what
we need. Proverbs says, "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, (11)
searching the inner depths of his heart.” (10) 1 Corinthians 2:11, (11) Proverbs 20:27

Secondly, Holy Spirit knows exactly what the will of God is and what God
wants to do. So when we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit together with
our human spirit form a prayer partnership and pray according to the will
of God. That is why Jesus said, "Whatever He (The Holy Spirit) hears; He
will speak and tell you of things to come.” (12) When we pray in tongues
we often pray about this even hidden from our minds. We read in
Corinthians, “He that speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to
God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks
mysteries.” (13)
(12) John 16:13, (13) 1 Corinthians 14:2

Let me give you examples in my own life. Earlier this year, I went on a
prayer walk and spoke in tongues a lot. That morning I experienced a
strong burden of prayer as I was praying in tongues. As I walked past a
certain restaurant the burden suddenly lifted. A few hours later I met with
a missionary in that restaurant. The waitress who served us was
unusually open to the gospel and we had a wonderful opportunity to lead
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her to Christ. I believe that when I prayed in tongues, the Holy Spirit
together with my spirit prayed for her.

I can give many other testimonies. Before we moved to Russia in 1999, I

used to go on morning prayer walks in Pretoria and prayed a lot in
tongues. When we moved to Russia, we were aware that God had
prepared something for us that was beyond our natural expectation. We
experienced what the Scripture says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor
have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for
those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit."
(14) 1 Corin. 2:10-11)

In Ephesians, Paul writes and says, "God is able to do exceeding,

abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is
in you." (15) What is this power? It is the life of Jesus in us! Therefore, as
we pray in the spirit, or pray in tongues, we release the power that is in us
for God to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we ask or think. (15)
Ephesians 3:20

The fifth use of this gift, is that it enables us to worship and praise the
Lord. We do not only speak in tongues, but we can also sing in tongues.
We read " I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the
understanding." (16) There is a place for singing in tongues or singing in
the Holy Spirit. Whenwe do so, we give to God the most beautiful
adoration and worship that even goes beyond our natural abilities. (16) 1
Corinthians 14:15

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would glorify Him (17) In the book of Acts
we read “... we hear them speaking in own tongues the wonderful works
of God.” (18) When we speak in tongues, we are often speaking about
the wonderful works of God! That is why the devil does not like it when
we speak in tongues! I have often experienced a greater level of worship
and praise in my own language after I have sung in the Spirit. (17) John 16:15,
(18) Acts 2:11

It is important that we are intentional when we speak in tongues. When

we do so, we should have in mind to worship or pray or build ourselves
up, lest we become like a "clanging symbol." (19) We can do so together
or alone. (19) 1 Corinthians 13:1
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The sixth use of this gift is to enable us to be led by the Spirit and walk in
the Spirit. The Bible says, "Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of
God." (20) We read that "With men of other tongues and other lips I will
speak to this people..." (21) Speaking in tongues a lot helps us to be
sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It quietens our flesh, especially
our carnal thoughts and enables us to pick up the leading of the Holy
Spirit. It enables our human spirit to have dominance over our minds and
emotions. (20) Romans 8:14, (21) 1 Corinthians 14:21

Furthermore, we can believe for the Holy Spirit to give us an

interpretation of the tongues that we speak. Although the gift of
interpretation is used in the context of a church meeting, we can believe
God to give us the interpretation in our personal use of this gift. We can
speak in tongues then take a step of faith and interpret our tongues. It
says in Corinthians, "Therefore, let him who speaks in a tongue pray that
he may interpret." (22) 1 Corinthians 14:13

The seventh use of this gift, is to help us grow spiritually. The Bible says
that if we can control our tongue, we will be perfect. (23) If the Holy Spirit
has control of our tongue, He will also begin to control the rest of our
lives. Tongues is the means by which our human spirit influences our soul
or personality. If Christ dwells in our spirit by the Holy Spirit, then that life
will also influence our behavior. The Bible says, "Walk in the Spirit and you
will not fulfil the desires of the flesh." (24) When we speak in tongues a
lot, the life of Jesus in us, 'oozes' out of our spirit and influences our soul
and body. I once heard of a lady who had an incurable sickness. When she
prayed in tongues a lot, she was healed. (23) James 3:2, (24) Galatians 5:16

To conclude here are two questions that we need to answer.

Firstly, when or how often should we speak in tongues. The answer is, as
much as possible, even when we do not feel like doing so. Speaking in
tongues is a decision of the will and not just a stirring of our emotions.
The Bible says in Corinthians "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with
the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the
understanding also.” (26) Paul boasted that he spoke in tongues more
 18

than all. The more we use this gift, the more it will develop. (26) 1 Corinthians
14:15

Secondly: How long should we speak in tongues? The answer to this

question, we should speak long enough until we sense something
happening in our minds and emotions. There should be an increased level
of peace and joy. We may even experience our tongues language
becoming deeper and more profound. When Paul wrote about tongues in
first Corinthians, he quoted a verse in Isaiah which says, "This is the rest,
this is the refreshing... "(28) We should feel spiritually an emotionally
refreshed after we have spoken in tongues a lot. (27) 1 Corinthians 14:21, (28)
Isaiah 28:11

We have an illustration of a submarine. Imagine a submarine lying at the

bottom of the ocean. In order to rise to the surface it must pump air into
it's tank. At first nothing seems to happen, but when there is enough air,
the submarine will float. Sometimes we feel weighed down and dull in our
spirits. It is like the submarine at the bottom of the ocean. Speaking in
tongues is like pumping spiritual air into our spiritual tank. When there is
enough air we 'will float.' We will feel light and refreshed. Sometimes we
speak in tongues and nothing seems to happen and our thoughts wander
all over. The best thing we can do is just continue until we have the
breakthrough. This can take quite a considerable amount of time,
especially if it has not been a regular practice in our lives.

Finally, tongues is often the doorway to the other gifts of the Holy Spirit.
After I began to speak in tongues I also began to experience other gifts
such as healing, prophecy, discernment of spirits, etc and the word of
knowlege. Paul wrote "do not forbid the speaking with tongues." (29) 1
Corinthians 14:39

Not only is speaking in tongues the entrance to the other gifts of the Holy
Spirit, but it connects us with the supernatural spirit world. It is called the
language of angels in the Bible (30) Often, angelic activity is released
when we speak in tongues a lot. We will notice that things begin to
happen in our lives such as divine appointments and amazing
opportunities. (30) 1 Corinthians 13:2
 19

Paul said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all." (31)
Jesus said, “These signs will follow those who believe ... they will speak in
new tongues.” (32) I hope this brief study has inspired you to explore and
tap into the wonderful benefits of this amazing gift. Amen (31) 1
Corinthians 14:18, Mark 16:17

The anointing of the Holy Spirit

The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the most important key for the growth
of the church, the salvation of souls and for healings and miracles. It is the
only way that we will influence this world for Christ. When we are born
again we receive a deposit of the anointing in our lives, for the Bible says
"we have an anointing and we know all things." (1 John 2:20) However,
the anointing can be increased and there is no limit to level of anointing
that we can receive. For example, Smith Wigglesworth raised 23 people
from the dead and was so anointed that people travelling on the same
train as he would repent and receive Jesus without him having to speak a
word. Charles Finney was so anointed that the conviction of sin would
come upon those to whom he came in contact with. The apostle Peter
was so anointed that his shadow would heal the sick.

What is the anointing? We can define this as the empowering presence of

the Holy Spirit that enables us to do the work of Jesus. We can feel and
sense the anointing. There is also a link between the anointing and the
glory of God. The word 'glory' in the Hebrew language is the word 'kabod'
which means weight. That is why some people fall under the power of the
Holy Spirit when they receive the anointing. (3 Kings 8:11)

Why is the anointing so important?

Firstly, the anointing is the power that gives us the ability to preach the
gospel and draw sinners to Christ. Jesus said of Himself, "The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor; ..." (Luke 4:18) He then told the disciples, But ye shall receive
 20

power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses..." (Acts 1:8) God does not anoint us to sit and do nothing.

Secondly, the anointing is given to heal the sick and set the oppressed
free. We read in the book of Acts "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Acts
10:38) The same is true of us today for Jesus said, "As the Father sent Me,
I send you." (John 20:21) He is our example! Paul said in the book of
Romans, "Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of
God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully
preached the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:19) Without signs, wonders
and miracles we do not fully preach the gospel of Jesus. If God anoints us,
then we are under obligation to heal the sick and to perform miracles.
Every sick person we meet is a 'legal target' for the anointing!

Thirdly the anointing is give so that we can fulfill our calling and ministry.
When God calls us and tells us to do something, He will anoint us. We
read about the calling of king David in the Old Testament, "Then Samuel
took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the
Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward." (1 Samuel
16:13) In the New Testament, Paul says, "Who also hath made us able
ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit:" (2 Cor.
3:6) In fact, the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the only qualification that
God acknowledges for ministry.

This is not to say that Bible training is not important, but without the
anointing of the Holy Spirit, all our degrees and diplomas are useless! It
says in the Book of Acts. " And God, who knows the hearts, bare them
witness, (acknowledged them) giving them the Holy Ghost..." (Acts 15:8)
When God anoints someone, it means that He acknowledges them!
Therefore, we must be very careful not "to touch God's anointed." (Psalm
105:15) This does not mean that we always have to agree or submit to
anointed people, but we need to be careful how we treat them!
 21

How to increase the anointing:

Firstly through the laying on of hands and prayer: The anointing often
increases when anointed people pray for us and lay their hands on us.
Paul said to the Roman church, "For I long to see you, that I may impart
unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established." (Romans
1:11) Paul said to Timothy, " Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that
thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my
hands." (2 Tim. 1:6) There are many other examples in the Bible where
the anointing was imparted through the laying on of hands.

This is also true of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, which we often
receive when anointed people lay hands on us. However, we are
personally responsible to maintain our own anointing. When others pray
for us, there is a 'surge' of anointing imparted, but we must continue to
walk in the Spirit and yield to the Holy Spirit if we want to maintain that
anointing.

Secondly, the corporate anointing can also influence our personal

anointing. In Psalms we read, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment
upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that
went down to the skirts of his garments;" (Psalms 133:1-2) The oil, here
being a type of the anointing. When brethren dwell together in unity, the
oil flows from the head, from the leaders right down to skirts, to everyone
else. This was especially true on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was
poured out on all those who were gathered in the upper room and not
only on those who were super spiritual. (Acts 2:4)

That is why it is so important to be connected to an anointed group of

people. The 'fire' of the Holy Spirit on others, can impart the 'fire' of the
Holy Spirit to us. What I have noticed is that it is often easier to pray for
the sick in the context of a church meeting, than to do so individually. The
corporate anointing is often much stronger than our individual anointing.
 22

However, this being so, we still individually have to walk in Spirit and
obedience in order to maintain our anointing!

Thirdly, obedience to the Holy Spirit is important. In the Book of Acts we

read, "The Holy Spirit to whom God has given to those that obey Him."
That is why it is so important to always be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit
wants us to do. I have found this especially true when it comes to
preaching and teaching. It is more important to find out what God wants
to say in a given situation than to preach a good sermon. Some of my best
sermons have been some of my most un-anointed sermons because I was
not sensitive to what the Lord wanted me to say in that specific situation.
I have also experienced that speaking a very simple word that the Holy
Spirit lays on my heart has often been an anointed word. For example, if I
am told to speak about bananas, even though I have a better message
about tomatoes, God will anoint my message on bananas and not anoint
my message on tomatoes.

This is also true to all forms of ministry. I had a friend in Russia who went
to pray for a sick woman. Many had prayed for her but she could not
receive her healing. He asked the Lord what he should do and how he
should pray for her. The Holy Spirit prompted him to take a glass of water,
add some salt and give it to her. As she drunk the salty water she was
immediately healed. Jesus links obedience to His commands, to the
receiving of the Holy Spirit. (John 14:15-16) When some of the great
healing revivalists of the past were asked, "what is the greatest key to
your anointing?" Many replied, "I would sit still in God's presence, listen to
His voice, then do what He tells me to do."

Fourthly, good stewardship of the anointing that we have already

received: The anointing increases when we use the anointing that we
already have. The problem with many, is that they do not use the
anointing that they have received. We read about Jesus, "The Spirit of the
Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good
tidings ..." (Isaiah 61:1) God does no anoint us to do nothing!
 23

We have the example of the Elisha and the needy woman. We read, "And
Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in
the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house,
save a pot of oil." (2 Kings 4:2) As she poured oil into empty vessels that
she had borrowed from her neighbors, the amount of oil increased. In the
same way, when we use the 'little bit' that we have, and pour it into the
needs (empty vessels) of others, our anointing will often increase! I have
often had the experience of feeling so spiritually dry and empty, but when
I begin to share the word of God or pray for the sick, I have noticed a
fresh surge of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if we do not use
the anointing, we will lose the anointing!

Fifthly, the anointing increases through healthy spiritual disciplines. This is

obvious, so I won't say much about this. There are many scriptures that
confirm this. Paul writes, “Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with
the Holy Spirit! Speak to yourselves in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
making melody in your heart … giving thanks … submitting to one
another.” (Eph. 5:18-19) Worship, prayer, reading the Bible, praise and
thanksgiving are all disciplines that will enable us to increase the
anointing level in our lives.

One of the most important disciplines that increases the anointing is

fasting. Our best example is that of Jesus. In the book of Luke we read
that "Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit." (Luke 4:1) A few
verses later it says, "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy
Spirit." (Luke 4:14) What happened in the wilderness? He fasted for forty
days! That was the reason why He, in the likeness of a man, was able to
do so many wonderful miracles.

One day His disciples were trying to cast a demon out of a young boy but
were not able to do so. Jesus said to them, "This kind only goes out by
prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:21) He was telling them, "Hey guys, you
do not have the anointing, you need to fast and pray!" We do not fast and
pray every time we pray for the sick or cast out demons, but a lifestyle of
 24

prayer and fasting will help us to increase and maintain the anointing to
do so! Charles Finney, one of the great evangelists of the past used to
regularly spend times of fasting and prayer to maintain his anointing. He
led more than a hundred thousand people to Christ!

Sixthly, The anointing is increased through brokenness and dying to self.

This is called the way of the cross which is based on the principle, "out of
death comes life." There are many verses that confirm this. Peter writes
and say, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the
spirit of glory and of God rests upon you:" (1 Peter 4:14) We will often
experience an increased level of anointing when we go through
persecution and suffering. It all depends on our reaction! Instead of
complaining, we rejoice, instead of being in despair, we have hope,
instead of being bitter, we forgive and instead of hating people and being
offended, we chose to love.

We read about the experience of Paul, "For our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory;" Although this is speaking about our eternal rewards, it can also
speak about the anointing, the "weight of glory." Watchman Nee, the
great Chinese teacher said, "The greatest key to the anointing is
brokenness." Paul said in Corinthians, "Death works in us, but life in you."
(2 Corinthians 4:12) When 'death' works in us, life is released to others.

The seventh key the importance of speaking in tongues. Paul writes and
says, “He that speaks in a tongue edifies himself.” (1 Corinthians 14.4)
There is much we can say about speaking in tongues, but I firmly believe,
that the main reason why God has given us this gift is so that we can
continually be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is why Paul said, "I thank
God that I speak in tongues more than you all." (1 Corinthians 14:18)

I have found this true in my own life, after a period of speaking much in
tongues, I have experienced an increase in the anointing and presence of
the Holy Spirit. Smith Wigglesworth, one of the most anointed preachers
that has ever lived, who raised twenty-three people from the dead and
 25

performed thousands of miracles, was once asked, "what is the key to

your anointing?" He simply said, "I speak in tongues a lot."

How can we maintain the anointing?

There have been countless, who were once anointed, but after a period of
time have lost their anointing and have become powerless and useless in
their calling and ministry. I would suggest the following:

Firstly, we must never lose our hunger for God and always desire to
receive more and more. The Bible says in the book of Psalms, "For He
satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalm
107:9) The anointing of the Holy Spirit must be a high priority in our lives.
If we value the anointing, we will keep the anointing.

Secondly, it is important to be committed to the local church and be

accountable to others. Many of the great revivalists and men of God in
the past, lost their anointing because they were not willing to submit to
others and be accountable to the church. We read in the Book of
Ephesians "... be filled with the Spirit; (verse:21) Submitting yourselves one
to another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:18,21) Notice, one of the
ways to be filled with the Holy Spirit, is to submit to others! If we do not
have the protection of the Body of Christ, the enemy will steal our
anointing!

Thirdly, it is important that we continue to grow and mature spiritually.

The 'fruit' of the Holy Spirit will protect the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
We may be enjoy the anointing for a period of time, but to continue with
the anointing over the 'long haul' we must grow spiritually. We cannot
maintain the anointing and live carnal lives! In 2 Peter chapter 1 we have
a list of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In verse 8 we read, "For if these things
be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." You will always be
anointed and fruitful!
 26

Finally: The Bible commands us to be filled with the Spirit. God uses
people who are filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the only way that we will
influence the world for Jesus. We have the example of Barnabas "For he
was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people
was added unto the Lord." (Acts 11:24) Notice, he was good and filled! He
was spiritually mature and filled with the Holy Spirit. Can we imagine what
would happen if everyone in your church was anointed and filled with the
Holy Spirit? There would be automatic revival and breakthrough!

Therefore, "It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the
Lord." (Zechariah 4:6) May God bless you as you make it your highest
goal to be filled and anointed with the Holy Spirit. Amen

Gifts of Holy Spirit:

This is a huge subject and we could write volumes about each of these
gifts. However, for the purposes of this study, we will not go into great
detail or theory, but look at these gifts from a practical point of view. To
start off with this study, I want to look at some important verses in the
Bible: concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

- 1 Corinthians 12:1. “Now concerning Spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not

want you to be ignorant.” To be ignorant of Spiritual Gifts and to ignore
them is Therefore, disobedience to the Word of God!

- 1 Corinthians 14:1. “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts!" The word
‘desire’ means ‘to strongly desire.’ Love and the gifts of the Spirit work are
supposed to work together. Furthermore, we demonstrate our love
through the gifts. For example, if you were lying, critically ill in hospital
and I came to visit you and said, "I just want to tell you that I love you,
mamma also loves you and God loves you, die in peace!" That is not love!
 27

It would be better if I would demonstrate my love for you, by using the

gift of healing and healing you!

- 1 Corinthians 1:7. “So that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for
the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Some people say that the gifts
petered out when Peter petered out. That is not true, they are to increase
more and more as we approach the return of the Lord. In fact, the gifts of
the Holy Spirit should be taken into the market place and not be confined
within church buildings!

- Romans 15:19. “In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit
of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully
preached the gospel of Christ.” The preaching of the Gospel should be
accompanied by the gifts of the Spirit. The Gospel is not good news unless
we demonstrate its power through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in
Mark 16:15-17, that “These signs shall follow those who believe…they
shall cast out demons,... they shall lay hands on the sick, etc.”

The list of the gifts of the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 12:6-8 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each

one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through
the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to
another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same
Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to
another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to
another the interpretation of tongues.”

1. Word of Wisdom:

The word of wisdom is: (1) The ability to apply a revelation from the Lord.
(2) It is supernatural wisdom given to us in difficult situations to know
what to do. (3) It is wisdom that is greater than our maturity or our
experience.
 28

We also have the example of how Solomon used the word of wisdom to
solve the dispute between the two prostitutes and the baby in 1 King
3:22. In John 4:16, we have the example where Jesus was speaking to a
woman at the well, He said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come
here.” When she said that she had no husband, He then used the word of
knowledge to open her up to receive the revelation that He was the
Messiah.

In Mark 13:11, Jesus told His disciples, “... when they arrest you and
deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will
speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you
who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” He was saying to them that the church
will be given supernatural wisdom in times of persecution. Many years
ago there was a young Christian girl who lived in Russia during a time of
severe persecution. On the way to church, she was stopped by a
policeman who asked her where she was going? She prayed for wisdom
and answered them, "My Elder Brother has died and I am going to meet
with my family to discuss the inheritance." After the meeting, on her way
home she was stopped by the same policeman who asked her, "what
happened?" She answered and said to them, "I am so happy, I received
everything."

In Colossians 3:16 we read, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom.” The more we read and meditate on the word of God, the more
we will be able to operate in this gift.

2. Word of knowledge;

The word of knowledge is the supernatural knowledge given to us about a

person or situation without receiving any prior information about it. It is
information that we receive that does not come from our natural senses.

We have the example of the woman at the well when Jesus said to her,
"You have had five husbands and the man that you are living with now is
not your husband." (John 4:16). We have the example of Jesus and
 29

Zaccheas, when Jesus passed under the tree and said, "Zaccheas, come
down..." (Luke 19:5) We have the example of Elisha in the Old Testament
who had a word of knowledge about the movements of the King of Syria.
When the king of Syria asked, who gave information to the king of Israel,
his servants said to him, “Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king
of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”( 2 Kings 6:12)

This gift is a powerful tool to help us preach the gospel and to stir up faith
for people to believe for miracles. A number of years ago we were doing
an outreach on the streets of Moscow. A young Russian girl approached
me and began talking to me to practice her English. I tried to share the
gospel with her but she was not open to what I had to say. Suddenly a
thought came into my mind and I said to her, "Your boyfriend has just left
you and your heart is very broken about it." She stared at me with wide
eyes and said, "How did you know?" I said to her, "God told me because
He loves you so much, He wants to heal your broken heart." After that she
was wide open and asked Jesus into her heart to become her Lord and
Savior.

We must also bear in mind, that this gift is not to expose people and
reveal all their 'dirty linen.' The Bible says that the "... manifestation of the
Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” (1 Corinthians 12:7) This
gift is often activated when we pray for people from a heart of
compassion and love. It can operate in a number of ways such as: (1) An
impression or though that comes in to our minds. (2) A feeling or
sensation in our bodies, especially when it operates together with the gift
of healings. (3) An inner voice or a vision.

3. Faith

There is a difference between faith and the gift of faith. The gift of faith is
defined as a supernatural surge of confidence in God's ability to do
something supernatural or impossible. In other words, it is a sudden
increase in the level of our faith. It can be likened to a hospital monitor.
 30

The normal fluctuation of the waves on the monitor is like our normal
level of faith. But from time to time there is a sudden peak, that is like the
gift of faith.

We have examples from the book of Acts. For example, when Peter and
John healed the lame man in Acts 3:6 they said to him, “Silver and gold
have I none but such that I have I give unto you, in the name of Jesus, rise
up and walk.” As they walked passed him, there was a sudden surge of
faith to heal the lame man. We also have the example of Paul in Acts
14:9-10, when he healed the lame man. We read, “Paul observing him
intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed said with a loud voice,
‘stand up straight on your feet.”

Years ago we had a house meeting in the city of Durban. The room was
full of people and I did not know that there was a woman in the meeting,
who was practically crippled, propped up in a chair. The meeting was
fairly dull and I asked someone to close in prayer. As he prayed, I felt a
presence of the Holy Spirit and said to the group that God wanted to do
miracles. One Baptist girl was immediately baptized with the Holy Spirit,
fell to the floor and began to speak in tongues. Then someone said, "Let's
pray for June" (the crippled lady). We held hands and just said, "Lord, heal
June!" With that the crippled lady jumped out of her chair, ran around
and began to hug everyone. That was a definite manifestation of the word
of faith. Our faith level before then, was 'below zero!'

We stimulate this gift when we use our natural faith and take risks. This
gift is often accompanied with a bold declaration of the word of God. For
example, when Jesus stilled the storm, He spoke with authority, "Be still!"

4. Gifts of healings

This gift is the ability to release the anointing to heal the sick and gives us
the understanding how to pray for the sick. The gift is plural and
Therefore, it means there are various ways we can use this gift - we can
lay hands on the sick, anoint them with oil, or declare a word of faith over
 31

the sick, etc. This gift is often called, 'The dinner bell' of the gospel. It calls
people to believe in Jesus. It is a powerful tool to bring people to Christ
when accompanied with the preaching of the gospel.

Jesus spent much of His time healing sick (Acts 10:38). This should also be
the pattern of our lives. Jesus said in John 20:21. “As the Father has sent
Me, I also send you.” Healing the sick should be our lifestyle. Jesus told His
disciples in Matthew 10:7-8 "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast
out devils: freely you have received, freely give." Notice it says, "as you
go!" It is the normal Christian life.

Although there are certain people who have a special anointing to heal
the sick, it is open for all of us who believe. Jesus said in Mark 16:17,
"These signs shall follow those who believe. ... they shall lay their hands on
the sick and they shall recover." This gift is to 'all' who believe! That
includes all of us! Therefore, the more we use this gift, the stronger it will
become. This gift can also be imparted when anointed people pray for us.

5. Working of miracles:

This gift of the working of miracles, is the Holy Spirit's supernatural power
to change a natural situation. It is usually a great miracle of healing.
(healing the blind, deaf and crippled) It is to create something that was
not there in the first place. For example, when we pray for a blind person,
the Holy Spirit can create a new retina or optic nerve. This gift is not
limited to the healing of the body, but also the changing of natural
circumstances. For example, when Jesus stilled the storm, walked on
water and multiplied five loaves and two fishes, He was using the gift of
the 'working of miracles'.

It is one of the greatest keys to revival. Paul said in Romans 15:18-19 “In
mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from
Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of
Christ.” We 'fully' preach the gospel when we perform signs, wonders and
 32

miracles. Jesus gave us an amazing promise in John 14:12. “Truly I say to

you, the works I do you will do and greater works than these because I go
to be with My Father.” This is the normal Christian life! Without miracles,
the gospel is not good news, and one miracle can do more than 100
sermons.

I challenge you to pray the prayer in Acts 4:29. “… grant unto Your
servants, (Dave) that with all boldness they (I) may speak the word by
stretching out Your hand to heal, that that signs and wonders may be
done through Your Holy Servant Jesus.” I

6. Discerning spirits:

This gift is the ability to identify the motivating spirits behind a word, an
action or an event. There are four spirits that we can discern:

(1) Human spirit. John 1:47 "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said
about him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Jesus
discerned the heart and spirit of Nathanial. We can discern whether or
not people are open to God or not. We can also discern the needs and
attitudes of people.

(2) Angels: Act 27:23 "For there stood by me this night the angel of God,
whose I am, and whom I serve." Paul discerned an angel with him in the
boat. The Bible says we can entertain angels without even knowing about
it.

(3) The Holy Spirit: Acts 15:28 "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and
to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;"
They discerned the mind of the Holy Spirit in the decision they took in this
meeting. A number of years ago, a well-known preacher from Canada was
preaching in our church in Pretoria. During the meeting, a young girl fell
to the floor and began screaming. Those around her thought it was a
demon and tried to drive it out of her. However, the preacher had
discernment and said, "This is the Holy Spirit." When he asked the girl,
why she screamed, she said, that she saw a vision of Jesus dying for her
on the cross, and she began to scream in horror.
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(4) Demon spirits: (Acts 16 verses 16-18. : “And it came to pass, as we

went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met
us, ... cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God,
which show unto us the way of salvation. ... But Paul, being grieved,
turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to
come out of her. And it came out the same hour.”) To those around Paul
this must have sounded like this woman was spiritual and sent by God.
But Paul discerned a demon and cast it out.

The gift of discerning of spirits is primarily used to set people free from
demonic oppression. In my own experience, I have noticed that it is easier
to cast out a demon once it has been discerned. It is important to realize
that this gift is not given to embarrass people but to set the free. This gift
only works in atmosphere of love, or else we will judge and hurt the
people we want to help Philippians 1:9-10. “And this I pray, that your love
may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that
you may approve the things that are excellent.” As our love abounds more
and more, we will have more discernment. Furthermore, this gift operates
in the atmosphere of purity and cleanliness. It will not operate if our
minds are filled with unclean thoughts.
There are two ways that demons manifest. Firstly, we can sense the
presence of a demon, we often feel like a pressure or an uneasiness on us,
and secondly, we can notice a demon through various facial expressions
and manifestations in the body.

7. Prophecy

This gift is The Holy Spirit's message to a person. It is to build up, comfort
and encourage people and not given for admonition and personal
direction. (That is the responsibility of a prophet) In 1 Corinthians 14:3 we
read, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and
comfort to men.” It is available to everyone in the church. We read 1
Corinthians 14:31 “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn
and all may be encouraged.” However, it should take place in a church
where there are committed relationships. Furthermore, there should be
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enough love in the church to cover the mistakes of those who want to
move in the gift of prophecy

1 Corinthians 14:32 we read, that"... the spirits of the prophets are subject
to the prophets." We are in full control when we use this gift, Therefore,
we should be as natural as possible and avoid any super spiritual tones of
voice when we prophesy. It is also advisable to avoid the words, "thus
says the Lord" and give people the freedom to tell us whether or not the
prophecy was from God or not.

This gift usually comes from an impression in our minds, a vision, or a

certain thought pattern. As we take a step of faith and speak the words
that we have received, then more words come to the mind and we speak
them out. We can also use this gift when we council people. Sometimes
we prophesy without even realizing it.

8. Kind of tongues:

This gift is The Holy Spirit's words given to us in a language we have never
learnt, that do not come from our minds but from our human spirits.
There are three uses of the gift of tongues:

(1) For personal edification: We read in 1Corinthians 14:4 "He that speaks
in a tongue, edifies himself."

(2) If this gift is accompanied by the gift of interpretation in the church,

then this gift acts as a gift of prophesy. We read in 1 Corinthians 14:27
"If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most
by three, and that by course; and let one interpret."

(3) It enables us to speak in language you have never learnt before. In

Acts 2:8 we read, "And how hear we every man in our own tongue,
wherein we were born." The people heard them speaking in known
languages on the day of Pentecost.

When I was at university, my landlady gave me this amazing testimony.

"One day I was preaching the gospel to a group of Zulus living near the
 35

city of Durban in South Africa. They could not understand English and I
could not understand their Zulu tongue. I spoke in English and what they
heard was me speaking in Zulu. When they spoke back to me in Zulu, I
heard was them speaking in English." I have heard many similar
testimonies. This gift can help us preach the Gospel in languages that we
do not understand!

One of the controversies around this gift is that some say, it is not for
everyone. They quote a verse in 1 Corinthians 12:30 where it says, "Have
all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" The
answer is obviously NO, but this is referring to the public use of tongues in
the context of a church meeting. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:15, "I
would that you all spoke with tongues..." He then goes on to say in verse
18, that he speaks in tongues more than all. This is referring to our private
use of this gift, which is available to all of us!

There is much more we can say about the gift of tongues. I have gone into
more detail in the study called, "The importance of speaking in tongues."

9. Interpretation of tongues.

This gift is the Holy Spirits revelation of the message behind an utterance
given in tongues. Tongues and interpretation together operate as the gift
of prophecy. We must note that it is an interpretation and not a
translation. A translation is done word for word, but an interpretation
takes an idea and puts it into its own words. That is why there is often a
difference in the amount of words given in tongues and the amount of
words given in the interpretation.

In the context of a meeting, someone will give an utterance in tongue,

then it will be interpreted into a known language by someone else or by
the same person. We read about this in 1 Corinthians 14:27 "If any man
speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and
that by course; and let one interpret." However, if we give a message in
tongues and no one interprets, we are then responsible to interpret own
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tongue. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:13, "Therefore, let him who
speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret."

Finally:

1 Corinthians 12:7. “... the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one
for the profit of all” The use of the gifts of the Spirit bring great benefit to
the local church and will enhance our own spiritual lives. In Proverbs
18:16, we read, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before
great men.” Wonderful opportunities will open for us when we become
serious about using the gifts of the Spirit. Therefore, as we have read
before in 1 Corinthians 12:1. “Now concerning Spiritual gifts, brethren, I
do not want you to be ignorant.” Amen

How to be led by the Holy Spirit:

Being led by the Holy Spirit is one of the most important keys to God's
blessing and success in ministry. As we obey the small promptings of the
Holy Spirit, and are led by the Holy Spirit, we will have profound
experiences with God. Jesus is our greatest example said, "The Son can do
nothing of Himself but by what He sees the Father doing." (1) He was
continually led by the Holy Spirit, that is why He was so successful and
anointed in His ministry and calling. They interviewed a number of the
great healing evangelists of the previous century and asked them, the key
to their anointing and success. Many of them said, "We learnt to be quiet
before God and listen to the Holy Spirit." They knew what it was to be led
by the Holy Spirit.
I once heard a testimony of a very successful and wealthy businessman,
who was a multi-millionaire. He was asked why he was so successful. He
said that he has a special room in his house and whenever he has to make
an important business decision, he would go into this room, become quiet
 37

before God and listen to the Holy Spirit. He said, that because of this
practice, he has not made a wrong decision for the past thirty years.
Not only is it important for our ministry and calling, but also for our
protection. I have read about those whom God has greatly used in China.
Many testified of God's protection from the authorities, because they
were continually led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would warn them
in advance if they were in danger. We are living in the last days, where
persecution will increase against the church. The safest place for us to be
is in the centre of God's will, and in order to live there, we must be led by
the Holy Spirit. (1) John 5:19
The Bible says a lot about being led by the Holy Spirit, For example, in the
Book of Romans we read, "... as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God.” (2) The word 'son' implies fully grown son, those
that are mature. Therefore, one of the signs of spiritual maturity, is the
ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. In Galatians we read, "But if you are led
by the Spirit, you are not under the law." (3) Children live by rules, but
mature Christians have a relationship with God and are led by the Holy
Spirit. (2) Romans 8:14, (3) Galatians 5:18
There are conditions to being led by the Holy Spirit:
Firstly: Our relationship with God is important: In Psalms we read, "Thou
wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right
hand there are pleasures for evermore." (5) There is not only fullness of
joy in God's presence, but it is there we also find the path of life. A well-
known verse in the book of Proverbs says, "In all thy ways acknowledge
him, and he shall direct thy paths." (6) The word, 'acknowledge' is the
same Hebrew word that is used in Genesis, when it says that "Adam knew
Eve." (7) The word acknowledge, means intimacy! As we develop our
intimacy and relationship with God in all our decisions, He will direct our
paths, He will lead us by the Holy Spirit. The more we spend time in
prayer, reading the Bible and worship, the more sensitive we will become
to the leading of the Holy Spirit. (5) Psalm 16:11, (6) Proverbs 3:6, (7) Genesis 4:1

Secondly: We must be filled with the Holy Spirit: It says of Jesus, “And
Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by
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the Spirit into the wilderness,” (4) Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit, because
He was filled with the Holy Spirit. This is very important if we want to be
led by the Holy Spirit. There are many ways in which we can be filled with
the Holy Spirit, such as prayer, worship, spending time in God's presence,
speaking in tongues, the laying on of hands, etc. (4) Luke 4:1
Thirdly: We must be committed to the local church: In Acts we read, "As
they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." (8) In the
context of unity and relationships with other Christians, the Holy Spirit led
them. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit often leads us through other people.
We see this over and over again in the Bible, For example, of Agabus and
Paul in the book of Acts. That is why we should be committed to the local
church and live in unity with other believers. Jesus said, "the sheep hear
His voice." (9) Sheep are usually together in a flock, on the other hand,
those that stray away from the flock, who are not committed to other
believers and who wander from church to church, are seldom led by the
Holy Spirit. (8) Acts 13:2, (9) John 10:3
Fourthly: Holiness and purity are important: The Holy Spirit is a "Holy
Spirit." If we grieve the Holy Spirit through sin and compromise, it will be
difficult to be led by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, " ... walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (10) Although the Holy Spirit
gives us the victory over the flesh, we cannot walk in the Spirit and fulfill
the desires of the flesh at the same time. In Romans that we must be
transformed through the renewing of our minds so that we can know the
good, acceptable and perfect will of God. (11) A renewed, pure mind had
the ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we cannot fill our hearts
and our minds with junk and expect to be led by the Holy Spirit. (10)
Galatians 5:16, (11) Romans 12:2-3

Fifthly: Obedience to what God has already told us to do: Continual

deliberate disobedience in what God has already told us to do will make it
difficult for us to be led by the Holy Spirit. We read about King Saul in the
Old Testament, "And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered
him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets." (12) Because
of his continual disobedience to God's commands, he lost the ability to be
 39

led by the Holy Spirit. We have the contrast of King David, who continually
enquired of the Lord and was led by the Holy Spirit because of his
obedience. (12) 1 Samuel 28:6

It is important that we not only obey the convictions and the promptings
of the Holy Spirit, but also to the obvious commands in the word of God.
In the book of Isaiah, it says that God looks upon those that "tremble" at
His word, (13) those that take God's word seriously and obey it. God
obviously ignores those who don't do so. Therefore, if we find it difficult
to be led by the Holy Spirit, we should ask God to show us if there is not
perhaps some area of disobedience in our lives. If we are serious about
obeying the Holy Spirit, He will lead us! (13) Isaiah 66:2

The Holy Spirit can lead us in the following ways:

Without going into too much detail, I want to give a summary of how the
Holy Spirit leads us. I want to look at a number of examples from the book
of Acts.

Firstly, the Holy Spirit leads us through an inner voice in our minds or our
hearts: We have the example of Philip. “Then the Spirit said unto Philip,
Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” (Acts 8:29) We also have the
example of Peter, “While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto
him, Behold, three men seek thee.” (Acts 10:19)
Secondly, though an impression in our minds: A thought comes into our
minds and we know that it is what the Holy Spirit wants us to do: We have
the example of the church leaders in Antioch. It says, as they ministered
to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and
Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (Acts 13:2) I do not think
that they heard any voice, but just knew deep in their hearts, what the
Holy Spirit wanted to do. This is the most common way that the Holy
Spirit leads us. We just know, in our hearts what He wants to do.
3.The Holy Spirit can speak to us in an audible voice: This happens very
seldom, but there are examples in the Book of Acts. We read about Peter,
“And there came a voice to him (Peter), Rise, Peter; kill, and eat…” (Acts
10:19)
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4 The Holy Spirit can speak to us through visions: There are many
examples in the Bible. We read about the experience of Ananias in the
book of Acts, "And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named
Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said,
Behold, I am here, Lord." (Acts 9:10)
5. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through dreams: God often led people
in the Bible through dreams. We have the example how God led Joseph
the husband of Mary through dreams (14) to go to Egypt and then to
return to Israel. We read about Paul in Acts 16, how a man from
Macedonia appeared to him in a night vision, or a dream.
This is an important way that God leads us by the Holy Spirit. If we have a
dream and it is very clear, it is often from the Holy Spirit. Many times, our
dreams are symbolic, so we need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us what
our dreams mean. It is a good practice to write down our dreams and ask
God what he wants to show us. When we sleep at night, our bodies and
soul rests, but our spirit man is wide awake. Our spirit is connected to our
heart. In the Song of Solomon, we read, "I sleep, but my heart IS awake: it
is the voice of my beloved that knocks..." (15)
In the book of Job we read, "For God speaks once, yea twice, yet man
perceives it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls
upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then He opens the ears of men,
and seals their instruction," (16) God not only leads us through our
dreams, but He can also heal us and minister to the deep needs of our
lives. (14) Matt. 2:13, (15) Song 5:2, (16) Job 33:14-16

6. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through the Bible: The Holy Spirit can
highlight a certain verse or convict us of something in the Bible when we
read it. In Jeremiah we read, “Your words were found, and I did eat them;
and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” (17) The
more we read and the Word of God, the more opportunity we give the
Holy Spirit to lead us. (17) Jeremiah 15:16
8. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through the release of peace and joy: In
the Book of Isaiah we read, “For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth
with peace:” (18) In the new Testament we read, “And let the peace of
God rule in your hearts…” (19) Often we know the leading of the Holy
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Spirit, by the experience of peace in our hearts. The word 'rule' hear
means to arbitrate, or be the umpire. It is like an umpire blowing his
whistle when we do something wrong. In the same way, the Holy Spirit
blows his whistle by removing our peace. (18) Isaiah 55:12 (19) Colossians 3:15
Two important principles:
I want to share two important principles that enables us to be led by the
Holy Spirit. We read about two trees in the Garden of Eden, "And out of
the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the
sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden,
and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (20) These two trees
represent two spiritual principles, the principle of life and the principle of
right and wrong. (20) Genesis 2:9
Under the Old Covenant they lived according to the principle of right and
wrong, which is called the law. Under the New Covenant, we live
according to the principle of life and death, which is called, being led by
the Spirit. We read earlier in Galatians, “But if you are led by the Spirit,
you are not under the law.” (3) Therefore, the Holy Spirit, does not
operate according to what seems right or wrong, but according to the
presence or absence of spiritual life. (3) Galatians 5:18
For example, we can ask the following questions: Is it right or wrong to
listen to secular music? Is it right or wrong to watch movies? Can I wear
these clothes? Can I drink wine? There are no right or wrong answers to
these questions. The only answer is that we must be led by the Holy Spirit.
If it does not affect the 'life of the Spirit' in us, the answer is YES. On the
other hand, if we do these things and we feel a spiritual dryness coming
over us, the answer is NO. We are led by the experience of the presence
or the absence of spiritual life.
When I was newly saved and newly baptized with the Holy Spirit I was
invited by an old school friend to go to a party. He told me that there
would be dancing and drinking and we would have a good time. My first
reaction was NO! I told him I would let him know so I prayed about it. I
felt 'life' in my spirit, so I went to the party. To cut a long story short, I had
a wonderful opportunity to witness for the Lord Jesus and tell them what
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Jesus did for me. This would not have happened if I legalistically followed
the principle of right and wrong, good and evil.
We may ask the following question, "What is spiritual life and how can I
experience it?" The Bible says, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (21) Romans
14:17

Spiritual life is: The reality of righteousness, we do not feel guilty. The
reality of peace, we feel relaxed and we are free from tension, stress and
fear. The reality of joy, we feel joy and gladness when we think about
making the decision. For the sake of this study, let us call it our RPJ, our
righteousness, peace and joy. There is also a scripture that says, "For to
be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
We also read earlier on in the Book of Isaiah, “For you shall go out with
joy, and be led forth with peace:” (18) Isaiah 55:12, (22) Romans 8:6
It is important how our decisions affect our R P J? If our RPJ is not affected
or increases, then the Holy Spirit is saying YES. If our RPJ decreases or we
feel a dryness coming over us, then the Holy Spirit is saying NO or STOP!
We have the example of Paul in the Book of Acts. “After they were come
to Mysia, they wanted to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them
not.” (23) It seemed the right thing for them to go to Asia, but they lost
their RPJ. (23) Acts 16:7
When I was at university, we started a home group in the city where I
lived. Each semester I would go home to be with my parents who lived on
a farm about 800 kilometers away. It was always the right thing to do.
One semester as I was travelling home I began to notice my RPJ becoming
less and less. I ignored this feeling until it became so obvious. After
travelling a considerable distance, I decided to turn around and go back to
the university.
Suddenly my RPJ returned and when I go to the next town I phoned my
mother and told her of my decision. She said, "I am so glad that you are
not coming, we have a house full of people and I do not know where to put
you." Furthermore, when I arrived back in Durban I found out that the
believers in the group had been praying and asking God to send me back. I
have seen this principle work throughout my life and have also made
some serious mistakes in the past because I ignored my RPJ's.
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It is important that we sharpen and maintain our level of RPJ. We can do

so by continually being filled with the Holy Spirit, through worship and
praise and spending time in God's presence. Often when I experience a
lack of RPJ, it is a sign that I have grieved the Holy Spirit and that I should
repent. Therefore, it is better to build up and increase our level of RPJ
than to get all stressed out, trying to get a word from the Lord. The Holy
Spirit leads us in an atmosphere of peace and joy.
There are some guidelines that will help us to be led by the Spirit:
(1) The importance of love and compassion. When we are motivated by
love and compassion, we are usually being led by the Holy Spirit. We have
the example of Jesus, “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude,
and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”
To be led by the Spirit, is to be led by love. (24) Matthew 14:14
(2) The importance of humility: If we find it difficult to be led by the Spirit
in a certain situation, we can ask ourselves the question, “What is the
humblest thing I can do in this situation?” Anything motivated by pride is
always out of the Spirit!
(3) The importance of self-denial: Jesus said “... If any man will come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (25)
We cannot follow Jesus with selfish motives! Our willingness to do
whatever God calls us to do, will open us up to be led by the Holy Spirit.
(25) Luke 9:23

(4) Our involvement in leading people to Christ: When it is our intention

to tell others about Jesus, and lead people to Christ, we will experience
the leading of the Holy Spirit in a greater degree. This is because it is so
important for the Holy Spirit is to gather people to Christ. Jesus said in
Matthew 28:18-19 “Go ye Therefore, and teach all nations,… and, lo, I am
with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (26) As we go, we will
often experience Jesus being with us by the presence of the Holy Spirit!
(26) Acts 1:8

(5) The importance of ministry to the Lord and fasting: We read in the
book of Acts, "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost
said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them." (26) Fasting often enables us to be led by the Holy Spirit. We
 44

become more sensitive to the Spirit and less influenced by the desires of
the flesh when we fast. Ministry to the Lord is drawing near to God and
spending time with Him in worship. (26) Acts 13:2
(6) The importance of praying in tongues a lot: As we edify ourselves, by
speaking in tongues, (27) we become more aware of the Holy Spirit and
His presence. Paul quotes a passage in the Book of Isaiah that says,
"...With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people."
(28) I often experience the Holy Spirit leading me when I pray a lot in
tongues. (27) 1 Cor. 14:4, (28) 1 Cor. 14.21
Finally:
- The Holy Spirit will never force us to do anything. If we feel forced or
controlled, or that we have to do something and it is very urgent, it is
usually not the Holy Spirit, but another spirit. He leads us and gives us the
freedom to say 'yes or no.' I have made so many bad decisions, lost so
much money, because I was forced to make quick decisions. If we need to
make an important decision, the best thing to do is to become quiet
before God and let the Holy Spirit lead us with His peace.
- The Holy Spirit will also never lead us to do something that violates
God’s moral laws, for example, committing adultery or compromising with
sin! He will always lead us on the path of integrity and truth. He is a Holy
Spirit, and leads us in an atmosphere of purity and holiness.
- The Holy Spirit will never lead us in fear. If we are ever motivated by
fear, then it is probably not the leading of the Holy Spirit. For example, "I
must not do this because I am afraid of what others will think! The Bible
says " ... God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind."(28) God does not lead us in fear, He leads us in
victory and confidence. We read in the Bible, that "God always leads us in
triumph in Christ Jesus..." (29) The Holy Spirit is not timid, He is bold. (28)
2 Timothy 1:7, (29) 2 Corinthians 2:14

- The Holy Spirit does not only want to lead us in our big decisions, but
also in the small decisions that we need to make all day long. He does not
only want to show us the way we should go, but He also wants to direct
our steps! (6) For example, how we should spend our time, what foods we
should eat, which relationships are important, etc. I once heard a
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testimony of someone who wanted to lose weight and tried many

different diets, but to no avail. He then committed his eating habits to the
Holy Spirit and in a short time he lost a lot of weight. (6) Proverbs 3:6
- The final thing that I want to mention is the importance of the desires of
our heart. The Bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give
you the desires of your heart. (30) He not only wants to give us what we
desire, but also place in our hearts, His desires. Therefore, if we need
direction in some area of our lives, we can delight in the Lord. We can
spend time in praise, worship and adoration. As we do so, godly desires
will come into our hearts and we will know what the Holy Spirit wants us
to do. (30) Psalm 37:4
I trust that this study has been a blessing to you and will motivate you to
make it a high priority to always be led by the Holy Spirit. “For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14) Amen.

Hunger for God:

Hunger is usually a sign of good health. When a person recovers from an
illness, the first thing they want to do is eat. The same is true with
spiritual hunger. When we have a strong hunger for the things of God, it is
a sign that we are spiritually healthy. Spiritual hunger is one of the most
important keys to the blessing and presence of God. It also brings great
delight to the heart of God and is the most important quality that God
looks for in our lives. The Bible says “For the eyes of the LORD run to and
fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of
them whose heart is perfect (loyal, undivided) toward him.” (1) 2 Chronicles
16:9

What is spiritual hunger?

Firstly It is a strong desire for God's presence and power . We see an

example of this in the life of Moses. When God told him that an angel
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would go before them and cause them to possess the Promised Land,
Moses told God that he was not interested unless God went with him. (2)
The presence of God was more important to him than the blessings of
God. (2) Exodus 33:15

Secondly, it is manifested by our dependence on God. Moses said to the

Children of Israel, "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger … that He
might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man
lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." (3) God
allowed them to suffer physical hunger so that they would develop a
hunger for a relationship with Him. That is why God sometimes may
remove some of the natural things that distract us from Him so that we
can learn to be dependent on Him. However, God wants us to have a
hunger for Him even when we experience His blessing. David, who was
the possibly the richest and most blessed person alive at that time said, “I
am poor and needy!” He had a hunger for God, in an atmosphere of
blessing. (3) Deuteronomy 8:2 (4) Psalms 40:17

(3) Thirdly, spiritual hunger is manifested by our openness to the Holy

Spirit and the word of God. Jesus said that man shall live by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God. (5) If we have a hunger for God,
then we will also have a hunger for His word. We love to read the Bible
and meditate on His word. (5) Luke 4:4

The benefits of Spiritual hunger:

1. Hungry people will be satisfied and fulfilled: There are many scriptures
that speak about the benefits of spiritual hunger. We read in the book of
Psalms, “He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry heart with
goodness. (6) Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be filled." (7) The word 'filled' can also mean
to be satisfied or fulfilled. Hungry people are contented people. Mary the
mother of Jesus said in Luke, that God "... fills the hungry with good things
but sends the rich away empty." (7) When we are hungry for God, we
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always want to receive more from Him, but the rich, those who think they
do not need God and have everything they need, do not receive anything
from God. (6) Psalms 107:9, (7) Luke 1:53

2. Hungry people will experience the refreshing and the power of the Holy
Spirit. We read in the book of Psalms, that “He turns the wilderness into
pools of water, and dry land into water springs. There he makes the
hungry to dwell that they may establish a city for a dwelling place.” It says
here, "they may establish a city for a dwelling place." (8) When we hunger
for God, we establish a place for the presence of God, for He dwells
among those who are hungry. They have a wonderful intimate
relationship with God! Jesus also said, "Whoever is thirsty come unto Me
and drink and out of your heart shall flow rivers of living water.” (9) (8)
Psalms 107:35-36, 38, (9) John 7:37-39

3. Hungry people will influence others for Jesus: We read in the same
Psalm, “He blesses them (the hungry) and they multiply greatly.” (10)
There is great blessing for those who are hungry for God. They influence
others for Christ and their churches grow. (10) Psalms 107:38

How do we know that we are hungry for God?

1. We will do anything go anywhere to meet with God: In the natural,

hungry people are desperate people, they will do anything and go
anywhere to receive something to eat. Hunger is one of the strongest
motivations of a man. In some countries, they will stand in long queues
all day long just to receive some bread. In the same way, if we are
spiritually hungry, we will do anything, even if it costs us money and it is
inconvenient, to meet with God and to have His reality in our lives.
Sometimes we will even fast and pray, because we are hungry for God's
presence and blessing. That is why people all over the world, will fly to
places, even at great cost to experience the move of the Holy Spirit.

2. We love to spend time in God’s presence: If we are hungry of God then

it is not difficult for us to pray, read the Bible and worship God. We
 48

experience the reality of that verse that says, "deep calls unto deep. (11)
Something in us, yearns for something in God. However, If we feel we do
not have this hunger, we can begin to draw near to God today by faith
and our hunger for God will begin to increase. James says, “Draw near to
God and He will draw near to you.” (12) If we take the first step, God will
do the rest and give us the grace to draw near. (11) Psalm 42:7, (12) James 4:8

3. We have a desire to meet with other Christians: John writes and says
that "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love
the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." (13)
Those that withdraw from fellowship and from relationships with other
believers are those who have usually lost their hunger for God. I have
heard so many tell me, "I love Jesus, I read my Bible and I pray, but I do
not see the necessity of going to church." The truth of the matter, is that
they are spiritually dead and have lost their hunger for God. (13) 1 John 3:14

One of my favorite Psalms says that “Those that are be planted in the
house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still
bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;”(14) Hungry
people are “planted in the house of the Lord” They are committed to a
local church! (13) 1 John 3:14, (14) Psalms 92:13-14

4. We lose our appetite for the things of the world: Although many things
we do and watch are not sinful, they should not control our lives. Our love
and hunger for God is often measured by our lack of desire for the things
of the world. The Bible says, “Love not the world, nor the things of the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (15)
We will often find that worldly entertainment becomes boring to us
because we have experienced something so much better, our relationship
with God. When we love the world and the things of the world, we lose
our love for the Father. On the other hand, when we develop our love for
the Father, we will lose our desire for the things of the world. (15) 1 John
2:15.
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5. We are joyful and excited about the things of God: The Bible says that
"the Kingdom of God is not meet and drink, but righteousness, peace and
joy in the Holy Spirit.” (16) When our Christian lives become boring, it
means we may be losing our hunger for God. Hungry people are always
excited and enthusiastic about the things of God and about following
Jesus. They love to talk about the Lord and what he is doing. (16) Romans
14:17

6. We easily receive the blessings of God: The book of Proverbs says, “A

full soul loathes the honeycomb, but to the hungry soul, every bitter thing
is sweet.” (17) In the natural, hungry people are not fussy what they eat,
they will even eat a dry piece of bread, they will eat anything! Even "bitter
things seem sweet to them!" In the same way, those who are hungry for
God are easily edified and blessed. Even a boring sermon will bless them.
They will always find something that blesses them. They are humble
enough to receive from anyone whom God chooses. They are usually the
ones that take notes during the sermons, and have an open and teachable
attitude. We have had the privilege to minister to those in countries who
are so spiritually hungry. Even simple truths bless them. Humility is
Therefore, a sign of spiritual hunger. (17) Proverbs 27:7

How do we become hungry for God?

1. Feed ourselves with God's word: In the natural world, we lose our
hunger when we eat. It the spiritual world, the opposite is true, we
increase our hunger when we eat. The more we read and meditate on the
Bible, the more our hunger for God's word will increase. We will be like
Jeremiah who said, "Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your
word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." (18) The word of God,
the Bible, produces spiritual hunger. The more we read it, the more we
want to read it. In Hebrews it says, "For the word of God is living and
powerful..." (19) The word 'powerful' is the Greek word, "energes".
Spiritual energy and hunger automatically is imparted to us when we read
and meditate on the word of God. (18) Jeremiah 15:16, (19) Hebrew 4:12.
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2. Repentance: If we acknowledge and repent from our lack of hunger for

God, the Holy Spirit will do something in our hearts. In the book of
Corinthians we read how their repentance produced a supernatural zeal
and hunger in their hearts for God. We read, "For observe this very thing,
that you sorrowed after a godly manner, what diligence it produced in you
... what zeal, what vehement desire..." (20) They noticed that after they
repented they had a new desire and hunger for God. (20) 2 Corinthians 7:11

3. We can ask God to give us the gift of hunger: The Bible says that if “we
ask anything according to the will of God, God will hear us, and if he hears
us, we have the petition that we have asked for.” (21) Hunger is the will of
God for our lives so we can ask God to give us that hunger. We cannot
work up a natural hunger for God, we can only receive it by grace. (21) 1
John 5:14

4. Expose ourselves to the move of the Holy Spirit: We can meet with
those who are hungry for God, and where the Holy Spirit is moving. We
are like a coal in the fire, when it is in the fire it will glow, but if we
remove it from the fire, it will stop glowing. Those that are hungry for God
will help us to increase our hunger for God. The Bible says that we should
".... consider one another in order to stir up love and good works". (22)
Sometimes we need to go to places where the Spirit of God is moving in
order to increase our hunger for God. (22) Hebrews 10:24

5. We can expose ourselves to those who have had encounters with God
and who have been greatly used by God. We can listen to their messages,
listen to their testimonies and read their books. One of the things that my
wife and I do, is to watch Sid Roth's supernatural program each week
where he interviews those who are greatly used by God and have had
amazing experiences with Him. We read in Revelations that "The
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (23) The word prophecy
means 'to do it again'. When we read the stories of those who were
hungry for God, it will also increase our hunger for Him. (23) Revelations 19.10
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6. We can stop feeding ourselves with that that takes away our spiritual
hunger. For example, if we eat junk food before eating a delicious meal,
we will lose our appetite for the meal. In the same way, there are things
that we are feeding our minds and hearts with that can take away our
spiritual hunger for God. There are no laws against watching TV, spending
time on the Internet, watching sport and other types of entertainment.
But we need to be careful that these things do not cause us to lose our
hunger for God. I have found in my own life, that there are things that are
not considered sinful that takes away my hunger for God. Paul says, "All
things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful
for me, but not all things edify.” (24) Often it is not what we watch or
read, but the spirit behind it that grieves the Holy Spirit. (24) 1 Cor 10:23

7. The importance of fasting: When we become hungry for natural food,

we often stir up our hunger for spiritual food. When we fast, the influence
of the flesh is weakened which makes us more aware of the influence of
the Holy Spirit. I have often experienced a greater awareness of God's
presence when I fast. The best motive for fasting should be to deepen our
desire for spiritual things and our relationship with Jesus. Jesus said “...
but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them,
and then shall they fast.” (25 When Jesus, our Heavenly Bridegroom
seems far away, we can fast because we desire His presence. (25) Matthew
9:15

8. Do something for Jesus: When we are actively doing something for

Jesus such as praying for the sick, encouraging people or teaching the
Bible, our hunger for God will increase. Our active involvement in spiritual
things, keeps us spiritually alert and hungry for God. Paul said to Timothy,
"... stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands."
(26) If we feel that we are losing our hunger for God, then one of the best
things we can do is to tell others about Jesus and heal the sick. (26) 2
Timothy 1:6
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Finally: Jesus is the “Bread of Life.” said, “... I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst.” (27) Our relationship with Jesus and our commitment to Him will
cause us to lose our appetite for the things of the world and fulfill the
hunger in our souls. Amen (27) John 6:35

Ministry to the Lord

In this study, I want to share with you the importance of ministering to
the Lord. As important that ministering to people is, our highest calling is
to minister to the Lord. We read in the book of Acts we read, "As they
ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." (1) The
greatest missionary movement in the world was as a result of a small
group of people ministering to the Lord. To minister to the Lord, is to
draw near to God, to worship Him and to do some that gives Him joy and
pleasure. (1) Acts 13:2

This was the reason why God created man. We read in the book of
Revelations, using the King James version that "for thou hast created all
things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (2) God created
us so that He could enjoy us! God is love and love needs to be expressed.
So He created us to love us and to receive love from us. In Genesis we
read that God used to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in
the garden of Eden. (3) Why did He do so? It was because He enjoyed
spending time with Adam and Eve. In the New Testament, we read that all
things were made for Jesus and by Jesus. (4) We were created for Him! (2)
Revelations 4:11, (3) Genesis 3:8 , (4) Colossians 1:16

In the Book of Ezekiel, we read about two group of priests. The first group
was the Levites. It says, "... and they (The Levites) shall stand before them
(the people), to minister unto them because they ministered unto them
before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity ... And
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they shall not come near unto me ..." (5) They lost the privilege of drawing
near to God because their hearts turned away from God when the
Children of Israel turned to idols. However, they were allowed to continue
to minister to the people. (5) Ezekiel 44:11-13

The second group was called the sons of Zadok, which was a clan within
the tribe of Levi. We read, "But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok,
that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went
astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they
shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, says the Lord
GOD: They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my
table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge." (6) Ezekiel 44:15-16

It says that they shall come near to God to minister to Him. Therefore, to
minister to God is to draw near to Him and to stand before Him in
worship and praise. They were to offer the fat and the blood. The blood
speaks about the blood of Jesus, and that through the Blood we can come
into His presence. (7) The fat speaks about giving God the very best that
we have. We read how Abel brought the "firstlings of the flock and the fat
thereof and God accepted his offering." (8) He gave God his very best.
When ministering to the Lord and drawing near to God is our highest
priority, then we are bringing to Him the "blood and the fat." Food cooked
with fat is very tasty, Therefore, when we minister to the Lord, we are
giving Him something that is very tasty! (7) Hebrews 10:19 (8) Genesis 4:4

We read about Paul and Silas in prison in the book of Acts. We know what
happened, at midnight they praised the Lord, God sent an earthquake,
their chains fell off and the prison doors were opened. There were
wonderful miracles as well, but what really amazes us, is that they and the
other prisoners remained in the prison and did not flee. This tell us that
their motive for singing praises was not to receive something from God,
but because they loved God and wanted to minister to Him. They had no
other agenda!
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However, God, being who He is, has a great heart to bless us and will
always give us more than He receives. Therefore, there are many
wonderful things that can happen to us when we minister to Him:

Firstly, we become like the one whom we worship. For example, if we

worship some celebrity or sports star, we will eventually begin to act like
them. The more we worship God, the more we will begin to act like Him
and become more like Jesus. Paul writes the following, "But we all, with
open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord (through worship),
are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord." (9) This is the quickest way to grow and mature spiritually, is
to worship God! (9) 2 Corinthians 3:18

Secondly, When we minister to the Lord, we will find that it becomes

easier to minister to people. We read about the sons of Zadok, " ... they
shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat." (10) They did
not sweat! When we minister to the Lord, we will not sweat, it will be
easy to serve and follow Jesus! Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and My
burden is light." I want to give a personal testimony. (10) Ezekiel 44:18

Many years ago wanted to start a missions organization in the city of

Windhoek in Namibia. I rented a building but it was difficult to get others
to join the vision. I read in Acts how the Holy Spirit spoke to Paul and
Barnabas after they had fasted and ministered to the Lord. I decided to do
the same, believing that the Holy Spirit would also speak to me.
Therefore, each day after work, I would go to this building to do just that.

At first I would spend time in praise, worship and thanksgiving. I then

learnt how to minister to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit separately. I
would minister to the Father with thanksgiving and praise. I then began to
declare His wonderful attributes. For example, His goodness, kindness,
love, compassion, faithfulness, patience and forgiveness, etc. I imagined
myself as a waiter in a restaurant, feeding the Father with wonderful
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words from the Bible. As I did this, I often experienced His wonderful
presence and I could sense His pleasure.

I did the same for Jesus. I would first thank Him for what He did on the
cross for me and then praise Him as the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords,
the Alpha and the Omega, the Lamb upon the throne, etc. I would then
tell Him how much I love Him and would express my desire to please and
follow Him. I then would minister to the Holy Spirit by thanking Him for
what He does for me. He dwells in me, He inspires me, He sanctifies me,
He fills us with joy and peace, He empowers me, leads me, comforts me,
etc. After I ministered to the Lord this way, I would then would then bring
my requests to the Lord.

I did this for quite a considerable time. At first nothing seemed to happen,
but one day, thirty-four people from fourteen different countries walked
into the building and said that they wanted to be part of the vision. My
dream had come true with no sweat! After that, doors began to open for
us to minister in the university, the training college, the police academy
and in a number of churches.

Many accepted Christ and we saw many miracles. We had the privilege of
lead more than a hundred police students to the Lord and disciple them.
After this we started a weekly prayer meeting for the nation on a nearby
mountain overlooking the city. The prayer meeting continued for a
number of years, even after we left the country. Out of this prayer
meeting, came those who supported us as missionaries, which led us
eventually to live in Russia.

I once heard a testimony of a youth leader who took a group of young

people on a mission to Hong Kong. At first it was very difficult for them to
find affordable accommodation. They decided not to only pray about this
need, but to spend more time just worshiping the Lord. After doing this
for a while, they one day received a phone call for the mayor who offered
them an old hospital building with 28 rooms. They could rent this building
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for just one dollar a month. Without any sweat, they had the
accommodation that they needed.

Thirdly, ministering to the Lord can make us sensitive to the leading and
the voice of the Holy Spirit. In Acts it says "as they ministered to the Lord
and fasted, the Holy Spirit said..." (1) It enabled them to hear what the
Holy Spirit wanted them to do. God often speaks to us when we minister
to Him. This is one of the ways we can find our destiny and calling. The
greatest missionary movement was started after a small group of people
ministered to the Lord. We have a similar example in the Old Testament
with Samuel. (11) It says that he ministered to the Lord as a young child
and soon after that God spoke to him and told him about what was going
to happen to Eli the priest and the nation of Israel. (1) Acts 13:2, (11) 1 Samuel
3:1 and 4

Finally, there are many other benefits when we minister to the Lord. It
will increase our level of anointing in our lives. As we minister to Him, He
in turn will minister to us and we will experience a divine flow of the Holy
Spirit. Ministering to the Lord is also enjoyable and enables us to be
aware of the goodness and the love of God.

Since I have made this a regular practice in my life, I have become so

much more aware of the love of the Father for me. The greatest blessing
of all is that, when we minister to the Lord, it blesses and gives Him great
delight and joy. The final question we need to ask, is how do we minister
to the Lord? I have already shared my experience.

We can minister to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit separately. We can
thank God for who He is and what He has done and doing for us. We can
praise and worship Him with songs. We can sing in the Spirit. We can
declare His wonderful attributes.

When it comes to Jesus, we can thank Him for what He did at the cross for
us. We can praise His Him for who He is and His exalted position in
heaven. He is the King of kings, the Alpha and Omega, the glorious risen
 57

Christ, the One to whom all knees shall bow and all tongues confess that
He is Lord. We can express our love and adoration for Him. We can also
worship Him in the Spirit.

When it comes to the Holy Spirit, we can thank Him for His wonderful
functions. He fills us, inspires us, empowers us, teaches us, sanctifies us,
fills us with abounding hope, imparts to us righteousness peace and joy,
etc. We can yield our lives to Him and ask Him to fill us with His power
and love. (I have attached a short declaration that will enable you to
minister to the Lord)

There any many ways we can minister to the Lord. My wife and I have
been doing this regularly for more than twenty years and we have seen
such amazing results. There is no set formula, the best is just to open our
hearts to the Lord and let the Holy Spirit lead us. It is great to do it in a
group and with music. However, I have discovered that the highest level
of blessing comes when I do it alone and without musical
accompaniment.

It is important that we minister to the Lord by faith, even if we do not feel

His presence. Remember, we are doing this for Him! Our one and only
goal, is to do something for Him and to bless Him. After we minister to the
Lord we can pray and bring our requests before the Lord. In Psalms it
says, "Delight yourself also in the LORD; and He shall give you the desires
of your heart.”(12) I have noticed that when I minister to the Lord, He
often does things for me without me even having to pray about it. It also
becomes easier to pray after I have ministered to the Lord. Therefore,
may God bless you, as you make this the high priority in your life. Amen.
(12) Psalm 37:4

Crafted prayers to minister to the Lord

Ministry to the Father:
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Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus. I come to

worship You, to praise You and to adore You. You are an awesome God
who is glorious in holiness and fearful in praises, a God who does
wonders. (Exodus 15:11). You are wonderful in counsel and excellent in
guidance, (Isaiah 28:29) I honor You and worship You.

Thank You for Your wonderful attributes. You abound towards me in

goodness and truth, You are merciful and gracious forgiving and
longsuffering (Exodus 34:6). I thank You, are very, very kind. (Joel 2:13).
You are a God of love who is full of compassion, tenderhearted (Psalms
145:8-9) and You care for me (1 Peter 5:7) I declare that You are a faithful
God whose mercies are new to me, every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-
23) Above all, I want to thank You that You are My Heavenly Father, You
have adopted me into Your family, and that I am Your child. (1 John 3:1)

Thank You for loving me so much that You sent Jesus to die on the cross
for me. (John 3:16) You are the God of hope who fills me with all joy and
peace, (Romans 15:13) and You have a wonderful plan for my life.

Finally, I put my trust in You, and I believe in You. You are my dear
Heavenly Father, and I love You with all my heart and want to please You
in all I that I do. Amen

Ministry to Jesus:

Dear Lord Jesus, I want to thank you, that You loved me so much, that You
laid down Your life and died on the cross for me. Thank you for redeeming
me and giving me the gift of eternal life. Jesus, You are my Lord and my
Savior, my hope of eternal life.

I declare that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead and is seated in
heavenly places, at the right hand of God the Father, far above all
principality and power and every name that is named. (Ephesians 1:18).
He is highly exalted and has a name above all names, to whom every knee
shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord. (Philippians 2:9-
10) He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, (1 Timothy 6:15) the
 59

"Alpha and Omega," (Revelations 1:8) the Lamb upon the throne and the
glorious and the mighty Son of God.

You have destroyed all principalities and powers, (Colossians 2:13) and
him who had power over death, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14) You now have
the keys of hell and death (Revelations 1:18) and all authority in heaven
and on earth. (Matthew 28:18

Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life (John 11:25) You are the
"bread of life," who satisfies the hunger of my heart (John 6:35) and You
are the "giver of living water" which quenches the thirsting of my soul.
(John 4:14). You are my righteousness, my holiness, my wisdom and my
redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) You are my peace, my joy, my healing
and health. You are everything I need (Colossians 2:10)

You are worthy, to receive all honor, all praise, all glory, all dominion, all
power and all the blessings and riches. (Revelations 5:12) Jesus, You are
wonderful, (Isaiah 9:6) precious, (1 Peter 2:6) and altogether lovely. (Song
5:16) You are the love of my life, the desire of my heart. I adore You and
love You with all my heart and I want to follow You and please You in
everything I do. Amen

Ministry to the Holy Spirit:

Holy Spirit, You are the glorious and mighty God who lives in me and who
is with me. (John 14:17) You are the Witness in me that I am a child of
God and have received the gift of eternal life (Romans 8:16, Ephesians
1:13) Thank You, precious Holy Spirit for Your wonderful presence and
anointing. You inspire me and show me the wonderful things that have
been given to me. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

Thank you for Your power and the ability to tell others about Jesus and to
do His wonderful works. (Acts 1:8, Romans 15:19) Holy Spirit, You give me
the grace to overcome the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16) and victory
over the works of the devil. (1 John 4:4)
 60

You enable me to have a relationship with the Father and the Son and to
glorify Jesus. (John 16:13-15, Ephesians 2:18) You guide me into all truth,
You comfort me, You teach me, You convict me and You lead me.
(Galatians 5:18)

My body is Your temple, (1 Corinthians 6:19) I am not my own, I belong to

you. Come and fill me, sanctify me (Romans 15:16) and change me to
become more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Holy Spirit, thank you for Your love, Your faithfulness and Your
commitment to me. I love You, appreciate You and I will always depend
on You. I yield my life to You and ask you to fill me with Your presence,
You power, Your gifts and Your love, in Jesus name. Amen.

The revelation of Gods' Love

Love is the greatest force in the world, it was the force that it caused the
Father to send His Son to die on the cross for us. (1) It was the power of
love that enabled Jesus to die on the cross for us. Jesus said, "No greater
love has a man than to lay down his life for his friends." (2) Love is our
strongest weapon against the enemy. Jesus often used this weapon when
He healed the sick. We often read that He was moved with compassion
and healed the sick. The compassion and love that He had for people
released the power of the Holy Spirit to heal the sick and perform
miracles. When we use this weapon of love, we will often release the
anointing and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the greatest key to
influence people for Jesus. (1) John 3:16, (2) John 15:13

The Bible teaches us to love God and to love one another. It is a theme
that occurs throughout the Bible. It is demonstrating the very nature of
God, it is heaven invading earth! The way we love God and one another
will be a very important issue when we one day stand before the
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judgment seat of Christ to receive our eternal rewards. However, our

greatest need is not to love God and to love one another! Our greatest
need is to know that God loves us. If we are able to understand just how
much God loves us, our lives will radically change forever. We read, "  In
this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His
Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (3) Our love for God is a response
to His love for us, so we love Him because we know that He loves us.
(3) 1 John 4:10

However, many of us only know this in our minds and not in our hearts.
We know that God loves us, because we read about it in the Bible and we
know that, two thousand years ago, Jesus loved us so much that died on
the cross for us. Therefore, our greatest need is not only to know
historically and from the Bible that God loves us, it must become a reality
in our hearts! Possibly the most powerful verse that confirms this is found
in the Book of Ephesians. Paul writes, "For this reason I bow my knees to
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.... may be able to comprehend with all
the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—  to know
the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all
the fullness of God." (4) Ephesians 3:18-19

He prays that we will know something that is beyond our human ability to
know. It is a supernatural knowledge, to know how deeply God loves us. It
is a work of the Holy Spirit. This is our greatest need! If the love of Christ
become a reality in our hearts, then it goes on to say, "... that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God." Our only response to this verse should
be 'wow'. This is not only speaking about the fullness of the Holy Spirit,
but the fullness of God, the fullness of God the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit!

Words cannot explain this, but one thing is certain, when we experience
the fullness of God, then everything in our lives will be in order! When we
know that God real loves us, we will experience the fullness of everything
that God wants to give us. We will have the fullness of joy, peace, of His
presence, etc. We will experience His dynamic life living through us. If we
have the fullness of His live, then there is no place for anything else.
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The following verse is an amazing promise, it says, "Now unto him that is
able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that works in us..." (5) This verse implies that there is no
limit to what God can do through us or for us according to the power that
works in us. What is this power? It is the power of His love as defined in
the previous verse. If we know deep in our hearts that God really loves us,
we will have the ability to believe that God will do exceedingly,
abundantly and above all we ask or think. The revelation of His love for us,
gives us the ability to receive from Him! (5) Ephesians 3:20

Paul writes in the book of Romans, "Now hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy
Spirit who was given to us." (6) The Amplified Bible says, "Such hope
never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured
out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us." The
word 'hope' in the Bible means, 'a joyful anticipation for something good.
When we know that God loves us, we will always have hope. We will
always expect God to do something good for us and fulfill that which He
has promised. We will always know that there is something good at the
end of the road even if we do not understand what is happening along the
way. In the Book of James we read "You have heard of the patience of Job,
and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of
tender mercy." (7) (6) Romans 5:5, (7) James 5:11

The most important question we now need to ask is, "how can I
experience this love? How can I know deep in my heart that God really
loves me?

First of all, it is something that the Holy Spirit must do for and in us. There
are no formulas or steps to experience the love of God. Therefore, the
first thing we can do is to ask God to give us this revelation, in the same
way that Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers. However, it is so much
on God's heart to do so for us, that He would gladly respond to this
request, if only we would ask! He is a faithful God, Therefore, if we ask
and we will receive. Not only can we pray for ourselves, but we can also
pray for others. I often pray Paul's prayer in Ephesians chapter 3 for
myself and for others.
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Secondly, to help us understand God's love, we can meditate on His

wonderful attributes. For example, the Bible says that He is gracious,
mercy and abounds in goodness and truth. (8) He is slow to anger and of
great kindness (9) He is full of compassion and great in mercy (10 ) There
are many other verses. He is caring, loving, tenderhearted, faithful,
delightful and awesome. As we read these verses and meditate on them,
they will become more and more real to us. (8) Exodus 34:6, (9) Joel 2:13, (10)
Psalm 145:8

Thirdly, we can declare the wonderful things that God says about us in the
Bible. For example, we can say, "I am valuable and precious because I
have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. (11) I am the apple
of His eye (12) He rejoices over me with singing (13) God adores and loves
me. My name is written on the palms of His hands. (14) He is always
thinking about me. (15)
(11)1 Peter 1:18, (12) Psalm 15:8, (13) Zephaniah 3:17, (14) Isaiah 49:16, (15) Psalm 139:17

When we really know that God loves us, our lives will change. The love of
God will heal our hearts and set us free from rejection. We will have a
desire to follow and obey the Lord Jesus. This is our greatest need.
Therefore, the main tactic of the devil is to tell us that God does not love
us. But if we know that God loves us, then the devil will have no more
influence over us. In Roman’s it says that "If God is for us, who can be
against us!" (16) God is for us, He is always for us. He is for us when we
pray, He is for us when we do not pray. He is for us when we do things
right, He is for us when we make mistakes. He is always for us, He will
never change His mind because he loves us with all His heart. His love for
us, does not depend on our performance, but on who He is! The Bible
says that His "kindness will not depart from us." (17) (16) Romans 8:31, (17)
Isaiah 54:10

Finally, Paul says in "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to
come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (18)
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And in response to His love, "We love Him, because He first loved us!" (19)
For God is love! Amen. (18) Romans 8:38-39, (19) 1 John 4:19