Our last blogs on the gifts of the Holy Spirit dealt with the three gifts of revelation given in I Corinthians 12:7-11. We move on now to the next category, the gifts of power, which are faith (v.9), gifts of healing (v.9) and working of miracles (v. 10).

We can divide all the miracles of Jesus into faith, working of miracles, and gifts of healing. It is almost impossible to understand the miracles of Jesus without a good understanding of these three gifts. The human mind cannot fathom the powerful ways of the Holy Spirit. And yet, we are granted a small view, just enough to participate in this supernatural manner of serving and healing. Here are some thoughts based upon my years of experience with these powerful gifts:

1 - Faith is the first of the power gifts. This type of faith is a move of the Holy Spirit in a situation or person, a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. It gives the person faith above and beyond what they already have. It is actually a supernatural increase of faith. When such faith fills your soul, anything can happen. In Luke 8:48, Jesus said to the woman with a flow of blood, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” The faith Jesus saw in her was above and beyond. It was a move of the Holy Spirit in the life of this woman.

2 - We are familiar with the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” However, the gift of faith found in I Corinthians 12:9 is a different kind of faith. It is a special faith which begins in heaven and is imparted by the Holy Spirit. It is a move of God to a person, for a person and in a person. Its main purpose is to produce a miracle. The faith of the centurion in Luke 7:1-10 caused Jesus to say, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel” (v. 9, NIV). The gift of faith is the key for every other gift to operate. It convinces you that what has been revealed by the Holy Spirit will be accomplished.

3 - In every example in the scripture where this type of faith is manifested, a clear indication occurs: the heart of the person involved in the miracle has qualities that distinguish him or her above others. In the case of the woman with the flow of blood, her insistence to touch Jesus in the midst of a pressing crowd reveals special faith. After the miracle had occurred, Jesus waited for her to manifest herself and He then blessed her even more. The centurion not only distinguished himself as a man of integrity, but he spoke to Jesus using faith terms: “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Luke 7:7). Not only did special faith move here, but the centurion was praised by Jesus.

4 – The Holy Spirit appears with special faith not only when there is need for healing, but also when there is need for a supernatural movement to create and establish a situation beyond human capability. A miracle can be physical, mental, or situational. Remember the definition of God’s attributes according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 4:17- “He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed - the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were” (NIV).

5 - This powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit is easily detected in someone. When the gift of faith is operating, it has a way of letting you know that something is happening in front of you. When Jesus met the synagogue ruler, Jairus, there was something extraordinary about him that let the Lord know that He would be going to Jairus’ house. His faith, his demeanor, his heart, and his desire to believe was above and beyond. The Holy Spirit works powerfully when the heart of someone believes and will not doubt.

6 – Finally, environment is crucial to the manifestation of special faith from the Holy Spirit. An environment of praise and worship, unity, humility, and brokenness invites the Holy Spirit to distribute this gift of faith amongst the congregation. Faith opens the door for all of the other gifts to operate. In Mark 6:5-6 we read, “And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief.” If we want to experience a manifestation of this special faith given by the Holy Spirit, we must create an environment which is “Holy Spirit friendly.”

Rick Bonfim

Edited By Betty Mckinney

What is the discernment of spirits? Discernment simply means seeing as the Holy Spirit of God sees, knowing what the Holy Spirit knows, and hearing what the Holy Spirit says. It is not a far-fetched idea. If discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit, anyone who has the Holy Spirit should be able to hear and to respond to God in the act of ministry. What helps the most is the fact that the Holy Spirit has a methodology of action. Here are some simple facts about this great gift of discernment:

1 - The Holy Spirit speaks through pre-determined channels of communication. These pre-established ways to communicate are distinct in themselves and powerful in revealing the will of God for a situation. Once you have learned the basic ways in which the Holy Spirit speaks, it will help you to develop your prayer life and hear from God more accurately.

2 - After learning the pre-established ways in which the Holy Spirit communicates, you will recognize the manner in which He speaks. His ways will become second nature to you in the act of prayer and no other method will replace hearing from the Holy Spirit.

3 - I Corinthians 12:10 lists the discernment of spirits as one of the gifts of revelation given by the Holy Spirit. Discernment is a pre-established communication tool used by the Holy Spirit to introduce information into your act of ministry, your prayer for someone, your preaching or even your teaching. The primary function of discernment is to bring you information pertaining to the moment as you engage yourself in ministry of some kind. Discernment of spirits points toward the type of spirits, good or bad, that you must deal with. Discernment always applies to the moment; it pertains to what you have in front of you at the present time. What is discerned in the situation you are confronted with will determine the direction of your prayer or act of ministry.

4 - While a word of knowledge pertains to people, places, things, situations, or events past and present, discernment relates to the moment, the “now.” If you want to know the direction for your prayer, discernment is the first clue. You may not be able to finish your prayer with what you have heard, but you will be able to start your prayer with accuracy. This is a good thing. As you move in faith based upon what you have heard from the Holy Spirit, it is confirmed by the person in front of you and faith immediately intensifies between you, the person, and God. What a wonderful interference from God!

5 - When God reveals something through discernment, He reveals the beginning of it and not the end. It is not that the information is incomplete or that the movement was wrong. It is simply a characteristic of this powerful gift. Discernment will reveal only a portion of the information needed, so that you will need to move in faith. As you do, another part of the information will come to you. Notice that the initial information is not the end but the beginning of healing and restoration to the person receiving the prayer.

6 - The manifestation of discernment of spirits is not a license to act. As you go on in ministry and are exposed to many situations involving prayer, you will tend to recollect this information at times and may try to apply it to another situation. However, due to the seriousness of the information received, the Holy Spirit will usually not allow you to recollect detailed information to be used again. The prompting of the Holy Spirit is always on time and it will not act upon your wish or desire. This is actually a positive aspect of discernment because it is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit and not a gift which you “possess” to use at your whim. Every gift is a manifestation of a holy God and you are simply the carrier of the information to be put into action.

“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (1 Corinthians 2:11)

Discernment is activated when you realize that God speaks to you. If you can hear just a little from the Holy Spirit and begin to move in faith and obedience, you will begin to pray more accurately and begin to see amazing results in your prayer and ministry.

Rick Bonfim

Edited By Betty Mckinney

1 – Our last blog on the gifts of the Holy Spirit was about the word of knowledge, which communicates information from the Holy Spirit pertaining to the past and the present. Today we will discuss the second gift of revelation, the word of wisdom, which brings information concerning the future. Wisdom is always toward the future. It is the opening of the prophetic to the common man. Any Christian mature in the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be able to operate in this gift. Notice that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given for “the common good.” Thus, if wisdom operates in your life, others will benefit from the blessing.
 

2 - The value of this gift is overwhelming to anyone ministering in this area. I mentioned before that the revelation gifts work in sync with one another. When you are praying for someone, you need information as to past, present and future. A person who knows the value of prayer will need to see that prayer not just for the now, but for the future also. Here is where the word of wisdom is without comparison. This gift will change the way you pray.
 

3 - The word of wisdom is a prophetic move of the Holy Spirit showing you what is to come. Foretelling of future events is the ministry of a prophet in most cases; however, the word of wisdom operates to benefit any person seeking direction in prayer and ministry.
 

4 - In the ministry of Jesus, whenever you see Him moving in a certain direction, a word of wisdom has come to Him. In John 11, He stayed in Bethany another two days in order to clear the air about the death of Lazarus, but then He knew He needed to move because a miracle was about take place in Lazarus.
 

5-Another example is found in John 2:7, when Jesus performs the first miracle of His ministry. He says to the servants at the wedding in Cana, “Fill the jars with water.” A word of wisdom toward the future is spoken here. Then Jesus works a miracle in making the wine out of the water, saying to the servants, “Draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” The word of wisdom was to tell them to fill jars with water so that the water would turn into wine. The miracle itself was the water becoming wine. Thus, two gifts worked together in this miracle.
 

6 - In the process of praying for others, you may hear a word of wisdom pointing toward the future. Remember that the gifts work together in order to bring you the information needed to make your prayer effective, and that when the Holy Spirit speaks, He follows through with power and healing. One time a man came to me for prayer. For years he had been depressed and angry. One word of knowledge from the Holy Spirit pointed toward the past in reference to his father. As a boy, the son had been close to his father, and forgetting the father after his death was difficult. A word of wisdom came that, after forgiving his father and letting him go, he would begin to prosper financially. In several months everything changed in his life, financially and spiritually. That was a word of wisdom.