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