Fervent, Effective Prayer

Prayer is an ethereal concept that is often hard to grasp. We are communing with a celestial being that we have never seen and there is no proof that He even exists. 

Yet, even scientific studies prove that prayer changes things. The key element about prayer is that God answers them. We can trust Him with our most intimate needs.

Through prayer, the Holy Spirit heals our body, soul and spirit, even if we do not know how to pray. He searches our heart and actually prays for us according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27). 

He renews our mind from carnal to spiritual thoughts, and enables us to crucify our flesh and to live a spiritual life (Philippians 2:13; Galatians 5:16-25). In prayer, God gives us His burdens and He places His cry in our heart (Psalm 145:19). 

God searches our innermost desires and finds the areas in our life where we need healing, enlightenment, guidance and love. He pours out His resources into our life and abundantly meets our every need according to His glorious heavenly riches (Philippians 4:19).

The Holy Spirit actually prays through us, if we will allow Him to do so (Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18). This does not mean to pray in tongues only, but also to pray in the Spirit in your native language. 

We do not know how to pray sometimes, but God gives us the burden on our heart, sometimes for people we do not even know. God responds to our prayers and often answers them while we are still praying (Isaiah 65:24).

Prayer:

Father God, we can make a real difference as we join together as the Body of Christ to pray for individual needs. Our united prayers are sweet incense to You as You hear them and respond to them with Your wisdom and strength (Revelation 8:4; Psalm 141:2). 

Thank You for caring about every area of our life and for working out everything, even the most horrendous circumstances, for our good (Hebrews 4:15; Romans 8:28). We will spend eternity giving You all the praise and glory due Your name.

Thought for the Day:

If we give Him our time, and if we realize our need to live dependently upon Him and seek His wisdom in our prayers, then the Holy Spirit will pray through us and accomplish God's will in the earth.

One Spirit and One Body

The Spirit of God gives each of us gifts to use in our lifetime in service for the Kingdom of God. We have one God and Spirit, but there are many different types of gifts, which He gives to us to use for His glory. Some people are very wise with common sense and can give advice to those who need it. Others have knowledge from books and can pass along their understanding to the rest of us, or a specific word of knowledge directly from God for our benefit.

Some people have great faith in God’s faithfulness and can help us to trust in God when our faith is weak. God gives the power to do miracles to a few trusted Saints who can pray for us as we see God intervene in our life. Many have the gift of speaking, preaching and teaching God’s Word to help us to understand the divine teaching in the scripture.

Then, we have people who can discern evil spirits and can help us to avoid the devil’s traps. The Spirit gives the gift of tongues to some, so that He can use us to intercede in prayer through the Spirit and to speak God’s message to us, with others who can interpret that message when it is spoken in public. One Spirit gives to each Born Again Believer the gift, which he or she needs to fulfill God’s call on our life for each moment of time (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

How would the human body function without a liver? We cannot see it, but we all realize the unique and essential purpose the liver performs in our body. We cannot live without a functioning liver. The liver can be damaged in a matter of days by certain medications we take, addictions we partake of and some foods that we eat. However, the liver is able to repair itself and to grow healthy cells in place of the damaged ones in as little as one month.

Like the liver, no part of the Body of Christ is better than any other and the Spirit of God uses each one. We are all equally as important and the Spirit directs us what to do, when to use them, in what setting and in what way He needs them used. We are God’s Body, and we all minister to one another (1 Corinthians 12:24). God’s Spirit may give us more than one gift, or change the gifts He gives us according to the circumstances in which He leads us. God has a very special place for each of us who are called to His Body.

Prayer:

Father God of all the earth, You are our Maker and You are our husband. You called us and You have a plan for each life (Isaiah 54:5-8). Remind us not to think too highly of our self, but to realize that we are the gloves and You are the hand within us, directing us to accomplish great things for You (Romans 12:3-4). Whatever we do, even if it is just in what we eat and drink, we will do it all for Your glory (1 Corinthians 10:31-33).

Thought for the Day:

In Christ, we who are many, form one Body and we all belong to one another. – Romans 12:5

 

 

 

Gifts From Above

The Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell in everyone who believes in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38).  God gives gifts to His Body through the Holy Spirit in order for us to bless and minister to one another, as well as for us to evangelize the world by telling them that God loves them and Jesus died to save them (1 Corinthians 12:7). God gives these gifts indiscriminately and one gift is not of any greater or lesser significance than any other (1 Corinthians 12:11).

We cannot take pride in or credit for our gifts, because they come from God. We can, however, desire to have a particular gift (1 Corinthians 12:31). God gives these gifts in order to edify, exhort, encourage, strengthen and teach His church. These gifts empower God’s Body to do the work, which Christ commissioned us to perform. The gifts exalt Christ rather than us. Even some of the Old Testament Saints had the benefit of the Holy Spirit.

David valued his relationship with God so much that when he sinned, he pleaded with God not to remove His presence or to take His Spirit from him. (Psalms 51:11-12). David even had occasions where he spoke by the anointing and direction of the Holy Spirit (Mark 12:36). When Israel rebelled against God, they vexed God’s Holy Spirit so much that He turned into their enemy, and He actually fought against them. But then they remembered the days of old, and how God helped them to cross the Red Sea. Therefore, they asked God to put His Holy Spirit within them again (Isaiah 63:10-11).

Paul describes the gifts of the Spirit as the Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Gifts of Healing, Working of Miracles, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, different kinds of Tongues, and the Interpretation of Tongues (1 Corinthians 12:8-11). Though there are different types of gifts, there in only one Spirit that distributes them all (1 Corinthians 12:4).

The gift of wisdom is a gift that all Believers can earnestly desire (1 Corinthians 12:31). Wisdom is the skill for living. It helps us to understand God’s truth and to discern and judge according to that truth. Wisdom starts with the fear of the Lord (Psalm 11:10). This fear is not horror, but respect and reverence. Solomon valued wisdom above all gifts; therefore God gave him status and wealth as well (1 Kings 3:12).  

The gift of knowledge allows us to know when to speak and what to say. Those gifted with knowledge have an appetite for reading God’s Word and they enjoy studying and understanding it’s truth and insight. God also gives them supernatural knowledge for the benefit of the Body.

The gift of faith gives Believers positive confidence in the veracity of God’s Word. By faith, they believe that things they cannot see in the natural realm are already there in the spiritual realm (Hebrews 11:1).

The gift of healing comes through the effectual prayer of the righteous person (James 5:16). All healing is done by the Spirit of God and not by the individual person, but God uses certain ones to pray for the sick and they are healed.

The gift of the working of miracles is to demostrate the power of God. Satan uses counterfeit signs and wonders to deceive people (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11), but God uses them to prove His existence to a doubting world.

The gift of prophecy is used to speak forth the Word of God. Preachers and teachers have this gift. They do not know the future, but God uses them to enlighten us about His truths.

The gift of discerning of spirits enables Believers to discern the intents and motives of a person’s heart. They can distinguish whether a person is from God or Satan (1 John 4:1).

The gift of tongues is the ability to speak in other languages (Acts 2:4, 2:11, 2:5-11). This gift is often misused and Paul gives clear guidelines for it (1 Corinthians chapters 12-14). Paul also states that it is the least of the gifts and encourages us to use tongues as a prayer language (1 Corinthians 14:5-18).

The gift of interpreting tongues goes right along with the gift of tongues. Tongues in the service are used as a testimony to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14: 21-22). Paul urges no one to speak a message in tongues unless there is someone present with the gift to interpret the message (1 Corinthians 14:27-33).

The other gifts of the Spirit are: serving, giving, teaching, showing mercy, starting churches, evangelizing and pastoring (Romans 12:7-8; Ephesians 4:11). Isaiah also tells us about the Spirit of the Lord supplying the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2-3). Paul made it clear that Believers should not elevate one gift over another, but to esteem each of them as necessary for the edification of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-23). There are many parts, but only one Body. God placed these parts in the body just as He chooses (1 Corinthians 12:4,12-31).

Prayer:

Father God, You planned everything out for the good and edification of Your church. You gave each of us special gifts to edify the whole Body. Some of us never take the time to pray about what gifts You gave us; and others know their gifts, but do not take the time to use them. When this happens, Your Body suffers. It is like a spleen or big toe that refuses to function. The Body is handicapped. Lord, please prompt each of us to find our gifts and to use them for Your glory.

Thought for the Day:

God gives gifts to each of us for the common good of all. – 1 Corinthians 12:7

 

 

Free Spiritual Gifts Test:

http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1