Listening to God As We Pray for Others
Many Christians are comfortable with the idea that Jesus still speaks and heals today but are not always confident in their own ability to be personally involved in prophetic or healing ministry. The heart longing is there but their lack of confidence and therefore experience, quench the stirring of the Holy Spirit. This reluctance, while understandable, is nonetheless tragic in that it deprives the body of Christ of life-giving ministry and it severely limits the advancement of the Kingdom of God in the earth. There are several reasons for this but chief among them is a lack of understanding regarding the person of the Holy Spirit and the work He wants to do through us. There must first be an acknowledgment that God is able, and desires, to use us in these ways to minister to others. Once there, we activate our faith by stepping out in obedience and watching what God does. We don’t always see the result we are praying for but life always breaks out.
David Finnell is his book Life in His Body uses a description of how our physical bodies function to illustrate the beauty of the body of Christ living in community and operating in their spiritual gifts under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Think of a living organism in all its intricate beauty and wonder. Millions of living cells are hard at work at very complicated and specific tasks. Neurons pass signals from the brain to orchestrate the symphony of life. Blood cells deliver oxygen and nutrients to each cell in exchange for the waste products of life. Specialized cells produce enzymes, convert amino acids, cleanse the blood, digest the food, transfer oxygen, fight intruders and maintain delicate balances. All of this is community. Without the interdependence, co-operation, communication and balance of these millions of living cells, the community of cells will die.
God has created us to live in community, with Him and with each other. Yet, we seldom experience the kind of community that God desires for each of us and we are the poorer for it. There is a richness that comes to life when we can lay down our pride, our self-sufficiency, our independence and both receive and extend ministry to one another. Depending on how you count them, there are about 59 “one another’s” in the Bible. Love one another, serve one another encourage one another, build each other up, pray for one another and so on. The successful fulfillment of these commands depends upon our living in unity with God and with each other. As long as we remain separate from one another, pursuing the kingdom of God as a group of individuals, we will never be able to fulfill God’s will for our lives.
But it also requires our cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit and activating the unique blend of spiritual gifts He has given each of us. To help with the second we have invited Walter and Ida Cowart from Seattle Revival Center to come for a weekend of training June 8-9, 2018. The goal of Walter and Ida’s spiritual gifts seminar is to combine teaching times with practical activation exercises to enable people to share words of encouragement and pray with others at the direction of the Holy Spirit any time the God provides the opportunity. God desires that we move beyond formal ministry settings like healing services, retreats and scheduled prayer sessions to share His love and healing power in the routine of daily life. As longtime trainers of Restoring the Foundations ministry, and trainers in prophetic ministry, they have much wisdom and many practical insights to share with us.
You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity to further your own growth as a follower of Jesus Christ. Hope to see you there. Advance registration for the seminar and the optional lunch are required and can be completed at http://www.godslivingstones.org/spiritual-gifts-seminar/731.html
Author
Pastor Bruce is the Executive Director of God's Living Stones. He lives in Omaha, NE, with his wife Barb. They have two adult children.
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