I need help seeking/developing the gifts of the Spirit

All I can say is...PRAY! Any spiritual gifts I have received, whether it be tongues, encouragement, annointment..whatever.. it has only happened when I have been resting in the prescence of the Holy Spirit. My advice to you, if your Church is not "Charismatic", is to find some alone-time, put on some quiet, Christian music (ones I find best are repetitive ones, eg Be Lifted Up, as it's easy to become lost in simple melodies). So yeah, put on some music, make yourself comfortable (often I kneel face-down) and just pray and enjoy being in God's presence. Ask Him to send His Holy Spirit and then just quietly (or loudly..whatever works for you!) worship!

I'll keep you in my prayers

Clare

You've come to the right place, but what is it exactly you have questions about?

VincitOmniaVeritas said:

I'm very new to the Charismatic movement. I would really like some help seeking the gifts of the Holy Spirit ( Prophecy, tounges, etc.) I don't really know where to begin. Any help you guys could give me would be great. Also if you live in my area I'd love to visit your church if they teach about the gifts of the Spirit there.

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With all respect the first place to start is with Love, because the Bible says you can operate in all the gifts but the spirit of LOVE is the greatest. Learn the Fruits Of The Spirit First. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness and self control. Hope this helped you Reference. 1cointhians 13:1-13 God Bless

VincitOmniaVeritas said:

I just don't know where to begin. I want the Holy Spirit to work through me and in me, I just don't know what I need to do to let that happen. For example: for the people who can speak in tounges, how did you start speaking in tounges for the first time? For those who prophesy, how did you start prophesying? (sorry about my spelling)

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I have posted this link on other threads that have asked the same questions, but I will give it to you.
http://personal-communication.net.nz/baptism.htm

Once you have read it, and if it makes sense to you, please feel free to PM me, and I will give you more information. I have posted many times about this on the forum, and you will be able to see my posts as you explore back through the pages.

Blessings.

I believe that one of the biggest reasons that the body of Christ hasn't made a greater impact on our generation today, is because of our failure to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Without a doubt, Jesus and the first apostles used the gifts like a bell, calling men to their message and confirming that God was truly the One speaking through them.

Hebrews 2:3-4 says, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?" The Lord bore witness to the accuracy of their message through miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

In Mark 16:17-18, Jesus said all true believers would flow in the miraculous: "And these signs will follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." If a Christian's life isn't supernatural, it's superficial.

Mark goes on to say that messages based in God's Word would be confirmed by signs following: "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."

Jesus even said, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not" (Jn. 10:37). That's a strong statement. If we were to apply that standard to ministers today, most wouldn't be believed.

The vast majority of preaching done in the name of the Lord today is without the power of the Holy Spirit manifest through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is not the way the Lord intended it to be.

The "main line" denominations have developed doctrines to cope with this obvious discrepancy. However, regardless of the rationale, it's absurd to think that we can be effective without the power of the Holy Spirit confirming the preaching of God's Word. If Jesus and the early apostles needed their preaching validated, how can we do any less?

Even the non-denominational churches have fallen away from ministering in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts that operate in most "Spirit-filled" churches are simply words of exhortation or prophecy. There is much more.

The Lord has used the gifts of the Holy Spirit mightily in my life and ministry to confirm His Word. There are countless times when people were still skeptical after hearing me teach, but the demonstration of God's power through the gifts turned them into believers. It's like the teaching fills their mouths with God's Word, then the gifts of the Holy Spirit slap them on the back and make them swallow it. Hallelujah!

One of the most important steps to flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit is to earnestly desire them. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:31, "But covet earnestly the best gifts." He repeated that thought in 1 Corinthians 14:1, when he said, "desire spiritual gifts." Another way of saying this is, as long as you can live without flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will. You have to seek these gifts with all your heart (Jer. 29:13).

It's also very important to understand that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are always flowing. God doesn't turn them "on" and "off." We are the ones who are "on" or "off." That's a startling statement to many people, and one that verges on blasphemy to some, but it's true. The Lord is always ready to flow through us in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

It's just like praying in tongues. We don't have to wait for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to come on us to speak in tongues. We can pray in tongues at any time. It's not us turning on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always on and giving us the ability to speak in tongues. Therefore, whenever we turn ourselves on, the gift of tongues is there to allow us to communicate with our heavenly Father. Praise the Lord! That's the way it is with all the gifts.

I remember one time that I was teaching along these lines in our Colorado Bible College. One of the students said, "So, you are saying that you can flow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit at any time?" I said, "That's right, and I'll prove it to you." I then started down each row and just started "reading the students' mail." I was telling them things that had to be coming from the Holy Spirit. It was awesome.

No one has received everything that the Holy Spirit has for them. Therefore, the Lord is always seeking to release more to us through His supernatural gifts. Whenever we put ourselves in a mode to be His channel, His gifts will flow. The old "Pentecostal" doctrine of the anointing coming and going is not a New Testament truth. First John 2:27 says, "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you."

Another great truth about flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit is what John Osteen called, "The Divine Flow." This is based on, "God is love" (1 Jn. 4:8). Therefore, whenever we discern the love of God flowing through us towards someone, God is reaching out to them through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. All we have to do is follow that flow through faith.

Once when I was pastoring a little church in Pritchett, Colorado, my heart just went out to a woman in the back of the room. I'd never seen her before, and there was nothing natural that drew me to her. It was just the love of God flowing through me to her. Because of that love alone, I told her that God had a word for her. I didn't have one single word to say to her; but I knew God's love was flowing, and therefore, God and His gifts were flowing to her. I just started by saying, "God loves you." God then flooded my mind with things to minister to her.

It was a long word from the Lord, but I specifically told her about how she was grieving over the loss of someone and was confused about why God allowed it. I kept saying, "It wasn't God that allowed it. It was the Destroyer." I said that a number of times. She broke down in tears and was really ministered to.

After the service, she told me that she had just lost her son to leukemia. They believed that God allowed this disease; but just before her son died, he saw this huge demon over their town, which the Lord told him was named the Destroyer. They didn't know how to interpret that until I spoke to them through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and put it all in order. They were set free.

This was the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom in operation. God gave the knowledge of what had happened, and then gave words of wisdom to instruct them on how to deal with it. This all came because I followed the love that I felt in my heart.

This has happened to us all; but most of the time we don't understand this is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and we miss an opportunity. I've learned this the hard way.

There was a man who had been my youth director when I was just a young boy. He left our Baptist church before I was a teenager, and I heard how he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and was seeing great miracles happen. He had one room in his church that was filled with the wheelchairs, crutches, and braces of people who were healed and didn't need them anymore.

During a three- or four-month period of time, I thought about this man often. It was usually while I was in prayer that he would just come to mind, and I would feel the compassion of God towards him. I would just wonder what was happening with him and then dismiss the thoughts. Later, I found that he had died in a freak accident where a red ant bit him on the thumb.

As soon as I heard of his death, I knew that the reason I had been thinking of him so often was because the Lord was trying to get me to intercede for him. Over a decade later, I met this man's son, and I confessed to him my failure to pray for his dad. He told me that I was at least the twelfth person who had told him a similar story. The Lord had impressed many of us to intercede for this man, but none of us recognized it as the Lord.

It is imperative that we learn to recognize and flow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It's not only a blessing to us, but the lives of other people may depend on it. You are carrying someone's miracle. Don't let it stay inside. You have to learn how to release it.





written by AWM
www.awmi.net

Truth Conquers All

The scriptures say that the Holy Spirit gives his gifts "severally as He wills" this means that he gives them to whoever he wants, whenever he wants.. basicly. Scripture also says "you have not because you ask not" and "ask and you shall receive"...

So ask, and believe that you will receive.

Remember that the power of the Holy Spirit is not for selfish gain or self glorification but to edify your fellow believers and to serve the body of Christ.

Also remember that Paul said we should be filled with the Spirit daily.. so don't think of the annointing of the Spirit as a one time event.. seek it every day, ask for it every day. If you have the discipline to start each day in prayer, that is a great time to ask the Holy Spirit to be in you and with you through the day.
Lastly, remember that the Holy Spirit manifests his gifts through you to serve the body, but his goal in you is to produce the fruit of the spirit in you.

Simon_Templar said:

Truth Conquers All

The scriptures say that the Holy Spirit gives his gifts "severally as He wills" this means that he gives them to whoever he wants, whenever he wants.. basicly. Scripture also says "you have not because you ask not" and "ask and you shall receive"...

So ask, and believe that you will receive.

Remember that the power of the Holy Spirit is not for selfish gain or self glorification but to edify your fellow believers and to serve the body of Christ.

Also remember that Paul said we should be filled with the Spirit daily.. so don't think of the annointing of the Spirit as a one time event.. seek it every day, ask for it every day. If you have the discipline to start each day in prayer, that is a great time to ask the Holy Spirit to be in you and with you through the day.
Lastly, remember that the Holy Spirit manifests his gifts through you to serve the body, but his goal in you is to produce the fruit of the spirit in you.

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Good post Simon.

Personally, I believe –IMO- every spiritual gift (I’m thinking of the ones listed in 1 Cor. 12.7-11) is available to all believers at any time they are needed. They are the tools whereby we build the Kingdom and do the works of Christ. I no longer believe that we all have our own little private gift or two. The spiritual gifts, IMO, are given to the Church, not to individuals and the Holy Spirit distributes them “to each one individually as He wills” (v.11).

When I became a Christian I took off the launching pad like a Saturn rocket. I had not “learned” anything. So I was “doing the stuff” right out of the blocks, discerning spirits, having revelations, healing the sick, exercising supernatural faith, speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do them all so I was able to do them. Then my Pentecostal teachers told me otherwise. Sure, they said, you can have one, maybe two, even rarely three gifts of the Spirit, but no one can have them all. Confused, I set out to “discover” “seek” “develop” my particular spiritual gifting and became a frustrated (as opposed to a once fulfilled) Pentecostal. And, coincidentally, I stopped operating in power.

It took me years to reexamine what I had been mis-taught and to return to my original position. The giftings are not about me and which ones are mine and which are not - its about the Church fulfilling its mission in power with the tools it needs to do the job.

So, I would urge you to begin utilizing the gifts not seeking which are “yours”. They are all “ours”. That’s what they are there for.

~Jim

This is a very inspirational thread, thanks!

Jim M said:

Personally, I believe –IMO- every spiritual gift (I’m thinking of the ones listed in 1 Cor. 12.7-11) is available to all believers at any time they are needed. They are the tools whereby we build the Kingdom and do the works of Christ. I no longer believe that we all have our own little private gift or two. The spiritual gifts, IMO, are given to the Church, not to individuals and the Holy Spirit distributes them “to each one individually as He wills” (v.11).

When I became a Christian I took off the launching pad like a Saturn rocket. I had not “learned” anything. So I was “doing the stuff” right out of the blocks, discerning spirits, having revelations, healing the sick, exercising supernatural faith, speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do them all so I was able to do them. Then my Pentecostal teachers told me otherwise. Sure, they said, you can have one, maybe two, even rarely three gifts of the Spirit, but no one can have them all. Confused, I set out to “discover” “seek” “develop” my particular spiritual gifting and became a frustrated (as opposed to a once fulfilled) Pentecostal. And, coincidentally, I stopped operating in power.

It took me years to reexamine what I had been mis-taught and to return to my original position. The giftings are not about me and which ones are mine and which are not - its about the Church fulfilling its mission in power with the tools it needs to do the job.

So, I would urge you to begin utilizing the gifts not seeking which are “yours”. They are all “ours”. That’s what they are there for.

~Jim

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EXCELLENT post, Jim!

I couldn't agree more.

Jim M said:

Personally, I believe –IMO- every spiritual gift (I’m thinking of the ones listed in 1 Cor. 12.7-11) is available to all believers at any time they are needed. They are the tools whereby we build the Kingdom and do the works of Christ. I no longer believe that we all have our own little private gift or two. The spiritual gifts, IMO, are given to the Church, not to individuals and the Holy Spirit distributes them “to each one individually as He wills” (v.11).

When I became a Christian I took off the launching pad like a Saturn rocket. I had not “learned” anything. So I was “doing the stuff” right out of the blocks, discerning spirits, having revelations, healing the sick, exercising supernatural faith, speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do them all so I was able to do them. Then my Pentecostal teachers told me otherwise. Sure, they said, you can have one, maybe two, even rarely three gifts of the Spirit, but no one can have them all. Confused, I set out to “discover” “seek” “develop” my particular spiritual gifting and became a frustrated (as opposed to a once fulfilled) Pentecostal. And, coincidentally, I stopped operating in power.

It took me years to reexamine what I had been mis-taught and to return to my original position. The giftings are not about me and which ones are mine and which are not - its about the Church fulfilling its mission in power with the tools it needs to do the job.

So, I would urge you to begin utilizing the gifts not seeking which are “yours”. They are all “ours”. That’s what they are there for.

~Jim

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Going with this idea.. the term "gift" of the Spirit is somewhat misleading. This has been mentioned by others in other threads but the word that is translated "gift" can also mean, and may be more accurately rendered as "manifestation".

The gifts of the Spirit are not things that are given like a natural talent, or a natural gift where the person posesses it and may do with it what he likes... rather the gifts are instances where the Holy Spirit manifests himself in power through a willing believer.
Understood this way the believer may function in any of the gifts at any time... it is entirely up to the Holy Spirit how he will manifest himself and it depends, I believe, upon the need in the situation.

An important point must be made when the idea of "manifestation" is brought up. Just like the idea of "gifts" it can lead to a misunderstanding. The manifestations of the Holy Spirit are not uncontrolable, posession type of events. The bible teaches that the gifts are subject to the person manifesting them. For example when the Holy Spirit manifests the gift of prophecy, the person giving the prophecy is not posessed by the Holy Spirit.. rather the Holy Spirit gives a message to the spirit of the believer and it is the believer who speaks.

The only real answer is give alms, pray, and fast (in secret).

As bad as you want those gifts, give love.

All the apostles did it. Read Matthew 6 and follow His word. Pray until you get results, and doubt not. And if you have anything against your brother, be reconciled to him. And forgive him.

As much as you want to receive, give to the poor and needy. How bad do you want it? We can't give you the gifts, only God can. Have you actually ever begged him for it? We can seek God's grace and we can be assured that if we ask according to his will, we will receive. We must ask him in the name of His Son. He and the Father are one.

[bible]mark 14:37-38[/bible]

Where are you from?

VincitOmniaVeritas said:

I'm very new to the Charismatic movement. I would really like some help seeking the gifts of the Holy Spirit ( Prophecy, tounges, etc.) I don't really know where to begin. Any help you guys could give me would be great. Also if you live in my area I'd love to visit your church if they teach about the gifts of the Spirit there.

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The gift of 'helps' and 'exhortation' are great gifts as well...why not seek those ones.

The best way to seek gifts is to seek his kingdom. Ask God for the gift that he wants you to have to better suit your situation and where you are at. As him for the gift that edifies the church you are in, the best.