View Full Transcript
Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Corinthians, chapter twelve, first letter of Paul to the Church of Corinth, chapter twelve. From verse four I'm going to read in the new American Standard Bible.
[00:00:20] Now, there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit, and there are varieties of ministries, and the same lord, and there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons, but to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.
[00:00:49] For to one is given the word of wisdom through the spirit spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, and to another gifts of healings by the one spirit, and to another the affecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
[00:01:23] But one and the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually, just as he will.
[00:01:34] For even as the body is one, and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
[00:01:47] For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any the lesson a part of the body. And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them in the body, just as he desired. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members but one body.
[00:02:54] Now we'll sing another hymn, and I want to add two more scriptures to that larger passage. First, in ephesians chapter six, verse 17 and 18.
[00:03:09] And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, with all prayer and supplication, praying at all seasons in the spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
[00:03:35] And then Romans, chapter eight, verse 26 and 27. Romans, chapter eight, verses 26 and 27.
[00:03:51] And in like manner the spirit also helpeth our infirmity. For we know not how to pray as we ought, but the spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
[00:04:23] Now we are here this evening confining ourselves to this matter of the manifestation of the spirit and corporate prayer, the manifestation of the spirit and corporate prayer. So it's not a general study on this subject, although of course, much of what I will say holds good for all the gatherings of God's people.
[00:04:57] In our last time, on Friday evening, we dealt with the Holy Spirit and corporate prayer in perhaps more general and in many ways more fundamental.
[00:05:12] In a more fundamental sense, we spoke of the absolute sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in corporate prayer. And we cannot over stress or overemphasize that one simple fact, that the Holy Spirit, if there is to be genuine corporate prayer, must be absolutely sovereign.
[00:05:41] If people make the list of suggested items sovereign, the Holy Spirit is greed. If people make their own little burdens, the sovereign thing, then the Holy Spirit is grieved. He has to be absolutely sovereign. And there is in fact no way in which we can be harmonized and express our togetherness, express our mutuality, express the fact that we're members of Christ and members one of another. There is no way for that to be expressed in practical experience, practical terms and ways than by the Holy Spirit.
[00:06:23] And if that togetherness is really to mean something, then the Holy Spirit has to be recognized by every member of the body present in a time of corporate prayer as absolutely sovereign.
[00:06:43] That means, of course, that he is the one who prompts people to pray. He is the one who burdens us. He is the one who kindles the matter in our heart. He is the one who kindles things in our hearts when someone else is praying, so that we witness to it and there is an agreement. And because there is an agreement, then the thing is established and it is settled.
[00:07:04] It is the Holy Spirit who must not only prompt and lead, but also direct and develop the whole time and bring matters to a spiritual conclusion. That is, there are times when in prayer we conclude a matter before ever it has outwardly been touched. Seemingly the matter is taken by faith in the name of the Lord Jesus. We also spoke a little bit about the purpose of prayer, which is simply that our risen Lord, who has been made head over all things to the church, that our risen Lord may be enabled to have his way and to fulfill his will and transmit his burden and give his design for the time.
[00:07:56] And the only way that is possible is by the presence and ministry of, of the Holy Spirit. And then we lastly spoke about the anointing. And you will remember we spoke for a little while about the anointing, that there is, in fact an anointing provided by the Lord for every gathering of God's people, and obviously, therefore, for every time of prayer. And it's a fresh anointing for every time. It's not just something that's stale and old and routine. It's a fresh anointing which is provided so that each gathering has its own character, sort of particular matters that the Lord would draw out and help us to really take hold of in his presence. There is an anointing, and everything depends upon whether we follow that anointing. If we recognize the anointing and obey the anointing, then we will be together and we shall be kept in life, and the whole time will be as the Lord said in psalm 133. For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore.
[00:09:02] There is not only a oneness hold. How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, but there is also a refreshment. It is like the dew of harmon that comes down upon the mountains of Zion.
[00:09:19] Well, now, this evening I want to deal specifically with this matter of the manifestation of the spirit in the time of prayer. Of course, we must say this right at the very beginning, that in one sense, all true prayer is a manifestation in itself of the spirit.
[00:09:43] Thats why I read Romans 826 27. For there its not only that we should pray in the spirit, but that the prayer of the spirit is in us.
[00:09:56] And there is something very, very wonderful, because in many ways, the deepest mystery about prayer is that what gets out in audible, understandable words is like the tip of an iceberg.
[00:10:12] The majority is hidden and is inaudible. And yet this is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believers. And someone will say straight away, ah, yes, but for those who are the greatest of all saints. But it says, for in Romans eight it says this very in like manner of the spirit also helpeth our infirmity, for we know not how to pray as we ought.
[00:10:37] How wonderful then that is, that there is in fact in us this ministry of the Holy Spirit, deeper than utterance, deeper than words, deeper than even a tongue, something that cannot get out in any kind of audible language, but which is the intercession of the Holy Spirit in us and is according to the will of God. Now, genuine prayer is, in that sense, always a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
[00:11:19] Most of it is buried deep within our spirit.
[00:11:23] And that which comes out in words is, as it were, the manifestation, the uncovering of the mind of the Holy Spirit as he enables us in our poor words, to pour out our soul to God.
[00:11:44] Well, now let's, having said that, look at this matter of prayer in the Spirit and the manifestation of the Spirit.
[00:11:53] We've already seen that all true prayer is in the Spirit. As it says in Ephesians 618, praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance, or Jude, verse 20, praying always in the holy spirit. Now, we've seen that that is not just speaking in tongues, as some would have us understand. It includes that, but it is far, far greater than that. It is a dimension into which, as it were, we enter. When we pray, we pray in the spirit. It's, as it were.
[00:12:35] His burden gives rise to our prayer. He conceives the prayer, he prompts the prayer, he leads the prayer, he enables us in this way to pray. We're in and under the anointing.
[00:12:51] He's the one, as I've already said, who harmonizes us. Corporate prayer is in the realm and dimension of the spirit. Now, if this is true, and it is true, prayer in the spirit must include the manifestation of the spirit.
[00:13:13] That seems surely to follow. If really were going to pray at all seasons in the spirit, there must be times when the Holy Spirit will manifest himself in our times of prayer in specific ways, not just in this general sense, that all prayer is a manifestation of the spirit, but in specific ways. Now note very carefully this word in one corinthians, chapter twelve and verse seven.
[00:13:44] But to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit to profit withal. The new american standard puts it like this. But to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. To each one is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.
[00:14:07] This word manifestation just literally means to make visible or to make clear or to make known.
[00:14:18] And essentially, it has this idea of uncovering or laying bare or revealing. Now, when we understand that, we understand what this manifestation of the Spirit is all about. It's not exhibitionism, it's not just the supernatural.
[00:14:37] It is that the Holy Spirit is uncovering his mind, uncovering the mind of Christ, uncovering the will of Christ, uncovering, as it were, the burden of Christ, the direction of Christ. It's being unburdened, it's being laid bare, it's being revealed, it's being made clear. Sometimes in prayer, we dimly understand what the mind of the Lord is about a matter, but it's not clear.
[00:15:06] Now, the manifestation of the spirit can give a crystal clarity to our time of prayer by, as we're pinpointing something which makes us, everyone, every member of the body, and saying, this is it, the manifestation of the spirit makes a matter clear.
[00:15:24] You understand?
[00:15:26] It makes sometimes a matter known, makes known something. There are times when we just need to know something. We're not quite sure what we're up against. We just feel all kinds of things in the atmosphere. We don't know what it is. We just feel it. And the enemy whispers in Aria straight away and says, oh, this is because of so and so or this, is this because of this or that or the other, maybe nothing to do with it at all. So we end all. We end up with lots of cross currents going backwards and forwards which destroy any possibility of the Holy Spirit harmonizing them. It's a wonderful thing when there can be a manifestation of the spirit by which it is made known that the enemy is contesting something and seeking to sit on this time just an uncovering, a revelation of the mind of the Lord. It seems to me so absolutely spiritually logical. If the Lord Jesus has been made head over all things to the church, it seems to me logical to expect that he who is the head would in some way make known to us in practical terms how we are to pray or what we are to pray for. There are times when we don't need any special manifestation of the spirit. We have absolutely clear, all of us. But there are other times when we're not clear and when we need to have that revelation, that manifestation, that uncovering, that laying bare, as it were, the heart of God by the spirit of God, or the mind of God by the spirit of God, or the will of God by the spirit of. Of God. Now, I want you also to note the little word to profit. In our old version, it says, to profit withal. To each one is given the manifestation of the spirit, to profit withal.
[00:17:17] And the word is really advantage. That's all. That's why the way it's put is this toward profiting, toward advantage. To each one is given this laying bare, as it were, of the Spirit, this uncovering of the Spirit, this making clear of the Spirit, toward advantage. That's all for the common good. That's how the new american standard puts it, very lucidly, for the common good.
[00:17:50] Now, do you begin to see something now here about this whole matter of praying in the Spirit and the manifestation of the Spirit? Of course, it seems that if we're really all going to be in on this thing and all clear and all together and all harmonized, there are times when the Holy Spirit will manifest himself in some way and thus clarify things.
[00:18:17] And what is it all for? For the common good. So that we all are together in this matter. We're all in on the good of it. It's for the profit of the whole body. Now will you also note, it is to each one, to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit. The whole context of this one verse is the body of Christ. Now if you look in the verses preceding and if you look in all the verses succeeding, you will find that the whole context is the body of Christ.
[00:18:57] And thus to each member of the body of Christ is the manifestation of the spirit given for the common good. Now we have already seen on previous evenings that the principle of corporate prayer is mutuality or togetherness.
[00:19:20] In other words, we have seen that the principle of corporate prayer is that we are one body in Christ.
[00:19:35] We are one body in Christ. We belong to one another. Not one single one of us has it all.
[00:19:42] We belong to him and to one another.
[00:19:46] We are not one body of Christ, but one body in Christ. That's a little more. We are one body of Christ. But it's, it's something more to say. We are one body in Christ. Now that's romans twelve five if you want to check it. We are one body in Christ. Now, in practice, how can we know in practical experience in times of corporate prayer that we are one body in Christ? Our risen head wants to transmit his mind, wants to make known his will, wants to act through us in the place prayer, I say, you see that we are right back to this verse. To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.
[00:20:37] In other words, for the body really to function, every single one of us must be available to the Holy Spirit's ministry so that he can manifest himself in just the way he sovereignly will in any time of prayer.
[00:20:59] Now this seems to make sense to me. When you get Matthew 18, verse 19 and 20, you will remember those words again. I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together into my name, there am I in the midst of them.
[00:21:28] Now there we have this whole thought of being in the body. You remember what we said about being gathered into the name of the Lord, what it really means to be in the body of Christ, to be in him. Alright, now I want you to see that this we find also in Ephesians six. In Ephesians chapter six, it says to us that we are to put on the whole armor of God. Verse eleven. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. And then it goes on, verse 13. Wherefore take up the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, stand, therefore having girded your loins with truth and so on. Now, some people get into a neurotic state over this armor business. You know, they sort of remember to put on the helmet of salvation and then they remember to put something on their feet.
[00:22:23] Preparation of the gospel of peace. And they forget the loins, or they get onto the breastplate, or they forget the shield. And you know, some people, even when they put the whole lot on, sort of thing, feel somewhere they've missed a piece, you know, they couldn't possibly go out, because I'm sure that I should get into a kind of neurotic state where all the time you're sort of going. But in actual fact, this armor of God is the Lord Jesus, who is truth. He is truth.
[00:22:57] It is his faith, the faith which is in the son of God. Do you understand?
[00:23:03] It's all there, every part of it. The helmet of salvation. The Lord Jesus is our salvation. The feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. It is his gospel. Do you understand? He is our peace, who has made of two one new man. And so we can go on. You see, when you see it like this, you understand how the apostle puts it in another letter, Romans 1314, he says, put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh to fulfillment, which is just putting it another way. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the whole armour of God. Now, you see, it's in the plural, that Ephesians six. The command in Ephesians six is to all of us as members of Christ. We are to put on the whole armor. We have to take our position in Christ.
[00:23:51] And then when we've taken our position in Christ, we are to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, with all prayer and supplication, praying at all seasons in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance. Now, you see, what I'm trying to get at is this togetherness in prayer, this mutuality, this being agreed, so that the matter is settled in heaven by our Father can only be experienced as we pray in the spirit.
[00:24:31] All right, everyone's agreed there. I think it is precisely in this connection that the Holy Spirit manifests himself as he will, through different members of the body.
[00:24:49] There are times when we need to know what the enemy is doing and what the aim of the enemy is. There are times when we need to know what is behind a particular problem.
[00:25:05] Otherwise we can beat around the bush for not only hours, but weeks, and the thing is never touched because the finger of God has not been placed upon the facts of the matter and therefore we are unable to really deal with it.
[00:25:31] You notice that this manifestation of the spirit is given to each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.
[00:25:43] Now here just a little word that I think we need to say.
[00:25:48] We must understand and get this quite clear in our hearts that although there are people who have permanent gifts, there are those people who are given as gifts to the church. For instance, take the prophet.
[00:26:05] Here's someone who has the gift of prophecy, but he is, or she is, he is a prophet and maybe prophetess, thats a gift. There may be someone who has a particular gift in interpreting tongues, that may be something that is a permanent gift in them. But we must also understand that the manifestation of the spirit is not just permanently located in members of the body, but can revolve if you like. In other words, the Holy Spirit at any given moment can, for instance, how can I put it? Can speak through a person who's never prophesied before.
[00:26:48] You understand, or to another. A word of knowledge may be given. They may never have had a word of knowledge given to them before, but it can be given to them, may be manifested in them. And all of you have known that in faith there are some people who have the gift of faith. Hudson Taylor had the gift of faith. George Muller had the gift of faith. Gladys Aylward had the gift of faith. There are others who have got the gift of faith. It's permanently located in them. They are gifts to the body of Christ. And their gift was to be those who exercised faith. But have you ever not known in a time of prayer or in a time of great upheaval, when suddenly you know in your heart, in an unusual way that something is done, the Holy Spirit has manifested himself in you as faith.
[00:27:35] The gift of faith has suddenly been manifested. You know it. You know it.
[00:27:39] Your gift to the church is not that you. You are one who has been given the gift of faith in a peculiar way. But there are times when it's manifested in you. And now this lifts everything from this awful, stale business where you've got certain people who've got a kind of routine type gift.
[00:27:58] It's so amazing, it's so wonderful when it's the one Holy Spirit who simply manifests himself through the body.
[00:28:06] It is the body. Do you understand? At any given moment, he can. You see, in this matter, we don't always need healers.
[00:28:15] That is a gift to the church. But there are times when God can give the gift of healing and someone who's never had it before knows in their heart and can go and pray for somebody and that person's touched and healed because it is a gift of the Lord. I remember David du Plessis saying a long time ago that something that at first sort of shook me, and then I thought a lot about and thought, I think he's right. He said, you know, people say to me, oh, how wonderful, brother, you've got the gift of healing. He said, no, no, no, I haven't got the gift of healing. It's the person who got healed who got the gift.
[00:28:53] Now that is our most wonderful way of looking at something.
[00:28:58] You see, he said it was a gift of our Lord Jesus Christ through the spirit, by me, I was the vehicle. But the gift came from the Lord Jesus. And who received the gift? I didn't receive the gift. The person who got healed got the gift.
[00:29:15] Now, in one sense, of course, we've got to be careful, but it does at least get to a point that, you see, the Holy Spirit can manifest himself at any given moment. And this transforms our gatherings into something very thrilling and exciting. Of course, thank God that we've got permanent gifts amongst us. Praise God for that. But isn't it wonderful that we haven't all got to sit there in a kind of dullness waiting for brother so and so to perform?
[00:29:43] But we can actually all look to the Holy Spirit at any given moment. The Holy Spirit may use you just as he will. That's what he means when he says, he distributes. You see, it says here in verse eleven, but one and the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually, just as he wills.
[00:30:11] Now, in this matter of prayer, it is just that that we need to understand. The Holy Spirit may manifest the gift of prophecy or a word of knowledge or faith in any member of the body of Christ as he sees fit and for the common good.
[00:30:33] And in this way, the whole body is saved from a schism in this sense that we all belong to each other. It would be wonderful if someone like myself from my point of view only had certain gifts and you were all utterly dependent upon me for those but in the building you see when it comes to the building of the house of God from without to within well I've got certain gifts, others have got certain gifts we may have been given prophetic gifts, we may have been given evangelistic gifts we may have been given other kinds of gifts they've been given to us teaching gifts that are for the building house but the body builds itself up in love and this kind of manifestation of the Holy Spirit is for the building up of the body of it itself supposing that the communists swept over our country or some other fascist type of system and swept all the prophets, all the pastors, all the teachers and all the evangelists and all the healers and all the workers of miracles and everyone who's got any kind of big responsible position and put them all in jail and then martyred the lot.
[00:31:47] Now are you going to tell me that that's the end of the church?
[00:31:50] I hope not. The whole point is this, there is another side to the church we dont always need great prophets and apostles and all the rest of it if only we had learnt this from the beginning and said theres one man complex weve all got it would have saved us a tremendous amount. If we were all to look to the Lord and were available to the Holy Spirit then at any given moment he can manifest himself here in prophecy, here in a word of knowledge, there in wisdom, here in faith and you of course understand I'm confining myself to what we're talking about the manifestation of the spirit all the other things as well contributing hymn or part of the word or a word of revelation or all these other they're all there as well now the second thing I just want to say very simply is this I want to mention I want to underline the strategic nature of the manifestation of the spirit in corporate prayer now I think if you begin to see this it will help you in your whole understanding of this matter the strategic nature of the manifestation of the Spirit in corporate prayer more than any other matter in corporate prayer it is the direction of the Holy Spirit that is connected with his manifestation now I'll say that again in corporate prayer more than any other subject or matter it is the direction of the Holy Spirit that is connected with his manifestation now do you understand what I mean?
[00:33:39] We vitally need direction in prayer you all know the kind of prayer meeting where we have no direction, we drift.
[00:33:48] And what happens when we drift? We all fall back on routine, and so we just go around the sort of thing, you know, doing what we feel might at least touch something or other. Okay.
[00:34:04] And then, of course, before we know where we are, weve got the sermonettes and the information giving and the pieces of various sort of parts of the word, and then all the other things come in. Because were drifting, weve got no clear direction on the matter.
[00:34:24] But when the Holy Spirit gives direction, then the whole time is transformed into a powerhouse.
[00:34:34] And every single time, a prayer that youve ever known, clear direction from the Lord has been a dynamic time.
[00:34:41] Dynamic. Just because of the direction of the Holy Spirit, we vitally need direction in prayer. And thats why I say that the manifestation of the spirit is singularly connected with the direction of the Holy Spirit. How can he direct us? Now, let me try to explain what I mean.
[00:35:07] We want to know what is the will of the Lord in this particular matter?
[00:35:12] What is the will of the Lord in this particular. We dont know what the will of the Lord is in this matter.
[00:35:20] Sometimes the Holy Spirit manifests himself in such a way that it becomes clear what is his will.
[00:35:26] It's not that someone gives us their opinion, but rather that perhaps in different ways, somehow or other, someone communicates something from the Lord that's clear. Sometimes it comes to the reading of a scripture that is burning in that person's heart, and that scripture has become a word of prophecy.
[00:35:48] And the direction of the spirit of God has come into that time of prayer. Now, I have seen in our times of prayer, when someone has given a scripture, another soul has taken it up, because for some reason, I think most people are half asleep. Probably you are this evening. I don't know.
[00:36:07] It's only natural that we sort of rest a little while and doze for a while whilst. And I often feel this in our times of prayer, I think people are just dozing and then suddenly they wake up and then they sort of come in, because they sometimes they pray, had no relationship whatsoever to anything that's gone before.
[00:36:29] Or if they have very little relationship, you know, that kind of general kind of relationship. It's not specific, but when we are awake and watchful and the Lord has said something, then it's sort of incumbent upon every member of the body to rise up, to take that, and if we don't, we lose everything. Now, here is the serious nature of this matter, I'm glad to say the Lord covers us and understands our failings in this way.
[00:37:05] But it is better not to pray for a matter than to raise a matter and not carry it through to conclusion.
[00:37:15] Every time you touch the enemy on a sore spot, he does not forget.
[00:37:24] And thats why it is tremendously important when we raise a matter to take it through and not just let it go. Otherwise, those clouds of heaviness and death we sometimes feel are a direct result of the fact that weve raised a matter and been left and left it in weeks.
[00:37:47] Then the enemy takes advantage and we don't understand it often. Now, I just mentioned that what is the will of the Lord? Another thing I could say is, what are the facts about a particular problem? We have a problem before us for prayer. We are going to pray. Maybe it's a particular person, maybe it's a person's circumstances. Maybe it's something, some situation abroad here is a real problem. It's all very well to say, lord, give them wisdom.
[00:38:12] But maybe, you see, the Lord would give us the facts. Now he doesn't always do this, but what I'm trying to say is that there are times when we need to know the facts. Now that is a word of knowledge.
[00:38:24] Knowledge is just the facts, and the Holy Spirit can transmit it. Now, doesn't it again, may I put it this way. Doesn't it stand to common sense to reason that the Holy Spirit, who is the supreme intelligence, knows everything that is happening at once all through the world? There is not a thing that the Holy Spirit doesn't know. You see, we can't take in that kind of thing. I mean, we just haven't got that kind of mind. We couldn't take in everything that's happening all at once, not only in thousands of individual lives, but in localities, in companies of the Lord's people, in nations, amongst the nations. We couldn't take it all. But the Holy Spirit takes the whole. He knows everything, every single thing. And furthermore, there is not a single life that isn't open before him. People talk about psychiatrists. The Holy Spirit can see through every person. He knows what makes them tick. He knows their kind of mind, their background, what their motivating forces, the factors that lie behind them. He knows it all. Now listen, when a company of people start to pray, the Holy Spirit can start to transmit that. Now, it's not always in a way that is clear in the sense that there's a word of knowledge or word of wisdom. But it's often you find, I found it again in these schools of prayer people have prayed for someone and they don't. No one there knows anything about that person. They live thousands of miles away from where the school of prayer is taking place. And yet I have heard people prayed for as if some of those folks have known that person all their life. You know, it's been a real experience for myself because I've seen people start to pray and then one layer goes off and then someone else says, lord, I feel this is the thing. And it's taken up and they strip off another layer. And then before long, you've got. And you know, to your amazement, you find that they've got down to the root of the problem. Now, who else could have transmitted to those people what are the facts about that life but the spirit of God? Who else knew the person?
[00:40:25] I mean, there are times when we need to know the facts, and that's a word of knowledge. There are times when we need to know what to do with the facts. It's all very well to know the facts sometimes, but they can be very depressing. The fact is, we sometimes need to know, have a word of wisdom. We know.
[00:40:42] What should our response be to these facts? What action should we take in prayer?
[00:40:50] You see, some of us, we use sort of like a sledgehammer in prayer. Really. Basically, our way of attacking everything is simply to take a sledgehammer and batter the thing into pieces.
[00:41:03] There are times when the law would take a knife and simply cut out one affected area with one or two strokes. Just get rid of the whole thing. Now this is what I mean by manifestation of spirit. Supposing we're praying for a spiritual problem. We'll say we're praying for someone who is totally blind and bound and is obviously oppressed by the devil. Now, there are times when we need to know a distinguishing of spirits.
[00:41:41] For some reason, whatever spirit it is will not release their hold of that lie till the spirit is identified.
[00:41:51] But once it is identified, it will go.
[00:41:57] And that's where we need sometimes to have this distinguishing, this discerning of spirits, to know what's behind a situation. Don't always think that it's only people who are demon possessed of anything to do with this. Sometimes it's a situation where there's a spirit, a particular kind spirit that's sitting on the whole thing. And you can pray and pray and pray, but until you've got that revelation, do you understand?
[00:42:22] Now, sometimes we need faith to take a position or maintain it. You know, we prayed about a certain matter for some while we need faith and you know, you can go on and you find this again and again. You go on, and suddenly everyone's prayer becomes unbelief.
[00:42:41] And then you need faith. Now, sometimes a person has got faith and they may actually pray, thanking the Lord for it. And not always, but if we're only all alive to it, there may be a time when we all rise up and say, yes, that's right. We know it in our heart that the Holy Spirit has manifested himself in that person's faith. And now, as it were, we all, we have a witness in our hearts that it's right. Sometimes we have to maintain a position. Having taken a position, we lose it because there isn't the faith.
[00:43:12] Sometimes we need a word of correction or a word of encouragement or a word of comfort. How sad it is that so often in our times of prayer, there's hardly ever a word that perhaps would just correct us or just encourage us or just comfort us. We don't all the time need it. But there are times, I'm absolutely sure, where such a word from the Lord would lift us all up and strengthens. It confirms our feeble knees.
[00:43:41] As the old hymn says, when such a word comes. So very often in the warfare of prayer, our hearts and spirits become weighed down by enemy pressure, or we become confused and weakened by his tactics and devices. It is precisely here that we need to know the manifestation of the spirit.
[00:44:09] At times, all we need to know are the facts about the heaviness.
[00:44:15] Why have we got this heaviness on us? We just need to know it's the enemy.
[00:44:21] Then we know what to do.
[00:44:24] There are other times when it may be another tactic, and we need a real help from the Lord as to how to face it. You see, sometimes we need to just praise the Lord. You may, and many of you, I know, have found this, that one way sometimes through the enemy is to ignore him altogether and to just praise the Lord as if the enemy is not even there. And that finishes him. The whole situation had broken open. Another time we have to declare the facts, knowing full well at the end, we recognize him and we declare the facts about the situation.
[00:44:57] That is from God's point of view. There are other times when we need to be still.
[00:45:04] Ive not seen that often because people just never hear the word of the Lord in this way. Sometimes the way through a situation is just simply to do nothing and to be still. That is the greatest expression of faith there can be.
[00:45:18] Now you see what I mean by this manifestation of the spirit. At times, all we just need to enter in to something of the mind of our Lord. For this particular time, Elvis and head knows exactly what we need to do and how we should do it.
[00:45:39] And by the manifestation of the spirit, he directs us.
[00:45:45] Now, the gifts of the spirit are the equipment or the tools or the weapons with which we can do the job the Lord wants us to do.
[00:46:00] And whilst those gifts are of much wider application than just prayer, corporate prayer, they are strategic and vital if we are to be directed accurately and efficiently. Now, I sometimes think that, you know, if we knew a little more of this, some of our times of prayer could be cut down considerably.
[00:46:27] We just wouldn't need to go round and round and round and round the matter, because the Lord could give us the right tools, he could direct us to the right tools. So simple, just equipment.
[00:46:44] To me, it's amazing. I mean, you wouldn't think of trying to somehow or other mend a car engine with a paintbrush.
[00:46:53] But some christians will try, as it were, spiritually. They just seem to be trying to paint a house with a spanner and mend a car engine with a paintbrush.
[00:47:07] They seem to think that as long as you've got any weapon that does for anything, that's okay, that's all that's needed.
[00:47:12] But the gifts of the spirit, of the equipment with which to get a job done, thats all.
[00:47:19] And if we only knew that and knew it in experience more, how much more efficiently and accurately could jobs be done?
[00:47:31] Now there are some practical points, and we will finish often the Holy Spirit unable to manifest himself in the way we need, because we are not open or available to him for such a ministration.
[00:47:52] I am convinced that there are times when the Lord would very simply, in our district, times of prayer be able to help us no end. But the problem is, no one is available.
[00:48:06] People seem to have got the idea that because were there for prayer, theres nothing else.
[00:48:11] They dont seem to understand that there is equipment and tools also for prayer.
[00:48:18] And if we were open and ready for that, the Lord could use us.
[00:48:22] Weve seen, I hope, that corporate prayer is a matter of being available to the Holy Spirit.
[00:48:29] Its not just doing our little bit, saying our little piece, and then having done our duty, that's our turn.
[00:48:39] It is that we are available to the Holy Spirit for as many times as he wants to use our lips in the place of corporate prayer. In the same way, we need to widen the range of our availability to include the manifestation of the Spirit.
[00:48:54] Now, many of you immediately say to yourself, well, I don't know. I haven't had some sensational and dramatic experience. But, you know, don't let the enemy get hold of you. Many of you have times of prayer in the past come up afterwards and said things about a situation which has been a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom.
[00:49:16] And there are other times when someone says, you know, I've got this, and they've got something, but they have never communicated it, something that which could have helped the whole time.
[00:49:30] Often to many of us, the Holy Spirit has given some sense or some knowledge about the prayer time or about the matters we are praying for. If only we were available to the spirit that such could be communicated under the government of the Spirit.
[00:49:53] Now, im not saying that we should just turn times of prayer into just times for the exercise of gifts. What I'm just saying is this, that if we were only available, there are times when we're praying about matters when the Holy Spirit would just like to help us that little more and give us a greater clarity, uncover something for us, and enable us to go through.
[00:50:17] No gift can ever be exercised apart from the Holy Spirit. We need to know not only his indwelling and empowering, but a being filled from day to day. And thats another reason why so often we dont owe any manifestation of the spirit in this way.
[00:50:36] We need to be filled from day to day. In such a way, he will enable us to stir up the gift that is within us. Otherwise, the thing dies.
[00:50:48] All gifts, every apparent manifestation of the spirit, must be subject to the church.
[00:50:58] The rest of the members of the body must test and try everything of that order. What is of the Lord must be acted upon. What is not of the Lord must be rejected and left.
[00:51:13] Now mistakes will be made, but providing all learned, there will be no harm, only progress.
[00:51:21] In every other sphere, we make mistakes. For instance, who here has not made a mistake in prayer since the day they were saved? If youve opened your mouth in times of prayer, you must have made a mistake sometime.
[00:51:38] We all have. I have. You have, but it hasnt destroyed the whole work, has it?
[00:51:44] Of course not. We've learned from it. We've learned from our mistakes and gone on in the same way. Who preaches and doesn't make a mistake? I don't know a single person or any anointed preacher who hasn't made real mistakes in preaching.
[00:52:01] But we go on. Our whole ministry isn't destroyed by mistakes that we make in preaching. We often learn a tremendous amount from it. What about witnessing?
[00:52:12] Everyone has made mistakes in witnessing.
[00:52:16] I can think of some of the most dreadful mistakes that have been made in witnessing and in outreach. Just think of the terrible things we did when we were younger in the Lord.
[00:52:29] But, I mean, the kingdom of heaven didn't collapse, did it?
[00:52:34] I mean, we came through. We're still here. And by the grace of God, we've learned now, in this same way, we're bound to make mistakes in this matter of the exercise of gifts or the manifestation of the spirit. But if only we are prepared to learn and to go forward with the Lord, then there will be minimal harm, the kind of harm that the Holy Spirit can turn, in fact, into good.
[00:53:09] When, however, gifts are used to manipulate a company or impose someone's will or opinion, that is falsehood and must be energetically rejected.
[00:53:23] That's something we always have to watch when a person uses so called gifts to try and manipulate lives or people, or impose upon a company of God's people their own particular opinion or conception.
[00:53:42] If someone continuously uses gifts in a wrong way or in a soulish manner, the responsible brethren should speak to that one in a time of prayer. It is the purpose of that time which governs the use of gifts. So if really the purpose of this time of corporate prayer is to get things done, we're not all going to speak in tongues at the top of our voices, as I've heard in some places. And they say, well, of course, the Lord understands it all, but that is not corporate prayer.
[00:54:18] Let us all speak to the Lord in language of devotion and worship at home, and let the Lord use us in that way when he wants to say something particular. But it's the purpose and character of the time of prayer that must govern the use of such gifts, that there are gifts that God would use. Sometimes a word of prophecy, sometimes a word of knowledge, sometimes a word of wisdom, sometimes faith, sometimes the discerning of spirits, and so on and so forth.
[00:54:49] The manifestation of the spirit is always through faith.
[00:54:54] We need to be careful that we do not exercise a gift on the basis of emotion or feeling. Do be careful of this thing. Some people seem to have got the idea that the only time you ever use a gift is when you're engulfed with a wave of emotion and feeling, and then you're right to use the gift. Be careful.
[00:55:20] The basis for all the manifestation of the spirit is faith, and faith alone. Now, what do I mean that when you know God has given you something, you will have every doubt and fear in the world?
[00:55:37] Then if you open your mouth, it's faith.
[00:55:41] Now, didn't that happen with you, with prayer.
[00:55:46] Do be careful of this kind of idea of the Holy Spirit that manipulates you, and you have to do it. And you have to say certain words. It's heathen.
[00:55:55] It's heathen. It's nothing to do with the Lord.
[00:56:01] The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. Whenever the Holy Spirit really speaks through a person, even where, even when the person cannot understand the words he or she uses, in the sense that they can't understand the full meaning, they do hear and understand the words they're using, if you understand what I mean on the surface, now get that clear, because you will get these people who tell you that I just had to do it. I just had to do it. I was set up on my feet, and I had to do it. That's not real inspiration at all. That is not faith. That is feeling. And therein lies all the danger. But when you're full of doubt and faith, you know you've got something from the Lord, you've got some insight into something. Suddenly it's come to you. Something's come to you from God. You know it. Then suddenly something comes. Don't be silly. Don't be silly.
[00:56:56] You're gonna make a fool of yourself. You contribute that, they'll all sit on you, and that'll be the end.
[00:57:03] And then you'll go out and you'll feel just squashed.
[00:57:06] But you can be sure that the very fact that the enemy is trying to shut you up is the fact that there's some value in what God has given you.
[00:57:15] And if you will only step forward in faith, then you will know a real manifestation of the spirit. That's what happened with many of us in prayer, isn't it? We couldn't pray. We got so afraid. Don't be afraid on that kind of emotion. I remember the first time I prayed. Well, I nearly went. I was nearly paralyzed. I felt something going all up my neck. And everything else wasn't the spirit of God, of course. It was just sheer fate.
[00:57:37] But in the end, I prayed.
[00:57:40] And I was very young indeed, but I prayed and I prayed in faith.
[00:57:46] And so that's how always we have to.
[00:57:52] Many times such manifestations of the spirit come through some word of scripture. Don't despise that, but honor it.
[00:58:02] Such contribution of scripture under the government of the spirit may be a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom or a word of prophecy, and must be taken up and acted upon. We've certainly found that in our history again and again and again and again that the Lord has used that kind of thing and we've known the way ahead. This whole house wouldn't have been brought back for scriptures in that way. Many other things that we went into came to us in the way that the Lord spoke to us in times of prayer. As someone had some word on their heart and was able just quietly to read it and didn't try to follow it in prayer, but just read it and left it to be judged by the rest. And so when we knew it was the Lord, we were able to go forward. Well, now there's just something upon this whole matter.
[00:58:53] I just wish with all my heart that we could be more open in this matter. I know we are but free from sort of falsehood and counterfeit, and yet know in the most wonderful, spontaneous way this kind of manifestation of the spirit in our times of prayer. Shall we just pray now? Dear Lord, we just want to very, very simply bow here in thy presence and ask, Lord, that thou wilt thyself. Teach us something more about this matter of the manifestation of thy spirit in prayer. We give ourselves to thee, dear Lord. We pray that, Lord, thou wilt thyself.
[00:59:37] Make it clear to us and help us, Lord, break all that bondage or fear, all that inhibits and grant, Lord, that we may know that liberty of thy Holy Spirit. And we ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
