BECOMING A PRAYER WARRIOR – A GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE AND POWERFUL PRAYER BY: ELIZABETH ALVES - SESSION II (Chapter 5) UNDERSTANDING THE HOLY SPIRIT 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. ---I Corinthians 12:4-6 The Holy Spirit’s personality has many facets. He is a person, and just as you and I experience different emotions and express ourselves in diverse ways, so does the Holy Spirit. But he never moves outside of God’s word, or exalts or calls attention to the flesh. When I was taught this truth in Bible school, I began to understand the personality of the Holy Spirit in a whole new way. I also began to understand why people have so many different responses during a worship service, a prayer group or any other meeting. Have you ever been in a service where the power of the Holy Spirit was so present and sweet that you felt like everyone should just be still, reverencing the Lord? Then you turned to the person standing next to you and realized that he, instead, was full of joy and excitement. He just wanted to sing, clap or move about. And you wanted to say, “Shh, don’t you know that the presence of the Lord is in this place!” He, on the other hand, didn’t understand why you were so somber. Perhaps both of you thought the other was missing the move of the Spirit; however, the Holy Spirit was operating in a different facet through each of you. Isn’t this contrary to the character and harmony of the Lord? No! For example, men and women in the Church do not all look alike, dress alike, talk alike or act alike. Neither do they act or look the same every day; they change day to day. The same is true with the Spirit of the Lord in you. As you yield to Him, the Holy Spirit will choose to move through you as He desires. THE FACETS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Because the Holy Spirit is a person, He has many facets to His personality. We could spend the remainder of this book studying the numerous traits within His character; however, in this chapter we will explore only eight. • CONVICTING OR PLEADING: John 16:8, 9 says that “He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.” It is this facet that draws a person to Jesus. The Holy Spirit keeps His finger on what is wrong until the issue is settled. He often operates this way in church services. Billy Graham reportedly told a group of ministers in Greensboro, North Carolina, when asked, What is the secret to your ministry? “if there is a secret to my ministry, it is not my secret, it is the secret of the Holy Spirit. There are two things that I rely on heavily – first is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, and second, I say ‘the Bible says,”. Conviction can be a beautiful thing, but it can also be very painful. When the conviction of the Holy Spirit moves upon a person, many emotions are aroused. Don’t interrupt when the Holy Spirit is dealing with someone; wait upon the timing of the Lord, Pray and lend yourself as an assistant to Him. I’ve never met anyone with who God is dealing who does not become obnoxious. Unfortunately that’s when we often blow it because we react in a like manner. • CLEANSING: The censorial nature of the Holy Spirit is the holy cry (righteous indignation) within you that causes you to hate sin or to take authority over the devil. The Spirit of the Lord rises up within you that cause you to hate sin that destroys the people of God. This is the facet of the Holy Spirit that Jesus operated in when He cleansed the Temple: And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to cast out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? but you have made it a robbers’ den” (Mark 11:15-17) Jesus was angry at the sin committed against the physical temple of God, not at the people. It is the same today, only now His children are the temple of the Living God – one not made of stone. Today when the Lord desires to cleanse His temples (people). He moves through the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. Paul tell us in Ephesians 4:26, 27 to “be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” When the Holy Spirit moves through you in such a way, you will experience God’s anger through righteous indignation, and yet not sin against the Lord. This kind of anger does not give place to Satan; it has an exact opposite effect. A well-known Bible teacher describes righteous indignation in this way; “It is the Holy cry of the inner man by the Holy Spirit whereby the Spirit of god and the spirit of man in union cry out against that which is immoral, sinful, unjust and destructive to god’s kingdom and to the body, soul and spirit of man.” This facet of the Holy Spirit not only moves in righteous indignation against the sinful nature of others but also against that which is sinful in you. It can be painful when the Spirit of the Lord begins to deal with your own nature in those things that are not pleasing to Him. As you allow His Spirit to drive out that which is unholy and unrighteous within you, you too will experience His cleansing power and this facet of His personality. • COMMUNION: This facet of the Holy Spirit desires a time of communion and fellowship with you. Communion is the exchanging of ideas, opinions, thoughts or feelings. The word “communion” interchanges with the word “communicate.” The Lord wants you to come into His presence; he wants to share with you what is in His heart, and to hear what is on yours. In John 17, Jesus prays what is known as the High Priestly prayer. He prays to the Father for us to have the communion and fellowship with each other that They shared: “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who all believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee” (vv. 20,21). There are times when the Lord just wants to commune with you. He does this through many avenues, such as prayer, praise, worship, meditation and the study of God’s Word. And the more you commune with Him, the more you will know Him and the other facets of the Holy Spirit’s personality. • COMPASSIONATE: Compassion is a facet of the Lord that carries with it an inner emotion. In Greek “to have compassion” literally means to have the bowels yearn…a yearning deep within the intestine. This is more than just a sympathetic concern; it creates an identity deep within that brings about the miraculous. Every place in Scripture stating that Jesus was “filled with compassion” brings with it a demonstration of the power of God for miracles. Jesus had compassion for the hungry and fed them all; he healed the blind, raised the dead, cast out demons and cleansed the leper. Jesus was always touched by the Spirit of Compassion when he saw His people like sheep without a shepherd. (see Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 6:34; 8:2 and Luke 7:13.) • COUNSELING: Jesus said it would be advantageous that He go away and that He send a Counselor (Helper) to lead you and guide you into all truth. The Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears; He will speak (see John 16). The Holy Spirit will teach and instruct through you. A counselor not only gives advice but also exchanges opinions and ideas with you, helping you to reach a decision or set a direction. He is one called alongside to help. This facet of the Holy Spirit counsels you and speaks through you to help you counsel others. Have you ever been to lunch with someone who had a problem or need? You opened your mouth, and out came wisdom that even you marveled at. You were such a help to that person, you decided to meet the following week and talk again. But the next week the same wisdom and counsel were not there. What happened? The power of the Holy Spirit was present the first time, but the next week He did not come in the same way: But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you (John 14:26, Amp.). • COMMANDING: This is the preemptory facet of the Lord. His command terminates all debates or action. Webster’s Dictionary says, “…implies authority, power to control, and to require obedience.” In Greek it means “to appoint or place appropriately, to appoint over and to put in charge.” Jesus was in a boat with His disciples, and a storm began to rage. His disciples became afraid and woke Jesus up because they thought they were perishing. Jesus commanded the storm to cease. And they [his disciples] came to Him and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” and being aroused, He rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” (Luke 8:24,25). When you issue a command in the power of the Spirit of the Lord, you have the authority. You don’t have to ask for it or demand it; it is yours by virtue of the Spirit of God. You cannot issue a command and expect results unless the Spirit of the Lord so directs. Prayer is an important part of knowing the will of God. When Paul fasted, the Lord gave the instructions. There are many places in the Word where the Spirit of the Lord spoke a command and others obeyed, both in the spirit world and in the natural. Jesus commanded the spirits to leave, while Paul commanded the people not to leave the ship when it appeared to be sinking. • CONQUERING: This facet of the Holy Spirit is the overcoming power of the Lord, that which causes you to be victorious. It is also the joy, triumph and exultation that comes forth when you know a victory has been won. This is what the Lord gave David when he overcame Goliath. He knew who he was in the Lord, and he went forth to conquer without fear or doubt (see I Samuel 17). The joy of conquering was felt when Moses, Miriam and the children of Israel sang the song of deliverance when they overcame the Egyptians (see Exod. 15). There are many examples in the Word of the conquering facet of the Holy Spirit. And this we know: we are more than conquerors in Him. • CONCERT: When the Lord is moving in this facet, He moves through a melody within your heart. The dictionary describes a concert as: “An agreement of two or more in a design or plan: union formed by mutual communication of opinions and views; harmony.” In this facet the Lord will bring comfort, joy, peace, direction, guidance, etc. Songs have ministered comfort and victory in times of grief, such as the song, “It Is Well with My Soul,” It might come in the form of a chorus, song, poetry or melody you are familiar with, or it could come “hot off the press” from the Lord. You will see this facet work in harmony with all the other facets of the Spirit in a special way (see Exod. 15:1; Pss. 32:7; 147:7; Acts 16:25; Jas. 5:13). Now you will be able to appreciate the different responses you observe in Christian gatherings. It’s exciting to watch the Spirit of the Lord move differently in and through one another. Follow the Lord’s leading in your own heart and let Him move through each person as He wills. PROVE ALL THINGS As you are learning to hear the Lord’s voice, you must also learn to prove (test and examine) all things: But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21) When you hear the voice of the Lord, don’t rely on your feelings and opinions. What you hear must be in line with God’s Word and His character. The Holy Spirit will never overrule what the Word of God has spoken and declared to be true. The following are a few ways to prove or test what you receive, or what is being said to you by others. Remember, this a learning process. Distinguishing truth will become easier as you mature spiritually, and His Word and ways become real to you. This is by no means all inclusive but a simple guide to follow and it may help to keep you from error: • Never look to man, but to Jesus: Never look to another person or seek words or confirmation from that individual. Many times God will use someone to confirm what He has spoken, but it will come to you unsolicited. It will be given in a manner of humility, and the person giving it will not seek self-affirmation. (See Ps. 119:1.) • Never set a time limit: God’s time and your time are not the same. There are prophetic words in the Bible that have not yet been fulfilled, but because the Lord has spoken them, they will come to pass. When you receive something from the Lord, it will be in His timing, so don’t give up. (see 1 Chron. 17:11,12; Eccles. 3:11; Isa. 2:2; 46:10,11; Acts 7:17; 11:28; Rev. 1:1.) • Always confirm anything you receive with the Word of God. The Lord will never tell you anything outside the bounds of His Word. Even if what you hear is exactly what you are looking for and confirms what you thought the Lord said, if it doesn’t agree with the Word of God, throw it away. It will only lead you into deception. (See 2 Tim. 3:16,17.) • Don’t take Scriptures out of context: Look at the total meaning to avoid hurting or deceiving yourself or others. Many times people not only take Scriptures out of context, but they also use Scriptures in part to “confirm” what they want or make it fit their situation or circumstance. God does use Scripture to confirm, but not out of context. You must learn to judge according to the whole of Scripture. Every jot and tittle is important. (See Matt. 5:18; 2 Peter 1:20,21.) • What if the word you receive is in line with the Scriptures, but you don’t understand it or have a witness to it? Put it away, pray over it and let the Spirit of the Lord bring it to pass. Remember, the Lord knows the future, and that word might be exactly what you need to confirm a situation or just to let you know that you are exactly where the Lord wants you. Give it the test of time. One of the reasons for writing it down is that you will not have confusion and doubt in the days ahead. • Don’t judge another’s word: Only God knows the thoughts and intents of a person’s heart. Many times you do not know a situation or understand the depth of what a person might be going through. What means one thing to you might mean something entirely different to the person to whom it is given. (See Prov. 14:10: Rom. 14:4; 1 Cor. 2:11.). • Never let words or pictures bring you into confusion or fear: When fear or confusion set in, it is not of the Lord. God is not a God of confusion, nor does He uses fear tactics to control you. (See John 14:27; Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 14:33; 2 Cor. 2:11; 2 Tim. 1:7.) • Has God placed a condition on the word He gave you? “I will do this…if you will do that.” Many times God will give us promises, but we must first fulfill His conditions. (See Prov. 2:1-6; 4:4.) RESPONDING TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD After the Holy Spirit has revealed the heart of the Lord to you, respond with an appropriate reply—an acknowledgment, a thank-you, a shout of victory or an action. Response to God sharpens your ability to hear. Enter freely into conversation with Him, and obey the directions He gives you. During intercession, try to pause and listen often. After each petition is prayed through, bless the Lord for the work being accomplished for the Kingdom because of your prayers. Always close your prayer in an attitude of joy, gratitude or praise, sealing the work of the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Prayer opens and closes with praise, giving you a good example to follow. Don’t become frustrated, thinking you have to go through each procedure and response. The Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you each step of the way. PRAYER POINTERS The guidelines that follow are not intended to limit you in any way. Rather, they are to lay a basic foundation to start you in a direction of communicating and communing with the Lord. The greatest need is not that you always have great revelation, or pray brilliant prayers, but that you be faithful to the call of prayer. As you are obedient, the Lord’s power will begin to flow. Even though you may not understand all the specific answers that come forth, you will see an awakening and strengthening of the Body of Christ. (See Heb. 11:13, 39) • Begin your prayer with what you know are the obvious facts. Pray the Word and the precious promises of the Word given to you as His child. • Always let the Holy Spirit be in charge. Remember you are just a soldier in the Army of God. Jesus is your “Commander in Chief.” Let the Holy Spirit set the facet or the burden. Do not rely on your own insight. (See Rom. 8:26.) • Pray and sing with understanding in your native tongue; also pray and sing in the spirit. (See 1 Cor. 14:15.) • Pray in faith, expecting divine intervention. Pray in confidence. (See 2 Cor. 4:18; Heb. 11:6; 1 John 5:14, 15.) • Take time to listen: It is an important part of communication and one of the keys to successful intercession. (See Matt. 7:24.) • Keep praying until the answer comes. Before moving on, wait until the Holy Spirit assures you that the task is accomplished. (See Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-8.) • Flexibility and speed of response are often critical to victory. The only obedience that impresses God is instant obedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience! • Meditate on the Word – Renew your mind. Make sure all sin is under the blood of Jesus and that you are not harboring Unforgiveness in your heart. (See Josh. 1:8; Prov. 4:20-24; Heb. 10:22; 1 John 1:7, 9.)
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 17:59:42 +0000