Do you pray in the Spirit regularly? Have you used your spiritual gifting lately in praying for someone? Are you moving consistently in the gifts of the Spirit?
When the Lord baptizes us in the Holy Spirit, He opens the door to an exciting new world of spiritual experiences. Unfortunately, some Christians step through this door and go no farther. Considering it a one-time experience, they stay put. For all of us who ought to be moving forward, the Bible has some helpful advice: Stir up your gift!
An Essential Component
Dick’s comments: In my early days as a Christian, I was a vehement opponent to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Don’t ask me why. My reasons were unclear. I somehow believed it was not an experience to be sought by Christians—and I fought against it.
So, when Jesus sovereignly baptized me in the Holy Spirit one day while I was praying by myself, my world changed drastically. Even so, it took me a while to understand all the ramifications of this experience and to apply it in everyday situations. Gradually, I learned to speak in tongues more fluently, and then I began to step out in faith to deliver prophetic words in worship gatherings. And, I kept moving forward.
In the ensuing years, I have come to see the gifts of the Holy Spirit as the essential component for our service to Jesus. The Lord Himself, in commissioning His disciples to preach the gospel to all nations, told them to wait for the Holy Spirit’s power (Acts 1:4, 8) to fulfill His mandate: “He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father….” Verse 8: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The Holy Spirit is essential.
Results in Our Service
Philip’s comments: The disciples grew steadily in their knowledge of how to use the power of the Holy Spirit as they fulfilled Jesus’ command. I would say that Lisa and I have tried to apply these same truths in our years of ministry. Thankfully, the Lord has helped us to use gifts like speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, words of knowledge, faith, miracles, and discerning of spirits as we serve Him in various ministry settings.
Without the application of these gifts, we believe there would be less impact, effectiveness, and positive results in our ministry to others. The gifts make a difference.
That is probably why Paul, in 2 Timothy 1:6, gave such strong encouragement to Timothy, his son in the faith: “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” It is interesting to me that in the very next verse, Paul also reminds Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear, “…but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” One connotation of this “sound mind” aspect means an ability to understand and make right decisions. Paul was encouraging Timothy to move out fearlessly—and wisely—in this needed process of stirring up his gifts!
A Tool to Strengthen Us
Philip and Dick: You may be wondering how this advice to stir up your gift may apply to your everyday life. Let’s take speaking in tongues as an example. Ultimately, the Lord wants to prepare each of us to touch people’s lives. One way we strengthen ourselves for that task is by praying in the Spirit. That’s a good reason to stir up this gift!
Speaking in tongues is one of the greatest blessings we have been given. We can exercise this gift anytime we wish, even without uttering a word. The Bible tells us that when we pray in this way, something good is going on in our human spirit, even though we may not understand all that is taking place. (See 1 Corinthians 14:14.)
Romans 8:26 speaks of another great benefit of praying in the Spirit. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The Holy Spirit prays through us in a way that makes us stronger, using our lips to pray for matters beyond our knowledge. All good reasons to stir up this gift!
Helpful Clarity from Derek Prince
In the early years of the Charismatic Renewal, Derek taught frequently on the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. In a message from a series dealing with the use and abuse of the vocal gifts called “An Unknown Tongue: Occasional, Continual,” Derek says this:
People often say, “What’s the use of speaking in tongues?” I have no objection to them asking the question provided they are prepared to go to the Bible for an answer…. If you ask the question and go to the Scripture, the Bible gives you an answer.
What’s the use of speaking in an unknown tongue? Three things. You are speaking to God. To me, that’s a privilege. I don’t know how you feel about that, but I feel it’s a privilege to speak directly to Almighty God. I feel it would be a privilege to speak directly—person-to-person—with the President of the United States. Far more to speak to Almighty God. If people don’t appreciate that privilege, I think they have a wrong valuation of God.
Secondly, it says he is speaking mysteries—things that his mind does not understand.
Thirdly, he is edifying or building himself up. Any Christian who does not want to build himself up doesn’t appreciate the need of being edified or built up.
Moving in the Spirit
The topic of this letter may seem rather basic to you, especially if you are already moving in the gifts of the Spirit in a consistent, regular way. If that is the case, we rejoice with you, knowing what benefits you are experiencing by flowing in the Holy Spirit.
However, just as Paul reminded Timothy to “stir up the gift of God,” the Lord may be using this letter to persuade you that this is an area of your spiritual life that needs help and growth. Let’s come to the Lord together right now for that help.
Dear Jesus, I want to thank You for pouring out the Holy Spirit in my life. I am so very grateful for the access You have given me to all the gifts of the Spirit. I confess that I have much more to learn in my utilization of these gifts.
Lord, please enable me to flow in the Spirit in a greater way. I realize there are people around me who need Your touch through my life. My desire is not to operate in my own strength, but instead to move effectively in gifts like the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, prophecy, healing, and the working of miracles. Not for my glory, Lord, but for the sake of these dear people whom You love.
I turn this area over to You, and I ask for Your help and guidance. Amen.
What the Lord Might Do!
What might be accomplished in us and through us when the Lord answers the prayer we have just offered? Only heaven knows what will occur, but it is exciting to think about all the Lord could do through us. Let’s stir up the gift of God and see!
All of us at DPM are on the same quest as you. We want to see the Holy Spirit flow through our lives as we minister to those whom He loves. This principle is central to Derek’s instruction, and it may be helpful for you to review the entire message from which his quote was taken: “An Unknown Tongue: Occasional, Continual.”
We are honored to supply this free teaching to you (as well as other materials by Derek). Providing these resources is one of our greatest joys. It is also one way we can say, “Thank you.” We deeply appreciate your prayers and your financial support.
Focusing on Jesus
Let’s close this letter with a helpful reminder. As wonderful as the gifts of the Holy Spirit are, it is essential to keep our focus on the Giver rather than the gift. We have these tremendous blessings because of Jesus Christ, the love of our lives. He is not only the Messiah, Savior, Deliverer, Healer, and Teacher. Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
Peter said it eloquently on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out with such power and impact that it rocked all of Jerusalem. Speaking of the pivotal role Jesus played in that life-changing event, Peter said this in Acts 2:33: “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [Jesus] poured out this which you now see and hear.”
As we consider the gifts Jesus has made available, let us remind ourselves that they come from Him because of His great love for us. For His sake, let’s stir up our gift!
Sincerely in Christ,
Philip Wyns
President, DPM-USA
All the best,
Dick Leggatt
Executive Consultant/Senior Editor
