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Refreshment in Refuge

    by Gina Burgess

Manifestations of the Spirit
Date Posted: October 21, 2012

To say that a person just doesn't have enough faith is the reason they are not healed is an out right lie straight from the Father of Lies, Satan himself. You want to know why? Because God takes care of His children and their needs regardless of what, when or how they ask. Matthew 6

You don't have to believe when you pray for something. Go read Acts 12. Peter was amazed he was standing outside the prison. The church was absolutely shocked that Peter was standing outside the door completely free.

Please note, I am not at all denying clear Scripture that we have not because we ask not. (James) I am trying to point out that God's compassion for His people is overwhelming! Jesus brought back to life the widow's son...just because He had compassion on her.

The storm at sea was calmed completely without the faith of the disciples.
The 5000 were fed without the faith of the disciples or the crowd.
The 4000 were fed without the faith of the disciples or the crowd.
The water was turned into wine at Cana without the faith of the servants.
The man at Bethesda Pool was healed by Someone he didn't even know.

Through no help of the disciples, Jesus walked on water. Through no help of any one of us, Jesus was raised from the dead.

God does not need our help to do anything. However, God requires us to grow Spiritually in Him. Jesus clearly pointed out that we are to believe when we pray. He told His disciples that when we believe and pray then we will receive. Mark 11:24 This is a heart attitude which blossoms from our deep belief that God is intensely interested in our well being and the well being of those whom we love therefore He will answer our prayers.

There is no 12Step Program to follow for God to grant our wishes. My mom used to say, “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.” God desires us to have His desires in our hearts with His will and His plan as our first priority.

There is nothing magic about God's miracles. He pours out His blessings upon us because He loves us and cares for us and wants us to have the best and because we obey Him and put Him above all in our lives. Seek ye first God's face and everything else will be added to you.

From Genesis to Revelation there are multiple examples of God taking care of His people who are called by His name, both from the prayers of the people and from poured out blessings.

Praying in the Spirit is NOT just for a special few of God's people called by His name. This is something that is given to all True Believers along with their very own motivational Spiritual Gift. Praying in the Spirit is not achieved by speaking in some garbled ecstatic tongue only understood by God Himself. The progression is as Paul reveals to us:

Romans 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Romans 8:26 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’s intercession is praying in the Spirit. There is no prerequisite except to believe in Jesus as the Son of God and to believe He died for our sins and was raised defeating sin and death.

Romans 8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Praying in the Spirit is achieved by turning one's back on enticing sin, by repenting any practiced sin. It isn't some magic formula. It is not a mantra to be "performed". And for this reference--read all of Paul's letters plus Hebrews.

1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6:7

Paul talks about the manifestation of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:3ff. These are gifts given to the saints that manifest God’s power and glory; and encompasses God’s witness to both the saved and the unsaved. These gifts are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

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Biography Information:

Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.

She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.

If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon

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