Table of Contents
1. The Word of Knowledge 2. The Word of Wisdom 3. The Gift of Prophecy 4. The Gift of Faith 5. The Gifts of Healings 6. The Working of Miracles 7. The Discerning of Spirits 8. Different Kinds of Tongues 9. The Interpretation of Tongues
In addition to the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Bible also tells us that there are 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit.
For the record, we feel that the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit are much more important than the 9 gifts are.
As the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit have to do with God imparting part of His divine nature into the core of our personalities to help make us into a much better and holy people.
God’s ultimate aim for all of us is our sanctification in Him, and part of that sanctification process has to do with the Holy Spirit Himself transmitting 9 specific divine qualities and attributes into our personalities.
But if the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit are the cake, then the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit are the icing on the cake.
Put these two together, and allow God to work with a believer with both sets of these 9 fruits and 9 gifts.
And you will have one mighty sanctified soldier of Jesus Christ, as the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit will give you some serious heavy ammunition to have at your disposal as you walk with God’s anointing in your daily life.
I call the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit torpedo gifts, as the Holy Spirit can manifest any one of these 9 gifts through any believer anytime that He will want to do so.
Each one of these gifts are major power gifts, and they are all direct, supernatural, miraculous manifestations direct from the Holy Spirit Himself.
And any Christian can get themselves in proper place to receive these 9 gifts, as the apostle Paul himself tells us not to be afraid to try and stir up these 9 specific gifts with the Lord.
Here is the direct verse from our Bible on the 9 gifts of the Holy 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, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
Now I will number and bold each one of these 9 gifts of the Spirit so you can have all of them right at the top of this article at a very quick glance:
1. The Word of Knowledge
2. The Word of Wisdom
3. The Gift of Prophecy
4. The Gift of Faith
5. The Gifts of Healings
6. The Working of Miracles
7. The Discerning of Spirits
8. Different Kinds of Tongues
9. The Interpretation of Tongues
Not only does the Bible tell us that these 9 gifts of the Spirit are available to all believers, but then it takes it one step further and tells us that we can actually try and stir these 9 gifts up with the Lord.
Here are 5 very good verses telling us to not only desire spiritual gifts, but to also not be afraid to try and stir these gifts up with the Lord:
1. “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:39)
2. “… and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1)
3. “Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecies.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
4. “Do not neglect the gift that is in you … Meditate on these things, give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” (1 Timothy 4:14)
5. “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6)
As such, every believer should go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to release these 9 gifts through them anytime that He will want to do so.
Let God know that you will be a willing vessel for the manifestations of these gifts, and that you will give Him a full and solid green light to manifest these gifts though you at anytime that He will want to do so.
These 9 gifts are a tremendous help and aid to not only you in your own personal walk with the Lord, but many of them can be also used to help other people out as special needs and circumstances arise in their lives.
Notice the very first line in this verse says that these 9 gifts are given to each one for the “profit of all.”
I will go ahead and break down each one of these 9 gifts of the Spirit into their own article so you can click on the link to read each one. And then come back and read my conclusion.
As you reach each of the gifts you can see exactly what each one of these 9 gifts are all about, and how important they can become in your life if you will only allow the Holy Spirit to manifest them through you at anytime that He will want to do so.
1. The Word of Knowledge
2. The Word of Wisdom
3. The Gift of Prophecy
4. The Gift of Faith
5. The Gifts of Healings
6. The Working of Miracles
7. The Discerning of Spirits
8. Different Kinds of Tongues
9. The Interpretation of Tongues
Conclusion
Just stop and think about what all 9 of these gifts from the Holy Spirit are really about. We are talking about God Almighty Himself coming down and manifesting a part of Himself through these 9 gifts, since God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are perfectly one with one another in the Divine Trinity.
This is what I call push-the-envelope kind of activity with the Lord. With every single one of these 9 gifts being direct, miraculous manifestations from the Holy Spirit, you are attempting to tread into deeper waters with the Lord. And that is exactly what God is asking all of us to do with these 9 special gifts.
When the apostle Paul, who I believe was the greatest of all of the New Testament apostles, tells us to “desire earnestly” these spiritual gifts and not to be afraid to try and stir these gifts up with the Lord, then you know God the Father is giving all us a big, fat, whopper green light to come after these 9 specific gifts.
Just think how many more people you can help and save if you will allow the Holy Spirit to manifest some of these 9 gifts through you from time to time.
Each one of these 9 gifts are major power gifts, and most of them are allowing the Lord to come in and manifest Himself to help someone else out.
Though Jesus is in heaven right now with His Father, we all still have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. And through the Holy Spirit, both God the Father and Jesus Christ can still manifest Themselves into our daily lives and any situations that we will need Their help on.
God and Jesus are still in the rescue, help, and deliverance business – and if you will allow God to manifest these 9 gifts through you from time to time, you yourself can become an actual partaker in some of Their divine, rescue, deliverance missions.
You yourself can help carry on the divine supernatural ministry that Jesus left behind when He ascended to His Father.
Per the new article we just put up, “The Great Commission – Save, Heal, Deliver and Disciple,” these 9 special power gifts will really help you in being to able save, heal, deliver, and disciple other people in this life.
I call these torpedo gifts, because they are like bullets loaded in a gun, ready to shoot out of you at anytime under the control and direction of the Holy Spirit. These 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit are the ammunition you will need to go to war for the Lord to help set the captives free, as the Bible is telling all of us to learn how to become good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
Combine these 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit with the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit so God can transform and mold you into the kind of person He wants you to become in Him, and you will then become a truly sanctified, fully-loaded, God-warrior like King David and Joshua were.
Then you will be ready to take on the real Goliaths of this world with absolutely no fear, since you know now that you have the power of the Holy Spirit Himself on the inside of you.
Then along with these 9 special powerful gifts of the Spirit that can be manifested through you at anytime to help either yourself or any other people as different needs will arise in their lives.
www.bible-knowledge.com
Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He said, “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (Acts 1:8). This promise of power comes after the Holy Spirit visits your life, empowering you to witness, strengthening your Christian walk, and equipping you for Christian service to defeat the Enemy.
As our life is empowered by the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts or new abilities called the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” enable us to do the Lord’s work in new and powerful ways.
The Father desires that we understand spiritual gifts. The apostle Paul wrote, “Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant” (1 Corinthians 12:1). Remember, the devil’s success is dependent upon our ignorance. When you understand how to stir up these spiritual gifts in your life, you will have power and authority over the Enemy.
The Father has provided these gifts to profit His children. Paul said, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (1 Corinthians 12:7). God doesn’t want us to miss these special gifts (1 Corinthians 1:5).
Our Father wants us to actively pursue the gifts He has provided. Paul wrote, “Covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). This scripture encourages us to seek the gifts, which are available to each of us and necessary for our spiritual success. Now it is up to you and me to understand these gifts and stir them up.
Table of contents
- 1 Three Groups of Spiritual Gifts
- 2 Revelation Gifts
- 3 Vocal Gifts
- 4 Power Gifts
- 5 The Holy Spirit’s Gifts Are for You Today!
- 6 Seek Your Gifts
- 7 Coming, a Mighty Outpouring
- 8 Even More, Not Less
- 9 My Request to You
- 10 Please sow a seed-gift today, knowing that you are a vital part of a mighty outpouring that is shaking the nations. Be part of this remarkable opportunity to reach the nations with the Gospel, even as you change your own future circumstances through your faithful giving.
Three Groups of Spiritual Gifts
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, listed each of the nine gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-10), which can be divided into three groups: revelation gifts, vocal gifts, and power gifts.
- Revelation gifts include the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and discerning of spirits.
- Vocal gifts are tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy.
- Power gifts include faith, healings, and the working of miracles.
Every believer is promised an empowered life to intensify our ability to witness, strengthen our Christian walk, and equip us for Christian service to defeat the enemy through spiritual gifts in new and powerful ways.
The following information provides only a brief overview of each of the gifts. I encourage you to take time to study each of these gifts in depth and stir them up in your soul.
Revelation Gifts
There are two revelation gifts:
1. Word of Wisdom: the application of knowledge
We experience the word of wisdom when the Holy Spirit gives us supernatural wisdom or understanding through His Word in certain situations.
When Jesus was faced with temptations in the wilderness, He ignored what Satan attempted to offer and responded by quoting the Word of God. On the other hand, Eve, in the garden, failed to confront the devil’s lies and was deceived.
You can use the word of wisdom to defeat the purposes of the Enemy by knowing how to apply the Word, and at times it can mean the difference between life and death. In fact, the word of wisdom is essential in the operation of all the other gifts, so it is important to seek this gift. Pray for this gift. Ask God to saturate your life with it, and as you study Scripture, the Lord will begin to give you the word of wisdom to illuminate your understanding.
2. Word of Knowledge: receiving facts supernaturally by the Spirit
The word of knowledge is something that couldn’t possibly be known without the Holy Spirit’s prompting. There are numerous examples throughout Scripture where the word of knowledge is given by the Holy Spirit, with specific information concerning a need or problem. (Example: Elisha the prophet knew that Gehazi had lied to Naaman the leper (2 Kings 5).
Ananias and Sapphira pretended to sell their land and give all to God’s work, but Peter received a word of knowledge that allowed him to boldly ask, “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” (Acts 5:3).
A word of knowledge can be personal or may be given for you to share with others. When you receive it, you should immediately begin praying for God’s wisdom to share or apply this word.
3. Discerning of Spirits: perceiving the source of a manifestation
The last of the three revelation gifts helps us perceive whether a spiritual manifestation is from God, man, or the devil.
It was the discerning of spirits that helped the apostle Peter understand the vision mentioned in Acts 10 that in turn led to evangelism among the Gentiles, for he said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.”
It was the gift of discerning of spirits that led Paul to cast the evil spirit out of a fortune-teller, who seemingly spoke all the right words, saying, “I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (Acts 8:23).
We’re in a battle, and the devil is cunning. Sometimes, evil masquerades as good. So we must be watchful with our supernatural senses, exercising the revelation gift of discernment along with wisdom and knowledge.
Vocal Gifts
The following are the Spirit’s three vocal gifts:
1. Tongues: three supernatural means of communication
There is some confusion about the first of the vocal gifts, because there are actually three different kinds of tongues.
- Tongues unto God.
“He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God” (1 Corinthians 14:2).
- Tongues as a sign to the unbeliever.
Some people marveled at hearing their own native tongue (Acts 2).
- Tongues that edify the body of believers.
“Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying” (1 Corinthians 14:5).
There is a place for each kind of tongues. Paul was certainly not dismissing the value of tongues, for he wrote, “I would that ye all spake with tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:5) and “forbid not to speak with tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:39). He even wrote, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all” (1 Corinthians 14:18).
This gift is critical for intercession and spiritual warfare. It’s a powerful entranceway to deep, intimate fellowship with the Savior. Without tongues, you overlook one of the most special of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
2. Interpretation of Tongues: translation of divine utterances into recognizable language
To understand the interpretation of tongues, the second of the vocal gifts, we must remember that there are three different kinds of tongues. Only the third type, edifying the body of believers, requires interpretation. With this type of tongues, the interpretation of tongues is crucial. The Word shows that interpretation becomes equal to prophecy.
As we begin to use this gift, it’s important to understand this instruction: “Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret” (1 Corinthians 14:13).
This gift requires spiritual maturity and is received only through diligent prayer, study of the Scriptures and intense time with the Holy Spirit. May we all be more willing to pay this price, for the interpretation of tongues to edify the church is desperately needed today in the church.
3. Prophecy: revelation for edification
For the third vocal gift, prophecy, Scripture is clear: “He who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men” (1 Corinthians 4:3).
The gift of prophecy builds up and encourages us. It stirs us up. It comforts us. It is not condemning. It always exhorts and encourages. It brings life and vision and light, not doom and gloom and death.
And we must remember that anything spoken out of the gift of prophecy must always be completely consistent with the Scriptures, and it will never contradict God’s Word in any way.
Power Gifts
The following are the Spirit’s three power gifts:
1. Faith: the God-given ability to believe Him for the impossible
The gift of faith is the greatest of the power gifts. It’s the exceptional ability to trust God to work, even in unusual ways or in particularly challenging situations.
Again, there is sometimes confusion about the gift of faith. There are actually three revelations of faith in the Bible:
- Saving faith (Romans 5:1) is that measure of faith given to every person.
- Fruit of faith (Galatians 5:22) is an important part of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of faith is within each of us, as planted by the Holy Spirit.
- Gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12) comes for a moment, for a season and for a reason. The gift of faith is the instantaneous assurance of God’s ability to act in a specific situation. It does not deny fact but changes it
How do we move into this gift? Paul said, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The gift of faith can only happen when God’s promises become more real to us than our circumstances. Therefore, this gift can work through us when we act through revelation of Scripture and direction by the Holy Spirit. What begins as hope builds to prayer then moves into faith.
2. Healings: restoration of health
The power gifts of healing (1 Corinthians 12:9) are plural, not singular, for they apply to both physical and emotional areas of life, and the gifts also come in two ways, immediate and gradual.
Healing restores what is broken. The Holy Spirit can use a multitude of acts of faith to heal. The spoken word is used most often, but the woman with an issue of blood was also healed as she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and by faith was made whole. We read of the laying on of hands and anointing with oil, but even the apostle Peter’s shadow brought healing.
God desires that we be healed and be used as instruments of healing. The secret is obedience to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
3. Working of Miracles: divine creative acts
The power gift of working of miracles is a supernatural occurrence against the law of nature. It was against the natural order of things for God to turn back the Red Sea for the children of Israel to walk on dry land to the other shore. It was not natural for God to suspend the rotation of the earth to allow time for victory or for the walls of Jericho to fall flat, but these miracles happened to Joshua and his armies.
When arthritis no longer afflicts a body or blind eyes see again, we sometimes call them miracles, but they are actually healings. Healing is a work of restoration, but miracles are creative acts that go against normal laws of nature.
I believe we are coming into a new dimension of creative miracles, when we will see supernatural moves of the Holy Spirit’s power in ways that we’ve only dreamed about. Readiness can only come through the Word. God’s Word points to this: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made” (Psalm 33:6)
True miracles are a product of His Word. The more we read, understand, and act on His Word, the more we will be able to move into the powerful dimension of His gifts, including the working of miracles.
The Holy Spirit’s Gifts Are for You Today!
God gives us these three revelation gifts, three vocal gifts, and three power gifts—nine gifts in all.
These gifts were given as a means to spread the Gospel and establish His kingdom. None of the gifts are to be forbidden (1 Corinthians 14:39), and everything must be done in an orderly manner (verse 40).
As we heed His commands, both empowered by the Holy Spirit and guided by the Scriptures, we can move, even today, toward the unity of believers and a dimension of power and authority in the realm of the Spirit that the prophets of old only dreamed of.
The greatest days are here. Decide to be empowered for service!
Are you willing to be used in the mighty outpouring that is coming in an unprecedented way upon believers around the globe?
Seek Your Gifts
The Enemy has always hated the Spiritual gifts, because they strangle his effectiveness. These gifts are not only essential to doing God’s work, but stirring up and releasing the gifts brings divine, scriptural prosperity in all areas of life.
We cannot do any part of God’s work effectively without His gifts. The Holy Spirit uses these gifts to produce eternal fruit.
If a time ever existed when the gifts of the Holy Spirit are essential for victorious Christian living, that time is now!
And this is my prayer for you.
Coming, a Mighty Outpouring
A mighty outpouring is already beginning to shake the nations, as prophesied in Scripture: “I will shake all nations…and fill this temple with glory” (Haggai 2:7).
Unprecedented doors of opportunity for the Gospel are opening in nations around the world, with the potential to reach millions, even billions, for Christ, just as Jesus promised when He said, “Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for reaping” (John 4:35, TLB).
There is so much more to be done.
I believe God is going to shake the nations!
Today, the world’s population is over 7.5 billion souls, and each one will spend eternity somewhere. Less than a third consider themselves to be Christians, even by the broadest definition. Some estimates point to a few as 10 percent are born again believers!
In other words, somewhere between 4.9 to 6.6 billion people living today have not received Jesus Christ as Savior!
That number should shake each of us to our core. The shaking of the nations prophesied in Haggai 2:7 should begin with each of us!
Even More, Not Less
But there is so much to be done. We cannot look to the past and be satisfied. There is an aching need for more evangelism, not less.
That’s what God is telling me. We need even more, not less!
Just as He desires to draw us into His presence in the Holy of Holies, He is always drawing us to the fact that He desires to shake the nations.
I truly believe that all we have seen in past months and years is but a foretaste of what is to come. God has even more in store for us, not less!
I am believing for millions to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed through all the different outreaches of this ministry, and I believe with all my heart that vast multitudes will receive Him as Savior and Lord.
This is the season of supernatural harvest, a mighty outpouring that is shaking the nations, and I believe we will see a glorious harvest of souls.
The nations are calling, and we must respond now before it’s too late. We must do even more, not less!
As God orchestrates our steps with divine perfection and opens the way, we will march forward together like a mighty army, obeying the Lord’s command to “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
I believe that God is asking you and me to go to the nations of the world and tell them about His precious Son, Jesus Christ.
Doors are opening all over the world as never before, and the Gospel message is being welcomed in nations whose borders were once closed. I’m willing to go. I’m willing to spend and be spent for the sake of the Gospel.
My Request to You
Just as God desires for each believer to move into a deeper relationship with Him, He also wants each of us to see beyond ourselves and look upon the lost and needy all around us.
Will you send me to the nations by sowing a sacrificial seed today so I can proclaim the Gospel to the vast fields of souls so we can reap a supernatural harvest of souls for all eternity?
What seed will you sow today to help me reach the lost?
Will you give even more, not less?
Yes, a seed may seem small in your hand, but when you sow seed in expectant faith, you release its God-given potential to produce a supernatural outpouring: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
Dear partner, I’m asking you to look deep within your heart and make a decision today that will affect eternity. I’m ready to go wherever the Lord leads. Sow the largest seed you can today to be part of this mighty outpouring that is shaking the nations.
Millions, even billions, are waiting to hear the Good News and witness the miraculous power manifested, and we must do even more, not less!
For the glorious and eternal cause of our precious Lord, Jesus Christ,
Donate Now
Please sow a seed-gift today, knowing that you are a vital part of a mighty outpouring that is shaking the nations. Be part of this remarkable opportunity to reach the nations with the Gospel, even as you change your own future circumstances through your faithful giving.
Donate Now
Text BHM to 45777 | Then click the registration link we send to your phone | Mobile Giving is Safe, Simple & Secure. Try it now!
Text your gift now, or click here to learn more.
www.bennyhinn.org
I think it’s safe to say that, when we hear the story about Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-4), most of us have this kind of reaction: “Well that’s cool, I guess. Good for them, with all those flames above their heads, and the Holy Spirit stuff.”
That was my reaction for a long time, anyway. I knew the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, was real, and that He gave the Apostles courage to do really intense evangelizing. But I never thought much more about it than that.
Weirdly, we Catholics don’t talk too much about the Holy Spirit and who He is in everyday conversation. Jesus we understand better; the Holy Spirit, less so. And any kind of talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit just weirded me out.
Until I met the Holy Spirit as a real Person…and He did something very similar in me.
Without getting into every single detail of what happened, I’ll give you the nutshell version of my experience: I went on a retreat in college called “Fan Into Flame” (I ended up going on four of them), which was focused on encountering the Holy Spirit in a new and deeper way. As we got into who the Holy Spirit was on this retreat, I was uncomfortable at first — but throughout the retreat, I found myself opening up a little more, despite my discomfort. As I came to understand how the Holy Spirit works in our lives and grew more comfortable with worshipping God through song throughout the retreat, the idea of surrendering my life to Him in a deeper way didn’t scare me as much.
At one point in the retreat, our small groups prayed together to intercede for each other for particular requests: to be freed from things that kept us from God, to receive the Holy Spirit in a deeper way or to receive His gifts. I don’t remember what I prayed for — but I do remember that, as I was being prayed over, I had this gentle urge to rest, to just let go — and I experienced an overwhelming peace within me that resonated through my whole body. I couldn’t stop smiling because I couldn’t contain the joy inside me. It was bursting!
Words fall entirely short when I try to communicate what this experience actually was. All I can say is that I met the Person of the Holy Spirit in that moment.
When I stood up after what felt like hours, the time of prayer was over and, from what I could tell, almost every soul in the room had experienced the same thing I had, or at least something very similar.
We had just experienced our own Pentecost.
This it wasn’t just a one-time thing, though. Since that first encounter, I have on other occasions experienced the Holy Spirit in powerful ways, and I experience Him in a quieter way on a daily basis.
Pentecost was a real thing. The Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit was a real thing. But this outpouring of the Holy Spirit wasn’t just for the Apostles. We were all meant to receive the same thing. We are all meant to know Him, to walk with Him and to receive the graces we need for our daily lives from Him.
We all receive Him at baptism, and then again in a deeper way with the sacrament of confirmation. But often, the potential for the graces we could have lie dormant until we give Him the permission to come into our hearts.
So how you can you encounter the Holy Spirit in a deeper way and experience a more profound outpouring of His gifts in your own life?
1. Pray to the Holy Spirit. Begin your prayers by saying, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Ask for help in difficult situations, or just start by saying this simple prayer every day:
“Oh Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do, and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in whatever you ask of me and whatever you permit to happen to me. Only show me what is your will.”
2. Listen to promptings/inspirations when they come. Sometimes you will sense urges to do something you might not have thought of yourself. This is called an “inspiration.” The way to tell when it’s the Holy Spirit’s inspiration is that it’s always something good, and it’s usually something you’d rather not do. See Acts 9:10-19 for the perfect example of that.
None of us will ever follow inspirations perfectly. But the more we do it, the more they will come. Listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit is how we grow in holiness.
3. Stick to prayer and the sacraments. If you want to get closer to God in any way, this is pretty much the way to do it. And the more you do stay close to prayer and the sacraments, the more you will notice the Holy Spirit in your life.
4. Pray to be freed from any lies or attachments that are keeping you from experiencing the fullness of the Spirit. Simply put, our sin, attachments or lies we believe against God or ourselves can keep us from experiencing the Holy Spirit in a more meaningful way. It’s powerful to pray to be freed from these things! But it’s not a game of hide and seek. You don’t have to be digging around, asking yourself, “What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I feel close to God?” (How many of us have done that?) Simply ask God to reveal what He wants you to be free of, and pray with that and trust that He will free you of it over time and give you more of Himself.
Here are some deliverance prayers you can pray:
Anima ChristiSt. Michael PrayerPrayer for DeliverancePrayer for Inner Healing (by Ransomed Ministries)
5. Know that the gifts (and fruits) of the Holy Spirit are for you. Ask for them. God gives us spiritual gifts for the edification of the Church (I Corinthians 14:12), to build up the Body of Christ in love and unity, “that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 4:11).
You can pray to receive greater gifts. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are knowledge, counsel, piety, fortitude, fear of the Lord (awe), understanding and wisdom.
The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, generosity, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity.
Experiencing the Holy Spirit might not be a crazy, “emotional” experience for you — so just because you don’t sense Him moving you emotionally doesn’t mean He isn’t at work. Our emotions are not the point. It may involve them; it may not. The point is for us to grow closer to Him and to be open to Him moving in us and through us in our daily lives.
The Holy Spirit is for you, today. And as Jesus did for the Apostles, you can trust that He will always be with you and in you all your life by your baptism.
focusoncampus.org