Page 197 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 7

Forum “Guidance

Through the
Practices Holy Spirit
First Practice: Be intentional in seeking for the gifts. I Corinthians 14:1
tells us that we are to eagerly pursue spiritual gifts. During the
Counseling
Second Practice: Be expectant. If you don’t expect anything to happen,
nothing will. Most normal people don’t stand waiting in a train station or Therapy
unless they expect a train to come.
Session:
Third Practice: Recognize the means by which God communicates. One Blessings and
way that God communicates with us is by inserting his thoughts into
our minds. These thoughts feel like our own internal voice except that it Problems”
has a slightly different “accent.” God‘s thoughts feel like you are „being
talked to“ somewhat directively with a kind of pause after the thoughts,
as if the Lord is saying, „Okay, so will you speak out/act on what I just
said to you?“ Our own thoughts, by contrast, feel like they are just arising
within us, one leading to another, to another, etc., without much force or
clarity. God’s voice doesn’t “rise,” it “pops.” Sometimes it makes you ask,
“What was that?” It is presented in a way that causes it to stand out as
being different from the rest of our thoughts. The words are a different
“color,” otherwise we would not notice them and consider them to be just
a random thought. Many times you won’t be waiting for it, nor will the
thought pertain to a subject about which you have been thinking. Those
who “hear” such things are often wired for sound.

Another way this revelation can come is through pictures, visions, or
dreams. These pictures may be experienced as external to us as a vision
that is “layered” upon our vision of the external world, or internally as a
picture projected upon our mind’s eye. Many times these pictures come
with no interpretation and are interjected into our minds as the Lord
desires. And, like the words mentioned above, the pictures, images, or
visions have a different quality to them.

The Lord can also communicate through feelings. Feelings can arise in
us that have no correlation with the situation in which we find ourselves.
We may suddenly be overcome with fear while we are speaking to a client
even though there is no reason for us to be afraid. Being suddenly floo-
ded with these sensations will cause you to ask, “Where did that come
from? Why am I feeling this way?”

An individual who is working in the Spirit is not limited to only one
of these means. Sometimes he will communicate with us interjecting
thoughts, other times through the use of visions, still other times by the
use of feelings. Since God is the one who gives these gifts as needed, he is
free to give any of them to any of us anytime he chooses.

Fourth Practice: Note that these gifts often function in groups of three.
Wisdom, knowledge, and discernment are often lumped together, as are
faith healing, and miracles. Prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of ton-
gues are also often blended together in their expression.

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