Ask and Believe

My daughter-in-law came over yesterday to show my wife how to use the new pressure cooker I bought.  She brought her grandson, my great grandson, of whom I hadn’t seen in some time…how he had grown! 

He is eight years old and very personable with great manners.  As he and I visited in my home office, he proceeded to tell me that for the past two or three weeks he has had a cold and unable to shake it.

I got up from where I was sitting and laid hands on his chest to pray.  I spoke the name of Jesus, because the Bible says in (Isaiah 53:5), “By His stripes we are healed.”

Jesus suffered a brutal beating prior to being crucified on the cross.  He was God’s Son dying for the sins of mankind.  There is all power given unto that name.

(John 14:13), “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

I prayed that God would heal his body from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.  I felt the power of God in my prayer as did he.

He stood there motionless, kind of in awe, and not saying anything.  I knew he felt the touch of God, because tears welled up in his eyes.  I proceeded to tell him of the times that my dad prayed for me when I was his age, having immediate results after he prayed.

Dad was a man of faith and believed in laying hands on the sick and praying that they be healed of their affliction.  He raised me by showing the power of God through prayer.  He believed that prayer is the key, but faith unlocks the hasp that binds people.

It would be enjoyable to write several pages on the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, but my thoughts today revolve around the gifts of healings, which is certainly a blessed gift to have.

I believe a Spirit-filled Christian can be used, by God, in all nine gifts if occasions warranted these actions to be implemented.  The Bible says that we are to pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1).

If it was not possible to stir up the gifts of God in us, Believers would not have been encouraged to do so.  There are nine gifts in all and nine fruit of the Holy Spirit; a writing for another day.

Of the nine gifts, the gift of healing resounds loudly in my spirit, because there are so many people around us that need a touch of healing from the Lord.  I am sure that when Jesus walked the earth He was moved with compassion at every turn.  I am convinced that He healed all that had little hope in their struggle of life.

I believe in prayer and raised my children with prayer; results following.  We do not have to beg God when making our petition known, we need only to ask and believe that He hears and answers prayers.  We then leave it with Him, knowing that He is touched by the feelings of our infirmities.

I have been around a long time and heard many sermons on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Sadly, I seldom hear messages preached on the subject.  Just because society is shying away from talking or singing about the blood of Jesus does not nullify the power that allows me to plead the blood over any situation and expect a miracle.

I’ve heard that the consensus of certain faiths feel that gifts were for the early church and not prevalent for today’s refined culture of church goers.  I understand that some printing companies have removed songs from hymnals that speak to the blood of Jesus.  I perceive that they don’t want a bloody religion. 

As for me and my house, we believe in the power of the blood that Jesus shed for the healing of body and soul.  I try not to get caught up in the whys of omission or become stagnated in what Christians do not do.  I would rather focus on what I can do through Christ who strengthens me when I step out in faith to put into action what I believe, whenever the occasion presents itself.

You may think, “I have little or no faith at all.”  For this reason I am sharing my thoughts today.  First of all, faith is generated by reading the Bible.  It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. 

(Romans 10:17), “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” 

I believe Christians should be ready to stand in the gap where needed to do whatever the Spirit of God is prompting.  My grandson’s cold and the action I took is a small example of this.  He will remember the power of prayer in days and years to come, as have my children as they raise theirs.

A Believer can move with boldness and assuredness that God will intervene whatever the need may be, because He cares.  This means having responsibility to the need and to God, being willing to move in faith at any time or place to use one or all nine of the gifts.

Christians can walk with God’s anointing in their daily life and not fear or be embarrassed to be used of God in any situation, because it is not you or me that perform miracles, it is the Holy Spirit working in children of God.  It is up to God as to the results of our obedience in doing what He wanted us to do.

(1 Corinthians 12:7-10), “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:”  (vs.8) “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,” (vs.9) “to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,” (vs.10) “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.”

No doubt there will be times that we balk and fail to do what we are prompted to do, but that’s okay; God will use plan “B” when He needs to by using someone else to bring about His will.  It happened to me.

I remember sitting in church having a strong impression to go pray for a young man I had never met.  The moment I quenched the Spirit and didn’t move out of my seat, another Christian got up, walked over to him and proceeded to minister to his need.

I missed the opportunity to be part of God’s work.  It was a lesson I’ll never forget.  Rationalizing things to the point of vetoing the power of the spiritual realm in me, in favor of what I was feeling, fear and embarrassment caused me to miss a blessing to grow even stronger in the Lord.

When we pray for boldness, God gives it.  When we ask to be used, He uses us.  To be His hand extended is my desire.  I hope it’s yours as well.

It is my belief that the Holy Spirit can manifest any of the nine gifts at anytime through Believers that walk in God’s anointing, if they allow Him to do so.  Let us not forget the free access we have as children of God.  God is not limiting us to only one gift.

The following choruses express my sentiments regarding ministry:

To be used of God to sing, to speak, to pray

To be used of God to show someone the way

I long so much to feel the touch of His consuming fire

To be used of God is my desire

Oh to be His hand extended

Reaching out to the oppressed

Let me touch Him, let me touch Jesus

So that others may know and be blessed

Sharing the Good News that Jesus heals, through action, not only builds confidence that God still answers prayer in today’s unbelieving populace, it encourages the person being prayed for to reach out on their own behalf to believe God for miracles whenever they or someone else has troubling issues.

Written by,

Papa Boyd