The Gift of Discerning Spirits
March 23, 2016Book Release: Discovering Your Destiny now Available!
April 1, 2016
In a recent article, I wrote about a gift of the Holy Spirit called discerning of spirits. This gift is vitally important to the body of Christ. It gives insight into what is happening in the spiritual realm and it helps distinguish between what is of the Holy Spirit and what is a counterfeit.
Discerning of spirits is a powerful aid to the ministry of deliverance, exposing the presence and identity of evil spirits.
Another manifestation of the Spirit that can be of great help in bringing deliverance is called a “word of knowledge.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-8 says, “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.”
A word of knowledge is when you receive a piece of information supernaturally from the Holy Spirit. God reveals knowledge to you about a person or situation that you could not have known in the natural. A clear example from Scripture is when Jesus supernaturally knew that the woman He was talking to in John chapter 4 had been married five times (see John 4:16-18).
God gives words of knowledge to show people that He is actively involved in their lives, that He is intimately aware of every detail, and that He loves them. And they can often be a powerful tool to help release healing and deliverance to those in need.
Sometimes when I am praying over someone for deliverance, a word of knowledge is a key to setting them free. For example, there have been times when the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart that the one receiving prayer needed to forgive someone. Without this knowledge, deliverance would be hindered because unforgiveness gives the enemy an open door; a legal right to bring torment.
The Lord can give words of knowledge that reveal hurts from the past that need to be healed, things that have opened the door to evil spirits in a person’s life, curses that need to be broken, or other keys that will help in setting people free.
When we minister to others, it is paramount that we welcome the Holy Spirit’s power and seek to be led by Him. He is the One who empowers us to walk in the authority of Jesus and set others free. He wants to work through us supernaturally so that we are not left to our own power and resources!
How have you seen the gift of the word of knowledge impact you or others?
