The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity

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6. Some of us develop faith for one area of healing, which we anticipate will become a
recognizable ministry.
7. Sometimes there are special anointings and whatever we do brings the desired result.
8. Even though we may feel nothing (no virtue going out), healings can take place, effected
on the basis of authority and obedience to the Scriptures.
9. Sometimes someone in a ministry team may be given a word of prophecy for the person
healed.
10. We have found that this ministry tends to go in waves. It’s easy to get proud when God
uses us. The temptation is to take the glory ourselves. There is a constant need to humble
ourselves and to be continually repenting (which applies both to churches and
individuals). 26
After Ministry
The commonest subsequent experiences sensed by those who have been ministering are:
1. Sudden depression
2. Sense of failure (especially when people do not appear to be healed).
3. Sense of exhaustion
4. Confused and mixed feelings (one may have good reasons for feeling a failure if one has
mismanaged the situation, but some mistakes are almost inevitable).
5. Temptation to pride—a desire to boast following clear manifestation of the power of
God. 27
Those Coming for Ministry
We need to be sensitive to those coming for ministry and it is helpful to ascertain if they are:
1. Christian? (“Do you know Jesus?”) If so, what stage in their spiritual pilgrimage have they
reached?
2. Part of the fellowship or not—or are they new?
3. Ready to receive? Are there any known barriers?
4. Some have already prepared—e.g. to commit themselves to the Lord or to ask for specific
prayer for healing, whereas others have come up on the impulse and need to clarify their
need. This is the time to ask for a “word of wisdom.”
5. Sometimes people are quite clear about what their problem/need is, but the presented
problem is not always the one for which the Lord has brought them to the front. There
may well be a deeper need of which they are unaware.