Hello this is Dr. Don Ibbitson from Above and Beyond Christian Counseling.
I want to talk about the spiritual gift of discerning of spirits, and how to develop
it.
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The discerning of spirits is one of the spiritual gifts that Paul talks about in first Corinthians
12:10.
We believe it is available and vital for every believer so that we can wage all aspects of
spiritual warfare more effectively and also hear and know the will of God more effectively.
Now let's begin by answering a very simple question.
What does it mean to have the gift of the discerning of spirits?
At the simplest level, people who operate in this gift are able to know and understand
in particular life situations.
What number one the Holy Spirit is saying and doing.
Secondly, what demonic spirits are involved and thirdly, the state that the person's spirit
whether they're born again or not.
Now this can be a little tenuous, I admit because only God really knows a person's heart,
but I believe many times we can discern what's happening in a person's spirit, that's part
of their body, soul and spirit makeup.
Now why is this gift important?
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but true
two culprits are spiritual forces of evil in this dark world and in the heavenly realm.
Let me ask you how you can you fight against something that you cannot see.
It's like a blindfolded boxer flailing in the air.
We also need to hear the voice of God and see the hand of God at work in our life and
relationship situation so we can cooperate with him as He moves on our behalf.
I'd like to lay out six specific suggestions that you can begin to take and actions to
take, so you can start to move and grow in this gift.
Now some of what follows is common to hearing from God which is one aspect of discernment,
but not the only one.
We certainly want to hear what god is saying and doing but that's not all totally what's
comprising the gift of spiritual discerning of spirits.
The first thing is ask for the gift and believe that you have receded.
God is the giver who gives good things to his children.
We are too eagerly desire spiritual gifts, that's what the word says at first commenting
his 1401 and 1st commenting 1231 and the word eagerly implies that our passion for them
should be sincerer and persistent.
My experience is that many manifestations of the gifts of the spirit, many kinds don't
appear until we begin to move in them with expectancy, it's like that with healing start
to pray for people for healing and gifts will show up.
Mark 1124 reminds us that whatever we ask for in accordance with God's will, we must
believe that we have received it, okay.
Once again I talk about it with healing.
Want to see and move the gift of healing?
Gosh let's step outside and start praying for people so the gift can manifest.
Ask for the Lord for this gift and you can declare something like this.
"Thank you Lord for giving me the gift of discerning of spirits.
You give gifts generally and I receive this gift by faith.
Thank you for helping me grow in this gifting as I ask you for wisdom and clarity and move
out in faith."
That's just a sample prayer.
A declaration that you can make.
The second requirement in encouragement very strong is be part of a church of body of believers
that believes in the gift of discernment of spirits, and for that matter the other spiritual
gifts.
You need a safe place you see that will nurture and support your efforts to grow in this and
other gifts.
Many churches subscribe to the notion that many of the spiritual gifts are not for today.
If not most of them, some even minimize the need for any kind of spiritual warfare because
they can contend that why fight for something that Christ just already won.
We feel that they're missing some very important elements of Christ's finished work on the
cross and the spiritual warfare is still for the today.
You should be in a church that is eagerly desiring all of the spiritual gifts that the
father has for his children, especially if you want to move in this gift.
Number three, ask the Lord for the discernment in each life situation.
If you believe, you received a gift then ask God for wisdom and discernment in life and
relationship situations as they unfold before you.
You're going to see with the natural eyes and see things there yes but ask him to reveal
the spirit around to you and always.
James 42 remind us quite simply that many times, many things of God we don't receive
because we do not ask.
So ask for the discernment.
Fourth thing is and this is important.
Quiet your flesh, so your born-again spirit man can hear.
The voice of God is typically not rash and aloud but slight and fleeing, many times it's
a still small voice, it can be a spot that flashes through your mind or just a sense
of knowing, just literally quiet ourselves to listen.
Once again that's an element of practice, just quieting the flesh and trying to listen,
to wait on the Lord for what he wants to tell you.
The fifth suggestion is be quick to pray and slow to act on what you think you hear.
When we discern what God is doing or maybe what the demonic realm is doing many times
the natural refresh reaction is to press into action just do something.
Now that of course is frequently but least desirable because often it leads to last results.
Once you think and believe that you heard a discern or see what's happening in the spirit
room, the next step is clarity on what to do and quite frankly the best response many
times is simply begin to pray for that wisdom and discernment.
Well I'll give examples from my own past, some number of years ago I was part of a church
and I did not follow this advice myself and the result was not good.
There was a man at a church and I had sensed very strong in my spirit that the lord was
revealing to me; I had this discernment that he is involved in pornography.
Know I did not know this man well and after church I kind of pulled him aside, went to
him, told him what I thought the Lord have shown me and he did not respond as I had hoped.
He became defensive, denied that, that was an issue in his life and shortly thereafter,
he was not at the church anymore.
I don't know if it was because of that or not but I just know that encounter did not
go well.
Was my discernment wrong?
Quite frankly I do not know.
However I should not have approached him when I did and as I did.
Even though I really did do it in a gentleman and really non-condemning way, I did the best
job I could coming before him.
I realized, I believe now I should have waited, prayed for him and also wisdom from the Lord
on how I was to proceed if there was anything I was to do in the natural, rather than just
rushed ahead.
Number six.
Gosh give yourself permission to be wrong.
Every gift that we receive requires growth and maturation through practice.
Whether it's prophetic or humor or any gift of the spirit.
Don't be ashamed or embarrassed or guilty if you miss it.
Every spiritual gift needs to be developed and once again I say discernment is no exception.
Also I emphasized previously that the need is to act slowly, but I believe that when
God gives discernment in this situation about what's happening?
What�s spirits or what he is doing?
That there's going to be a call-to-action desirable action that will accompany that
revelation but once again you need to get that.
You need to pray for wisdom and direction and when you do that God will honor into that
prayer for you.
Today in the body of Christ, I believe the spiritual gift of discernment is woefully
underutilized and if we talk about sometimes, it is really so disdained in the body that
many people reject the need for it.
Do not fall prey to this notion, that there's no more need for spiritual warfare because
in fact Christ is one with victory.
The bible does tell us that the enemy of our souls, the demonic realm is still actively
at work to kill, steal and destroy that John 10 Tim.
We need to understand their schemes and see them in action but once again we also need
to know and understand what the Spirit of God is doing in these certain situations.
Let me ask you.
You want to move in this gift.
Start to implement some of the tactics and things that I've talked about above and be
expected and hopeful.
God will not disappoint you.
He wants you to have and move and walk in this gift.
Hope you've enjoyed this teaching.
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