Jesus leads student to fan his spiritual gift into flames

H is a young believer who began seeking God more and more with all his heart. In the process of learning how to use his spiritual gifts to minister to others, he suffered a spiritual attack and was subsequently taught how to pray to close all doors to the enemy by renouncing any and all occult activities from his past. As he did so, the Holy Spirit showed him his calling as a minister of God’s mercy and reassured him that He would guide H in all his ways if he would trust God and not rely on himself. Praise God!

Two years ago during the Covid era, God moved me to join the Love the Lord discipleship course.

God opened my eyes to His way, truth and life. I learnt about His love, His identity and how His Spirit dwells in our temple as a gift and walks with us. I received His wisdom in a tangible way – and learnt how worldly influences and ungodly spirits corrupt and deceive our souls, and how we can be set free from vicious cycles.

I then received my first inner healing and deliverance prayer and baptism on a beach, with the attempt of walking closer to God and receiving more from Him. I tried to be His servant and work for Him. I tried to love people in His way. I tried my very best to take care of people around me, believing that I am close to God, and that He empowers me and will bless me if I do things in His name.

God’s blessings and miracles were surely more tangible than ever before in my life – God brought friends that I have been praying for to church; God walked our family out of the darkest time; God gave me a Christian relationship that I could never have imagined; He makes me live differently from the world in a way that gives me joy and peace.

Some struggles, however, persisted. I was quick to become angry and judgmental.

I am easily irritated by “inferior”, “immoral” and “unreasonable” behaviours. In the most extreme, I even judged people for being judgemental (yes, I made the same mistakes as the person I was judging). I knew this was not right and I kept criticising myself for it.

I also felt lonely – I felt that there were few people walking with me, that there were few people who understood me. I felt bad for myself, and I felt these things should not be happening to me. The pain from these feelings kept recurring but there was nowhere, or no one to share or understand my struggles.

I recently rejoined a new season of Love the Lord and the first week was already eye-opening for me.

I was brought to revisit the relationship with the Holy Spirit and who He truly is – that He represents the living water flowing from the throne of God into our hearts.

John 7:38-39 (NLT) Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Revelation 22:1 (NLT) Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

We were then doing a lot of prayers for the group, with the group’s collective gifts and efforts. I was amazed! People were doing something or knowing something that is impossible by self-reliance but only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

While I was filled with wonder about the way to receive the Holy Spirit fully, my gifts also got activated through the night.

Right after that session ended, I was moved to pray with my partner for her workplace struggle. I led her to cut ungodly soul ties with the spirits worshipped at work. It was very different than before, for my prayer was led by visions and words of the Holy Spirit on what and how I should pray. The comfort and peace that my partner received was also more evident than before.

Afterward, I started to feel physically uncomfortable. I felt suffocated and even had heartache during the weekend and cried to my brothers and sisters for help and for prayers.

This led me to my second inner healing and deliverance prayer with some friends who had done Love the Lord before. Before we met, the Holy Spirit showed them there were many occult practices I had not yet repented. This left the door open to evil spirits to come against me.

If I repented and renounced my past witchcraft and idol worship in Jesus’ powerful name, those doors immediately closed.

One of several memories He showed me was when our family would go to a big tree with many discarded idols that people didn’t want anymore. We prayed to those spirits, to burn incense to them, and pay them “respect”. By renouncing the worship and cutting off soul ties, I was healed – the discomfort began reducing progressively as we prayed. I felt different.

God also revealed to me that I am to be anointed as a minister of mercy. Being so self-righteous may corrupt me if I am not using this gift alongside the Holy Spirit who will teach me.

If I followed my own emotions, I would become controlling, oppressive and judgmental. That explained my recurring struggles very well, and I wanted to be set free from it.

Through prayers, I died to my old self – I repented of my pride and using my human wisdom. I repented of using my gifts in my own way but not God’s way. I chose to bow down, and be a servant of God. I want God to work through me to bless others – not based on how I feel or what I feel they need.

God not only forgave me, He called me His son to walk with Him closely. His love for me is more than tangible. The LORD said to me, ‘My son, welcome home. Let me embrace you. Let me protect you. Let me teach you. You shall lead the children on earth. You shall equip people. You shall shine light for me.”

The joy and peace of being with Him is around me. I thank God for His faithfulness and promises, despite my imperfection. I thank God for drawing me close to Him and for answering my prayers of wanting more of Him and less of myself. I have not much to do or prepare, but to follow His teaching and commands.