1 Cor. 12:7 KJV
Jesus never meant for the manifestations of the Spirit to be mysterious and illusive. He meant for them to be a normal part of the Christian life. That’s why He promised them to every obedient believer and said:
The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]
(John 14:21 Amp)
I love the Amplified translation of that verse because it clearly spells out what Jesus meant when He said He would manifest Himself to us. The Greek word translated manifest means “to appear or to reveal.” In Mark 16:9, for example, where it says that Jesus appeared to Mary after His crucifixion, the word appeared could have just as well been translated manifest.
Manifestations are the methods the Holy Spirit uses to make God real to us. They help us to see Him, hear His instructions, and perceive His presence in a very specific and tangible way.
Many Christians have the idea that those kinds of supernatural experiences are only granted to an elite few, to people who have special callings like the early apostles did. They think manifestations of the Spirit aren’t meant for ordinary believers. But the Bible says differently.
It says that God intends for all Christians to have manifestations of the Holy Spirit in their lives because they are profitable to the body of Christ. They empower the Church to progress and move forward in the plan of God. They help us to help each other.
As God-loving, Word-keeping believers, we have scriptural grounds to believe that God will make Himself real to us and through us by the operations of His Spirit. We should live expecting the supernatural every single day!
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 14:1–12
Source: Devotions for the Praying Heart by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”