A word of knowledge is not something that you conjure up from your own spirit. It is something that is spoken to you by the Spirit of God as the Spirit wills. You can't make it happen. If you get a word of knowledge, then God will give you directions regarding what you are supposed to do with it. It is between you and God.
But because you know the Spirit and because you know that the Spirit controls your life, then you know that you have heard the Spirit.
When you speak forth that word of knowledge by the Spirit of God, then you have to let it lie there if nobody responds. That doesn't mean that you were wrong or that you're bad or evil, nor does it mean the person that didn't respond is bad or evil. You aren't responsible for how someone else does or doesn't respond to a word of knowledge. People are really funny about things.
Some people can stand there knowing all the time it is for them, but they just don't want to acknowledge it in front of anyone else. After the service, they come and say, "You know, that was me. Will you pray for me?" I say "No." When they ask, "Why?" I explain it is because the anointing is not there now; the flow of the Holy Spirit has left.
Now I can pray for them as a believer, but there won't be that same anointing that came as the Spirit wills to relieve that person of their situation at that moment at that time. It is nothing I do within myself and nothing they do within themselves. When they respond to that word of knowledge, the Spirit of God will do it in them.
Diversity Of Operations
Then we have the diversity of operations, which are special faith and working of miracles. A good testimony guided by the Holy Spirit is prophecy. Why is that? Because you are under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and you are giving forth a testimony of what God as done.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, you are speaking forth a truth, what God wills at that time, and it will help somebody. It is for a purpose to bring somebody into an area of understanding of whatever God is working in him at that time. Therefore, you can be used in this way.
To predict the future is not the simple gift of prophecy. To prophesy is to speak unto men for edification, exhortation, and comfort. There is a difference in the ministry of the prophet and prophesying. You may all prophesy, but not all are prophets. And that is where confusion comes in. A lot of people think because they prophesy that they must be a prophet, but that is not true.
What are gifts of healings? They are a supernatural manifestation of healing through one individual to another. Jesus was used in the gifts of healings. This gift is for physical healing. Not everyone operates in the same gifts of healings.
Mark 16:17 says, "And these signs shall follow them that believe." What was Jesus talking about? He was talking about healing with the exception of speaking with new tongues.
In other words, you will have these gifts of healings operating. Healing will come forth by the Spirit of God through you to another, but the new tongue comes from praying. By praying, we begin to operate in the Spirit in tongues, allowing our Spirit to join with the Holy Spirit to pray the perfect prayer.
People came to Jesus to be healed of diseases and of unclean spirits, and they were healed. Many times we call it casting out demons, but it is gifts of healings in operation.
Jesus did these works, and we are to do them also. The Lord Jesus, the Head of the Church, administers through the Body for us to work and act supernaturally and carry out His will.
When people come to be healed, it involves a variety of diseases, unclean spirits and sicknesses. God may direct you to call the devil out, but many times through the gifts of healings, they just come out. You don't have to work forever to cast out that devil.
When you operate through that healing gift that has been given to you by the Holy Spirit and you speak forth what the Spirit of God tells you to speak in the name of Jesus, healing comes, whether it is in disease or sickness or unclean spirits.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers