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The power gifts of the Holy Spirit continued : Faith and the Gifts of Healings The Gift of Faith Although we know that every believer is dealt the measure of fawhen there is a specific need God gives us an extra injection of faith. This increased level of faith may only apply to the specific purpose and may last only until the conclusion of the matter. The person receiving the gift of faith might even be surprised to hear themselves say 'Yes, the Lord is going to do this...' and then think where did they get the strength to believe for this level of faith. It is very encouraging to the rest of the church to see/hear this gift in action as this gift will keep them holding on in faith to receive the desired outcome (e.g. a bigger church building). Or what about the gift of faith to raise the dead (e.g. Lazarus). Most of us would need a huge injection of faith to perform that ministry. Roger Price tells the story of a woman who died during the praise and worship at her local church. There was a doctor present who confirmed that there was no pulse. The elder leading the meeting although aware of the fact she had died asked the congregation to pray for her and someone called out "Lord bless her'. The life came back into her, and she came round and apologised for fainting! The elder leading the meeting received the gift of faith! Sometimes a collective gift of faith can be manifest through the assembled congregation. A woman with severe post-natal depression was instantly set free and healed when a church collectively prayed for her. The Lord still wants to operate His power gifts to meet the needs of His people let us be open to receive them for His glory! The Gifts of Healings Please notice that it is plural 'gifts' for there are many types of healing. There is such a thing as the healing of emotions and there is a need within the church for this type of ministry. People need to be healed from a wide range of conditions and sicknesses, arthritis, depression, cancer, allergies etc. etc. It is interesting to note that in the gospels there were no instances recorded where Jesus was either unwilling or unable to heal whoever asked him. The gifts of healings are often administered by the laying on of hands. This is a means of identification with the sick person. It is good acknowledge the Lord as the great healer asking Him to impart healing and health to the afflicted person. Healing can be administered in several ways including the laying on of hands, or through the anointing with oil or even transmitted by a piece of cloth. Mark 6:12 And they went out and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have committed sins, they shall have forgiven him. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit who supplies the power for the gift of healing to take place. Every Christian has the right to call for the elders and that the elders must step out in faith and obedience to God's word. Sometimes healing takes place when a single prayer of faith is made, and we just know that God has heard and granted our prayer. However there are other times when we must persist in prayer before healing will take place (pray like a hacking cough as the Greek says in one scripture!). As ever we need to be led by the Holy Spirit. When we are needing healing, we ought to pray for ourselves in the first instance. Then, if necessary, ask our family and friends to pray. If you are still sick, then call for the elders. Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. Gifts of healings are sometimes instantaneous but at other times takes place gradually. So patiently wait in faith if you have received prayer for healing! If we give up in unbelief the gradual healing process will be stopped. Acts 19:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. A healing might be termed as a miracle by being instantaneous or by being unusual in some respect. A Christian I know felt led to pray over a handkerchief when visiting a relative who lived some distance away. A year or so later someone in the relative’s family took seriously ill. When he remembered the handkerchief, it was applied to the sick person’s body and a miraculous healing took place! Often at a meeting where a word of knowledge is given for healing, it can be a prelude for general healing to take place. Amen Personal Prayer Teaching partly adapted from the late R. Price (Chichester Christian Fellowship)

The power gifts of the Holy Spirit; Miracles, Faith, and Gifts of healings The power gifts of the Holy Spirit are the gifts most likely to cause a stir and draw a crowd! This is the case for distinct reasons; firstly, most people have unmet needs in their lives. Many people need a miracle or require a gift of faith to overcome some huge obstacle in their lives or desire a healing touch from the Lord. Another reason these gifts are so popular is that Christians love to see God move in power! However, although most, if not all of us would love to see the power gifts in operation, there are certain dangers for the believers who operate in these gifts. Sometimes we love the Lord's deeds more than we love His person! People will often flock to a healing or miracle meeting but would not come to a teaching on the attributes of God. We must desire the Giver Himself not just His gifts. We must love God first for who He is and not for what He gives us. People will travel for miles to see a man or woman with a reputation for doing miracles. Such ministers often get put on a pedestal and folks can forget it is the Holy Spirit who is glorifying Jesus Christ by performing the miracles etc. Ministers who operate in these power gifts often become unapproachable and sadly in some cases fall into serious sin. Pride comes before a fall! The church must take its share of the blame if we put these ministers under such a pressure of high expectation that they just cannot cope. We become disappointed when we find out these men have 'feet of clay,’ but we should have known better than to look at the man anyway! Miracles [1],[2] These are when God glorifies Himself by intervening in the natural processes in a supernatural way. This usually involves a dramatic shortening of the time scale of the natural process. For example, all healing is performed by God who gives and maintains life. If He did not supply the healing power to all of our bodies, we would die. But when Jesus of Nazareth went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the Devil, he either shortened the time scale of healing from gradual to instantaneous (or) or instigated an otherwise impossible feat. The miracle of turning the water into wine is an example since it is God who produces all wine from water (and other ingredients). At the wedding in Cana Jesus simply speeded up the process! Similarly in the case of the feeding of the five thousand with the loaves and fishes, it is the Lord who multiplies seed for bread and fishes, Jesus just did it in a quicker and more supernatural way. God can miraculously stretch things out like the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil! 1 Kings 17:14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. Corrie Ten Boom's little bottle of vitamins lasted for months in the concentration camp! Some Christians have reported driving hundreds of miles on one gallon of petrol! God will sometimes do this type of miracle but only when it is really needed. (the clutch had gone in my car but I prayed God would enable me to drive it to the repair shop. The mechanic could not believe I had driven it there with no clutch! Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs [3] following. Amen. Miracles, signs, and wonders [4] follow the believers. Signs draw our attention to God and seek to cause us to believe in him and his power. They also confirm that it is the authentic word of God that has been preached. Whereas wonders are directed towards our imagination and are given to get us thinking about the awesomeness of God. When a deadly snake bit Paul while in Malta, the natives expected him to die but God preserved his life as a miraculous sign to the Maltese. The word "Sign" (semeion) in the New Testament is used of miracles and are taken as evidence of divine authority. Sometimes it is translated as "miracle.” The New Testament writers also used dunamis, meaning power or inherent ability, to refer to activity of supernatural origin or character (Mark 6:2; Acts 8:13; 19:11; Rom. 15:19; 1 Cor. 12:10,28,29; Gal. 3:5; 2 Thess. 2:9; Heb. 2:4). Also the word "Work" (ergon) is also employed in the New Testament in the sense of "miracle." John the Baptist heard of the "works" of Jesus while he was in prison (Matt. 11:2). The apostle John used the term frequently in his Gospel (5:20,36; 7:3; 10:38; 14:11,12; 15:24). Amen Personal Prayer Footnotes [1] 1411. dunamis, doo'-nam-is, from G1410; force (lit. or fig.); spec. miraculous power (usually by impl. a miracle itself): --ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. [2] How do miracles relate to the natural order? Christian thinkers have responded in diverse ways throughout the centuries. Some hold that miracles are not contrary to nature (Augustine and C. S. Lewis, for instance). This harmony view contends that human knowledge with limited perspective does not fully understand or comprehend the higher laws that God employs in working the miraculous. Others (like Thomas Aquinas) have maintained miracles stand outside the laws of nature. This approach is called the intervention view, based on their belief that God intervenes in the natural order to do the miraculous. [3] The basic nature of a sign is that it points people to God. "Wonders" describe God's supernatural activity, a special manifestation of His power (Ex. 7:3), Wonders can serve as a sign of a future event. Signs seek to bring belief (Ex. 4:5; compare 10:2), but they do not compel a person to believe (Ex. 4:9). We should join the Psalmist in confessing that the God of Israel "alone works wonders" (Ps. 72:18 NASB). [4] "Wonders" (teras) translates a Greek word from which the word terror comes. It denotes something unusual that causes the beholder to marvel. Although it usually follows "signs," it sometimes precedes it (Acts 2:22,43; 6:8) or occurs alone (as in Acts 2:19). Whereas a sign appeals to the understanding, a wonder appeals to the imagination. "Wonders" are usually presented as God's activity. Next time in The gifts of the Godhead Part 3g we will consider the other two power gifts of the Holy Spirit i.e. faith and gifts of healings.

The Holy Spirit inspirational gifts continued: A word of knowledge, and discerning of spirits A word of knowledge In the Greek it is a not the word of knowledge. This is when God who is omniscient (i.e. knows everything) chooses to reveal something by his Holy Spirit to a believer so that they can use this information to minister to another. Such a word of knowledge can open up your understanding to minister correctly into the person's situation. People often put this gift on too high a level! Sometimes you are going about your normal daily business when the Lord lays a burden on your heart for someone or something then He has supernaturally given you knowledge of a situation you otherwise could not know! The Lord might call you to pray or visit or respond in some other way. This at a basic level is a word of knowledge. Often after the event you find out that something important happened just at the very time you received and acted on the word of knowledge. God never gives this gift except for a specific purpose, and we should act in faith when it happens i.e. be obedient to the Spirit's leading. (I was once woken up at night s to intercede for a relative who was in danger of a miscarriage- the pregnancy had a successful outcome). Sometimes people at a meeting will receive a word of knowledge about a health, financial or other problem for someone in the congregation. When the word is given out it promotes faith in the person to receive healing or have their particular need met. Thus it often is a catalyst to successful personal ministry. Remember the Samaritan women at the well. The word of knowledge laid bare her whole life causing her to perceive that Jesus was a prophet. Thee bible teacher the late Roger Price told a story of how (after several false starts) being obedient to prompting of the Holy Spirit led to the conversion of a fellow student. Sometimes the word or picture we receive can be unusual (e.g. tinned food story). We have just got to be obedient and give them! Jack Deere tells how one day when counselling one of his bible school students, suddenly saw in his mind the word pornography appearing and then it flashed on and off. He tried to ignore this but after a while he realised that the Lord was giving him a supernatural message. When he eventually gave in and asked the student outright if he was using this type of material, the student eventually came clean and received ministry which completely set him free from this bondage. Judge the fruit! This is a border line example between a word of knowledge and discerning of spirits. Discerning of spirits There is such a thing as natural discernment (as in fictional characters such as Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple) but the gift of discerning of spirits reveals that which only God can reveal. Often this gift functions during personal ministry when the Lord reveals the spiritual nature of the root problem which is not apparent in any natural sense. Jack Deere tells of one young lady who came for prayer for nightmares. Whilst praying Jack received a word of knowledge from the Lord.... 'Don'. It turned out that the young women had been involved in immorality with a man named Don (who was heavily into the occult). The Lord then enabled Jack to discern that the girl had been demonized through this contact. After the spiritual root of the problem was manifested and repentance made, the young woman was set free by prayer and the nightmares stopped! This gift is vital in the deliverance ministry for unless the Lord supernaturally reveals what the root problem is spiritually speaking, then we are unable to proceed. Thankfully, the Lord usually gives discerning of spirits because He wants his people to be set free! Sometimes the Lord gives discerning of spirits to a local church so that they know how to pray specifically and intelligently for their local area or even nation. Another use of this gift can be when someone is telling you something and the Holy Spirit says that either they are lying or not telling the whole truth. This discernment might just be a warning or else a prompt to confront the person. You need to be led of the Spirit to manage this type of situation. If a doubtful character comes to your church, you might ask the Lord to give you discernment in the matter! Moving in the inspirational gifts These three gifts often come to believers as a recurrent thought or feeling, or as a vision (picture). For example you might see a picture of an ear, through which the Lord is showing that someone present has an ear problem and if He is revealing that it is almost certain that He wants to heal that problem. Some people see outlines of a body with just the affected part visible or prominent. Other may see or hear words... 'heart problem' etc. or 'marriage difficulties'. God will have his own way of speaking to you. Step out in faith and see the supernatural power of the Lord at work in your church and in your personal life! It is a real boost to our faith to see the Lord meet people needs in such a fresh supernatural way! Amen Personal Prayer Referenced authors Roger Price BBS tape series (no. 95) 'Moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit-part 2' Chichester Christian Fellowship. Surprised by the voice of God by Jack Deere (Kingsway 1996).

The gifts of the Holy Spirit ;the inspirational gifts: Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, and Discerning of Spirits Brief Review There are nine gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9. To another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit, 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits, to other divers’ kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: For the purposes of our study the gifts are considered in three groups. 1. The verbal gifts; tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophecy. 2. The inspirational gifts; a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge and discerning of spirits. 3. The power gifts, faith, gifts of healing and miracles. The inspirational (or revelatory) gifts Last time when we considered the verbal gifts, we saw that these gifts were under our control to some degree and in one sense we can reach out to the Lord to receive them from Him. However, it is more difficult (though not impossible) to reach out for the inspirational gifts than the verbal gifts. The inspirational gifts often operate unexpectedly, but when they do, they usually resolve a difficult if not otherwise impossible situation to resolve. Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda, in their book 'Watch of the Lord'' talk of the gifts of the Holy Spirit being part of the Church's military assets. The HOLY SPIRIT gives a word of knowledge=intelligence. The HOLY SPIRIT gives a word of wisdom=unique and successful strategies. The HOLY SPIRIT gives discerning of spirits=radar ability to reveal the hidden enemy 'stealth'. The HOLY SPIRIT gives a gift of faith the vision for victory. Judging the gifts James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. There should always be fruit coming from the inspirational gifts (and other gifts) whether immediate or after a while. The demonized girl who followed Paul and Silas around Phillipi had supernatural knowledge about them, but it was not pure, gentle, and eventually contributed to Paul and Silas getting a severe beating and imprisonment. However, the true inspirational gifts are beautiful to see and bring great encouragement to the church. As in the colours of the rainbow and in the fruit of the Holy Spirit sometimes the various gifts seem to merge into each other i.e. sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between a prophecy and a word of knowledge. 1. Word of wisdom Wisdom is the correct use of knowledge. A word of wisdom can be used by God in many different ways. Luke 21:14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. Matthew 10:19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. This is referring to a time of persecution not to whether you ought to prepare a sermon or talk in advance! The gift of a word of wisdom often is for when you are in a tricky situation and the Holy Spirit gives you the answer to the problem. Remember the word of wisdom Jesus used when they asked him if they should pay taxes to Caesar! A pastor was interviewed on radio by an atheist but had to stop talking when the atheist raised his hand. The atheist asked a number of questions to which the pastor gave good answers, but the interviewer kept his best shot until last. The climax question was in a certain passage of scripture God tells the Israelites to kill all the people in a certain town, men, women, and children even the animals, Is that your God? The pastor cries inwardly 'Lord help me!'. He receives a word of wisdom 'Yes, it is my God, a God of love, a God of long-suffering and patience but also a God of wrath and judgement! That is why Christians are so urgent about the Gospel in a nation where we have taken God's mercy and forgiveness for granted for so long. After a minute of total silence the interviewer thanked the pastor and closed the show. Another dramatic resolution (in the old testament) of an insoluble problem by a word of wisdom was when the two women argued over the live baby. People can also receive a word of wisdom over day-to-day problems such as moving house or changing job etc. A Christian family felt lead to move back into a certain town but there was no job for the man and their house would not sell! Their pastor prayed for them and received a word of wisdom to the effect that as mature believers they should no longer wait for the job and house situations to resolve but step out in faith and go ahead with the move. Everything worked out with remarkable success! Amen Personal prayer Next time in the gifts of the Godhead Part 3e we consider the next inspirational gift, the word of knowledge.

The verbal gifts of the Holy Spirit - the practicalities of tongues The practicalities of using the gift of tongues There seems to be two main roles for the gift of tongues. 1. The manifestation that often occurs at the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Thereafter it is used for communicating messages to God. 2. The operation of the gift to communicate a message from God to the church. Although not all spirit filled Christians do talk in tongues, they have the ability. If you are in that position and would like to operate in the gift of tongues, we will be discussing how to remove any hindrances. Some people just seem to take off either speaking or singing in tongues right away. Others pick it up a few words at a time! Possible hindrances to speaking in tongues. 1. Fear or shyness; sometimes people are called forward at meetings and are prayed for and told ‘just start speaking in tongues!’. This can be a nightmare for people who are very shy and would not even speak in English in front of a group of people! Such people who are shy should be allowed to manifest the gift of tongues at home or in a small supportive group. We need to be sensitive when ministering in this area. Sometimes at a meeting where most of the congregation are speaking in tongues it is much easier for the first timer to just join in. 2. Ignorance; some people believe that speaking in tongues is involuntary. That is not the case since scripture is clear that we have control over the gift, since we can speak quietly in tongues or sing or shout in tongues. Some people have been filled with the Spirit for many years and want to speak in tongues but do not realise that the gift is operated by faith with our co-operation. Sometimes new tongue talkers get stuck repeating one phrase and need to ask the Lord to develop their tongue. Many spirit-filled believers operate in more than one tongue and seem to be able to recognise the change of tone. When the new tongue-talker hears the words coming out of their mouths they sometimes think that is just coming from themselves. However, we must have the humility to admit that we would not recognise most other known languages if we heard them. If a small boy were learning French and said to his dad ‘oui oui’ or ‘bon bon’ then his dad might say ‘wee wee’ and ‘bon bon’ are not French words, but he would be wrong. Likewise, we will not recognise the syllables and words in our other tongues. Although counterfeit tongues are exceedingly rare, if you are not sure about your tongue whether it sounds fight or not ask a small group of believers (or your leaders) to listen to it to see how it sounds to them. 3. Unbelief; sometimes people can be in bondage over this gift and need a prayer of deliverance to set them free to move in the gift. Bondage can be brought about through sitting under wrong teaching on tongues or might even be due to fear of man about looking or sounding silly in front of others. We need to realise that the gift of tongues was a normal part of the spirit-filled church life in the new testament church. Why is God so interested in our tongue? James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. God knows that we need to sanctify our tongues and when we are speaking in other tongues in a sense God is taking control of our tongues whilst we still retain overall control. If the Lord can gain control of our tongue, then He can be begun to take over the rest of our lives as well! When we are using tongues as a manifestation of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we are praying to God, and we can all do it together. God can hear all of us at once! (remember the day of Pentecost). However, when the direction changes to when God wants to speak to the church a different rule applies. Usually only one person speaks in tongues at a time, and everyone listens because we are not like God and able to receive all the tongues at once. Although most tongues that can be translated by someone present give glory to God, very rarely there might be an impression of something wrong with a tongue. In such a case a prayer of deliverance is needed. remember, when you ask God for something good that is what He gives, not something bad! When a tongue is given in a meeting someone should bring forth the interpretation in English (or other Indigenous language depending on location). Amen Personal Prayer

The three verbal gifts of the Holy Spirit In Part 3a we considered the description of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit as described in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. We are now going to focus on the description of the 3 verbal gifts (tongues, interpretation, and prophecy) in the following passage. 1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interprets, that the church may receive edifying. 6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? 7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8 For if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. 12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. 13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God; I speak with tongues more than ye all: 19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. 20 Brethren be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. 21 In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. 22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. 23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so, falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. 26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. 27 If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. . 39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order. Comments by verse v.1 We ought to desire spiritual gifts especially that we should prophesy! v.2 When we speak in an unknown tongue, we are not speaking to men but to God. It is a direct communication between man and God or vice versa. Although our minds do not understand we are speaking mysteries about God. What do you think the angels make of this? v.3 Prophecy is in English and is understood by the church thus building them up. v4. Tongues builds up the speaker, but prophecy builds up the church. see also Jude v20. v5 Paul wants everyone to talk in tongues but even better if they prophesy so that others can be fed. However, if there is an interpretation of the tongue it has the same effect as a prophecy i.e. it is understood! v6-12 What good is done in public if no one can understand what you are saying. Love considers others not just our own profit. If you want to give a tongue for the church pray and ask God for the interpretation as well so that everyone will be blessed. v15. Spirit filled Christians should pray and sing, sometimes in English, sometimes in tongues. Both are OK and one should not preclude the other. v16-17 Do not give thanks at the meal table in tongues since no one can understand and say Amen. v18 Paul appreciated the gift of tongues and used it more than anyone else! v19 but we must know the correct context for the use of tongues i.e. do not confuse the private use with its public use. At the meetings concentrate on what benefits the whole church. v21.-24 There appears to be an apparent contradiction between verse 21-22 and 23-24 in that in the former tongues is designated as a sign for the unbeliever but in the latter as a sign for the believers. The explanation lies in that on the day of Pentecost the Jews who first heard the other tongues were fulfilling the prophecies of the old testament (Isa 28 and Deut 24 v29) to show the Jews that they were in unbelief. However, the reference to tongues in v23-24 is for the Church and therefore is for a different purpose i.e. for the believers not the unsaved. v27 Let tongues and prophecies be given in batches of two or three and then give the congregation time to digest them and to discern what the Lord is saying to the church. v39 Do not forbid the speaking in tongues. v40 Be sensitive to the Spirit and others. Never behave in an unseemly or outrageous way for the church is the household of God. Amen Personal Prayer

The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit In Part 1 we considered the gift of God the Father- Jesus Christ (see John 3:16). In Part 2 we considered the ascension gifts of God the Son (see Ephesians 4:8-13). Now in Part 3a we begin to consider the nine gifts of God the Holy Spirit. Our keynote passage is found in 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to other divers’ kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. Please notice in verse 7 the gifts are given to every man to profit the body of Christ. These gifts are not just speaking about natural talents, e.g. the gift of tongues means that someone is good at foreign languages. This cannot be referring to the spiritual gift of tongues since there are many unbelievers who are gifted at languages! There are nine gifts of Holy Spirit are described here and these can be conveniently divided into three groups for study purposes. 1. The verbal gifts; tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. 2. The inspirational gifts;(God shows us something we otherwise could not know) word of knowledge, word of wisdom and discernment of spirits. 3. The power gifts (demonstrating the power of God); healings, miracles, and faith. Although the power gifts may be the most spectacular of the gifts the emphasis of the bible is on the verbal gifts with over half the Scripture about the gifts devoted to these. 1 Cor 14 teaches solely about the verbal gifts. There is not a whole chapter devoted to either the inspirational or the power gifts. We are also taught to desire the gift of prophecy above all others! In the early church we find that the verbal gifts were the gifts most manifested in the church. If we follow the example the Corinthian church there should be tongues, interpretation, and prophecy at every church meeting! Interestingly the other six gifts tend to be used more in personal ministry with occasional manifestations in the church meetings. The verbal gifts are often the gifts that open us up to begin to move in the other six gifts. In some ways they are easier to move in since these gifts are under our control i.e., we can either speak or keep silent! Regular use of the verbal gifts keeps us open and ready to operate in the other six gifts when the Holy Spirit gives them to us. They help us to recognise the voice or leading of the Holy Spirit. The gift of tongues is especially useful to us in that we can use it for our personal edification anywhere, doing the ironing, in the car and we can use it without speaking out! For those of us who can speak in tongues it should be a daily exercise so that in addition to our personal benefit we are ready to give a tongue at church if the Spirit wills. Amen Personal Prayer Next time in the Gifts of the Godhead Part 3b we focus on the verbal gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Guest blogger Linda Morris (aka Batnabas) What is the difference? Is it important? Those of you who know me, or have read other things I have written, will not be surprised that my answer is ‘Yes.’ An emphatic ‘Yes.’ Because this is partially to blame for the church – in general – moving away from its Hebraic roots. Pentecost is an important date in the Christian calendar. We sing songs proclaiming that God poured out His Holy Spirit on that day and “the church was born.” You will hear people preaching the same. Well it was not, and I am sorry if this offends you. But I am not apologising for it. Jesus did NOT come to start a new religion. Neither did Paul. The crowd in Jerusalem, in Acts chapter 2 were primarily Jews, but some gentiles (non-Jews) would have been there too. We know that the disciples plus Jews and others who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah were among them. The reason they were there was to fulfil the Biblical command to observe the feast of Shavuot. They were to present the firstfruits of the wheat harvest to God (Lev 22:15-17). Nowadays, it also represents the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. So they celebrate God’s provision for them physically and spiritually at Shavuot. They received another gift from God that day – the Holy Spirit! Jesus is called the firstfruits (1 Cor 15:23). At Shavuot, the Book of Ruth is read, mainly because it is a story about a harvest, but it also tells the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman, joining herself to the Jews. This gives a little hint that God would join the gentiles to His people in the future, through Jesus. Ruth is one of 4 women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, who were all gentiles. The only other woman in this list was His mother, Mary, who of course was Jewish. Ruth said, “your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Ruth joined herself to the Jews, but many Christians have at best, separated themselves from the Jews, and at worst turned against them, even hating them. The beginning of this was in the 4th century at the Council of Nicea when the church split from its Jewish roots. One of the results of this is that some years there can be a gap of a few weeks between the Jews celebrating Passover and the Christians celebrating Easter, depending on our calendars. Another is the erroneous teaching that the Jews were unfaithful to God, therefore He broke His Covenant with them and replaced them with the church! This is called ‘Replacement Theology’ and is quite rife in the Christian church. Don’t you see? If God broke His Covenant with the Jews He can just as easily break His Covenant with us! Are Christians perfect? Are we always faithful to Him? If we believe that God breaks His Covenants, then what are we doing going to church? If He is not a Covenant-keeping God, then we are wasting our time! Unfortunately, we have lost a lot by casting off our root, particularly in the area of understanding the Bible. I have often thought that as Christians we just float along the surface in Bible study. By discovering and accepting our Hebraic roots we gain such a deeper understanding of Scripture, of God, of Jesus. It brings the Bible to life. Tom Bradford, a Bible teacher in America, has said that ‘even open-minded Bible commentary writers find themselves at the end of a promising road to new discoveries of the Bible because they are unwilling to pursue it. It could be disruptive to the inner workings of the institutional church.’ He also says that in recent years there has been an upsurge internationally in Christians turning to Hebraic Roots teaching which he attributes to the Holy Spirit. So it seems that many Christians are realising that there is so much to gain, so much to learn. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Once you start, you wonder why you did not do it sooner. I am not in any way advocating that we all convert to Judaism. That is a backward step. The Messianic Jewish movement (Jews who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah) is growing rapidly in Israel and among Jewish communities in other countries. When people in the UK accept Jesus, they say ‘the prayer’ committing their lives to Jesus and approach the faith through Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Messianic Jews have the whole story. The Covenant with God, the ‘Law and Prophets’ (The Tanakh – our Old Testament) which tells the whole story of God’s love for His people and the promised Messiah. We are not New Testament people – we are Bible people. It is a fascinating book, and you will discover and be amazed and excited by all the new things you can learn when you look at it in its Hebraic setting. If you need help with how to access this aspect of Bible study let us know and we will be glad to guide you. Amen Prayer

The integrity of God and applying the cross The integrity of God assures believers that faith in Him is always entirely appropriate. The integrity of God’s being is fully consistent with all He says and does. All the divine attributes of His being form one consistent, indivisible whole i.e. His total person—with each of the divine attributes working together in complete harmony for the ultimate blessing of all believers. God has always possessed integrity as part of His eternal, infinite, unchanging and perfect being. The integrity of God is composed of two divine attributes working in tandem which are perfect righteousness and absolute justice. Divine integrity cooperates with the divine love; together forming one perfect, integrated system through which God deals gracefully with humanity. Grace is the expression of God’s love, and integrity is the uncompromising method of His justice. Divine integrity ensures that the God of love and grace is neither inappropriately emotional, nor does He play favourites, nor does He fail to be decisive in any human situations. If God lacked integrity in any way, we could not trust what He has said or promised. We know that God cannot lie as Hebrews 6:18 says, “that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie.” Second, God and His word are one. This key is found in the first verse of John: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.” God the Father showed his integrity by not sparing Jesus from the cross. In Psalm 22 we find the Messiah crying out ‘My God my God why hast thou forsaken me’? The Father and the Holy Spirit turned their back on Jesus as he became sin on the cross. The integrity of Jesus Christ After his baptism Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days. While he was there, the devil tempted him. But Jesus showed amazing, perfect integrity to the Word of God and to his character! Jesus quoted the Old Testament to stay strong and showed faithfulness to his mission as the Son of God. Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane displayed his integrity to his Father’s word and will despite the natural recoil of his flesh. Matthew 16:24 But Jesus Himself spoke this way about following Him when He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. Some bible teachers think that when we are told to take up our cross it means doing God’s will ahead of all our natural wishes and desires. The integrity of Jesus is our example. Applying the cross to our self-life. ‘We must also experience the cross. The enjoyment of Christ is something on the positive side, while the cross is on the negative side to deal with all the things that are not Christ Himself. The old creation, the self, the flesh, the natural man, and the soulish life all need to be dealt with by the cross. If we want to take Christ every day, we need to experience the cross. Christ and His cross are the unique solution to all the problems in the Christian life and church life. All problems in the Christian life and in the church can be solved only by Christ with His cross’.[1] His cross becomes our cross. Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, and what did he do there? He died on it. Jesus Christ is talking in a spiritual sense here about our own cross which we take to Golgotha and die there as we follow him at any price. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, put it like this: “When Jesus Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” The purpose of the cross of Calvary is to mature us to be more like Jesus. We need to count the cost by need being aware that the cross. 1. Will cause pain and suffering. 2. Will probably take time. 3. Can only be applied by God himself but we need to be willing to submit to it. The cross must be taken up daily and applied to put our self-life to death if we want to walk in integrity before God and man. How do we apply to the cross to our lives? The cross also represents a call to discipleship and self-denial as Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). In different Bible studies, applying the cross can mean different things depending on the context of the passage being studied. For example, it can mean applying the principles of self-denial and sacrifice to our daily lives or it can mean understanding how Christ’s death on the cross fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. We can apply the cross to several areas of our lives by simply killing (or sacrificing) all our natural desires and preferences thus allowing God’s wishes, commands, and desires to prevail in any given situation. Our personal targets for the application of the cross in our lives must include setting us free from the following. a. Our attachment to the present evil age (Galatians 1:3-4). b. Any hope of salvation through keeping sets of rules (Galatians 2:19). c. The domination of the self-life as expressed in worldly ambition, pride, self-love, and self-absorption. (Galatians 2:20). The cross must be applied to our wants, our thinking, and even our feelings when they are contradicted by God’s will and word or by the leading of the Holy Spirit. d. The works of the flesh including sexual sin, the occult, wrong thinking and relationships, and fleshly self-indulgence (Galatians 5:24) e. The love of the world system (Galatians 6:14). As Father God always showed integrity in his dealings with Jesus, and Jesus always showed his integrity by being full obedient to his Father’s word and will, so our challenge is to develop integrity in our life-walk by regular application of the cross to our self-life just like Jesus did. Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Amen Personal Prayer Materials consulted. The integrity of God (2005) by R. B. Theme Jnr. What It Means to "Take Up Your Cross" (and How to Do it) by Dr Roger Barrier on crosswalk.com The Cross in my life Part 2 -4296 (1990) by Derek Prince Footnotes [1] Excerpt from General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church, A - Part 2: Romans through Philemon, by Witness Lee.

Hebrews 10:19-25 The world is changing fast today, and it often seems that the historical Christian faith is under attack from many directions and worst of all sometimes the historical faith is attacked from inside the church. When the storms of life spring up, we can seem like ships that are tossed to and fro by the wind and waves and we feel that we are in danger of being shipwrecked. We must remember to hold fast to God’s word and his promises which are like an anchor to our soul and keep us fixed and safe no matter what the storms of life try to do to us. Talking of 'holding fast' several years ago my son-in-law asked me to join him going on the the world's fastest roller coaster, the Formula Rossa [1] in Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi. I had to hang on for dear life, I lost a shoe, and my hair was standing on end. In hindsight this gave me gave some insight into what it means to hold fast. What does it mean to hold fast to something? “Holding fast” in the Bible means to hold your position or fix your gaze and not lose sight of what is true. So this means that our attention -and therefore our actions- are fixed on God. After that, we need to obey His instructions — which is really the next logical step if your gaze and heart are locked on God. There are a number of scriptures that tell us to hold fast. The key scripture for this study is found in Hebrews 10:19-25. Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. God has made a new and living way into his presence for believers and encourages us to draw near to him confidently knowing that our hearts and minds have been cleansed from sin. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith [2] without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Based on these wonderful facts, what must we do now? We must not lose our nerve but rather declare the hope that we hold in eternal life because that is what Jesus Christ promised us and he is completely faithful to his word. No need to waver, no need to doubt because We can trust Jesus, we can trust all his promises to us. 24 And let us consider one another to provoke [3] unto love and to good works: The practical results of our unwavering faith and hope in Christ should be that we set an example to the Christian community stimulating each other to show love in action which results in Holy Spirit led good works such as charity, compassion, and kindnesses. 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together [4], as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Another practical outworking of holding fast to our confession of faith is that we will actively encourage the believers to assemble and thus be mutually encouraged. As Christians we need to know what to hold fast to: 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things: hold fast to that which is good. Prove all things means don’t just accept everything you hear, test it against the bible, discuss it with people you trust. Once you believe something is true then hold fast on it. Proverbs 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her for she is thy life. We receive instruction from the bible and from our pastors/ ministers, we need to grasp that which is good teaching and apply it to our lives for it keeps us living right. 2 Timothy 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Paul tells Timothy to hold fast to the good doctrine that he had been taught by Paul for it was given in the faith and love of Jesus Christ. Revelation 2:25 and 3:11 Jesus tells two [5] of the seven churches to hold fast what they have that no one steals their crown. To the faithful remnant in Thyatira who had not fallen into Satan’s depths Jesus tells them to hang on to receive their great rewards. To the faithful in Philadelphia Jesus says he knows their good works , and that they have a little strength left , they have kept his word and have not denied his name. Conclusion The Lord is calling each one of us today to hold fast onto all that is good in our lives. Hold fast onto the Lord himself. Hold fast to the word of God in the Bible. Hold fast onto all the good Christian practices that you have learned over the years. Hold fast onto your own personal faith in Christ. Amen Personal Prayer Footnotes [1] Ferrari World Abu Dhabi for example is home to a pair of record-breaking roller coasters, and one of them, the Formula Rossa, just happens to hold the Guinness World Record for the World’s Fastest Rollercoaster — clocking in with a blistering max speed of 240 km/h and traveling 52 meters into the sky in just 4.9 seconds. [2] Ellicott’s Commentary: Let us hold fast the profession/confession of the (Christian) hope (rather than faith). Hope here refers to eternal life as God’s children and heirs of Christ which we can rely upon since God is faithful to all his promises. [3] Original meaning of ‘to provoke’ means ‘to arouse,’ ’to excite,’ or ‘to call to action’ our fellow believers. [4] Hebrews 10:25 The most obvious interpretation of ‘assembling’ is ‘for public worship’ see Barnes Notes on the Bible. [5] The churches of Thyatira and Philadelphia, respectively.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood... In various places in the Bible we catch glimpses of the unseen spiritual realm. A good example of this is found in 2 Kings 6 when the King of Syria send soldiers to capture Elisha and his servant. 2 Kings 6:14-17 There is also a fascinating story over in Daniel 10 in which Daniel has been praying and fasting for three weeks or so. Daniel 10:12-14 In this chapter we find angels battling through with the answer to a man`s prayer. In the New Testament a passage which gives us great insight into the spiritual realm is found in Ephesians 6:10-18. 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; The bad news is that the heavenlies [1] are teeming with a huge host of organized malignant spirits who hate God and his people. The good news is that Jesus Christ has completely defeated them with his victory on the cross, and by his resurrection and ascension. Colossians 2:9-15 Verse 15; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. By His victory [2], Jesus has made it obvious that these evil spirits were powerless to prevent his resurrection, and because of this, this verse shows us that we should not fear death as he is able to resurrect each believer in turn. He has also given us a full suit of amour [3] to stand against the devil, which in essence is just living a deliberate holy lifestyle. So, as we are in a battle with these wicked spirits (they are the ones who stir up persecution and write the scripts that set the standard for what goes in society), we must continue to struggle against them and their influence on individuals and groups. But let us not forget that Jesus disarmed them by taking away their ability to put the fear of death into God`s people and hence we can stand against them and bring in God`s will into any particular situation. Amen Personal Prayer Explanatory footnotes [1] The church is engaged in a spiritual war, and its enemy is Satan and a host of unseen angelic and celestial enemies whose power vastly exceeds our own. With a few exceptions, our enemies remain invisible to our eyes, but they nevertheless are real, and so is their opposition. These celestial enemies come in various forms, as is suggested by the variety of terms used by Paul to identify them: “rulers ” these are the 5 star generals, “powers,” “world forces of this darkness,” “spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”. In this war Satan employs a variety of strategies to oppose and to defeat the Christian. Paul does not speak of one single “scheme”, but of his many “schemes” (plural), likewise, there are different parts of God’s armour that we must put on to counteract each of them. Satan’s opposition against the church is not a frontal attack, but a subversive attack through intrigue, deception, and trickery, so we must remain prayerful and alert (Eph 6:18, 1 Peter 5:8). [2] Victory with the devil under our feet Psalm 110:1The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Victory over demons Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Victory over sin and the ability to pull down strongholds 2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. [3] When we put on the armour, we are putting on Christ. Of course, the whole armour of God is describing a day-to-day lifestyle lived in the knowledge of all that God has provided to protect us. Please note we should always be praying. Sometimes we can extend the shield of our faith over others, what do you think? It is important to remember that when we put on the “full armour of God” we are putting on Christ (Rom. 13:14) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Eph 4:23) to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Our protection against Satan’s attacks is assured only when we take up the full armour of God. Satan’s schemes are many, and he attacks us at any point where we are weak. Our armour must be complete. We cannot pick and choose what parts of the armour we prefer, but rather we must put all of it on. We must be completely equipped, or we will be vulnerable to his attacks.

The battle between Bios and Zoe The battle between Bios (natural biological life) and Zoe (abundant life from God) is fought in the mind and each decision is made by our will, which should always be for Zoe to win. This battle between the life of God in us and the old sinful nature of the flesh is being fought out in our being everyday of our lives. Zoe will transform us into sons of God Bios will transform us into selfish failures Who do you want to win, Zoe or Bios ? You get to choose. If Bios wins you will be a carnal Christian, lukewarm in your faith. Concerned not so much with God`s will as your own convenience, You will become a self-pleaser or a man-pleaser rather than a God-pleaser. You will not be prepared to make any sacrifices since Bios always looks after No. 1. You will take part in envy, strife, and division. You will gradually fall away from God. If you choose Zoe, you will grow spiritually and develop into a full maturity in Christ. You will manifest the fruit of the spirit in your life such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. You will fulfill all your destiny in Christ Jesus and become a son of the Living God. Our Bios natural life must be crucified for Zoe to have the victory. Look to the Master Jesus Christ, he was rejected of men, lead a life of humility, he was misunderstood by his closest family, betrayed by an intimate friend, jeered at, beaten by the Roman authorities, tortured, and finally executed by death on the cross, just the perfect way to kill the self-life! Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The joy set before him is part of Zoe. The joy opened the way to be able to endure the suffering shame and death. What was the Joy set before him? 1. His obedience to Father 2.His salvation of his Church “Follow me” says Jesus Christ. Will you endure crucifixion of your bios life for the joy set before you? John 6:67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Do you also want to go away now that you know that you will have to co-operate with God in the crucifixion of your natural life? It is not going to be easy! Or do you say with Simon Peter in John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (Zoe). Amen Personal Prayer