The Gifts of The Holy Spirit: Derek Prince
The Gifts of The Holy Spirit: Derek Prince
The Gifts of The Holy Spirit: Derek Prince
Dear Friend,
When Abraham sent his servant from Canaan to Padan Aram to seek a bride for his son Isaac,
the servant loaded ten camels to take with him. In the Middle East I have seen with my own eyes
how much can be loaded onto a camel. It is amazing!
The ten camels with their loads were visible evidence that Abraham was an honored, prosperous
man. Included in their loads were precious gifts of jewelry. When the servant found the young
woman who was to become Isaac’s bride, his first act was to place on her face a very conspicuous
nose jewel.
By accepting the gift Rebecca committed herself to become Isaac’s bride. Had she refused the
gift, however, she would have rejected and dishonored Isaac. She could never have become his
bride.
Today, in a similar way, God has sent His Holy Spirit with abundant provision for the bride of
His Son Jesus—the Church. Included in it are nine beautiful spiritual gifts. By accepting these gifts,
the Church is marked out as the one who is committed to become the Bride of Christ.
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Mailing Address: Derek Prince Ministries
Derek Prince
Jerusalem, Israel
P.O. Box 19501
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Charlotte, NC 28219-9501 704-357-3556
Some of the gifts are plural in both parts: e.g. gifts of healings; workings of miracles; discernings
of spirits; kinds of tongues. This indicates that each healing, each miracle, each discerning, each
utterance in a certain tongue (language) is a gift. If a certain gift regularly manifests itself through a
certain person, we may say that the person has that gift.
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her unable to utilize certain amino acids. Her brain was progressively deteriorating.
The husband left to keep another appointment and we walked back with the wife to their
apartment. On the parking lot we paused for a moment to say good-bye. Prompted by the Holy
Spirit, Ruth said, “Let me pray for you.” Then we parted.
About three weeks later the husband told us that his wife had been completely healed. This was
later confirmed at the same hospital where her condition had been diagnosed.
God had just one place and one moment where He made healing available. Because Ruth
responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, healing came and God was glorified.
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eventually he divorced his wife, married his secretary, and died an alcoholic. Other well known and
successful preachers have experienced similar personal tragedies.
When confronted with cases such as these, people often respond, “But surely if a person misuses
one of these gifts, God would take it away!”
Yet the answer is No! The gifts of the Spirit are exactly what the name implies—genuine gifts,
not loans with conditions attached or a repayment schedule. “For the gifts and the calling of God
are irrevocable.”4
Once we receive one of these gifts, we are free to use it, misuse it or just not use it at all.
Ultimately, however, God will require an account of what we have done—or not done.
We need to bear always in mind the warning of Jesus, “You will know them by their fruits”5—
not by their gifts.
Jesus followed up these words by an explicit warning that the exercise of spiritual gifts is not
necessarily a passport to heaven:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name,
and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”6
This indicates that it is possible for a person to exercise spiritual gifts and at the same time to
“practice lawlessness.” What is “lawlessness”? It is an arrogant assumption that God’s moral and
ethical standards no longer apply to those who can exercise gifts of supernatural power.
Obviously, such ministries may at times confront us with the need to make difficult personal
decisions. How should we respond?
First of all, we must keep in mind Paul’s warning to Timothy: “Do not . . . share in other people’s
sins; keep yourself pure.”7
Second, we must also keep in mind the warning which Jesus gave us concerning such unethical
ministries: “Heaven is for those who do the will of My Father in heaven.” We each need to ask
ourselves: What is the will of God in my life? What does my Father expect of me?
For my part, I feel that God has given me a clear, simple answer: “This is the will of God, that
you should be holy.”8 To this the Holy Spirit has added a warning: “Without holiness no one will see
the Lord.”9 It is my determination to “pursue holiness.”
In my next letter, I will deal with the opposite side of the coin: the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Yours in the Master’s service,
Derek Prince
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1 Corinthians 1:6, NIV Romans 11:29 1 Timothy 5:22
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1 Corinthians 13:8–10, NIV Matthew 7:20, NAS 1 Thessalonians 4:3, NKJ & NIV
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1 Corinthians 15:19, NIV Matthew 7:21–23 Hebrews 12:14, NIV