9 FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE SCRIPTURE:
1) LOVE - 'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.'
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV)
2) JOY - 'I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!'
(John 15:11, NLT)
3) PEACE - 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.'
(John 14:27, NIV)
4) PATIENCE - 'Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.'
(Psalm 27:14, NLT)
5) KINDNESS - 'Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.'
(Ephesians 4:32, NIV)
6) GOODNESS - 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.'
(Romans 12:2, NKJV)
7) FAITHFULNESS - 'His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
(Matthew 25:23, NKJV)
8) GENTLENESS - 'Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'
(Matthew 11:29, NIV)
9) SELF-CONTROL - 'Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.'
(Proverbs 4:23, NIV)
'And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.'
(1 Corinthians 13:13, NKJV)
'So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.'
(Galatians 5:16, NLT)
1 WISDOM
'If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.'
(James 1:5,NIV)
2 KNOWLEDGE
'Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.'
(Colossians 3:9-10, NLT)
3 FAITH
'Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.'
(Romans 10:17, NIV)
4 HEALING
'He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” '
(1 Peter 2:24, NIV)
5 MIRACLES
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
(Matthew 17:20, NLT)
6 PROPHECY
'For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.'
(2 Peter 1:21, NIV)
7 DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
'Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.'
(1 John 4:1, NIV)
8 TONGUES
'For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.'
(1 Corinthians 14:2, NIV)
9 INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
'If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.'
(1 Corinthians 14:27-28, NIV)
'If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.'
(1 Corinthians 13:1, NLT)
Apostles
Evangelists
Apostles
The one, who is sent out.
Chosen by Jesus to be His closest followers to spread the Gospel.
'With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.'
(Acts 4:33, NIV)
Prophets
Evangelists
Apostles
The one, who is inspired by God through the Holy Spirit to deliver a message.
God speaks to teach, inspire, refine, and warn His children.
'Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.'
(2 Peter 1:20, NIV)
Evangelists
Evangelists
Evangelists
The one, who proclaims the Gospel.
Preaching the Gospel among those, who have either never heard it or are not believers yet.
'And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.'
(Mark 16:15, NLT)
Pastors
Teachers
Evangelists
The one, who is called to shepherd the church of God.
Serving others in their spiritual and physical needs as minister.
'Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.'
(Hebrews 13:17, NLT)
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
The one, who has God-given ability to explain God's Word.
To teach the Word of God and cause change, both in attitude and in actions.
'Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.'
(James 3:1-2, NLT)
'In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.'
(Romans 12:3-8, NLT)
FASTING
'However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.' (MATTHEW 17:21, NKJV)
The greatest weapon in mass destruction in the World's history is satan's favourite secret weapon - FOOD.
The very first temptation in the history of the World was a temptation with food.
The very first temptation with Christ was a temptation with food.
The children of Israel went down into Egypt and were slaves for 400 years, because they were looking for food.
'Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.' (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV)
WHEN WE FAST AND PRAY, WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE NEED A SPIRITUAL HELP.
WHEN WE FAST AND PRAY, WE ARE HUMBLING OURSELVES BEFORE GOD.
WE ARE EXCERCISING OUR FAITH. WE ARE SAYING: FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD.
'Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.' (Exodus 34:28, NIV)
BEFORE YOU START FASTING:
1) Ensure your motives are right about fasting and prayer. This is not to manipulate God to earn what you want, but it's to bring you to a place of faith and humility to get, what God has for you.
2) Settle on responsibilities relating to family or your vocation. Reduce distractions.
3) Set a place and time that you can go to daily and faithfully to pray during the time of fasting.
PRAYER FOR THE PERIOD OF FASTING:
Dear God, I come before you today in humility and reverence, seeking your guidance and strength as I embark on this period of fasting. I acknowledge that fasting is a spiritual discipline that draws me closer to You, allowing me to set aside the distractions of this world and focus our hearts and minds on Your presence. As I abstain from physical nourishment, may my spirit be nourished by Your Word and Your Holy Spirit. Grant me the wisdom to discern Your will and the strength to carry it out. Help me to grow in faith, self-control, and dependency on You alone. Lord, during this time of fasting, I also lift up my prayers and petitions to You. Hear my cry O God, and answer me according to Your perfect will. May my fasting be a fragrant offering unto You.
In Jesus Christ Name,
Amen