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Prophetic counsel is prayer which combines the work
of the Cross and the work of the Holy Spirit. Wholeness or healing which
bypasses the work of the Cross (Galatians 2:20-21) is doomed
to failure. Without the work of the Holy Spirit the Cross would remain
experientially ineffective. In an attitude of prayer, the Holy Spirit
reveals situations and life patterns that need to be dealt with in prayer, such
as judgments and blame, anger that needs to be released, areas where forgiveness
must be extended, healing the brokenhearted, and dormant giftings that
need to be released to flow.
The anointing operates
to establish the government of God, bringing proper order and structure to
establish and mature the saints for the work of the ministry.
The minister helps clarify issues through dialogue and the gifts of the
Spirit, primarily discerning the human spirit in conjunction with word of
knowledge, to discover and deal effectively with root problems for healing
the wounded, ministering spiritual breakthroughs, and igniting for
service. Apostolic-Prophetic prayer counsel also identifies and
releases latent spiritual gifts. An important part of healing the
brokenhearted is identifying and releasing anointings which are either not
flowing or are partially paralyzed or dormant due to wounding. The goal
is not just healing, but for the believer to be made whole, ignited for service,
and released to destiny.
In prophetic prayer counsel, we recognize that the Holy
Spirit is the Counselor and that there is a particular anointing of a Spirit of
Counsel . ("And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD."
Isaiah 11:2.)
Through the Spirit of Counsel, there is a special unction
that separates, clarifies, deals, and heals by
utilizing various combinations of the gifts of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit as
Counselor draws upon the whole counsel of God for that specific word in season
to them that are weary. Isaiah 50:4 states, "The Lord GOD has given me the
tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season
to him that is weary: he awakens [me] morning by morning, he awakens my ear to
hear as the learned [a disciple]." The Counsel of the Lord stands forever and when the Holy
Spirit gives a word, it is appropriate and specific for the individual and
the situation.
True discernment sees more Holy Spirit than evil spirit. The whole counsel of God has one interpretation (a love
interpretation) with various applications. Rightly dividing the Word is our
responsibility to minister a word with the love nature as well as the mind of
God. As God’s perspective is declared, the result is comfort, edification,
building and planting. Even a corrective word to root out and pull down has
the love nature of God behind it.
Who needs "counseling"?
In
light of the fact that Jesus was "Wonderful Counselor", the Word
is the whole counsel of God, and one of the names of the Holy Spirit is
the Counselor, who is to guide us into all truth, it appears that
"counsel" is for all believers. From a biblical perspective,
it could be said that whoever doesn't need counsel doesn't
need Jesus, the Word, or the Holy Spirit.
"Confess your faults one to
another that you might be healed..." (James 5:16)
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PRAYER SUMMARY
(In the phrase "be
transformed by the renewing of your mind" from Romans 12:2, the word "mind"
in the original Greek is nous, and means "mindset" and
includes "thoughts, will and
emotions", not just the intellect.)
I. HEALING EMOTIONS
NEVER force ministry! Minister at the level the person receiving prayer can
comfortably accept. It may be necessary to cancel a session if a person
simply refuses to forgive (after an adequate explanation of biblical
forgiveness has been given.) Encourage persons receiving prayer to be honest
and admit what they feel, and present their emotions to God. Jesus Christ
took our pains and sorrows to the Cross, but we must appropriate the freedom
that He has already provided for us.
Forgiveness must flow through the
pain, and forgiveness must be extended to other people, oneself, and to God
(when a person blames Him for something). Because forgiveness is a work of
the Cross and the Holy Spirit
(Galatians 2:20-21),
after a person is healed, an anointing to bring healing to others flows
through the scar (2 Cor. 1:4). Encourage the person receiving ministry to
yield in the heart rather than just say words.
1. Wait on the Lord in an
attitude of prayer . Focus
on Jesus Christ within. It may help to remind the person receiving prayer
that this is like an altar call, and it helps for them to keep their eyes
closed. This is a prayer time not a discussion time (Psa. 131:2). Only
minimal details are needed even in a private prayer session.
2. Ask the person to say the first person or situation (memory) that comes
to mind (Prov. 20:27 KJV).
It is important to pray for one thing at a time, and to go in order (Psa.
139:23-24 NASB).
3. Tell the person to actually feel the emotion in the belly, and it may
help for the person to keep their hand there to maintain focus on Christ
within for the duration of the prayer session.
With every thought there is a corresponding emotion. It is important to
actually feel the emotion, not just "think" about how they remember feeling.
4. Instruct the person to allow forgiveness to flow through the negative
feeling until it changes to peace.
The fruit of the Spirit, anointed peace, replaces the negative emotion.
Forgiveness may be directed toward God, self, or others. Remind the
person to allow Christ to forgive through them. A person does not "try" to
forgive, but allows Christ the Forgiver within to do the forgiving. The
person may need to be reminded that even if they feel as though they "can’t"
forgive, Jesus can and will. (John 7:38 says, "He who believes in me, as
the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water
.")
5. Then, if there was an emotional need which wasn’t met, such as love or
attention, instruct the person to release demands on people until they feel
peace (Rom 14:4 Living Bible), then receive filling from the Holy
Spirit. Release flows from within, just
like forgiveness, relinquishing the situation into the hands of Jesus.
6. Healing results in an anointing to minister healing to others
(2 Cor. 1:4).
Hurt people hurt people, but healed people heal people!
II. PRAYER FOR THE MIND
A mental stronghold is a lie that has been believed, contrary to scripture
(Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-23; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). It manifests as a
recurrent negative thought. Deal first with the emotions before pulling down
mental strongholds. (In Romans 12:2, in the phrase "be transformed
by the renewing of your mind", the word "mind" in
the original Greek is nous, and means "thoughts,
will and emotions", not just the intellect.)
1. Lies may be formed at
the time of emotional wounding (Prov.
18:8 KJV). If this is the case, start with the emotions and forgiveness.
(See Healing Emotions.) From the place of peace that forgiveness
produces in the emotions, mental strongholds can effectively be
brought down.
2. Ask the person to renounce the lie out loud.
This breaks the power of the mental stronghold. For example, have the person
say, "I renounce the lie that ‘I’m a failure’."
3. Have the person ask the Lord to tell them the truth.
Then have them speak out loud the first thing that comes to mind. (It may be
a scripture verse or a thought that is scriptural.) Truth flows up from the
Spirit in the heart of man and gives revelation to the intellect (John 4:14;
Prov. 4:20-23).
4. Agree in prayer by yielding the heart and allow the Holy Spirit to write
the truth on the tablet of the heart (Jer. 31: 33; Psa. 40:8; 2
Cor. 3:3).
III. DEALING WITH THE WILL
If a person is having difficulty actually feeling emotions, instruct them to
yield to Christ within and allow themselves to feel (Phil. 2:13; Eze.
36:27).
1. Ask the person to say
aloud "I CHOOSE to feel." You
can’t make an emotion, but you can temporarily suppress an emotion with the
will.
2. It may be necessary to remind the person to allow themselves to feel what
they actually felt at the time a situation occurred.
For example, you might say, "Feel what the child felt at the time, not what
you think about it now."
3. An "inner vow" may block emotions from surfacing.
Inner vows are decisions to strengthen the carnal willpower (a hardening of
the heart), and are usually formed at a time of wounding. You may ask the
person if they ever made a decision such as "I will never let anyone see me
cry."
4. Instruct the person to extend forgiveness and receive forgiveness, then
renounce the vow out loud.
This releases the will and breaks the
power of the vow.
NOTE -
If someone says that they don’t see anything or only see "black", they might
be nervous. It may help to reassure and encourage them that it is Christ
within who does the work. Occasionally, a stronghold, pride, fear, or some
demonic activity may be interfering. Bind and renounce any demonic
interference. A "blank" mind is not normal because the mind is always active
and thinking.
©
Full Stature Ministries 2007
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| 1 I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set
aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the
law, then Christ died in vain. (Galatians 2:20-21) |
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