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Topic of Faith

On Tuesday May 30, I spent all day with Jesus and was positioning myself to love on Him and hear what He had to say about the prayer He wanted us to pray. The topic that kept coming to my heart was the topic of faith.

If you have ever had your faith challenged in the middle of a trial of some sort, you can appreciate prayer that helps strengthen believers as they make this journey.

There are many things that get in the face of the faith of believers and the corporate church. I thought it was a great thing to pray so I went to the scriptures.

Hebrews 11:1-3 (NKJV)
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

I WAS ABLE TO GIVE THE TESTIMONY…

If you prayed with us last week, you know there was a word of knowledge of a daughter that had run away. The next day she called her mom!

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT JESUS SPEAKS A LOT ABOUT FAITH

Jesus was wowed by all these kinds of faith.
• GREAT FAITH
• LITTLE FAITH
• NO FAITH
• FAITHLESSNESS
• SEED FAITH

WITHOUT FAITH…WE CANNOT PLEASE GOD

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

YOU WILL GET MORE ABOUT FAITH IF YOU PRAY WITH ME ON THE VIDEO

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:
When I was younger in the Lord, I was confused about whether or not I had faith. I thought I had faith and tried to help others have faith then I came into a very hard trial. Everything I believed was challenged.

I WAS IN A BATTLE FOR MY LIFE AND LIMB

It happened in the 90’s. I had a bad snow skiing accident that left me with a compound fractured left leg. I busted both bones out of the skin right above my left ankle. The result was nine surgeries and surgical procedures. I spent well over six weeks in the hospital.

During that time, everyone would come into my hospital room and tell me horror stories about how the same thing happened to Aunt so-n-so and they lost their leg or they died!! I was already wilting and afraid in my heart of hearts. I had doctors telling me they didn’t know if they could save my leg. Every time they told me that I would counter with my statement of faith, but on the inside I was scared.

THE ACCIDENT TOOK ME OUT OF THE MINISTRY FOR THREE YEARS

I was a youth pastor when the debacle happened and I had to leave the ministry. I went to another church as I recovered and I did some things there but I could not sustain being on a staff. I would go to church and then have to lay down all week. The chemicals from the surgeries made me sicker than the broken leg. I was a mess.

A little over a year into the recovery, I began to have severe debilitating headaches. They kept me up with my head between my knees at night moaning and on my back in the day time. I couldn’t function. No one could help me. I tried everything medical and holistic.

I TOOK A SENIOR PASTORATE BY FAITH

I was still in the chemical sickness three years after the accident when I took my first senior pastorate by faith. I thought, “if I was healed what would I do”? I would go back into the ministry.

I HAD TO LAY DOWN TO STUDY FOR MY SERMONS

I literally laid down to prepare to preach. The only relief I got was when I stood in the pulpit to preach. My head would stop hurting! When I was finished it would fire up the misery again.

I DID THIS SEVERAL YEARS

A year or so into the pastorate, I felt I was to teach on the Covenant that we are in with God. I laid on the bed and tried to study. I began taking the church through the Blood Covenant. I led them through for months. It was almost a year of teaching on the Covenant that we had through Jesus’ Blood.

BY THE TIME I FINISHED THAT SERIES ALMOST A YEAR LATER

I was convinced that Jesus’ death on the cross had healed me! I was still sick. Nothing had changed. One day I’ll tell you the whole story about my healing but for now I will say…in ONE NIGHT Jesus healed me completely! No more headaches…no more chemical sickness!

I UNDERSTAND THE LONG HAUL! I’VE BEEN THERE!

This is why when the Holy Spirit says to pray over faith, I LOVE IT!!
I watch people struggle. I hate it for them. I know it is hard.

FAITH IS A BELIEF SYSTEM

When I received my healing, I was convinced that faith was not mustering up belief (which I was never sure I really had in the midst of a terrible trial) but faith is a belief system that rest on something. That something is God’s Word…It healed me!!

I HOPE YOU WILL PRAY THOUGH THIS VIDEO WITH ME

Put your name and the name of your church or city in the blanks and let’s see what God will do with your faith.

Blessings,
lisa

 

© Copyright Lisa Swayze 2017

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Word of Knowledge

THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVES

I love the Holy Spirit. You are probably aware that the Holy Spirit is as much God as the Father and Jesus. He is the one that is here on the earth with us. His assignment with us is to baptize us into the Body of Christ (help us get born again) and to pour out of us like a river after Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit (this is where you will get a new prayer language).

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
1When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

WHEN I WAS JUST A KID

I was barely 18 years old when I had a radical experience accepting Jesus. I was playing music in bars and dives and had been for a number of years. I was not looking for God. Funny thing! He found me anyway!

After I was born again, I was introduced to the baptism into the power of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t know such a thing existed. In spite of my ignorance, the Holy Spirit gave me a new language. This has helped me grow into prayer through the years. He is my prayer partner…the better part of me for sure.

I STILL RELY ON THE HOLY SPIRIT TODAY

Every day is an exercise of faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
7For we walk by faith, not by sight.

The Holy Spirit is there continually to lead the way. He is my teacher, guide, comforter, and constant companion. When I can’t see, He can and leads me to the right places.

TUESDAY NIGHT PRAYER

I say all of that to explain what happened on Tuesday night for prayer. I spent the day with Jesus by His Spirit. I had things that I put into my notes as I read and fellowshipped with Him, but when I got into prayer at the corporate meeting, everything changed.

THE WORSHIP WAS SUPER CHARGED

Brenda Haney and her team led worship. They had been worshipping as they were practicing before the prayer meeting. The atmosphere was thick with the presence of Holy Spirit. There was a tangible presence. If you couple that with the other prayer meeting for warfare that runs an hour before the prayer meeting I lead, you can see why it was so palatable.

AS WE WORSHIPPED

I began to get words of knowledge. Do you know what that is? It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit imparted to us as believers.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NKJV)
7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

A WORD OF KNOWLEDGE

A word of knowledge is information that you have no way of knowing except by supernatural means. I was hearing in my heart things that I had no way of knowing such as: different people that had different sicknesses. I heard about choking, digestive issues, lupus and a couple of other things. I would call them out and the people would receive prayer for their sickness or disease.

I also had a word of knowledge that told me of a daughter that had run away, which we have called in through prayer (waiting on that testimony).

HOW DO YOU HEAR?

I have people ask me all the time, ‘How do you know you are hearing God?’ The truth is this…

John 10:27 (NKJV)
27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

IT’S NOT AN AUDIBLE VOICE

Although God has no problem speaking in a loud audible voice that is not typically how I hear Him. I hear down in my spirit. I call it down in my “knower”. You may think of it as your gut. After you are born again, your spirit comes alive and God impresses you in your heart, gut, or knower. Sometimes it will come up as a picture. That seems really normal because we think more in pictures anyway. Maybe the Holy Spirit makes use of the platform in our picture place because that is how we were designed before Adam mucked it up in the garden.

EITHER WAY…GOD SPEAKS AND WE LISTEN

If you decide to go to the video and pray with me, you will hear these words of knowledge. If the word fits you, use your faith and receive your healing!

DREAMS ARE NORMAL TO ME FOR WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE

Maybe it’s because I am quiet when I am asleep, but God will speak words of knowledge in dreams to me as well. Prayer night wasn’t around a dream but I figured I would tell you that words of knowledge can come in many different ways.

AS A YOUNG MINISTER

I had been to early prayer one Sunday morning at the church where I was a youth pastor. I went back home afterward to clean up and get back to the church. I told my husband that I was so tired I just needed a 10 minute nap. I laid down and immediately went into a dream.

THE DREAM (WORD OF KNOWLEDGE)

I was standing at the front door of the church where I worked. I went in though the double doors and no one hardly was there yet. Sitting a few rows from the front was an entire pew filled with people I didn’t know. I heard a voice speak in the dream and tell me that this was a family. They were all adults and had come to bring this man (who was sitting on the row) and his wife because their marriage was in trouble. He was a traveling man and had an affair. “The affair had come out and the wife was devastated and the marriage was ready to end. The family brought them to church to try and get help.”

I woke up from the nap and thought it was odd. I cleaned up and headed to the church.

WHEN I WALKED IN

When I walked in there on the same row was all the same people I had seen in the dream. I didn’t know any of them. All of a sudden I realized that the information in the dream was real.

I led worship that morning and didn’t know what to do with the information since I was not well versed in the supernatural yet.

God spoke in my “knower” and I “knew” I was to speak it as a general word from the place of leading worship.

That is what I did. I said, “There is someone here…” and I spilled it. Sobbing started on that row of people and that day, God interrupted a breakup!

IT IS SO FUN WALKING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!!

Just today, God gave me a dream. I saw a young man. I know what he looks like and what he was wearing. I heard the voice in my dream tell me what to tell him. I have not seen this man yet but I will and when I do, I will tell him what I am supposed to tell him.

WALK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

He is full of surprises! He is a way of life.

I hope you will pray with me today.

Love you much in Jesus.
lisa

 

© Copyright Lisa Swayze 2017