The Partnership
This week I have been sharing some of the benefits Holy Spirit wants to provide us. Jesus told His disciples it was to their advantage that He leave them (John 16:7). What a shocking statement! Why would He make such a seemingly preposterous statement? Because when He arrived back in Heaven, the Father would send Holy Spirit to them. As a spirit without a physical body, Holy Spirit could be everywhere at once. AND He could be in them, not just with them.
Not since Genesis had mankind been the dwelling place of God’s Breath/Spirit. We had lost that privilege. Jesus came to restore it. Though the disciples certainly did not understand Christ’s words when He spoke them in John 16:7, they did when Holy Spirit eventually arrived and breathed Himself into them (Acts 2). They were transformed, filled with power from heaven, filled with God!
Jesus called Holy Spirit our Helper. As such, He wants to play an active role in our lives, helping us represent Christ on earth. We will certainly never fulfill the role of intercessory watchmen without His assistance. In 2 Corinthians 13:14, another verse we’ve been looking at, Paul said, “May the koinonia of the Holy Spirit be with you.” As we have seen, koinonia has various meanings. Let’s analyze a few more today.
Koinonia Means Distribution and Impartation
Holy Spirit desires to distribute/impart to us everything we need to function successfully in life, and this certainly includes prayer. Placing these two definitions into the verse, 2 Corinthians 13:14, is saying, “May Holy Spirit impart to you;” “May He distribute to you,” of His vast resources and gifts.
I love it when Holy Spirit distributes revelation to me as I study His Word. I then take great joy in distributing it to others. I find it very fulfilling when, through the power of Holy Spirit, I am used to impart a spiritual gift, or perhaps power for healing, to another person. Paul spoke of this in Romans 1:11: “For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established.” He also told us Timothy was given spiritual gifts through Holy Spirit impartation as leaders laid their hands on him (see 1 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6). Moses imparted to Joshua a spirit of wisdom (see Deuteronomy 34:9).
A human being would have no ability to impart a spiritual gift if not by the power of Holy Spirit. Does this still occur today? Of course. Holy Spirit wants to give gifts, insights, abilities, and more TO us, and He wants also to distribute them THROUGH us. Receive from Him! Listen to Him! Then, give Him to others. Peter said to the lame man in Acts 3:6, “I don’t have any money for you, but I do have something else: the power of Holy Spirit. And in Christ’s name I give it to you now!” (Dutch’s paraphrase).
At times, the information Holy Spirit distributes to us are alerts and warnings enabling us to function as watchmen. Our friend, Quin Sherrer, gives the following example:
“I was rooming with Ruthie at a Christian conference when she told me how God had protected her property. One night during the church service, she heard a voice: ‘Your house is being robbed.’ She tried to dismiss the thought. She’d lived in that house for thirty years, and there had been no burglaries in her neighborhood. But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed to her that the inner voice she had heard was Holy Spirit warning her.
“‘Lord, if our house is being robbed, please send an angel - no, Lord, send a warring angel - to frighten the burglar off.’ Then she began to quote Scriptures, praying for protection: ‘No evil will come near our dwelling place…No weapon formed against us shall prosper…’
“Sure enough, when she and her husband arrived home, their back patio door was smashed in, and everything inside was in disarray - drawers open and stuff scattered everywhere. The next day, when the police officer came to get a list of the things missing, all they had to report was one pillowcase. He told them that’s what a burglar usually takes to stash the valuables. ‘As far as we can tell, nothing is missing - not even my good gold jewelry,’ Ruthie told him.
“He looked around at her china, silver, and gold vases. ‘With all these beautiful things, I don’t understand why you weren’t robbed blind. Something obviously frightened away the intruder. He left in a hurry,’ the policeman said.
“Two other houses in her neighborhood were robbed that night. Ruthie is sure God sent a warring angel of protection, just as she had prayed and asked Him to do.”(1)
What a great example of Holy Spirit sharing information in order that watchman intercession can take place. Partake of Holy Spirit’s love and communion, yes. But also, draw on His supernatural ability to protect that which belongs to you.
Koinonia Means Companionship and Partnership
The last meanings of koinonia I want to share are companionship and partnership. (We referenced partnership yesterday, but we will take another look today.) What an incredible thought. Paul said, “Let Holy Spirit be your companion and partner. Walk with Him. Commune with Him. Partner with Him.”
Partnering with another person in an endeavor is far different than simply working for them. Jesus said we are seated with Him at the Father’s right hand. (Ephesians 2:6) This speaks of union, togetherness, oneness and authority. Christ wants a partnership with us. I realize He is the Senior Partner, the Head, but He has joined us to Himself and we are His “body.” It is the Holy Spirit who makes this relationship a reality.
While ministering in Guatemala many years ago (while in our 20s), Ceci and I went to a hospital to pray for a lady with tuberculosis. She was in a ward on the hospital grounds for the very poor, much like a battlefield hospital ward, with beds side by side, 3-4 feet apart. No walls or partitions for privacy or protection from communicating diseases, very little equipment, and their families had to bring them food.
After praying for this lady, the woman next to her asked if we would pray for her. “Sure,” we replied, “what do you need?”
Through an interpreter she told us, “My spinal cord was damaged during a surgery, and it has left my hands and feet irreparably paralyzed.” She pulled her arms out from under the cover and showed us her immobile hands. She also uncovered her drawn-up feet.
I gulped, thinking, I don’t do paralysis. I do headaches, colds, hangnails - the TB was a huge stretch! But paralysis? That’s a little above my pay grade.
But we were about to be given a lesson on what it means to have Holy Spirit as our Partner!
We prayed, didn’t see or feel anything unusual, told her we would continue to pray for her and turned to leave. Then all heaven broke loose! She began to scream, “Milagro!” (Spanish for “miracle”) We looked back to see her demonstratively moving her hands and kicking her feet under the covers.
We were in a hospital, but church broke out!
Actually, Holy Spirit broke out. There were no workers present, so we preached, prayed and sang. Ladies were saved, healed and transformed. It was amazing - book of Acts stuff. Ceci and I left with tears in our eyes and joy in our hearts.
I believe Holy Spirit wants to conduct meetings like that again. Why wouldn’t He? The coming revival will produce supernatural occurrences similar to this. At the present time, He’s training His partners.
Pray with me:
Father, we are excited about what we sense coming. Our Helper, Holy Spirit, is distributing gifts and anointings. We want to partake. We want these impartations. Therefore, we align ourselves accordingly: in humility, in faith, and in alignment with Christ. We know He wants to reveal Himself through us, and we intend to see it happen.
Holy Spirit, release Your wonderful gifts! Gifts of healing, working of miracles, discernment, faith, words of knowledge and wisdom, prophecy and more. Take us to a higher level of partnering with You. We are filled with Your power; help us to demonstrate this!
Father, bring an awakening of Holy Spirit’s role to the church. Forgive those who have refused Him access to their services - may we NEVER be embarrassed or shy about Him manifesting Himself. Holy Spirit, invade our gatherings, empower our efforts, saturate our lives. We expect this and thank You for it in advance. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that the summer of 2022 is a summer of Holy Spirit activity.
Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Watchman Prayer.
[Dutch Sheets, Watchman Prayer (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2008), pp.145-150.]
Click on the link below to watch the full episode.
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Quin Sherrer, Listen, God Is Speaking to You (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Servant, 1999), pp 148-149.