Now Lord, give me something to encourage them, so just begin very simply, well I just felt an impression that there's a struggle going on in this part of your life. Maybe it's this. Just be quite gentle and easily entreated over it and then share what God has given you, share what God is saying to encourage the person. Let's just do it and see what God does. Okay, first one begin to share. [Background conversation] Okay, change over so the other one's shared. [Background conversation] Okay, let's close our sharing, and let's get some feedback how it went. [Background conversation]
Alright then, okay, just sit down for a moment, let's just see how people got on. How many people had this experience, they identified exactly an area of struggle that you had. How many had that experience, the person identified very clearly? That was very good. How many of you found it was a struggle to get that one? [Laughs] Because it's a bit more specific, you're reaching into an area. That's okay. Okay, how many of you were deeply touched by what was shared with you, it really helped you? Well that's wonderful. Come on, give yourselves a clap then, very, very good. [Applause] [Laughs] Well done, well done. Okay, so you can see that you approach it where focus is on Jesus, and we are listening and observing and seeking to find something. That's the spirit that you work in. It's one of enquiry, and observing, and then sharing what God is giving you. It's not over the top, or way out there, it's quite a gentle flow of the spirit. Everyone can practice these things.
I'm going to share with you - we'll have a coffee break shortly. I want to share with you a little bit on the word of wisdom, and then we'll have a break for afternoon tea, so you've done very, very well. So the word of wisdom, that's Section 15 in your notes. Wisdom is a great gift. Wisdom is knowing what to do. Wisdom is knowing what to do, and when to do it, and how to do it. [Laughs] Wisdom is knowing what to do, when to do it, how to do it, so we face many challenges in life, and in ministry, when you're working to minister to someone, if God gives you a word of knowledge, you need wisdom to know what to do with it. If God gives you prophecy, you need wisdom to know what to do with it; God gives you discernment, you need wisdom to know what to do with it, so wisdom is a very important gift to get, and to get a word of wisdom does not make you a wise person. You are wise for five minutes, that's it. [Laughter] I'm sorry - and it doesn't stick, because five minutes later you can be very foolish [laughter] so the word of wisdom does not make you a wise person.
It does not make you a spiritual person. It means someone smarter than you, shared with you, something very smart. [Laughter] That's really what it is, that's all it is. Someone who is very wise, shared with you, something that was surprisingly wise and appropriate, so the word of wisdom is just a revelation from the Lord, what to do in a certain situation, when to do it, and how to do it. Remember I shared with you a story about buying a gift for my grandmother? Only God could have known what to get, and what would do the trick. Only He knew, so listening to Him, I was able to get wisdom, and get an outcome that far surpassed anything I could naturally do, so we need words of wisdom.
So one is given the word of wisdom through the spirit. It's the first one mentioned in the list of the gifts of the spirit, is the word of wisdom. It is a great gift to pursue. God, give me wisdom to know what to do. In James 1 it says: if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives freely to all men, but let him ask in faith, not doubting, for he that doubts is like the waves, just tossed this way and that way. So if you're going to ask God for wisdom, expect Him to give it to you. Then you've got to step out, that what He's given to you, is the right thing to do, and the right way to do it, and the right time to do it. Okay then, so that's the word of wisdom. So wisdom works on how to do - it shows you what God wants you to do, how He wants you to go about doing, how to resolve a situation. Sometimes problems you know, are really messy. Sometimes you try, and you can't seem to fix it. You've got to ask God for a word of wisdom; God, what do You want me to do? Then be happy to trust that that's actually the right thing to do, and leave it at that.
Sometimes we can be in so much turmoil ourselves, we just want to get everything right so we feel better, and God will just say no, I want you just to leave it be for the moment. I'll work on it myself, and then I'll show you when you need to step and do something. So I've found some situations I haven't known what to do, and haven't been able to do it, and actually attempts to do it have made it worse. I've just left it to the Lord, and said God, show me what to do, and when to do it, then He'll suddenly just now, move now, act now, speak now, this is the time to say something. When that happens don't miss it. Don't miss that moment. That's the important moment - so how to pray for a person. Someone tells there are problems, you think oh my goodness, what do I do? Lord, I need wisdom what to do. Show me how to pray, because what they ask for, may not be what you really need to be praying about. That's the dilemma. People come, and if you tell them what's your need, or what is your problem, they'll spill you with so much stuff. They already have lost their way, and they're trying to get you to also lose your way, by telling you all the problems. [Laughter]