Spiritual Warfare Ministries Online
Preparation To Be A Minister of God's Grace
by Don Rogers
There are two foundational pillars that should be in every Christian life in order to live victoriously. These two pillars are essential when we are called to administer God's grace through deliverance and healing.
1st Pillar - Knowing God's Character
It may surprise you to know that many Christians have a flawed image of God's
character, because they have projected on God the human shortcomings of their parents,
especially the fathers. If there was not much love demonstrated, not much communication,
and there was a critical atmosphere, God will be viewed as One who is far off, very stern
and ready to bring judgment if we do not please Him.
So if we are to minister in faith to others, it is extremely important that we have
resolved the above issues and we have no doubts concerning (1) God's love toward everyone,
(2) His grace that is extended to us in spite of our failures, (3) His mercy that He will
show us when we are in trouble, (4) His forgiveness whenever we fall, (5) His faithfulness
to always be there for us even though we may not always be aware of His presence, (6) His
provision for our personal needs, and (7) His equipping so that we may serve Him
effectively.
Our newsletter at http://www.sw-mins.org/strat4.html may be of help in this regard.
2nd Pillar - Knowing Who We Are In Christ
Knowing how God sees us will give us great freedom to approach Him and make
requests. It also gives us tremendous confidence to represent Him and minister to others.
For more information about our identity in Christ, click http://www.sw-mins.org/identity.html.
These two pillars are firmly built on the foundation of constant study of God's word and
praying without ceasing. The scriptures are God's self-revelation of truth concerning
Himself and His great plan for mankind. Their author is the Holy Spirit who inspired
certain men to put in writing these precious truths. This marvelous revelation of God
enables us to know and understand our God and also discover our relationship to Him
through Jesus Christ.
A relationship has to be nurtured. The more we learn about someone, the more
comfortable and confident we become around them. With a good friend, we want to be around
them as much as possible. This is where prayer comes in. Through prayer we are able to
come into God's presence constantly and develop an intimacy with Him.
I have found that the greatest battles I have is to find the time to study the Word and to
pray. The enemy will try to distract, keep us busy by reminding us of all the things that
have to be done. There will be times we will feel too tired either physically or
emotionally. Circumstances constantly arise to command our attention. We have to make up
our minds that we cannot afford to allow these two essentials to cease to be top
priorities in our everyday lives.
With the two pillars firmly in place, we will discover the freedom we have to be effective
for our God each day.
