3. Lack Of Faith In The Pray-er This is a problem almost always specific to lay people. It is perhaps of more concern in some denominations than in others. The problem is that some people can believe that God will heal, but through you ...? A minister, perhaps, but a lay person ...?

More often than not, this is a problem with people who have limited experience of healing ministry. Be patient with them. As your reputation grows, problem will go away. In meantime try giving some witness to way God has used you in past to bring healing to people. Yes, there is a possibility of you sounding "big-headed", but that is a risk you have to take. Take it gentle, trying to bring such witnessing in almost casually, perhaps to illustrate a point or principle.

4. Unforgiveness This is probably best known cause for nonhealing occuring. Probably because it is at least one of most frequently encountered! Surprisingly, it is also one of most easy causes to deal with. Why?

People usually have a great instinct for self interest. If person has some area of unforgiveness and are reluctant to forgive those who offended them, quote some such scripture as Matthew 6. 14, 15 to effect that: if you will forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you will not forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.

This usually works with considerable effect. That is partly because many people are are simply not aware of conditions for receiving forgiveness. That kind of ignorance is one of reasons why healing and teaching are complementary spiritual gifts.

3. We lack experience. If we don't exercise our faith, and if we don't trust, we shall never accumulate that essential experience of allowing Spirit to pray through us. We shall never know whether he does or doesn't

Establishing Priorities Of The Holy Spirit So how do we accumulate that experience? Simply by doing what New testament tells us to do. In chapter 14 of John's gospel Jesus gives us a whole list of what Spirit will do for us as a consequence of his indwelling.

If we really do believe in that indwelling of Spirit, we should know that he is always there for us to turn to. And not least in prayer. In fact, looking at what Jesus says in this passage, prayer is by far easiest way to learn how Spirit communicates with us.

So next time we come to pray, we do not arrive with a self- generated list of what we think we ought to be praying about. Instead, we: 1. Make a deliberate effort to come to an internal state of quietness. There are various ways of doing that. One pray-er used to stand before his chair and reflect that here he was going to meet God. Or try a very reflectively prayed formal prayer. Or spend time bringing before God all those sins through which you have offended him since last time you prayed. These are just helps at start.

2. Ask Holy Spirit to lead your pray. Then "listen". Not for some inner or external voice to speak, but for Spirit to speak his thoughts into your mind. They will like as not simply come as thoughts.

Have courage of faith to follow them. Have courage not to pray anything if nothing comes. The pastor of largest parish in world, Paul Youngi Cho says that he never preaches on Sunday what Spirit has not given him on Saturday. If he receives nothing, he simply does not preach.

It is as simple as that. If you practice Christian meditation on Scripture this will all be very easy for you because one cannot properly meditate on God's word by doing it one's self. The Spirit has to do it. We learn how to let him. In process one learns how to recognise different ways in which The Holy Spirit speaks to us.

Although it is easier through meditation, we can still learn to listen and hear and be guided by him through other forms of prayer.