Chapter 1

by Praise Malinga

The gift of the word of knowledge is one of the most fascinating and powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Yet, it's often misunderstood or confused with prophecy. Many Christians mistakenly believe that the word of knowledge is simply having a deep understanding of Scriptures or biblical knowledge. However, the gift of the word of knowledge is the spiritual word of diagnosis from the Holy Spirit about the situation a person or organization faces. In simple terms, it's knowing what happened, is happening, or will happen in a situation or to someone.

Many think the word of knowledge is only in the past or present tense, but that is not true. Let me give you an example by asking you this question: Which day is tomorrow? You know the answer, but that doesn't mean you are prophesying, since you know something about the future. The gift of the word of knowledge is similar to knowing the next day, by being told by the Holy Spirit the portion of what He knows about a person's situation or circumstances.

How does the Holy Spirit give you the word of knowledge?

The Holy Spirit gives the word of knowledge through visions, like sudden flashing pictures, or sudden thoughts in our minds, or sensations on our bodies, or dreams, or an audible voice. The Holy Spirit speaks directly to our own spirits, and then, in a moment, it gets translated to our senses, which is either our minds or physical bodies, for us to understand.

Flashing Pictures

Speaking through flashing pictures is when our minds translate His message, which He spoke to a sudden thought in picture format. For example, let's say you are sitting with a friend at work, and someone else enters the room, and then suddenly you see a picture of a house. You then say to the other person, "Immediately when you entered the room, I saw a house." Then he/she looks at you with amazement and says, "How did you know?" Then your friend asks, on your behalf, out of curiosity, "Know what?" That I want to apply for a house loan, since I haven't told anyone, including my wife, responds the person you gave the word of knowledge to. That's how it works.

Sudden Thoughts

It's similar to flashing pictures, but this is sudden thoughts that are not in picture format.

Sensations on Our Bodies

Sensations on our bodies are a little different; it's like you are feeling what the person, who the message is for, is feeling exactly in the part of the body they are feeling it in. Mostly, it's when someone feels pain in their physical, mental, or emotional body. You carry exactly what they are feeling. Also, it's when someone has sickness or disease in their body. You will always sense that when the healing power or solution is available.

Dreams/Visions

Dreams and visions are similar; it's like a story format while you are sleeping, which is a dream (a vision of the night), or while you are awake, which is a vision of the day.

Audible Voice

While the Holy Spirit does not prefer this method, He sometimes uses it with other people. The reason He doesn't prefer it is because some people get easily deceived by the devils, since they can also speak audibly. An audible voice is when His message gets translated to an open vision (yet only hearing). An open vision is when you see a vision, but to you, it feels like it's happening, so you can no longer tell that it's a vision. So, an audible voice is when an open vision is happening to your hearing, and you think it's audible.

How to Deliver the Word of Knowledge?

Remember the example of the word of knowledge about the house. I said in that example that you asked him/her, "Why did I see a house immediately when you entered the room?" You didn't say, "God gave you a house." Once you say, "God gave you a house," while you saw a sudden picture of a house, as much as it may sound like it's almost the same, this is a wrong way of delivering the word of knowledge, because if you are wrong, you've already lied with the name of the Lord, or you've even bound the person, because no one wants to argue with God. Remember you can also interpret what you saw wrong, so it's safe to say what you saw and not say God said.

Every message you receive must be judged by other Christians, if it's in line with the Scriptures, and don't be offended when they don't receive it. Be glad when it's judged, for your safety, not to end up listening to familiar spirits or devils.

1st Corinthians 14:29 says, "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge."