The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit

by Lester Sumrall

The gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit function with greatest accuracy through people who understand them. Discover how you can be included in the great outpouring of God's Spirit.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Christian Non Fiction, Spirituality, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1977

Reviews

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lester Sumrall has written many fine books and he always backs up what he says with Scripture. You can never go wrong with that. I enjoyed this book very much, totally agree with him in every respect. I knew much of this material, but it was from Scripture as I read myself. I admire Sumrall and his teachings and beliefs. I own several of his books.

[Atalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit! Easy to understand. Whoever wants to study them, I recommand this book.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many parts of this book that I wanted to highlight and/or underline. (but I resisted as I'm sharing it with a friend that doesn't believe in the Holy Spirit).
This author is a Full Gospel evangelist and doesn't put any limitations on God.
The gifts are listed and explained, but I did find a few things that gave me concern.
On page 175 there seems to be a contradiction. "I met people in many countries who received the gifts of the Spirit having never heard one word about them from any human. God can do things sovereignly." But then two paragraphs down he says, There are several Scriptures that show that you will not receive these gifts until you intelligently seek after them. On page 173 he starts chapter 13 with In order to receive things from God, you must first have knowledge.
My other concern is on page 182 which I find can be misleading to a new Christian, "Lord Jesus, You hold the future, so I know it will all be good." I'm satisfied." (We all face trials and hard times. Just because you become a Christian doesn't mean your life is going to 'all be good.'
Page 187 a missionary leads a witch doctor in the sinners prayer which isn't Biblical.
Lastly, page 203 #4 Til We All Come in the Unity of the Faith. The author wants all Christian denominations to come together and unite. And according to 1 Corinthians 1:10 (KJV)

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

I agree and my concern is that certain denominations feel they DO follow the Bible, but may have other books they study and consider themselves to be true Christians, or in some cases even the ONLY TRUE CHRISTIANS. But that's a wormhole I'm not going down in this review.

I think this book would be great for: someone that doesn't believe in the Holy Spirit, who thinks they have the Holy Spirit by being baptized or by saying the sinners prayer, or a person whom has just received the Holy Spirit.

It was a good book that had me researching a lot in the Bible and very thought provoking.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the most resourceful and information packed resource I have read on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I have thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in the subject or asking questions about it.

[Linda O'Dell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Lester Sumrall breaks down all the Spiritual Gifts and their functions and gives lots of Scriptures where the Gifts are used. And the Ministries of the Holy Spirit and breaks them down in a clear and specific manner so it is easy to understand what the Gifts and Ministries are and all their functions and purposes. Highly recommend this book

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent study on the spiritual gifts God has given to the church - the equipping of the saints. I have a better sense of purpose and calling now.

[Joy Nails · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good and gave me some clarity on my own gifts. Those I did not know I had until the Holy Spirit revealed it.

[Leeann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dr. Sumerall is a well-respected evangelist, but this book seems a bit dated at times. It also leans heavily on charismatic and Pentecostal roots...not my taste. This book is a collection of wild tales of faith and healings, with a heavy dose of scripture. Not exactly what I was expecting. A tedious read for anyone of faith who wants to learn more...this is not the book I would recommend, especially in this day and age.

[Luke Soto · Rating 5 out of 5]

well hey this is a great lesson to be learned and who better to teach it than the reputable lester summerall.

this is a book on the gifts and the applications of how those gifts were put and are put into practice.

this is a great lesson and one that will help the beliver in Christ see how the gifts flow in their life and the relationship with God increases.

The Holy Ghost aint dead He is always moving but he wants your participation would you join Him.

[Natalie C. Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

My Church all came together and read this book to help grow us up in the Kingdom. I had studied the gifts and ministry of Ho!y Spirit a few years ago so this book was a good refresher course on the Gifts and how they operate. I appreciate how Mr Sumrall tied the Word throughout the book.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for learning and studying about the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit. This book explains in layman's terms what the gifts of the spirit are, how they will affect our lives and their benefits in our lives and the church. Mr. Sumrall is an older Pentecostal minister, but his message still rings true today for each of our lives.

[Ana Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anteriormente había leído sobre los dones pero este libro de Lester Sumrall fué el que me sacó de dudas y pude entenderlos mejor. Los testimonios y experiencias escritas hacen el libro mas interesante y te dan una idea de como funcionan los dones. Recomendado...

[Katie Doty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soooo many things wrong with this book. Biggest is chapter sixteen stating there are more than the twelve apostles in the Bible and there are apostles in the church today. Highly recommend knowing your Bible and theology before reading this book.

[Bridgette's Place · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Foundational Book

I enjoyed reading this book. There were ideas presented that blessed me tremendously. If you are interested in the gifts of HS or just curious…this is a good place to start.

[December Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed to read this

Awesome read as I am going through my own journey with propheticalness this gave me more information than I needed thank you Jesus

[Vicki Frisby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning the Holy Spirit

Easy to read and understand. Enjoyed very much. Starting my Spiritual journey. Teaching from Pastor and Co Pastor from Deliverance Center COGIC

[Zach Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lester Sumrall is very anointed with the gift of teaching. This is a very well written book explaining the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit while also teaching them in order.

[Carly Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for people new to the works of the Holy Spirit. I highly recommend this book. And even people that are familiar with the gifts they will still glean some knowledge.

[Ademola Olofinsawo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiritual gifts and ministries made simplified!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a good understanding of the gifts, this is a great book to read. Its easy to understand.

[Christopher Lewis Kozoriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have found that if you will permit the gifts of the Spirit to function, you will have a movement of souls that will come to you like never before. When the gifts function, souls are saved every time. Just let the gifts of the Spirit begin to function and people will pour into the kingdom of God!" (Lester Sumrall, The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit, P. 73)

This book is well-organized. He starts off by naming the gifts of the Spirit, then the offices, sometimes referred to as the five-fold ministry (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers), then he shows examples of how the gifts operated in the lives of people in the Bible.

Throughout the book, he gives examples of his personal experiences of operating in the gifts of the Spirit or being an eyewitness to others operating in the gifts.

The one thing I did not agree with in this book is his definition of the Word of Wisdom. He defines it as a foretelling gift. I found foretelling to be more in line with the gift of the prophesy or the office of a prophet and he contracts himself when he begins explaining the office of a prophet.

Other than the word of wisdom interpretation, this is a great book.

The thing I think that was eye opening to myself personally was his teaching on how in order for us to begin to operate in the gifts of the spirit...knowledge and understanding of the gifts is essential.

[Cassie Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic and inspirational book! I was raised as a baptist, and I was completely ignorant of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially of the speaking in tongues. While I still don’t completely understand everything in these pages, I now see the value of both the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit.

Lester Sumrall explains the gifts in a simple, yet powerful way. His words inspire me to pray more earnestly for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. His elaborations of these misunderstood, yet oh-so-powerful gifts make the desire to be used by God in whatever way He has decreed.

If you’re unsure about the anointing of the Spirit or don’t understand it, this book will enlighten you. You will quickly come to realize the value of these gifts and ministries. So what are you waiting for?

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing insight and revelation about the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit. I read this book while putting together my own version of a Spiritual Gifts Assessment (what some call a Spiritual Gifs Inventory). I had been subjected to three separate assessments in churches over the past year and was dismayed at the incredible lack of understanding of the actual gifts of the Spirit. This book provided the exact right information and revelation I needed to create a much truer version of this kind of assessment.

[Daniel B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clicked I'm finished but I will never be finished with this book. MORE INFORMATION than a college education. Followed by a life long field trip with needed refresher courses. This is the, I don't know how many times I have reread this and there is no end in sight. ATTACK THIS MATERIAL AS a PROMISE. A powerful man of God and his life's work is in the pages of this book. They are for generations to come. Don't miss out1

[August Maclauchlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Need more people moving in the gifts and ministries. If people don't believe in these; they should read this book. It is well written and biblical references.
Covet the greater gifts!

[Emil Bredahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book with a lot of good information and words that will challenge you.
Don't expect high leveled writing because it is sort of basic and informally written.
A good book though that I will recommend

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read on the gifts and ministries of the third person of the trinity. MUST READ!

[Angela Kennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great study; nice details.

[Kathy]

I have the 1984 version. Very good read.

[Chris Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes you into the all things are possible atmosphere.. you will never think the same. provokes you to GROW....