© 22 Colin Melbourne
Giving Birth Spiritually
There’s a depth of prayer far beyond normal intercession, where the believer travails in the spirit of prayer, with deep compassion, and ultimately brings forth that which Father has placed on your heart.
It may take minutes or hours of such travail, perhaps as in Abram’s case, even decades of believing prayer.
It’s an area, I’m embarrassed to admit, I know little of despite the LORD bringing it to my attention before He sent me as a missionary to Asia in 1990.
That’s why we praise God for His patience toward us.
He nudged me recently, whilst conversing with a prayer partner to investigate the matter to; learn, grow, and complete the works He’s prepared for me before I’m raptured.
People have asked here in the past why they sometimes groan and weep as they pray in the Holy Ghost for some purpose, and that kind of intercession is familiar to me: But birthing in The Spirit is a level of deeper intercession beyond any I’ve so far encountered.
I suspect that’s also the case with most believers reading this, so perhaps we can learn together?
An African CfaN Intercessor
The first person I heard teach on spiritual birthing was a South African intercessor called Suzette Hattingh who came to the North East of England in 1989, where I worked as a farm vet.
Suzette told how the LORD was using her in Christ for all Nations (CfaN) prayer ministry to prepare for Reinhard Bonnke’s national and city-wide crusades.
She spoke passionately about travailing intercessory prayer, until what’s perceived in your spirit, breaks forth in manifestation.
I listened transfixed, but regrettably let it slip away from me, though it was plain she was right on the mark.
Angie & Peter Spackman
Screenshot of Angie and Peter testifying on PTL TV in 2014
Recently, the LORD used Sister Angie Spackman’s testimony, first to intrigue, and later to begin opening my spiritual understanding.
It was in 1990 that I heard Angie’s husband Peter testify at a farm fellowship where I was working as a veterinary surgeon (now on the other side of the Pennines), in the North West of England.
Peter had been an habitual thief whom The LORD graciously saved in prison, and transformed into an anointed prison-evangelist: Peter Spackman has been used particularly amongst black Muslim prisoners in Alabama jails.
The couple relate how the LORD burdened them with His desire to establish a Christian home for hundreds of prisoner’s children.
Angie’s testimony describes the way the LORD drew her, by months of prayer, obstacles, confusion and frustration, to finally birth the vision in the spiritual realm.
Sister Angie got my attention, because this was way beyond my interceding.
I encourage you to watch the video, and attend to the LORD as Peter and Angie speak about their walk with Father God.
So, lately I’ve called on The LORD to forgive my ignorance and teach me.
LORD, Can Blokes Give Birth Too?
Discussing this with a prayer partner, I wondered if it was only women Father used in this “Birthing” business? After all, child-bearing is wives’ role isn’t it?
But then I recalled Smith Wigglesworth mentioning that, when praying for individuals to be healed, he frequently felt physically burdened by what the person was suffering from as he interceded.
The healing breakthrough he sought would come soon after.
That sounded similar to what the women were describing as “giving birth in the Spirit”. So perhaps it was also for male believers too?
Travail & Labour Is For You
Finally, the LORD removed the veil, showing me what I’ve been missing all these years.
I listened to Kenneth E. Hagin’s ten-minute messages on his Rhema for Today podcast, the five called “The Key to My Success”, where Brother Hagin explains in detail what I ought to have seen previously.
Far from it being a “women only task”, birthing in the Spirit is for every believer, male and female alike. And now I can see it illustrated under both Covenants.
Abraham’s 25 Year Labour
For example, when you meet Father Abraham in Glory, ask him if he’s familiar with travailing and birthing in the Spirit, and he’ll remind you he was “pregnant in prayer” birthing his child Isaac for 25 years of spiritual labour: Not a mere nine months!
It is really only from our present day perspective that we can see how significant a trial of faith Father God put His childless Friend Abram through, and the thrilling result for we, “many nations”.
All The Prophets Testify
Furthermore, the Prophets of old all knew about “spiritual birthing”, Micah 4:9-10 KJV;
Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counseller perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
Jeremiah’s weeping wasn’t merely lamenting the Jews’ hardness of heart! Jer. 22:23;
O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!
For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Jer. 30:5-6
Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail. Jer. 49:24
The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail. Jer. 50:43
Gestating Holy Ghost Results
Under our new and better Covenant we have the Holy Ghost spelling this out setting an example for believers today, through Paul writing in Galatians 4:19 KJV;
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you…
He’d travailed previously, when he won them to Christ, now he’s travailing again until Christ is formed in them.
Praise God for His mercy to sinners and saints alike!
Read the passage in context and the penny will drop.
Travail means physical labour, work, but is often used through the bible as a euphemism for being in labour, parturition, a woman giving birth to a baby.
Gen. 38:27
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
Ps. 48:6
Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
Isa. 54:1
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
The New Covenant, Jn. 16:21, Gal. 4:19 KJV;
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you…
Galatians 4:19 was written originally to born again Spirit-filled believers in the Province of Galatia, Asia Minor: To Christians who’d received Christ, and the Baptism in the Spirit.
They’d plainly been Born of God as in Jn. chapter 3; so why does the Holy Ghost use the phrase. I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.
Because they were foolish and immature, not yet realising what perfect redemption they had in Christ, because of His Merit alone. They were crawling back under the Law that brings death!
That is why the Holy Ghost in Paul was travailing for them in intercessionary prayer, until they comprehend our inheritance in Christ.
Praise God the Holy Ghost in our hearts is just as hungry to see Christ formed in us, and those we point to Jesus.
That yearning sends us to our knees to travail until our spirit is satisfied that Christ is formed in those individuals, or situation, we are interceding for.
Can you see why Angie Spackman’s description of birthing in the spirit is so relevant to me and you?
Praying With Father God By The Holy Ghost
Father wants to draw His children deeper into partnership in prayer, as He did with Abraham the Friend of God. To share the longing, the burden, and travail.
And here’s a shocking truth: Keep in mind, Abraham wasn’t even born again, he was still a sinner-man being used of God… to bring forth nations, ultimately The Christ, and The glorious New Covenant in His Blood.
How much more can He do through children of God, born from above, Blood-washed righteous saints who are filled with the Holy Ghost?
Your Mission
There are more sinners alive on Earth today than have ever been born on this planet previously.
What a harvest we are sent to reap!
Saints; we’re labourers in labour… impregnated with our Father’s Seed.
Let’s travail and bring forth for Him. AMEN
Update: Further light on birthing in the Spirit:
And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Gen. 25:21 KJV
Here we have a perfect scriptural illustration of what is meant by birthing in the Spirit.
We can see this most clearly from our New Covenant perspective, but Isaac had little conception of how significant his calling on the LORD was for mankind; much like we Christians have no inkling how important our payers are for future generations.
Isaac’s sweet wife Rebekah was barren and childless, she and her husband craved children to maintain their Jewish bloodline.
What would you do?
Run to medics for health checks to discover the blockage, save up for in-vitro fertilization? A waste of time and money!
Do as Isaac did; intreat the LORD our Creator, go to your Source, find out what the problem is, let Him fix it, and take His Word for it.
In the Spirit, Isaac called on the LORD, and Father was thrilled to respond, but notice God depended upon Isaac and Rebekah’s spiritual and physical cooperation.
When Isaac was satisfied that he’d been heard, that God had granted his appeal, he could rise from his knees rejoicing, and tell Rebekah to begin thanking God for their child.
Rebekah was a mighty woman of faith in God’s Word, so she agreed with her husband’s prayers, and began praising God for confirming her barrenness was now ended.
That’s the secret to birthing in the Spirit.
Notice: They were still physically childless, her womb was medically inactive, Issac’s offspring were still in their loins, but both parents were assured Father had answered and had granted them children.
Then came the physical part to bring what was already birthed in the Spirit, into existence through their flesh.
Nine months later Jacob and Esau were born, and the epic story of our redemption unfolded in the ensuing centuries.
I suspect Isaac and Rebekah simply wanted kids to honour the LORD and Abraham: But The LORD’s plan was an eternal family in Glory!
You can see how important it was that Isaac and Rebekah birth their progeny in the Spirit long before they saw the outcome.
What if Isaac had not prayed, what if Rebekah had not praised God for her children before she ever conceived?
What if neither of them had believed God’s Word and walked in faith?
This is The LORD whom we serve: No mere man could have cooked up such a glorious story.
Let’s rejoice that Isaac and Rebekah had believing hearts and calloused knees, and follow their godly example.
Angie & Peter Spackman screenshot courtesy Pastor Ty Dillon, LTCC Gadsden, Alabama, USA
Rev. Hagin’s photo © Rhema.org Used by permission
Dr. Suzette Hattingh image courtesy sanderton4jesus.co.za
© 22 Colin Melbourne
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