Worship in the Pentecostal and charismatic churches has been characterized by certain features that distinguish it from the worship of other Christian communities. These distinctive aspects of charismatic worship are, in greater or lesser degree, related to the "baptism" or "filling" of the Holy Spirit, which these churches have sought to recover in its scriptural dimension. Openness to the manifestation of New Testament spiritual gifts in the setting of corporate worship has resulted in...
Foundational to many aspects of charismatic worship is the concept of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Even where prophecy and speaking or singing in tongues are not regularly practiced as part of worship, the expectancy and vitality of celebration are influenced by the understanding of Spirit baptism.
Speaking with tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, the word of knowledge, and the word of wisdom are among those accompaniments to the baptism in the Holy Spirit that are used in the setting of corporate worship.
Although not acts of worship as such, the exercise of other spiritual gifts such as healing or the working of miracles may occur in the setting of corporate worship. Worship also aids in the cultivation of the fruit of the Spirit in the Christian's life.
The Christian church has practiced the laying on of hands in the context of worship since apostolic times. In the New Testament, three purposes are associated with this act: healing, the impartation of the Holy Spirit, and commissioning for service.
As used in the church today, the term anointing refers to a special grace given to a believer by the Lord through the Holy Spirit. The practice of anointing a person with olive oil symbolizes this spiritual endowment. It also pictures the power of Jesus to heal, which was conferred on him by the Spirit at his baptism. In the ancient world, olive oil served a variety of purposes.
The experience of being "slain in the Spirit" often accompanies worship in Pentecostal and charismatic churches. It is attested in the history of Christian revival movements, and a certain basis for it may be found in the Scriptures.
While not regularly practiced in all segments of the charismatic and Pentecostal community, deliverance ministry is prominently featured within some circles. Most leaders within the movement acknowledge its validity as a legitimate continuation of the ministry of Jesus and the apostles.
Only recently, in its expanded awareness of entrenched spiritual evil, has the Christian church begun to recover the scriptural understanding of warfare in the realm of the spirit. The Bible clearly reveals the spiritual nature of the struggle against sin and the opposition of demonic powers to the gospel of Christ.
Speaking in tongues is not a natural gift or talent for languages but a gift from God, a supernatural endowment. Tongues are not ecstatic utterance but an activity under the control of the speaker, offered in obedience to the prompting of the Spirit.