Book Review: Practicing the Power (Sam Storms)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

I’ve grown to deeply appreciate Sam Storms over the last few years, and Practicing the Power was the first of his books I’d read. He is a careful scholar who loves Jesus, loves Scripture, and who echoes Paul’s challenge to earnestly desire the gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). Spiritual gifts are often debated and controversial, but I found Storms’ perspective on the topic refreshing and encouraging.

Practicing the Power covers a host of topics related to the practice of spiritual gifts in continuationist churches (who believe that the spiritual gifts discussed and portrayed in Scripture remain active today). The first two chapters set the stage and argue for the biblical basis of charismatic practices while rebuking unbiblical excesses and sinful distortion of spiritual gifts. Chapters three and four explore prayer and fasting, and chapter five discusses a proper framework for how the spiritual gift of healing works. The next three chapters address prophecy and prophetic ministry in the church with great care and detail. The ninth chapter addresses deliverance ministry, and the tenth argues against quenching the Spirit. Chapter eleven warns against self-indulgent and manipulative practices in using spiritual gifts, and the final chapter addresses the importance of worshiping in Spirit as well as truth.

Those who (like me) grew up in more cessationist churches (who believe that all or some of the spiritual gifts are no longer active) will find Practicing the Power a gentle but thorough explanation of the continuationist perspective with plenty of Scriptural support. Those who grew up in more charismatic churches will be challenged to biblically evaluate their practices and remain anchored in the Word of God.

Overall Storms achieves his goals in encouraging the Church to desire spiritual gifts with confidence and clarity. He de-mystifies spiritual gifts and encourages faithful, worshipful pursuit of the Lord. While he does overstate his case a bit in a few places, I believe Practicing the Power is well-worth the read, and pretty much everyone could benefit from his pastoral tone as well as his careful argumentation.