Randy Clark defines the power of impartation as receiving a supernatural gift from God enabling the receiver to do the humanly impossible. It comes by faith rooted in Jesus' death and the completed work of the cross. The gift is not only of salvation and eternal life, but also the power of signs and miracles.
The primary purpose of imparted gifts is to reveal the nature of God – love, kindness, generosity, etc. and that God should receive the glory. Randy says this is almost forgotten because it hasn't been taught, because it isn’t the experience of many theologians. Randy first encountered ‘impartation’ happened with a St. Louis church plant. He was afraid he would fail. But God's power helped him overcome the fear and he was able to plant the church.
In Randy’s view, expressed in an interview with CBN’s 700 Club, people should not let their spiritual experiences overshadow God's Word; experience should rise up to the level of the Word, instead of letting experiences dictate who God is and what He will do or how we interpret the Word.
On how to receive impartation, Randy makes an important clarification: the laying on of hands is only one way of two ways of receiving an impartation from God as seen in scripture - the other being waiting on God through prayer. Unfortunately, he says, church traditions reduce the ‘Ways of God’ to steps and stages, that leaving little room for God to pour out grace in ways uniquely suited to each of His children.
In the history of the church, he claims, impartation has been limited to: pursuing holiness as a matter of conquering sin, and putting one's faith in the finished work of Jesus and know this as truth in one's life.
Randy says there are only three prerequisites in receiving more of the Holy Spirit
1) Be aware of the personal inadequacy in our Christian life.
2) Earnestly desire for this condition to change.
3) Want your life to honour God in His service and glory
If you don't manifest spiritual gifts right away, Randy doesn’t condemn, but offers encouragement and strength: there are times we do not understand the mysteries of God, but we should come with expectation.