Spiritual GiftsSample

A Gift To Be Given

The New Testament is full of references and stories about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit and the operation and outcomes of spiritual gifts. They remind us that ‘kingdom work’ is supernatural as well as natural.

The great ‘Love Chapter,’ 1 Corinthians 13, is preceded by 1 Corinthians 12:31 (KJV), ‘But covet earnestly the best gifts…,’ followed by 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT) – ‘Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives.’ These special supernatural gifts are listed and explained, in part, in Romans 12:3–8, where love, grace, and humility are the context for their use.

I’m often asked, ‘What is the best gift?’ My answer is, ‘The one you need now.’ If someone is sick, the gift of healing or supernatural insight could be the key to setting them free. I remember that a friend requested prayer for her school-aged son, who was having severe headaches. While praying, I had the thought that his bed was adjacent to the main power box of the house. On investigation, it was found to be true, and after moving the bed, the headaches, possibly caused by the closeness to an electromagnetic current, ceased.

Can I ask you to ‘earnestly desire spiritual gifts,’ not for your sake but the sake of others and the church? James 4:2b says, ‘Yet you do not have because you do not ask.’ Go ahead, humbly ask.

Written by JOHN SCOTT