What and for what are spiritual gifts?
Peter answered them: “Turn away from your sins and turn to God. Be all baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2.38 (NLT)
Peter answered them: “Turn away from your sins and turn to God. Be all baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2.38 (NLT)
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Scripture tells us in various ways that we are all given spiritual gifts to work in the kingdom of God. We don't get it for ourselves, for selfish purposes. Instead, we work to encourage others to help other people, preach the gospel, pray for the sick, and use the power of God to heal broken hearts. The Bible makes it very clear, it is not our own power, it is the power that GOD gives us through the Holy Spirit and we cannot produce it. Who gets which gift is incumbent on the sovereign decision of GOD. See what the scriptures say about it:
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Now there are different spiritual gifts, but it is one and the same Holy Spirit who gives them. The church has different responsibilities, but it is one and the same Lord that we serve. God works in different ways in our lives, but it is always the same God who works in all of us. Each of us is given a spiritual gift for the benefit of the entire church. 8 So the Spirit gives one person the ability to give good advice, and another the gift of special knowledge. He gives the one a particularly great faith, the other the gift to heal the sick - all of this is done by one spirit. He gives one person powers to do miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. Another is enabled by the spirit to distinguish whether the spirit of God is really speaking or another spirit. And the spirit gives one person the gift of speaking in other languages while enabling another to interpret what is said. But one and the same Holy Spirit does all of this by assigning these gifts and alone deciding which gift each individual receives. Corinthians 12: 4-11
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There is no particular way, practice, or ritual for receiving these gifts. The only thing we have to do is seek God with all our hearts and minds.
I want to encourage you to ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so that His gifts can grow in you and become a great blessing. If you want, pray the following prayer with me:
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Dear Heavenly Father,
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I thank you for everything you did for me. Thank you for giving Jesus so that I can get saved.
I honor your Holy Spirit and ask you to fill me with him. I lay my life before you, please fill every part of my life with your Holy Spirit so that I can grow in the gifts of the Spirit.
Please show me where I am not yet living the way you would like me too and help me to become the person you have planned from the beginning of the world. My will should be done in and through my life.
In Jesus' mighty name, I pray that I will grow fully in my gifts to the glory of your kingdom.
In Jesus' name amen.