“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
Welcome to the 10th devotional recap of the year. This week, we touched some more on spiritual gifts in the life of the believer.
On Monday, we talked about the relevance of spiritual gifts in our day. We learnt that all the gifts mentioned in Scripture are not only real, but also available to every believer. This means that the moment you got saved, you received God’s Holy Spirit, who is the source of all gifts. These gifts are not for selfish use; God gave them for the edification of the church and other believers. Therefore, you ought to contribute your gifts to benefit the church.
On Tuesday, we delved deeper into the topic of spiritual gifts and how the gifts are still in operation in our day. We saw from Scripture that miracles and spiritual gifts were a regular occurrence in the early church, and there is no scriptural evidence of them eventually ceasing. Just like Apostle Paul entreated in 1 Corinthians 14:1, we must earnestly desire spiritual gifts.
On Wednesday, we talked about the gift of tongues and its importance to the believer in Christ. The tongues gift was the only gift that was manifested after the ascension of Jesus. Therefore, every time you speak in tongues, you are manifesting proof of the glorification of Jesus. Praying in tongues also stirs you up, edifies you, and emboldens you. Like all other spiritual gifts, the gift of tongues is not for some select few in the body of Christ—it is for everyone.
On Thursday, we learnt that the interpretation of tongues goes together with speaking in tongues. In 1 Corinthians 14:13, Apostle Paul speaks concerning tongues, saying, “Let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.” While you can edify yourself with tongues, you cannot bless another believer by it because they might not understand what you are saying. Therefore, if others will benefit from your gift, you must be able to interpret. Thankfully, the interpretation of tongues is also a spiritual gift that you can pray to walk in.
We wrapped up on Friday by discussing the gift of prophecy. Everything that we read about in the book of Acts is possible in our day, and this also includes prophesying. The person who prophesies ministers’ strength, encouragement, and comfort to others. We learnt that prophesying is not a thing of the old, neither is it exclusive to prophets only; it is accessible to every believer today.
As you step into the weekend, be reminded of all the gifts that are available to you, and earnestly desire to walk in them for the benefit of others.
Bible Reading Plan: Leviticus 11-13