Good morning! God continues to work in us, and there are 361 more days in this year to use the spiritual gifts He has given us. Enjoy today’s devotion and prayer.
Bible Verse – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT
“4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[b]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[c] 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[d] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
ReCap
- The same Spirit – there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source them all
- The same Lord – there are different types of service, but we serve the same Lord
- The same God – God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us
Reflection
The same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God is a powerful statement all by itself. It is who we serve, the source of our abilities to serve, and the One who does the work with in us.
Today, let us reflect on who we were are called to serve. While we think about the year ahead let us tap into the source of our strength and serve/help (physically, prayerfully, financially, etc.) the church and others.
As the verses state, each person has a different spiritual gift and that gift is given only by the Spirit. The Spirit decides which gift to give to each person. Sisters and brothers honor the gifts the Spirit has given you. Use that/those gifts this year.
Prayer
Father God, we thank you for your love. We thank you for always being with us. We thank you for the ability to call you Father and for choosing us as your children. There is no greater honor than to be called a child of God. Lord, we thank you for sending Jesus to save us.
Lord, we want to express our gratitude to you, because we could never repay what it cost to save us. Lord, we want to use our spiritual gifts to help others and to serve you. Lord, awaken those spiritual gifts inside of us and let them shine bright for you and those we help. Lord, we want to be like a city on a hill – shining bright and pointing others to you. Lord, keep us humble in everything we do, but bold and courageous to use our gifts and serve. Lord, equip us and teach us as we follow after you. Lord, awaken our hearts and minds to love who you have called us to love and show compassion to those around us.
Lord, be with us in the workplace or wherever we have influence. Lord, direct our speech, our actions, our tone, and soften our hearts. Lord, protect and keep safe all the children and college students who are in school or will be heading back. Give them favor in their coursework, activities, internships, finances, and give them godly friends to connect with throughout the remainder of the school year. Lord, be with the teachers/professors and give them the ability to teach their classes well and with passion and compassion.
Lord, be with pastors and ministers as the plan and lead the church into this new year. Strengthen their spiritual gifts, their faith and resolve. Give them a resilient heart that stays focused on you and your plan for the church and your children. Lord, give us all wisdom, courage, and the will to serve and help, and an obedient heart to use the gifts that the Spirit has given to each one of us.
Lord, if it is your will for us to see and partake in the next 361 days of this year – then use us as you see fit. Do the necessary work in all of us so that we will be changed and have made a change by the end of this year. We don’t want to remain stagnant or complacent – we want to look more like you. Continue to heal the sick, the broken, the tired and weary. Keep strengthening the person on their knees or the one in tears or crying out to you. Lord, help them to see you at work in their lives. Help them to remember your faithfulness in every situation no matter what comes, so that they will stand firm on your word and your promises. In Jesus name, amen.
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