OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2023.
THEME: THE WORKS OF GRACE V
MEMORISE:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1 Peter 1:8
BIBLE READING:1 CORINTHIANS 12:7 -11
7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
MESSAGE
Having the Holy Spirit does not mean that you have arrived - not at all. He gave you the Holy Spirit for a reason and that is to witness according to Acts 1:8. A witness is someone who tells others about what they have seen or heard. When God asks you to witness, He is saying you should tell people about the things you have heard and seen about Him. To really prove that what you are telling them is true, He gives you, gifts of the Spirit. This is the work of grace that comes after the Holy Ghost baptism.
There are basically nine gifts of the Spirit, as seen in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and they can be grouped into three. One group is called the revelation gifts. The revelation gifts consist of the Word of Wisdom, Word of knowledge and Discerning of Spirits. When you hear someone say something about you that he or she could not possibly have known except God told him or her, that is the Word of knowledge. For example, while l am preaching many times, God tells me things about people in the congregation and l announce it starting with "There is someone here ...". Despite not knowing these people, what l announce is usually the exact situation of the people involved - that is the Word of knowledge at work. God knows all things and from time to time reveals them to those whom He has given this gift to. It is a powerful gift of the Holy Spirit.
There is another group of gifts called the Power Gifts - the Gift of Faith, the Gift of Healing and the Gift of the Working of Miracles. Then of course there are three others called the Vocal Gifts - these are the Gifts of Prophecy, diverse kinds of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues. The Almighty God can give you any of these 9 gifts after you are baptised in the Holy Spirit and have started working for Him. Interestingly, 1 Corinthians 12:31 says: "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew l unto you a more excellent way."
The only place in the Bible where you are allowed to be covetous is when it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. After my Holy Spirit baptism, l asked God for all the gifts and He answered me. I give Him glory and honour that when you ask Him, He is more than willing to give.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please give me all the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Daniel 1-3
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
1 Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Amen and Amen🙏🙌
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