The gift of ADMINISTRATION is also known as the gift of GUIDANCE. It is sometimes a leadership role but most often is partnered with the upfront gifts for support in behind-the-scenes ways.

This gift is seen in people who manage details, organize tasks, and support ministry operations with ease and joy. This gift directly influences the operation and outflow of God’s love through the church. We see this gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:28, which in Greek can be translated as guidance, administration, and gifts of leadership.

This gift is placed alongside the supportive gifts, not the word/ruling gifts. The ruling gifts are about leadership, vision, and inspiration while administration/guidance is about supporting that vision. The word Paul uses gives us the imagery of a helmsman - a nautical term that describes the person guiding a ship to its destination according to the captain’s instructions.

Does this sound like you?

• “I find heaven-given joy when others are set free to do their jobs.”
• “I have an effortless skill for organizing tasks and people.”
• “I like to streamline and clarify the steps required to accomplish more complex tasks.”
• “I like to help other people by managing and carrying out the details involved.”

Further reading:

• Meditate on Acts 6:1-4. Notice the Apostles’ instructions to identify those of wisdom and full of the Spirit to coordinate the waiting on tables.
• Convergence pp. 107-111

The spiritual gift of GIVING is a joyful pursuit to generously channel the resources God has given to you. It is a manifestation of God’s love through practical acts of generosity. It goes beyond mere wealth possession, emphasizing a spiritual capacity and inclination to give joyfully and with pure motives. We are all called to give generously as Christ modeled for us. But people with this gift are more able than others to release their personal resources freely and cheerfully. People with this gift see a need and giving flows out of them. Givers are the models for stewardship and often their hearts are pulled to bless others as God reveals the opportunity. They do it with the right motives, joy, and great generosity.

Paul writes in Romans 12:8, “If your gift is giving, then give generously.” The word generously literally means “without folds in a cloth.” This is significant because folds could hide any defects in the cloth. The expression goes to motive. If you have the gift of giving, your motive is not political, it is not about tax receipts, it is not about what you can accomplish, it is God-given stewardship.

Does this sound like you?

• “I desire to plan, budget, and structure my life to live simply in order to have resources already prepared when God prompts me to give.”
• “Even if I were giving from a place of lack, the joy of the Lord would still accompany me.”

Further reading:

• Meditate on 1 Corinthians 8:1-7. Do you resonate with the overflowing joy that welled up in rich generosity?
• Convergence pp. 116-120

The spiritual gift of service, also called helping, is where we're going to attach HOSPITALITY. A short definition for it is this gift is the capacity to unselfishly meet the practical needs of others. This gift encompasses a range of activities, from assisting with routine tasks to showing hospitality. Those with this gift are characterized by their willingness to help, their ability to see ways to assist without being told, and their enjoyment of behind-the-scenes and practical tasks.

There are a few different words for this gifting, hence why you hear service, helps, and hospitality, we see it operating in Acts 6:1-7 when the first deacons (servants) are established to meet the needs of widows so the apostles could devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. Helps is directed toward Christian leaders in order to release them from different services so they can concentrate on their primary ministry.

In 1 Peter 4:9-11, hospitality becomes part of this package. Hospitality means “love of the stranger.” Meeting the needs of others is upon the posture of hospitality. These are qualities of Christ that we all must cultivate, but Scripture is clear there are people with supernatural and spiritual joy and increased effectiveness when using the gift of service.

It's both an attitude, a heart posture, and an ability to aid in practical ways. Some of you might have this gift and you struggle with that tension a little bit, but you notice things that practically need to get done behind the scenes, we need you to steward this gifting. A deeper enjoyment comes from seeing how your effort on behalf of others enables and encourages them to better use their own gifts.

The source of this service is not your strength, it's out of God's strength. Remember, only the Holy Spirit can make seemingly mundane tasks both spiritual and impactful. He will empower you to be an example of self-sacrificial, Christ-like service. Your gift of service/helps/hospitality is the Holy Spirit-sourced fuel to ignite your abilities for the good of the other.

Does this sound like you?

• “I feel the urge to help others if I see things that need to be done and do them.”
• “I enjoy serving behind the scenes or accomplishing an avoided task.”
• “I enjoy and love hosting people in my home.”

Further reading:

• Meditate on Acts 6:1-7, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:7, 1 Peter 4:9-11
• Convergence pp. 111-113

The spiritual gift of MERCY serves as a tangible embodiment of God’s love, expressed through practical acts of compassion and care such as visiting the sick, caring for the elderly, or aiding the poor. It involves cheerful service to those in need and a genuine empathy for those in physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual distress. Mercy sees what someone needs even when they may not see it themselves. Every disciple of Jesus hears the call from him to practice mercy: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). But according to Paul, some of us are particularly gifted with this capacity as he states “if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Rom. 12:8d). The primary recipients of the gift of mercy are those in immediate distress.

Does this sound like you?

• “I am often moved emotionally and volitionally by the needs of others.”
• “I have an impulse to embrace a sinner or to weep with those who weep.”

Further reading:

• Meditate on Acts 9:36: In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. At its heart, Tabitha’s actions can be translated “mercy-deeds.” What was the impact of her presence and her subsequent death?
• Convergence pp. 113-115

The spiritual gift of APOSTLESHIP is pioneering ministry endeavors in spaces where the kingdom of God has not yet taken ground. It typically takes the form of expansion, pushing the boundaries and overcoming obstacles as the Church continues its God-given work under the Great Commission.

It is important to note that we are referring to the “gift” not the “office” of apostleship. This gift is one of the more controversial ones because at times people have tried to claim the same level of authority as the capital A Apostles––those who saw the resurrected Christ, the 12 disciples plus Paul, and were given authority to start the Big C Church. The Apostles clarified doctrine and wrote the New Testament books similar to Old Testament prophets.

The word, apostle, means messenger. In the trend of establishing churches in areas not yet reached by the gospel many with the gift of apostleship were sent out as God's messengers who opened new territories for Christ. Often those with this gifting are recognized by a local church and receive a blessing/commissioning to go and do this pioneering work. This gift is seen both in men and women. For example, a lot of missionaries and parachurch ministers have this gift. However, it doesn’t have to be a new church or parachurch ministry, it could be a special leadership capacity with authority from God to create new ministry structures, like an outreach program.

Does this sound like you?

• You generate unnatural respect and authority to speak and to influence other churches or Christian organizations even without the title or formal influence in those circles. It never comes from manipulation, pride, or selling yourself.
• As you progress in ministry over time you may say quietly to yourself, “How in the world did I end up here, speaking or encouraging to this group of leaders or churches?”

Further reading:

• Convergence pp. 134-138

The gift of EVANGELISM is a strong burden and ability to share the gospel. We're all called to share the Gospel and allow the Spirit to work, but there seem to be people with a particular effectiveness when they share the good news with others. These people have a unique ability to present the gospel compellingly and creatively through different means. It just comes out of them. It is verbal a lot of times since it's a WORD gift.

Reminder, we are not talking about offices or specific roles or titles, but gifts that we see working. The Greek word for the gospel, the good news of Jesus, is euangelion, which is the root word for evangelism.

Evangelists are bearers of the good news. Now, one thing we need to know, we're all called to be evangelists. In a sense. We are all called to carry the great commission to share the gospel with other people with unbelievers. This gifting is a unique responsibility and ability to do this, a heart posture for it, that results in people being saved or taking steps toward salvation or spiritual formation.

Does this sound like you?

• When you share the gospel over time you see consistent results of people taking steps to pursue Jesus.
• You often invite non-believers to church and they come!
• You find yourself getting into conversations about Jesus organically and sometimes without even realizing how you got there.
• You feel the Lord’s pleasure when you share what Jesus has done in your life.

Further reading:

• Convergence pp. 147-155

The spiritual gift of ENCOURAGEMENT or EXHORTATION is an ability to rebuke, strengthen, and comfort others according to God's word.

• Rebuke: a challenge in exhortation;
• Strengthen: build-up/lift people; and
• Comfort Others: comforting those who are hurting with biblical truth.
• It's translated: as encouragement, exhort, exhortation, appeal, urge. It's also translated as “preach” in some places.

Sometimes there's a public and individual nature to this gift. It is more WORD-gift than a LOVE-gift because it is primarily through speaking the Word of God. We see in 1 Timothy 4:13-14, Paul says, “until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation and to teaching.” The word Paul uses translated as exhortation is connected to the same word he uses in Romans 12:8 for exhortation/encouragement. This is urging Christians to live out the truth of the gospel. It applies biblical truth to people and to specific lives and situations. Some people call it spiritual cheerleading with a purpose. There's weight to it. Calling other people to rightly apply what God has said in His Word.

Does this sound like you?

• You are a great listener.
• You have a heart to challenge those who are hurting to take the next step toward health.
• You love to meet with people one-on-one and hearing personal stories.
• Some people with this gift love writing notes of encouragement, text messages, or voice memos.
• You're drawn to the relational and personal interactions.
• People trust you and they share.
• You find yourself giving advice consistently.

Further reading:

• Convergence pp. 128-133

The spiritual Gift of LEADERSHIP is seen by casting vision and influencing people to accomplish the purposes of God, so they have to receive this vision from God. The gift of leadership is a divine strength and ability to influence on another person’s level, while focusing on the big picture and vision of the purposes of God. Often times it is expressed through setting goals in accordance with God's purpose for the future and to communicate those goals to others to voluntarily and harmoniously seek to accomplish those goals.

Notice Paul says to lead with zeal, which points to the diligent nature to this gift. So, it could be translated as “the one who leads with diligence.”

Other places in the New Testament it’s translated as ruling, connoting an oversight element to this gift, which is often used to describe one of the functions of the elders/overseers in the local church. This word denotes a person who presides over something or a person who comes to the aid of others. Notice it is FOR people - even though it's leading people; those with this gift CARE about people.

Many of you who think you have this gift might just have the natural gifting of being a good leader in your workplace or in your family, and that is a great thing. Those are natural and acquired skills that we need to use and recognize. This Spirit-empowered gift is more about the WHAT and the WHERE and needs to partner with the gift of administration and guidance because a person with this gift is about the HOW of accomplishing a God-given vision. People in church and ministry leadership often have this gift, but may or may not have the gift of pastoring and shepherding.

Does this sound like you?

• You influence others towards vision and have a capacity for decision-making and keeping a group operating together.
• You are sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and get direction and vision from God and then influence others towards that vision.
• Your gift is not just a position, not just a disposition towards leadership, it is a heart towards a God-given idea or vision.
• You most likely have another Word-gift like teaching or pastoring/shepherding to accompany.

Further reading:

• Convergence pp. 140-144

The spiritual gift of PASTORING and SHEPHERDING is a capacity, within both men and women, to guide and care for the spiritual formation of others, typically with a commitment over time. We see this gift operating as an office at times as the overseers (elders) of churches in the New Testament. However, many people have this gift who will not hold the office of elder.

It's not just loving people for the sake of loving people or saying you care about people. It is growing them into the image of Christ intentionally and over time, which entails modeling maturity, protecting them from error, and teaching truth.

A lot of times people with a Pastor/Shepherd gifting operate in a teaching role because they also have the spiritual gift of teaching. But often we see the pastoring gift exercised in more relational settings, typically in small groups and one-on-one.

Does this sound like you?

• You're focused on people you care deeply for and you're willing to sacrifice and inconvenience yourself for the sake of others.
• You find yourself caring about co-workers, friends, and neighbors.
• You care for their growth and you are committed to leading them through long-term care.

Further reading:

• Convergence pp. 144-147

The spiritual gift of TEACHING is an ability to clarify God's truth that leads others to greater understanding and obedience. The fruit of obedience is the Holy Spirit’s role to produce and He works in tandem with those with this gift to produce this fruit. The spiritual gift of TEACHING includes instruction, doctrine, and application, and sometimes overlaps with the gift of Pastoring/Shepherding, but often they're different.

Most people with this gift will not have the office of Pastor or be in vocational ministry, but have been given this gift to bring clarity to God’s truth within the local church.

Does this sound like you?

• “When studying the Bible with others people come to me with questions.”
• “People have confirmed that they understand Scripture better after I have explained it.”
• “I am an enthusiastic learner.”
• Alarm bells typically go off for you when Scripture is misused or misunderstood, misapplied, underrepresented, or misrepresented.

Further reading:

• Convergence pp. 123-128

The gift of DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS is a strong sensitivity to the spiritual source of someone or something. This gift is the spiritual “eyes” of the body. There's a God-given sensitivity to truth, error, evil sensing, the often hidden source of a situation beyond what people can see on the surface. This is different than a natural gift of discernment or something we should acquire as Christians. This gift allows some to know with assurance whether certain behavior is either from God or demonic forces.

So it could be in a situation, where people with this gifting or maybe a manifestation of this gifting in a gathering can sense:

• “there is a dark opposition to what's happening right now in this room;”
• “God is moving through people right now;”
• “I feel God's Spirit moving her;”
• “There's something off in that person.”

This gift is in tune with the inward, spiritual reality of a person.

There are three “directions” in which we see this gift work in a gathering: upward, horizontal, and downward.

• Upward: Discerning the Holy Spirit moving in a person through His active presence that others typically do not notice.
• Horizontal: Discerning the heart motives of a person in a situation. Through grace, this gift is used to bring to light heart desires to gratify the flesh to correct one to walk with the Spirit.
• Downward: Discerning spiritual warfare at work, namely through dark forces opposing the church. These people will notice demonic oppression over people, even when the oppressed person appears completely normal.

You might be more sensitive to one of these three or experience all of them in a gathering. This gift is often used to test prophecy.

Does this sound like you?

• You have a keen sense of recognizing inconsistencies with behavior and motivation behind it.
• You have a good grasp of scripture.
• You sometimes have a conviction that won't let you rest until you've prayed through something.

Further reading:

• Read 1 John 4:1-6
• Convergence pp. 185-196

The spiritual gift of FAITH is a Spirit-given ability to see something God wants done and to sustain unwavering confidence that God will accomplish it, even in the face of formidable obstacles. It involves a supernatural conviction that God will reveal His power or mercy in a specific situation. This gift is distinct from common faith, or faith as it is related to belief in the Gospel for salvation, and can breathe life into various aspects of a church. Those with the gift of FAITH move the needle of trust in God for a local church.

A short definition could be an extraordinary assurance that God will do a specific thing. Whenever these specific moments of faith arise you must respond by humbly asking God, what are you doing in and through this? For through this supernatural conviction, God will reveal divine power or move according to how God is actively engaging with a body of believers.

Does this sound like you?

• You feel empowered to trust God with a challenge that requires faith.
• Not only do you believe God can do anything, but God is going to do “that” thing, and you'll wait for it to come.
• You have a recurring experience of sensing that God is going to do something unusual and it often happens.
• You love experiencing God through experienced faith situations.

Further reading:

• Read various faith stories in the Bible. Start with Joshua, Habakkuk, Daniel, and the Gospel of John.
• Read about the life of George Mueller and his gift of faith.
• Convergence pp. 179-185

The spiritual gift of HEALING is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to cure illness and restore health apart from the use of natural means.

Jesus, Paul, and the rest of the early church lived in regular expectation that God could and would heal people's physical bodies. This gift is exercised when the Holy Spirit chooses and gifts certain of His children to be healing intermediaries. It's important to note that humans are not the “source” of healing but the channel through which God works to heal.

Members with this gift recognize and release God's power where He desires to heal. This person cannot indiscriminately heal. It is prompted by God. It is God's power. You always have to ask for the Lord's guidance and permission, faith and humility in this process.

Words of knowledge and wisdom sometimes need to work in tandem. It's also important to note the distinction between the office of Elder vs the gift of healing. In James 5:13-15 says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” In this case, James notes the responsibility of the elder to pray for healing. But it is not assumed that each Elder has this gift. The gift of healing is a separate gift that operates at times in the body.

Does this sound like you?

• You notice a deep desire in yourself for God to alleviate problems in people, and a willingness to be used by God.
• You sense God’s willingness to release His power when it's present for healing.

Further reading:

• Read the book of John and study the examples of Jesus healing people who are sick.
• Convergence pp. 212-218

Those with the gift of INTERCESSORY PRAYER have a special ability to regularly pray for extended periods of time and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers, to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian. The motivation to pray comes from a burden towards specific prayers on behalf of others.

All Christians are called to pray, but this gift is distinguished by the passion and commitment to pray until God answers. This is a POWER gift because there's a supernatural way that God is showing His presence and commitment to His body through the intercessor.

Does this sound like you? Here are three archetypes for intercessors:

1. List intercessors: These people want a list of prayer requests for the church and they pray through it consistently, maybe at the same time or in the same space.
2. Crisis intercessors: Sometimes when spending time with God a name, family, or situation will come to mind, usually involving a crisis, and these people typically respond by praying fervently, almost immediately, as if they will not be released from this burden except through prayer.
3. Assignment intercessors: These people feel assigned to a person or a movement until God releases them from praying.

Further reading:

• Read about Anna in Luke 2:37 and her commitment to prayer
• Convergence pp. 175-178
• A Praying Life by Paul Miller

Next Steps:

• Join the Sunday prayer team and find out how you can best use your gift. If you resonate with one of the archetypes above find others like you and gather together to pray in that style. EMAIL PASTOR RYAN FOR DETAILS >

The spiritual gift of PROPHECY is a power gift involving the spontaneous, Spirit-inspired, intelligible communication of truth and revelation from God, usually delivered orally in a gathered assembly. Its purpose is to edify, encourage, and call people to a right relationship with God. Prophecy is focused on providing insight, correction, or perspective for specific situations, often in the present. Prophecy and teaching are quite different as gifts. Prophecy fits among the power gifts while teaching fits under the WORD gifts.

There's a very strong exhortation in scripture that we should all desire to prophesy. That means some people have the gift of prophecy, but a reminder, they're also called manifestations. The gift of prophecy is exercised when someone, usually in a congregation or large gathering, has the capacity to deliver the truth of a predictive nature (but not always) or a situational word from God. It's a “now” message that sometimes pushes into the future. The result is to exhort the community, edify or comfort believers, or convince non-believers of God’s truth.

1 Thess. 5:20 says, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good.” You can expect to be wrong sometimes and that's okay because we are not God. When listening to the Spirit in corporate gatherings remember, a prophetic gift or word will never contradict Scripture and sometimes will come from Scripture verbatim. You're communicating from God, but you are NOT speaking thus sayeth the Lord.

Does this sound like you?

• You sometimes feel a burden that God is communicating a specific truth for a specific people, through His Word, right here, right now.
• It is not God's definitive word to this person, but it is God speaking through you.
• When you have shared a specific truth to a group there is a unifying affirmation and causes the group or congregation to respond in faith.

Further reading:

• 1 Cor. 12:28-29, 14:1-40; Rom. 12:6; 1 Thess. 5:19-22
• Convergence pp. 159-161

Those with the spiritual gift of TONGUES have the consistent experience of speaking or praying in human or heavenly languages, unknown to the speaker. It is often in the form of praying because it's directed towards God in a language that is unknown to the person saying the words, but is a form of worship unto the Lord.

There's two main expressions of this gift.

1. Human languages: In Acts 2 at Pentecost we see the disciples speaking in foreign tongues, unknown to them, but understood by the Jews, “devout men from every nation under heaven… and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?‘” Theologians often credit Pentecost as a replaying/reversal of the Tower of Babel, and for the first time in Scripture, we see a beautiful picture of the family of God represented by every nation, tribe, and tongue.
2. Heavenly languages: Often called tongues of angels, are unknown heavenly languages that is most appropriately expressed through private devotion, unless there is an interpreter present. It's a language of prayer and praise directed towards God, but because it's unintelligible and therefore cannot build up the body, it should remain in the setting of personal prayer and devotion.

Complimentary to the gift of tongues is the gift of INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES. In 1 Corinthians 14:26-28, Paul goes out of his way to say that if either expression of tongues (human or heavenly) are to be utilized in a corporate gathering it should be interpreted: “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.”

Earlier in chapter 14:2-5, Paul reminds the church of the overall point of the gifts is for the building up of the church: “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.”

In summary, CHBC encourages those who have the gift of tongues to practice this gift in private for your own edification.

Further reading:

• Read 1 Corinthians 12-14 to understand Paul’s argument for tongues to be prioritized within personal prayer and devotion rather than in a corporate setting.
• Convergence pp. 162-173

NEXT STEPS:

• Develop: Paul says we should desire the spiritual gifts, including tongues. If you desire to receive this supernatural ability, simply ask and be open to the Spirit’s work through your prayer.
• Deploy: If you are someone who can regularly speak in tongues consider incorporating that into your times of prayer throughout the day. As the Spirit prompts you in corporate worship, feel free to pray in tongues but not to the distraction of others around you.

The spiritual gift of WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE involves supernatural knowledge or factual information that could not be known without the Spirit’s aid. These words reveal divine workings and realities by the Spirit and are situational communications of information given for a specific moment. They release the activity of God in a situation, unlocking a work of God by revealing previously unknown information. This gift is focused on the “what” of a given situation. WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE are similar to prophecy, but are directed to individuals.

Much of the time these gifts are given and used with other gifts. In the case of dealing with the demonic, the gift of DISCERNMENT lets you know evil is present while a WORD OF KNOWLEDGE can show how they came into a situation. They both can be used to expose secrets in people’s lives that God wants to deal with and allow people to know in the moment that they are called to do this or that in a very specific way.

Does this sound like you?

• Does the description of this gift in action resonate with what you have experienced in various situations, though you may not have known how to respond? Realize that is a way God has gifted and equipped you to be of real help and encouragement to people in or out of the Church.

Further reading:

• Convergence pp. 203-211

NEXT STEPS:

• Develop: Grow in sensitivity to the Spirit’s voice. Meditate on the Proverbs.
• Deploy: Consider how you can use this gift in your small group or work setting. As you listen to the Spirit and are prompted to share always ask for permission before sharing.

WORDS OF WISDOM involve situational communications given by the Spirit to understand God’s will for a specific moment. These WORDS OF WISDOM provide direction and insight into God’s will and guide believers in a particular situation, releasing the activity of God.

It's not general wisdom or general understanding. A WORD OF WISDOM is often a phrase or a directive given in a specific way to guide another person. It's like WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE, but applied in an action to help someone move forward in God’s will. This is similar to PROPHECY, but applied to an individual. It is different from WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE with its focus on the “when” or “where” instead of the “what.”

Does this sound like you?

• Does the description of this gift in action resonate with what you have experienced in various situations, though you may not have known how to respond? Realize that is a way God has gifted and equipped you to be of real help and encouragement to people in or out of the Church.

Further reading:

• Read how James deploys this gift for the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, as it relates to Gentile believers and the integration of the Jewish tradition.
• Convergence pp. 203-211

NEXT STEPS:

• Develop: Grow in sensitivity to the Spirit’s voice. Meditate on the Proverbs.
• Deploy: Consider how you can use this gift in your small group or work setting. As you listen to the Spirit and are prompted to share always ask for permission before sharing.

The spiritual gift of WORKS OF POWER (MIRACLES) involves the release of God's power to demonstrate His utter uniqueness and power. It can involve casting out demons, raising people from the dead, changing the course of nature, the releasing of God's supernatural power so that the miraculous intervention of God is noticed, is perceived, and God receives recognition for that miracle. It always results in God being proclaimed. A short definition would be the release of God's power in miraculous ways.

It's not something that people with this gift can just do on command. It is not up to their will. It's up to the will of God. It is often prompted by the spiritual gift of FAITH. Often that gift of FAITH encourages others to step into this gifting or this manifestation of working.

Does this sound like you?

• God has put you in situations in which you saw the power of God demonstrated in order to vindicate God’s character.
• Others have noticed that you have an ability and sensitivity to discern what God wants to do in a given situation, a willingness to risk your reputation and trust God in unusual circumstances.
• You often find it relatively easy to exercise a deep trust and faith in God.
• You are ready to deal with demons directly and when you pray, they leave people or strongholds they have held.
• Through these acts, many come to faith in Jesus or are set free to walk in a deeper way in their relationship with Jesus himself.

Further reading:

• Convergence pp. 218-223