Lord, I know only too well the battle that goes on inside me. My selfish spirit battles with my desire to serve You; and yet I know in my heart that when I am working with You I can move mountains.  Dear Lord, give me the will to pick up the gifts that You have given me and use them in Your service every day so that others will know that You are Lord.

And one more thing, Lord: Give me the desire to seek and use even more of the wonderful gifts that You give to those who love You. Amen.

St Paul’s great chapter on Spiritual Gifts in his first

letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12, outlines the

wonderful nature of the gifts that God gives to His

children. These are no ordinary human talents, they

are given entirely by the grace of God to delight His

children and equip them for the tasks that He has

appointed to each one - to spread the Good News of

Jesus Christ and to further His Kingdom.  But they

should be used with humility and reverence if they

are to remain. It is God’s work - His battle - His victory. We are serving Him and each other when we seek His gifts and use them in His service of love. And it is love; love for God and love for our neighbour that prompts us to earnestly seek and use the gifts of God. So important is this that St Paul develops this theme in many of his letters. In Romans 12 verse 6 to the end, he encourages the Christians to use the gifts that God has given: ... speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. And why? Because God is love and all creation works and is powered by love. (See 1 Corinthians 13)

Wisdom

How easily we confuse wisdom with knowledge, and yet one of the wisest people I know has no formal qualifications at all. Knowledge, says

St Paul, puffs up, but love builds up. He is not against knowledge - just the pride that it can foster. Wisdom is the love of God using the knowledge of God to God’s purposes. Lord, give me wisdom today that I may see as you see and do Your work, that other may see Your glory.

Knowledge

Without knowledge mankind would not survive. But knowledge can be a two-edged sword. How we use it is as important as knowledge itself. If we use it selfishly it will destroy us. It is the knowledge of God that leads us to want Him as the source of love. It is discovering all that God wants us to know that enables us to be fully ourselves. Lord, help me to open my mind only to you and to learn what You have to teach me.

Faith

Faith is entirely a gift of God. Faith is trusting God to be and do all He has said. Faith is looking to God as a supremely loving Father who wants only the best for us - whatever mess we get into. Faith is knowing that we have nowhere else to go to share every aspect of our lives. Faith is not trying to persuade God but to place our lives in His care. Thank you Lord that all the things I can’t do I can hand over to You.

Prophecy

Prophecy is often misunderstood. To prophesy is to speak the words that God wants someone to hear. St Paul puts it very high on his list. Often it is a very simple word that acts as a trigger in an unbeliever’s life, but always for their good. Are we ready to seek this gift that we may bring the love of God to others in a powerful way? Lord, give me such love for others that I have the courage to say ‘yes’ to your gift of prophecy.

Healing

To be truly healed is to be as God intended us to be. All too often we are so shortsighted that we see healing only in physical terms. Look at Jesus’ healings. Most were a visible sign of a person’s faith. It is Faith that brings true inner healing and wholeness. Father, we pray for the gift of healing that we may be channels of Your healing Spirit, to bring faith and wholeness to your hurting children and all in need. In Jesus, name.

Miracles

Miracles are undoubtedly a sign of God’s power. However, God doesn’t need to demonstrate His power, and miracles seldom bring unbelievers to faith. Miracles are God’s expression of love to His faithful ones. Miracles are not always big - in fact many are what the world calls ‘coincidences’. Father, we pray that you will use us to increase the faith of Your children as we obey You and command what You command, bringing You glory.

Remember those areas where  prayers are needed:

- my home

- my town

- my workplace

- shops & market

- pubs, B&B

- others who

    use ‘The Link’

Remember those for whom special prayers are needed today:

 - my family

- among friends

- the homeless

- my Church

- the government

- others who

    use ‘The Link’