1 Corinthians 14:1
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
The words pursue and desire above are active words. We are called to seek out and desire love and spiritual gifts. Your life will follow your focus, whatever is important to you will manifest in your life!
Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
We have a part to play when it comes to operating in the gifts of the spirit. These gifts are the power that God works through us to advance His kingdom and bring freedom to people on earth. Without the Holy Spirit’s strength and guidance, along with His gifts of power, we will live weak, defeated lives as Christians.
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
The first instruction, is to pursue love. God is love (1 John 4:8) and everything good is done from the foundation of love. We can love others because of God’s love fills us to overflowing.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
The second instruction is to desire spiritual gifts. Let’s look at a list of these below:
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
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. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
- for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit,
- to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
- to another faith by the same Spirit,
- to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
- to another the working of miracles,
- to another prophecy,
- to another discerning of spirits,
- to another different kinds of tongues,
- to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Remember that while the above scripture rightly says it’s as the Holy Spirit wills, it still requires your active cooperation through pursuing love and desiring the spiritual gifts!
Click here to learn about God’s love in you and through you
Click here to learn more about operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit