June 20, 2019 - No Comments!

Many Parts

We're about 75% of the way through the book of 1 Corinthians at Doxa. The last few weeks we've spent time looking at the ways in which God gifts his children for the revealing of his character, the benefit of those around us, and witness to the world. For the "call to worship" these past few weeks, I asked the room to extend their hands in a posture of receiving as I recited prayers for a subset of the giftings we see in scripture. Some of those prayers are below.

TEACHING
Help those with the gift of teaching communicate your perfect truth with care and precision. Help their joy for your words to us move them toward obedience. Spirit, fill them with the ability to help our hearts understand your will. Help them love those they instruct, and always maintain a posture of learning for themselves.

GIVING
Thank you Father for the generosity of this church. Bless those that give sacrificially and let their willingness to make your kingdom first be contagious for all of us. May the freedom they experience remind us of the temporary nature of most of what our hands hold.

MERCY
In light of the brokenness we see outside of us, and feel inside of us, help those with this gift to minister to us. Give them the care and concern of your son Jesus, to weep with those that weep, and mourn with those that mourn. Many of us need a friend to speak words of mercy, so raise up more of us to mirror this aspect of your perfect love.

ENCOURAGEMENT
Give them the words we need to hear from you. Help them speak into the deepest wounds and bring healing to us through words of kindness and empowering grace. Help those of us who lean towards the critical to receive from them.

PRAYER / INTERCESSION
Father help those with the gift of prayer find you in their quietness. Help them pray for what you desire for our lives, instead of things we substitute for you. Help them lead us towards greater dependence. We have so many needs in this season, yet you are our supply.

SERVING
Many hands are required for the thriving of your local church. Thank you for those that use their gifts today. Help them see their service as a beautiful act of worship. Help them see how their service looks like your kingdom. That your hospitality extended, your truth taught, your family cared for is our very purpose for living.

EVANGELISM
You have sent us into the world to love others and share with them who you are. Give them courage. There is nothing the world can take from us that lasts. Give them the words, forgive them for ever treating others like projects, and may our own humility and sacrifice be attractive to those around us.

DISCERNMENT
For those with this gift let their discernment lead them to deep care for others and not judgement. Give them the patience to watch your plans unfold. Lead them to ask questions that encourage your saints towards greater obedience and lives of holiness.

Published by: Donald in Uncategorized

Leave a Reply