Spiritual Gifts

Tam - posted on 06/08/2009

Anne, can I just take a little side note and say thank you for the courage to pray and stay in place! I honestly believe that whenever you walk into a place/room/etc. the stronger spirit will prevail. If you had walked away, then they might have continued, but the spirit in them notice God in you and your faith in Him and as they should, became submissive and that's why the conversation changed. Whatever spirit controlled them over the "readings" acknowledged a woman of faith in the Greater God!

Your gift is discernment and you walked in, believed in God enough that it came through to the spiritual side. That battle was won the moment you stood your ground. The physical act of them no longer speaking about it was the manifestation of God's victory in that moment. You walked in your gift and in your authority that Christ gave you!

:)

Anne - posted on 06/07/2009

Christine it is interesting to me that you mention harry potter. When those books first came out a co-worker was reading it. She knew I was a Christian and asked me what I thought of it. She handed me the book and I had to hand it back to her because my hand felt like it had been scalded. I too have Prayed over the books not the one you are talking about but the regular books for them not to sell. I also think it is soo important to not dwell on this type of thing which I did I realized after I reread what I had posted earlier today. For that I am truly sorry. I do appreciate what you said because of you back ground. Your experience can be a real teachable moment for the rest of us.

Christine - posted on 06/07/2009

Anne, I too have the gift of discernment.

I know what you mean by being alarmed by their conversation of cards and the sort.. in my teens I was a wiccan. After I came out of the occult and got saved I realized what I was playing with was demons. I know that it is NOT harmless to have your palm read, read horoscopes etc..

I was in a book store in 2004 right after I got saved and I was looking through the marriage books and I felt a prickling as well. I remember slowing my breathing and carefully looking around me to figure out what it was that God was telling me. As I turned more to my right I saw this entire collection of Harry Potter spell books for kids. Now I have no problem with cute little fancy fairy tales for kids to read to spark their little imaginations, but this was a real spell book! I knew it immediately. I picked it up to see and sure enough there were real incantations in that book teaching little kids young! I was furious. Nothing I could do about it but pray over those books. I know there were parents who were ignorant enough to buy them, but hopefully the kids who got them wouldn't be influenced by them.

I also pick up on Christian people around me. People I haven't seen in years. People I've just met. I am a very wounded woman and I am weary of making friends, but the Lord gives me people in my path and I get a feeling of safety around certain people He picks... and then I find out they are christians too. And real believers. Educated. People who know the REAL Jesus of scripture and who know that a false Messiah does not save you.

Rebekah - posted on 06/07/2009

I have 5 top giftings - Apostle, Hospitality, Faith, Teacher, Pastor. Then I have giftings that follow under them pretty closely. I discovered my giftings through a Spiritual Gifts test that was required in our leadership class, plus I've had many of the giftings that came out in the top confirmed to me through other people God sent my way.

Anne - posted on 06/07/2009

I Corinthians 12:10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits,...

I have the GIft of distinguishing between spirits. I can't tell you how many times I hve been able to pick out if some one is not who they say they are. It is more than just looking to see if ther "walk" matches their"talk" It comes from deep inside me and I know It is the Holy Spirit. Just this week one of my cousins that I had not seen is about a year was at an uncles funeral and we were talking and there was just "somehting" about her that I was sure she was a Christian. On Friday of this same week we were at the same wedding and I had a chance to talk with her and she mentioned she homeschooled her youngest. I was very sure that I had been right the day before, so I asked her Why she homeschooled. She than began to tell me what God had done in the lives of her and her husband and children about 6 years ago. Yesterday I was with my sister, another cousin, and two aunts. They started to talk about haveing their cards read and going to a pshsic. I could litterly feel the hair on my arms stand up and the hot stuffy room became col and unfriendly. In order to stay and even listen to them talk I had to start to Pray. Thier conversation changed after about 5 minutes and the room "felt" normal then. I wanted to share a time when Teh Holy Spirit had revield something for me but I know it would be fewed as something other than what the truth of what the Holy Spirit told me.

Tam - posted on 06/06/2009

For anyone interested, there are a bunch of ones online as well that you can take for free. I suggest if you go that route, to do several so you can get a more accurate listing of your prominent gifts.

Like Katie, we just did the gifts class at our church.

Mine came up Administration, Mercy and Teaching, though helps (service) and creative communication were right up behind those.

I suggest if your church offers a class in it, to take it. It's really helpful to do so with prayerful guidance. And the benefits are amazing to you and your church family.

We are all a part of the body of Christ and until we find our place, we cannot function properly. When God moves in your gifts, it's amazing! Be it cleaning the bathrooms or preaching from the pulpit, teaching your children to helping the homeless or elderly. Everything we do, everything, is a service to God and when we surrender our will to His, let His gifts work as they should, stand back and be prepared to be awed!

Katie - posted on 06/06/2009

Yes I have taken a class at church that helps you find your spiritual gifts. It was called Spiritual Newtworking. My girls are Creative Communication, Hospitality, and...I forget the third. (In this class these do fall under the ones listed in 1 Cor 12. There are tons of books on the subject. Go to amazon.com and type in spiritual gifts and you will find a ton. If you have anymore questions just let me know.

Katie - posted on 06/06/2009

Yes I have taken a class at church that helps you find your spiritual gifts. It was called Spiritual Newtworking. My girls are Creative Communication, Hospitality, and...I forget the third. (In this class these do fall under the ones listed in 1 Cor 12. There are tons of books on the subject. Go to amazon.com and type in spiritual gifts and you will find a ton. If you have anymore questions just let me know.