Jesus—Our Inviter—Our Identity
A danger when pursuing the study of spiritual gifts in general and our own gifts in particular is forgetting to keep our focus on the Giver of these gifts. Scripture makes it clear that the Lord calls us and purposes us. The Lord distributes spiritual gifts throughout His Body, the Church, just as the Lord intends them to be disseminated.
The most important thing we can do relative to our gifts is to keep The Giver in the center. One way to do that is to remind ourselves of who Jesus is, to soak in our identity in Christ, and to ask the Lord in prayer to make us able to deeply believe and embrace that true identity. Here is a sample prayer that puts Christ first:
Lord Jesus—you are our Center…our Foundation…and the Head of Your Church.
We take a moment to pause and to soak in YOU—the Creator and Source of all things [Soak.]
Jesus, renew our focus on YOU…on Who You are…and Your example to us of how to live.
You call us to repent—and we do so now in the silence [Offer to Jesus your sins of commission and omission, your failures, your less-thans.]
You invite us to follow You. To join You on a life-long and eternal journey.
You tell us to let our light shine that the world might see and glorify the Father.
You command us to love others as You have loved us.
You ask that we choose to forgive…that we pursue reconciliation.
You ask us to go the second mile…to love our enemies…to pray unceasingly…to seek Your kingdom first. We pause again now to reflect on these invitations. [Reflect.]
Jesus, You call us to join You in Your work of making disciples.
You offer us Your Spirit… to guide us, to confirm our faith…to help us see you more clearly.
You invite us to come, learn from You, and find rest for our souls.
You go prepare a place for us.
You promised to never leave us nor forsake us.
We are humbled and so very grateful for all of these gifts and promises and instructions. Make us able to believe and to live into them.
Help us BE Your people…BE Your church…inside and outside the walls of the place/s we worship.
Today, we think of needs near and far. Of wars and rumors of wars. Of tensions. Of strife. Of illness and recovery. Of mental health challenges. Cares and worries. We lift those to You. We trust that You are GREATER than our worries. That You are BIGGER than whatever it is that opposes or oppresses us. That You are SOVEREIGN.
We pray that you would stir each of our hearts to hear and respond to Your calling and gifting in ways that spread Your shalom. We ask that you provide hands and feet and hearts for the wide variety of ministry needs, formal and informal…as we serve out of our identity in YOU.
We pray, along with the disciples You taught, that YOUR kingdom would come…that Your will would be done—on earth as it is in heaven.
In Your Holy Name,
Amen.
Additional Resources:
• Downloadable Resources--See Sample List of Interest Areas; Your Spiritual Gifts—A Study Guide; Knowing Your Unique Calling and Purpose Study Guide; Whole-Life Ministry: A Form of Worship, Grace-Giving, and Living into Your Calling.
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been Equipping Ministries Director at her church since 1999.
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© Photo by Shirley Giles Davis, all rights reserved.