P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
Today we will look at what the love category of the spiritual gifts looks like. The love gifts manifest the love of God in practical ways. Today’s focus is the gifts of administration and helping/serving.
Together we will pray (P.R.A.Y.) each day – ‘P’: Pausing to be still as we come into the presence of the Lord. ‘R’: Rejoicing as we remember who our God is and what He has done, and Reflecting on His word. ‘A’: Asking God to help us and others. And ‘Y’: yielding to His will in accordance with His word.
As I come before you to pray, I still my thoughts and quiet my mind. I seek to make you the center of my focus.
Prayer of Approach
Lord, as I come to you now, would you give me a deep desire to commune with you during this time? Grant me an inexplicable delight in your Scripture this morning. Give me trust in your goodness that allows me to enter into prayer openly and honestly. I trust that you will meet me in this place.
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in Psalm 48:
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain,
beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God
has made himself known as a fortress.
For behold, the kings assembled;
they came on together.
As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight.
Trembling took hold of them there,
anguish as of a woman in labor.
By the east wind you shattered
the ships of Tarshish.
As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever.
Psalm 48:1-8
Today we are reflecting on the words of Scripture, where we read:
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:27-28
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6-8
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
Acts 6:1-4
As we look at the gifts of spirit given to us by the Holy Spirit it can be helpful to break them down into categories. The three categories are the love gifts, the word gifts, and the power gifts. Obviously, all the gifts include love, words, and power. Still, it is helpful to group them in order to understand them. Today, we look at the gifts of administration and serving that are a part of the love category. The love gifts manifest the love of God in practical ways.
The first gift we see is the gift of administration. This gift is also called the gift of guidance. This gift is a supportive gift that desires to carry out the mission and vision that the leadership of the church decides. Bruce Bugbee describes the gift as, “divine enablement to understand what makes an organization function, and the special ability to plan and execute procedures that accomplish the goal of the ministry.” Here are a couple of telltale signs that you may have this gift. You have an effortless skill for organizing tasks and people. You like to streamline and clarify the steps required to accomplish more complex tasks. You like to do things that help other people, and don’t mind managing things or carrying out the details involved.
The gift of serving/helping is similar but different. A great definition of this gift is “the gift of help refers to the capacity to unselfishly meet the needs of others through very practical service.” It is an often overlooked gift, but absolutely necessary and beautiful. This gift demonstrates the love of God in the most practical way! Here are some clues to help understand if this gift has been empowered in you. If you realize you have the urge to help others and you seem to notice without being told ways others can be assisted. If you don’t mind taking on behind-the-scenes work outside of the spotlight and actually enjoy doing what others have been avoiding. If a deep enjoyment comes from seeing how your effort on behalf of them enables and encourages them to better use their own gifts.
We see the Apostles seek out people with these gifts to hold the office of deacon. They knew that their gifts were different than the solution to the problem that they faced. Instead of filling the gap themselves, they found the right people gifted for the job. People who are filled with the Spirit and their gifts are manifested in this way.
Jesus, thank you for how you created me, and thank you for the gifts of the Spirit. I ask that you would show me how to walk in your Spirit. Open my eyes and my heart to how you have gifted me so I can build up the church in the way that you have created me and gifted me.
1)Do I find myself resonating with either of these gifts?
2)How do these gifts build up the church?
3)Why is it necessary for the Holy Spirit to empower these gifts in people?
Lord, pour out your Spirit mightily on our city. Give us your Spirit that convicts your people of where we are walking in darkness. Draw us back into your light through repentance and let us pursue the holiness that you have called us to. In that process give us a manifestation of your Spirit that our city has never seen before in all of its history. Draw multitudes to salvation and let your glory be seen in our streets.
As I read the passage again slowly, I listen for anything that You would say to me in it. Help me see how to position my life in order to yield to your word.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:27-28
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6-8
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
Acts 6:1-4
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I surrender to you as my Lord and in that, I seek to obey you in all things. Would you give me a desire for more of your Spirit in my life? Show me the more you have for me. I seek and want everything that you will offer me. Give me wisdom and I seek to navigate what it is you have for me.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in 1 Corinthians 13:7:
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7
Closing Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me with love. Fill me with joy. Fill me with peace. Fill me with patience. Fill me with kindness. Fill me with goodness. Fill me with faithfulness. Fill me with gentleness. Fill me with self-control. Let me walk in your Spirit today as I leave here.
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.