**March 17
I Have Given You a Gift to Use to Serve
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10
I have given you a gift - not a material one, but a spiritual one. This gift is not intended primarily for your personal enjoyment, but for you to employ in service to others. My fist will enable you to give yourself away to those around you in ways that will effectively strengthen their faith and walk with me.
My Spirit distributes my gifts, and He alone decides which each person should have. He has given you a gift that is just right for you, and you must fan it into flame. I want you to use what I’ve given you to serve others - if profuse wisdom, use it to serve someone who needs wise counsel. If helping others, use it to serve someone who needs your practical assistance. If teaching, use it to gently correct someone who does not understand my Word.
Holy Spirit, wake me each day wondering how I can help other people become stronger in their faith. Show me how I can fan this spark of a gift into a raging fire that burns for your glory, faithfully serving the needs of others…
This is what I read on the morning of March 17th, 2025.
Enter Holy Spirit conviction.
As I am sitting in my living room, I am struck by the notion of just how selfish I am. I look at my prayers and my journal and I can’t help but notice that there is a theme throughout it.
This ratty book that has torn pages and scribbles is filled with prayer, heartache and a longing. I begin to realize as I turn the pages that it is filled with adoration and worship and asking. Long lists of things that I have prayed for, some answered and some still to come.
Now before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. None of those things are wrong, in fact many times they are simply my heart to God. I am petitioning Heaven for healing and provision. Strength and guidance. I use my journal as a reminder of prayer time written out, of scripture that brings revelation, and of prophecies brought to mind. It is filled with specific prayers for people and situations in my life. It is filled with thanksgiving and heartache.
As I sat there, rocking back and forth, I could not shake the feeling that there was, once again, more to be had…
I began to recognize that, in my prayers, I had listed out all of the things that I felt needed to be dealt with - some good, some bad, some where simply dreams that I had hoped for for myself and those in relationship with me. Sometimes they were prayers for salvation, healing, or provision for specific people. Sometimes it was that the Lord’s hand would be over a specific event or leading. They were not inherently bad prayers but specific requests.
And still…
“Holy Spirit, wake me each day wondering how I can help other people become stronger in their faith.”
I could not shake this feeling that there was a higher way to pray. Another level if you will.
As I began to meditate on this, throughout the day I began to shift my prayers from a long list of “Lord, these things require Your attention” to “Lord open my eyes to how I can help other people become stronger in their faith in Jesus.”
I began to ask the Holy Spirit to open up my eyes to see the opportunity in front of me to show His love, His character, His nature.
We have been given clear instructions to be salt and light. To be the city on a hill. To be known by our love.
It is then that it hit me. God knows. He knows all of our requests. He knows all of our needs. He knows our heart.
How can I be better at knowing His?
We know from His word and His actions that He loves us, His children. He sent His Son to die a horrible death on a cross so that no man shall perish. We know that we are His treasure, and we know that He will work all things out for those who love Him. We know that we needn’t worry or be anxious, because He will take care of us when we draw nearer to Him.
Maybe instead of focusing so much of my prayers on a to-do list for the Lord, I instead need to open up to all possibilities for what He wants to do through me.
I can not tell you how this story will end. I am only at the beginning. But what I can tell you is that I believe with my whole being that when I truly begin to pray, Lord, how do You want to use me today to draw people to You and to strengthen their faith? No strings attached, no list of demands - He will take care of the rest.
Maybe you are feeling that same tug on your heart to abandon yourself and fan to flame all that the Lord has to offer those around through the vessel of your heart. I invite you in. He will meet you. Always.
**Abundant Life In Jesus, Nancy Guthrie, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois
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