Activating Your Spiritual Gifts

By activating your spiritual gifts, you can tap into the extraordinary potential that has been quietly residing within your spirit. As a believer, you've been given supernatural gifts through the Holy Spirit — gifts designed to transform lives and advance God's Kingdom.

Through faith and persistence, you can learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and unlock these powerful gifts. Join me on a journey of discovery as we explore how to activate and exercise these spiritual gifts to bless others and fulfill your divine purpose.

Activating Your Spiritual Gifts: Unleashing the Power Within

Part 8 of 9 by Don Bell | ⏱️ 9 minute read

Just before Jesus had ascended to Heaven, He commanded His followers not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says, "'But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth'" (Acts 1:8).

The Greek word δύναμις (dynamis) means miraculous power. Jesus implies that after you have received the baptism of the Spirit, this miraculous power will be manifested whenever the gifts of the Spirit are exercised.

Activating your spiritual gifts requires the power (anointing) of the Holy Spirit. The power is for service; it's for doing the works of Jesus. It's not to make us appear "spiritual" or to make us feel good at prayer meetings.

The fullness of the Spirit enables you to do the works of Jesus and draw people to Him. It's to build up the Body of Christ, and so advance the Kingdom of God.

Following Jesus' Example: The Spirit-Filled Life

We read in Scripture, "When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased'" (Luke 3:21–22).

Afterwards, Scripture says, "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil …" (Luke 4:1–2).

The Greek word πειράζω (peirazō) means to tempt, to entice, to test for the purpose of finding out how someone will behave in certain situations.

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into a place of solitude where He fasted and prayed while having His faith tested in preparation for ministry. That being the case, how can we expect the Holy Spirit to lead us into ministry situations without the testing of our faith?

James, the brother of Jesus writes, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2–4).

The Greek word ὑπομονή (hypomonē) means patience, patient continuance, constancy, and cheerful endurance under pressure — attributes needed when exercising the gifts of the Spirit. Proficiency in the gifts comes with a cost:

1. You must build yourself up in faith by praying in tongues (Jude 1:20).
   
2. You must make yourself available to be led by the Holy Spirit.
   
3. You must step out in faith each time you exercise a gift of the Spirit.

Trust the Holy Spirit to start you ministering slowly and as you gain experience, He'll reward you with greater responsibility. Scripture says, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14).

Paul urges, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is IN you? …" (2 Corinthians 13:5, emphasis added).

Paul speaks from experience. When you know beyond any shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ is IN you, you also know the Holy Spirit is IN you with all nine of His gifts ready to be activated. When you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you don't just have a part of Him; you have ALL of Him, including His gifts.

After Jesus had been tested in the wilderness, Scripture says, "Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee …" (Luke 4:14). Similarly, after you've been filled with the Holy Spirit and make yourself available for His purposes, you have the same power of the Spirit (dynamis) that Jesus had.

Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts: A Personal Journey

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is like receiving one HUGE gift with nine smaller gifts inside it. While that's over simplifying, you get the picture. To further clarify, each of the nine gifts is contained within the one large gift!

Activating your spiritual gifts is as simple as opening (activating) the gifts, one at a time, and you have nine gifts to open. Each time you exercise a gift of the Spirit you are opening a gift, and Jesus is patiently waiting for you to open them ALL by faith. It's just like that!

It's the same principle when activating spiritual gifts. Jesus gave us His Spirit to empower us with nine supernatural gifts for doing His works. While these gifts are freely available, they require our willingness to receive and activate them through faith. He will never force these gifts on us.

Believers have limited themselves by using just one or two gifts, often choosing those that feel more comfortable or less controversial. However, God invites us to embrace the complete range of spiritual gifts, each serving a unique purpose in blessing others and advancing His kingdom.

Since Jesus paid a tremendous price to make these gifts available, let's faithfully respond by using them to serve and bless those around us.

Your Role in Operating Spiritual Gifts

Believers exercise the gifts of the Spirit, not God, yet it's the Holy Spirit who empowers! This is an important concept to grasp and once understood, you will have greater confidence when activating your spiritual gifts and exercising them.

Let's examine this important truth together with an open heart and mind. Carefully consider the following:

God did NOT make us robots! He gives us the prophetic message, but we do the prophesying. We choose to manifest the gift or not.

Paul writes, "For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:31–32).

Our human spirit is subject to us! God gives us the words, but WE decide to do the prophesying. The same working principle applies to all the gifts of the Spirit:

• Scripture says, "And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him" (Acts 28:8).
  
  Who healed the father of Publius? Scripture says that Paul did: "Paul prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him."
• Scripture says, "And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8).
  
  Who did great wonders and signs? Stephen did.
• Scripture says, "And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed" (Acts 8:6–7).
  
  Who performed the miracles? Philip did.
• Scripture says, "Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?'" (Acts 3:11–12).
  
  Peter acknowledged that he and John had made the man walk, but he was careful to add that it wasn't through their own power or goodness; it was through the power (anointing) of the Holy Spirit.
  
  

Remember: Jesus said that WE should do His works! He invites us to partner with Him in ministry by exercising the supernatural abilities that He has so graciously equipped us with through His Spirit.

Jesus says, "'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father'" (John 14:12).

You can do the works of Jesus by activating your spiritual gifts (supernatural abilities). Realize that Jesus has placed the gifts of the Spirit under YOUR control. YOU can choose to manifest them or not.

The Holy Spirit will NEVER control your actions or force you to manifest His gifts. In contrast, someone delivering a demonic message under forced utterance feels they've no choice but to speak. That's why believers must do the works of Jesus and deliver people from spiritual bondage.

(Once we've examined the gift of discernment of spirits, you will understand how demons counterfeit the gifts of the Spirit and control the individuals under their influence.)

The Holy Spirit's gifts are operated in love and by freedom of choice in sharp contrast to the counterfeit. God only gives good gifts!

Scripture says, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:16–17).

Living Your Calling: Putting Gifts into Action

We are ALL called to exercise the gifts of the Spirit to do the works of Jesus. We read in Scripture, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). We need to ask ourselves, "Am I a doer? Am I doing my part?"

Paul asks, "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, EACH OF YOU has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26, emphasis added).

By activating your spiritual gifts and doing the works of Jesus as God intended, signs WILL follow you, and people WILL recognize the presence of Jesus and be drawn to Him, and you will see the Kingdom of God advance.

Taking the First Steps: Activating Your Spiritual Gifts

Begin exercising the gifts of the Spirit, and you'll increasingly find the Lord working through you to meet the needs of those around you. And as an added benefit, you'll find your place in the Body of Christ.

Proverbs says, "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men" (Proverbs 18:16). You'll be amazed at the opportunities you'll have to share the gospel of the Kingdom and lead people to Christ!

Discover More in This 9-part Series

Part 9: How to Use Spiritual Gifts

In case you missed it, Part 1: Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit

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About the Author

Don Bell is the creator of the Kingdom Anointing website, and a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. He shares insights from his spiritual journey to encourage ordinary believers to seek God's Kingdom and lead extraordinary lives in the Holy Spirit.

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Hi, I'm Don, and my prayer is that Kingdom Anointing™ will help you build faith, walk confidently in the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, and realize your full potential in the Kingdom of God.