What Is My Spiritual Gift?

In this enlightening article, we'll explore the question that many believers ask: "What is my spiritual gift?" Prepare to look into the realm of the Holy Spirit and uncover the truth about all nine gifts that are available to you.

From the manifestations of the Spirit to the relationship between gifts and their manifestations, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the gifts and your divine calling.

What follows might be new to you, but that's okay. Stick with me, because the Lord has inspired me to write this article with you in mind. Get ready to activate your spiritual gifts and embark on a transformational journey of self-discovery and ministry.

What Is My Spiritual Gift? All Nine!

By Don Bell | Reading Time: 10 minutes.

I've often been asked when teaching on the spiritual gifts, "Can one person receive ALL nine gifts of the Holy Spirit?" The answer is YES! Absolutely!

All nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are yours to receive! The Holy Spirit doesn't withhold the gifts from you. He means for you to receive ALL the gifts because you need them all to do the works of Jesus.

Let's examine carefully what the Apostle Paul taught concerning the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, keeping in mind that his frame of reference for the chapter is their use when the church has gathered.

Paul teaches, "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all" (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

Paul is simply saying, there are gifts given by the Holy Spirit, there are ministries given by Jesus (Ephesians 4:11-12), and there are various situations and needs, but it's God the Father who's the originator.

Paul goes on to explain that these spiritual gifts (supernatural abilities), nine to be exact, can be called upon by any believer to meet a variety of needs as the Holy Spirit prompts:

Unfortunately, some have interpreted Paul's words to mean that only one gift is given to each individual. But, that's simply not the case. The question of "What is my spiritual gift?" can best be answered by delving into the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

Paul is listing the MANIFESTATIONS, and we need to distinguish between the gift (supernatural ability) and its manifestation (demonstration).

The word MANIFESTATION is the key that opens the above passage of Scripture to our understanding. The dictionary definition of manifestation is to show, to demonstrate, to reveal something.

Paul is actually listing the "manifestations" of the various gifts and keeping that in mind, carefully reread the same passage of Scripture:

There are nine gifts (supernatural abilities) listed in the passage, and each has its matching manifestation. Always remember the relationship between the gift and its manifestation. The name of the gift describes its manifestation. For example:

• The gift of prophecy manifests a word of prophecy.
• The gift of a word of wisdom manifests a word of wisdom.
• The gifts of healing manifest healings, and so on.

Again, to be clear, Paul is listing each gift's MANIFESTATION. He is not talking about one gift being given to one person!

Looking at it another way, let's say that God has blessed you with the ability to sing and thereby bless others. Your developed natural ability to sing lies dormant and hidden within you until you open your mouth and begin to sing. Your ability to sing "manifests" a song.

So, if anyone asks you the question of "What is my spiritual gift?" now you can answer them by revealing the relationship between the gifts and their manifestations.

Also, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you possess ALL nine spiritual gifts because they are ALL parts of Him. You don't just receive part of Him; you receive ALL of Him.

The Holy Spirit lives within you with ALL His gifts, and they are ALL available and ready for you to manifest at will. But, those gifts will lay dormant and be hidden within you until you step out in faith and begin to manifest (exercise) them.

The nine gifts (supernatural abilities) of the Spirit are yours to receive! The Holy Spirit doesn't withhold His gifts from you. He means for you to receive the gifts because YOU NEED THEM to do the works of Jesus. However, you must "receive" them to activate them.

You Need All Nine Spiritual Gifts

Paul writes, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all" (1 Corinthians 12:7). The Greek word συμφέρω (sympherō), translated as "for the profit of all," means to bring together, to contribute in order to help.

Clearly, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit's gifts is given to each believer in a meeting for the profit of the entire body of Christ.

Paul writes, "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).

So how does this work? Let's say that you and your friend Max are attending an evening's prayer meeting. The Holy Spirit hovers over the believers gathered and knowing their needs, He determines which gifts will meet those needs and which believers He will prompt to manifest them.

You might be prompted by the Holy Spirit to "manifest" a word of prophecy, and your friend Max might be prompted to "manifest" a gift of healing, or maybe one of the other gifts.

Later, in another meeting, you might be the one prompted by the Holy Spirit to manifest a gift of healing, and Max might be prompted to manifest a word of prophecy, and so on.

All nine gifts are inseparable from the Holy Spirit because they are all parts of His nature. Because He is IN you, ALL nine gifts are resident IN you. They are ALL available for you to use at will, whenever He prompts you to activate them.

Each gift is manifested at the time it's needed, and the Holy Spirit decides which gift is needed, and whom he will prompt to manifest it.

Consider the Nine Fruits of the Spirit

Scripture states: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control …" (Galatians 5:22-23).

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you also possess ALL nine fruits of the Spirit because they, like the nine gifts of the Spirit, are ALL parts of Him.

You cannot separate the nine fruits from the Holy Spirit because they are all parts of His nature; therefore, all nine fruits are resident in you, and they are increasingly manifested (revealed) as you walk in the Spirit.

As we grow and mature in Christ, the spiritual fruits will correspondingly ripen and manifest in our lives transforming our personalities to reflect Jesus.

Nobody would ever suggest that you could only manifest one fruit of the Spirit and lack the remaining fruits! So why would anyone suggest that you could only manifest one gift of the Spirit and lack the remaining gifts?

It makes only perfect sense that ALL nine gifts can be exercised by the believer, so don't hesitate in activating your spiritual gifts.

Receive All Nine Spiritual Gifts

Paul taught that we can receive all nine spiritual gifts. For example, consider the three Utterance Gifts:

• Tongues: "I wish you ALL spoke with tongues …" (1 Corinthians 14:5, emphasis added).
• Interpretation of Tongues: "Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret" (1 Corinthians 14:13).
• Prophecy: "For you can ALL prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged" (1 Corinthians 14:31, emphasis added).

Clearly, it can be seen from the above Scriptures that one person can expect to manifest ALL three Utterance Gifts. It also holds true in principle for the three Revelation Gifts, and the three Power Gifts.

It's the Lord's will that each believer excels in ALL nine gifts of the Holy Spirit! That's why Paul writes, "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).

When believers gather, the Holy Spirit can prompt ANY individual to exercise ANY gift (or gifts) for the edification of all believers.

Don't become confused when Paul writes, "Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts …" (1 Corinthians 12:30-31).

The answers to the above questions are clearly NO, NO, and NO.

• Not everyone will lay hands on the sick although they can. Some individuals will, and some will choose not to.
• Not everyone will speak in tongues although they can. Some individuals will, and some will choose not to.
• Not everyone will interpret an unknown tongue although they can. Some individuals will, and some will choose not to.

You'll find in any group of believers, not everyone will choose to walk in the nine spiritual gifts although they can. Disappointing but true. It has to do with an individual's free will. The Holy Spirit will never violate anyone's free will. Never.

Jesus says, "'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled'" (Matthew 5:6).

The degree we hunger and thirst can determine the degree we'll push aside our excuses and fears, and be filled to overflowing for ministry. We have to ask ourselves, "How hungry and thirsty am I, really?

We Are All Called to Minister

Each of us is called to minister the gifts of the Holy Spirit in love to edify, exhort, and comfort others.

We read in Scripture, "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:10-11).

We always have within us a gift (supernatural ability) to meet someone's specific need, and we are called manifest it out of agape love, as a good steward of God's grace.

Paul writes, "But earnestly desire the best gifts …" (1 Corinthians 12:31). So, what are the best gifts? That's easy. The best gifts are simply those that best meet the current needs. And, since we're encouraged to desire the best gifts (in the plural), we can expect to receive more than one.

Paul also writes, "And yet I show you a more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31), and he follows with Chapter 13, the familiar Love Chapter.

God's agape love is the motivation for activating your spiritual gifts. Since we are ambassadors of God's love, we are called to expend ourselves by manifesting the gifts of the Spirit, and the signs and wonders will point them to Jesus and His Kingdom.

Paul sums up by saying, "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts …" (1 Corinthians 14:1). That's the believer's course of action in a nutshell. We are to desire spiritual GIFTS. You'll never again need to ask, "What is my spiritual gift?"

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By Don Bell, follower of the Christ.

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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.