400: Count the Cost, Pay the Price
Life teaches us that anything worth having has a price attached to it. Nothing of value, other than salvation, comes free. “No pain, no gain,” as the saying goes. Jesus spoke that same truth in Luke 14:26-33.
And the same principle applies when it comes to understanding and experiencing spiritual gifts. There are some things we must do and some things we can expect. Let’s look at our part first:
You must have a desire for more of the Lord. A desire for the Spirit’s gifts. But that desire means more than calm, wishful, thinking. Consider the following
1 Corinthians 14:1 – Pursue love (agápē), and desire (zēlóō – to burn with zeal, to be heated or to boil with envy, to lust, covet) spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
Then you must cultivate a vibrant prayer life. This takes time and effort. But the rewards are life-changing.
And finally, you must be willing to fast. Why? Because the Lord links fasting, for some reason, with prayer and spiritual fervency. They seem to come in a package. Two for the price of one.
Do you want to know more about growing deep in your intimacy of the Lord? Do you want to begin living in the realm of the gifts the Spirit has given you? Do you want to let Him manifest HImself to the world through you (1 Cor. 12:7)? Great. Then keep listening.
The following is a study on 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
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