Activate the 7 Core Spiritual Gifts: Walk in Wisdom, Healing, Prophecy & More

Excerpted from Holy Spirit: God Within You.

So what are the spiritual gifts and how exactly do they function?

Paul lists nine spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. There are also other gifts mentioned throughout other writings of Paul. So for the purpose of clarity, we will term and categorize them like so:

Power Gifts

• Prophecy (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10)

• Discernment (1 Corinthians 12:10)

• Healing (1 Corinthians 12:10)

• Miracles (1 Corinthians 12:10)

• Word of Knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8)

• Word of Wisdom (1 Corinthians 12:8)

• Faith (1 Corinthians 12:9)

• Tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10)

• Tongues Interpretation (1 Corinthians 12:10)

Leadership Gifts

• Evangelist (Ephesians 4:11)

• Pastor (Ephesians 4:11)

• Teacher (Romans 12:7; Ephesians 4:11)

• Apostle (Ephesians 4:11)

• Prophet (Ephesians 4:11)

Service Gifts

• Exhortation (Romans 12:8)

• Giving (Romans 12:8)

• Leadership (Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:28)

• Service (Romans 12:7)

• Administration / Helps (1 Corinthians 12:28)

• The Power Gifts

To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have (1 Corinthians 12:8-11 NLT).

Word of Wisdom

All spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities. If they were merely natural abilities, there would be no need for Spirit-given grace and empowerment. So to perceive any of the spiritual gifts as being merely ordinary functions would be to err. All of the spiritual gifts have a divine touch upon them. Even if a gift has an ordinary-sounding name—like the word of wisdom—we must remember that their function would not be possible without the involvement of the Holy Spirit.

So the word of wisdom isn’t merely the basic and human ability to acquire and then share wisdom. It is the Spirit-empowered ability to receive godly wisdom, the reasoning of Heaven. This would mean that one who has the word of wisdom is receiving help from God to under- stand, navigate, and impart. Therefore, the one with the word of wisdom could, as God allows, see a situation the way God sees it, understand how to approach that situation, and even share this wisdom with those who need it. And they could deliver this wisdom in a way that is tactfully toned and properly timed. Those with the word of wisdom are often sought out for their advice and counsel, as they have upon them a godly mark of maturity and soundness.

The word of wisdom is the divinely empowered ability to gain and impart wisdom. An example of this might be Stephen the Martyr.

Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke (Acts 6:8-10 NLT).

Word of Knowledge

Just as with the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge is more than just a natural ability. It’s more than just a sharp mind. It is the divinely empowered ability to acquire knowledge. Anyone can gain knowledge through natural means such as reading, researching, and conversation. But the one who has been graced with the word of knowledge can receive information from the Holy Spirit directly.

My own experiences with the word of knowledge usually occur in our ministry services. While praying over the congregation as a whole, I often receive notes from the Holy Spirit: “someone in the back left of the room is being healed of heart disease” or “there’s a woman to my right whose ear was just healed.” For me, the word of knowledge works in tandem with the gift of healing.

The word of knowledge is the supernatural acquisition of knowledge. In the following example, we see that the word of knowledge has a prophetic nature. Notice how the woman at the well equates Jesus’ ability to “know” her current situation with being prophetic:

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet” (John 4:15-19 NLT).

The word of knowledge deals primarily with the past and present. While the information itself might seem mundane, it’s how the information is acquired that makes it supernatural.

Faith

What is the purpose of the spiritual gifts? To help each other. So then the gift of faith couldn’t just be “having faith.” It would have to do with the strengthening or the inspiring of faith in others. Philemon’s faith, for example, inspired Paul to give thanks to God. Philemon also lived in such a way that the hearts of God’s people were refreshed.

I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people (Philemon 1:4-7 NLT).

Have you ever been around those people who so walked with God that their faith strengthened yours? That’s the beauty and the benefit of the gift of faith—the God-given grace to inspire the faith of others in word, deed, or attitude.

Healing

The gift of healing is the ministry of healing to the sick. God gives certain believers an exceptional grace for ministering to those in need of healing.

The gift of healing commonly invokes a couple of interesting questions. First, if every believer can lay hands on the sick, what then is the purpose of the specific gift of healing? Second, if a believer has a gift of healing, can’t they wield it to clear out hospitals?

First, on the matter of all believers being able to lay hands on the sick, it’s abundantly clear that all believers can pray for the sick and see miraculous results.

They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed (Mark 16:18 NLT).

I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father (John 14:12 NLT).

This would have to mean that the gift of healing goes beyond the gen- eral practice of praying for the sick. The gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 have to do with ministry exercised among the body of believers. These gifts aren’t just functions but areas of grace and ministry focus.

For example, all believers can acquire wisdom and knowledge, but not all believers are assigned the word of wisdom or the word of knowledge. We all have faith, obviously, but we don’t all have the gift of faith. We should all know how to explain the Word, but we aren’t all teachers. Just like a teacher has an assignment to teach the Church that goes beyond just a general need to know and explain the Word, so the one with the gift of healing has a responsibility to dedicate focus to ministering healing.

So we can all pray for the sick, but not all of us are called to specialize in the ministry of healing. What’s the difference? The differences between the gift of healing and the act of praying for the sick have to do with focus, responsibility, and authority. The laying on of hands is for all believers; the gift of healing is for certain believers. The laying on of hands is an action; the gift of healing is a dedicated ministry. The laying on of hands is called for in certain moments; the gift of healing is a focused life assign- ment. One could then say that the believer with the gift of healing just so happens to have more divine appointments for healings assigned to them by the Lord. The Christian who lays hands may do so wherever there happens to be a need for healing, but the one with the gift of healing is tasked with proactive, intentional outreach to the sick. The gifts are assignments that come with areas of focus.

For example, as one in the healing ministry, I have a responsibility to regularly pray for the sick and make it an area of emphasis. This doesn’t mean that other believers can’t pray for the sick and see miraculous results. This just means that part of my assignment carries an emphasis of ministry to the sick.

Now to the second question: Does having the gift of healing mean one can heal at their own discretion? It’s important to remember that the sovereignty of God applies even to the spiritual gifts. Just because a believer has been given a grace for a certain emphasis doesn’t mean that they can function in that grace apart from God’s will and power.

Wherever there is the practice of healing ministry, there will be the question, “If you can heal the sick, why don’t you go to the hospitals and empty them?” There are two types of people who ask this question. The first is the skeptic who genuinely wants an explanation, and the second is the cynic who really just wants a debate. Skeptics seek understanding. Cynics seek conflict.

In either case, the question is based on a faulty premise, the premise being that anyone is claiming to have healing power of their own or that they can wield that power outside of God’s authority. Ultimately nobody has the power to heal but God. Even when we use language like “God has given you the power to heal the sick,” we of course recognize that this does not mean that anyone can act outside of God’s will or disconnected from God’s authority. When we say things like “God placed His healing power within you” or “He’s given you the gift of healing,” we say this with God’s sovereign involvement in mind. Even the spiritual gifts are subject to God’s sovereign will.

It’s not up to us to empty hospitals or guarantee healing to anyone. We can believe, but the power belongs to God. All we as believers can do is lay hands on the sick or pray for them.

Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven (James 5:15 NLT).

We do the possible. God does the impossible. It’s simple: just as God moved according to His will through people in the Old and New Testament, so God moves according to His will through people now. There’s never anything in the teaching of Scripture that states otherwise.

So what then is the point of the gift of healing? Well, these gifts are given to certain believers by the Holy Spirit. So God chooses to use these individuals in the area of healing more often, but the power still comes by His choosing. The gift of healing is more of a divine assignment than it is a human ability.

Miracles

While all Spirit-filled believers can believe for and see miraculous results, the one with the gift of miracles is given a grace and focus to serve the body in the area of the miraculous. A great example of this would be Paul the apostle:

God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles (Acts 19:11 NLT).

While healing can be considered miraculous, the gift of miracles would cover more than just the restoration of the body. Think of occurrences like the calming of the storm, the multiplying of food, and the walking on water. I’m not claiming to have witnessed anyone replicate these specific miracles, but I’m referring to the wide range of extraordinary events that can happen through the gift of miracles. God’s creativity has no limits, so this gift extends beyond what we can imagine. Like healing, the gift of miracles is a special assignment and ministry focus, an exceptional grace given to certain believers.

Prophecy

The gift of prophecy is the ability to hear from God and then deliver messages to the body of Christ as a whole or even to individuals. God speaks a word, and the one with the gift of prophecy delivers that message to the church or to an individual. Messages of prophecy deal primarily with the future, though divine messages regarding past and present can also be categorized as “prophetic.”

Concerning the gift of prophecy, we must keep in mind that it’s not as authoritative as Scripture:

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19 KJV).

There’s a balance to be had with the gift of prophecy. We mustn’t be so cynical as to outright reject it. Neither should we be so gullible as to never test it.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NIV).

Embrace and honor the gift of prophecy. Even so, there are many who claim prophetic ability who desire to exploit, manipulate, and control God’s people. I’ve seen far too many Christians become confused and fearful after receiving a “word” that they never bothered to test.

Consider too that the need to test prophecy underscores the fact that people are fallible. After all, only the imperfect needs to be tested. So, logically, we can conclude therefore that those who practice New Testament prophecy aren’t judged under the strictness of Old Testament law, which would demand perfection and require the death penalty for those who “miss it.” Though we should still tread reverently when it comes to prophecy, we have to account for human error. Of course, when God speaks, what is spoken is certain and perfect. When God speaks, He’s clear and effective. It’s not that God is unclear when He speaks, it’s that sincere believers sometimes believe God is speaking when He isn’t.

This doesn’t mean we can apathetically approach prophecy. This just means we have to be realistic about human nature and see through a New Testament lens. If someone claims to have a word from God and then that word fails, there needs to be deep repentance and reflection. Nevertheless, we have to give grace to one another.

For example, Paul said he was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem.

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me (Acts 20:22-23 NIV).

The disciples then seemed to contradict this:

We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. …Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles’” (Acts 21:4,11 NIV).

Obviously, the Holy Spirit wasn’t contradicting Himself. I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to both parties about the hardships Paul would face, but the disciples misinterpreted this to mean that Paul should not continue on toward those hardships. They added a faulty interpretation to the divine insight they had been given.

I’m not writing this to inspire a lax approach to the sacred practice of the prophetic. I simply want to point out the fact that sincere believers sometimes miss the mark. This doesn’t mean they shouldn’t make amends. This doesn’t mean we just excuse inaccurate prophetic expression. This just means that we have to acknowledge the obvious: sometimes we get it right, and sometimes we miss it.

Discernment

The gift of discernment is not the gift of criticism or cynicism. How many times have you heard a Christian say of another, “I don’t know— something just doesn’t sit right in my spirit about them, and I’m usually right about these things.” Christians criticize ministers of the gospel and teachers of the Word. Christians criticize one another. All in the name of discernment. While we should weigh what teachers say and while we should live with a healthy measure of judgment, we must stop trying to justify our own personal discomforts and preferences by blaming the Holy Spirit. Unwilling to admit that they’re actually judging from exterior indicators like personality, clothing, tone, and methodology, many believers are prevented by their egos from acknowledging that they’re not actually getting their criticism from the Holy Spirit.

Discernment isn’t a vague dislike of someone. It’s a pointed, biblically reasoned revealing of truth. The gift of discernment is simply the “ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.” The criticisms, if any, therefore should find their footing in the clear teachings of God’s Word. The gift of discernment is simply the ability to detect the spirit of a message and, by way of extension, the spirit influencing the messenger.