Power Gifts
ICS Daily Devotions

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NKJV) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kind of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

This Scripture passage mentions three categories of spiritual gifts:

Revelation Gifts—Gifts that reveal something (word of wisdom, word of knowledge and discerning of spirits).

Oral Gifts—Gifts that say something (tongues, prophecy, and interpretation of tongues).

Power Gifts—Gifts that do something (faith, healing, and miracles).

Let us focus on the power gifts. The gift of faith is a gift or a supernatural endowment of faith that God gives the individual to fulfil an impossible task they could not do otherwise. This faith is unlimited because God is its source and it is not affected by what one sees, feels, or experiences. Examples are Peter walking on water, the parting of the Red Sea, and Sarah and Mary’s conceptions.

As for the gifts of healings, even the evangelist or anyone who possesses them will not be empowered to heal all sicknesses because if one person could heal every sick person all the time, this would detract attention from God. Only Jesus healed them all! Instead, somebody with this gift can be a conduit to heal certain sicknesses and illnesses as the Holy Spirit wills.

As for the working of miracles, it operates in transcending natural laws. A miracle is any supernatural occurrence that is beyond our comprehension. When Jesus turned water into wine and fed the 5000, both were miracles.

Because many of us confuse healing with miracles, we need to understand that there is a difference between “they will recover” (healing) and immediate recovery (miracle). In praying for the sick, we often get discouraged in the absence of a miracle or instantaneous healing, but the fact that healing is not instantaneous does not mean it won’t happen because it may be a process instead.

As believers, we will likely be called to minister to the sick at some point, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we have the power gifts. Nonetheless, we must not be discouraged because all of us can base our faith on the promise in Mark 16:18b, where Jesus says, “We will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; theywill take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Sermon Series： The Time is Now