This Gift Isn’t about You
Recently, while praying for a woman I’d never met before, I heard the words “The prodigal is coming home” in my mind. I didn’t hear an actual voice, but I heard the words in my mind as clearly as if someone had said them out loud.
I’ve prayed over a lot of people in my life, and I frequently receive prophetic words of encouragement from God for others. Even still, I often feel nervous about speaking what I hear—especially when it’s a word like this one that will clearly be right or wrong.
As I stood there deliberating—asking myself, What if I’m wrong?—I heard God’s gentle whisper: But what if you’re right? What if a simple act of faith could release a needed encouragement to this woman? What if overcoming my own fear could strengthen her spirit?
And that was the realignment in focus that I needed.
It’s not about me. It’s not about my successes or my failures. It’s about obedience and the invitation to be a conduit of God’s love and blessing to others.
In 1 Corinthians 12:4–7, Paul tells us the purpose of the spiritual gifts: “Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit…. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial” (CSB).
Our walk with Jesus includes not just spiritual fruit (see Gal. 5:22–23), but also spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 12; Rom. 12, Eph. 4)—outward demonstrations of God’s power through our lives. God gives these gifts to us to positively impact our lives and the lives of others. That’s the purpose—to “produce what is beneficial.”
When I first began learning about the spiritual gifts, I felt excited—but also intimidated. What if I pray for someone to be healed, and nothing happens? What if I give a prophecy that’s completely wrong? What if my gift is not that great compared to someone else’s?
These fears are normal. Faith is inherently risky. But over and over, when I find myself wavering on the chicken line of faith, God has reminded me that all those fears are about me—about how I might feel or how I might appear. When I worry about my image or my performance, I lose focus on God’s purpose—his desire to release something beneficial into people’s lives.
The life of faith is a life of risk. We get to surrender our insecurities and inabilities and say yes to his ability at work in us. And when we do, we get to see what he can do.
After God realigned my focus as I prayed for that woman, I began to feel his heart for her—the way he grieved with her and the hope he wanted to release into her heart. When I stopped thinking about my fears, I could see her more clearly. Through tears, I told her what I believed I’d heard God say, and instantly, she began to weep. Yes, she had an estranged son. Yes, she had been praying over him. Yes, she needed to know that God is fighting for them.
When we pray for healing or give a prophetic word or operate in any other spiritual gift, it’s not about us. It’s not about whether we feel capable. Of course we’re not capable. But we don’t have to be, because Jesus is. These gifts are not about us, they’re about Jesus and allowing his mighty love to flow through us however he chooses. When he’s in charge, the gifts of the Spirit in our lives will produce a mighty benefit for his kingdom.
So say yes to his gifts. You won’t regret it.
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