A Prayer About Spiritual Gifts

When I want God to use me

ALMIGHTY GOD,

I’m confused. In the New Testament, especially the Epistles, I read about special gifts given to each believer by the Holy Spirit, but I don’t feel gifted. I want to serve you in the church and in the world, but compared to others, I don’t seem to have much to offer. So I ask for insight into my personal mix of spiritual gifts. At one point, I thought I was gifted in a certain way, but my attempts at exercising it were disastrous. So I backed off, fearful of taking another risk. But I would like to help “equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church.” You have shown me that I am unique, special, so I shouldn’t expect to be like anyone else. And I have learned that every member of the body of Christ is significant and plays an important role, not just the leaders, teachers, and pastors. So please help me not to be envious of someone else’s gifts. Show me, lead me, and empower me, I pray.

These are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13