Text: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Memory verse:
“And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭19‬:‭6‬ ‭

When you attend a standard dinner, you will expect at least more than one course. You don’t rise up and move out after eating your first course, no matter how rich it is. Rather, you remain on your seat and expect the second course and then, the third. You know that the first is just an appetizer. Speaking with tongues is the basic part of receiving the Holy Spirit. It is the initial evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Even though it is very rich and grossly beneficial to you, yet it’s like an appetizer. It is the doorway into other spiritual gifts.
According to our text today, there are nine different gifts and all from the same Spirit, that filled you. You have the potential to manifest some of these nine gifts. “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” ‭‭(I Cor‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬).
In our memory text, two gifts manifested as they received the Holy Spirit. Firstly, notice that the verse didn’t say, ‘they prophesied and then, spoke with tongues’. Speaking with tongues, which is the general gift of the Spirit at baptism is the gateway to the ministry gift of the Holy Spirit, which is distributed as He wills.
The Holy Spirit desires to manifest Himself more in your life and to do exploits through you. That’s why He charges us to desire spiritual gifts and to covet the best gifts (1 Cor 14:1; 12:31). Notice that this charge wasn’t given to new believers but believers who were already speaking with tongues. Paul charged them never to rest at that level but to go higher.
Speaking with tongues is the doorway into other gifts. The more you speak with tongues, the more the doorway to the ministry gifts and the realms of the supernatural will be opened to you.

Prayer points
1. Father, open to me the doorway into the ministry gifts as I pray with tongues in Jesus name.
2. Father, help me to pray more with tongues and to daily walk in the supernatural in Jesus name.

Today’s declarations
1. I desire spiritual gifts and so I pray more with tongues.
2. Speaking with tongues is my God-given doorway into other gifts and the supernatural realms.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng