Question about spiritual gifts?

[Michael The Disciple]

You know the first time my gift operated I was not seeking it. I was hardly aware such things happened except as there were written in the Bible. I was just seeking the Lord having only been a believer a few months. I wasn't even going to Church yet. Just a new convert seeking Jesus.

Initially I had an experience with tongues and prophecy that came to pass immediately. That was awesome in itself. Then I starting having dreams that would come to pass usually but not always within a day or two. This has been happening since 1974.

It is good to seek the gifts. Paul said so. I think part of it must be just the diligent seeking of the Lord himself in prayer and obedience. Just hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

[shazeep]

Cool, MtD! i wonder if you would describe your prophecy experience? ty

[shazeep]

MtD?

[Michael The Disciple]

It usually comes in a dream. In 1974 I was attending a Freewill Baptist Church. Not long after I left there I dreamed about a lady in the Church that did a lot of solo singing. She was well thought of there and seemed like a spiritual person.

I dreamed she was committing fornication with someone, she was a married woman. Shortly after this I was told the Pastor had resigned because he was in an adulterous relationship with that woman.

A while later I was attending a large Pentecostal Church. I had a dream about the organ player. She was committing sexual sin with someone. During the next prayer meeting at Church I requested prayer that God would reveal any sin that was in the Church. The next day it came out the woman I dreamed of and the Pastor of the Church had fell into sin.

In that same Church was a young lady who the people regarded as an evangelist. One night I dreamed she was dating an unsaved man. I called her and told her this and she denied it vehemently. I felt bad and apologized and told her I was sorry and must have missed the Lord. Afterward when I was away at work she called my wife and told her what I said was actually true and she had lied.

A while back I was holding meetings with some people in our town. One night I dreamed that some people we had known years earlier who had fallen into the Catholic Faith had come to visit them and persuade them into their faith. We talked in the next few days and the brother told me those same people had come to his house and tried to get them to leave the truth and come away with them.

These are a few examples to encourage faith for those who read.

[shazeep]

Wow--i would call that a pretty special gift. Kind of surprised that you might classify it 'prophecy' rather than 'dreams,' but i see why! ty

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Luke

I have often wondered why do not see more signs and miracles than we do and why it seems that at one time these things were more prominent than now? While thinking about this I remembered these scriptures:

1 Cor 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

1 Cor 14:1Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

Do these verses teach that we must seek to receive spiritual gifts or do we just receive them when we receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost?

I believe that they may manifest as God desires to use us... or one can seek them. I also believe that one who exercises their gift becomes better at understanding (discerning) what the Spirit is truly doing, revealing, or saying.

Hebrews 5:12-14
English Standard Version (ESV)
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Training and practice isn't a bad thing. In fact, it strengthens us and causes us to really begin understanding the things of the Spirit.