The Spiritual Gift That Isn't

Encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him anytime about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to love and now James you tell me that today you want to start with a riddle. That's right. What is the spiritual gift that isn't someone he means that it isn't actually a spiritual gift that's right that's right so it's something that people think is a spiritual gift, but it actually really is. So what are some of the spiritual gifts listed in Scripture. First Corinthians 12 mentions wisdom, knowledge, faith healing, prophecy, discernment times right right and in Romans 12 of that. The big one mentions teaching, serving, encouraging, giving the administration mercy and here's the point. There's something that's often called a spiritual gift that this will really surprise our listeners that isn't listed among any of the passages that talk about these gifts from Scripture so what what you think that might be well pretty good programs about prayers and out. Prayer is listed among the spiritual gifts in Scripture is that right but didn't make ladies and gentlemen we That could surprise you couldn't oh yeah because you do here. Prayer mentioned as a spiritual gift all the time. I mean, and when you hear is usually someone saying why I don't have the gift of prayer right or you know we need are our you know are gifted intercessors that kind of thing in and in places where we have to stay so close to Scripture because there's a truth here that that's really important. Even if people believe incorrectly that prayer or intercession is one of the spiritual gifts listed in Scripture and and then they understand correctly that God gives some spiritual gifts to some and not others, then they can feel that perhaps maybe they get a pass when it comes to prayer or it's not their thing and not add to that the truth that prayer isn't always easy, that it costs us something and it's something we can learn and grow into an and you find that sometimes it believing that you believing that the spiritual gift can cause some believers to quit before they even get started. Afraid that's true. You don't feel you have the gift and you just may not go there.

That's exactly right and and this is really a double-edged sword, because it it can also be a foothold for spiritual pride and I don't want to offend anyone in this, but think about it this way, our adversary, the devil often gets in there in in those places where were doing things right you know and can can have us take pride in our sigh and ourselves in a little like Saturday nights and Saturday night live church lady do not want to go way back. We can take pride in our strengths like like the Pharisee who prayed Lord I thank you that I'm not like others. She but actually when we do that work is far from God. As you can imagine and what happened then your emphasis starts to be on yourself instead of on God and that never ends well know certainly been there, maybe earlier today you and me both, you know that the point is that all of this is the enemy strategy to keep us from praying you think of William Cooper's words and Satan trembles. When he sees the weakest saint upon his knees to if you can actually tell you you don't have the spiritual gift of prayer which actually nobody has. If you look at the spiritual gifts carefully because you don't have. Why bother, and even if you love to pray, he can shift the emphasis back on yourself well aren't I a prayer warrior, you know, so this is where we have to think biblically about prayer, and recognize that God simply wants every believer to pray and it doesn't matter if your cortical good at it or not, your heavenly father just wants to hear from you because he loves you and there's incredible good that you can accomplish through your prayers. In in going to him. That's helpful. And that resonates with what God's word tells us in Galatians 4 that God has sent his Spirit in your hearts to prompt us to call out father mean, that's prayer right there you you could say it's really the birthright of every believer.

All I love that that is yeah that's exactly right.

It's more than the spiritual is vitalism's heart. This is our inheritance. This is, I keep it it's part of what it means to be a believer in Jesus and a child of God. That's why you know, if you say oh yeah I'm a devout believer, but I really don't pray then. Oh, you know that's a bad place media it.

The truth is we get to pray and this is expressive of our relationship with him. And of course we all grow in this we need to grow in it daily and that's the work of God's spirit because you cannot remove prayer from your relationship with God. You cannot have a relationship without communication. We talked about that before. How were always going relationship with God yes and and as you grow in that relationship.

You also grow in person as a matter of you know, all managers have to pray it's it's like this. This whole wide country opening out before us where there are adventures waiting for great things ahead. God is standing in front of us is holding out his hand and welcoming us and beckoning us to follow him. This adventure prayer.

I like that and I like the fact that I can start right where I am.

I don't have to be "a prayer warrior to realize and to pray I can just be a child of God and the more I realize that's what I really am. I mean, the more it makes me want to pray sleep that's the whole idea. I just want to encourage our listeners today. You can do this.

Your prayers matter so much to God.

It doesn't matter how you sound. If you feel you're not any good at it. It's not a matter of being good at it. It's a matter of being loved and being in a relationship with him and God loves you and wants to hear from you so much every day throughout the day and he will bless you and bless others as you pray while thanks James only prayed to wrap things up with a prayer right now Jesus I'm reminded of how I love to hear from my grandkids even though they don't speak all that well.

Their hearts are sitting at a light and I just pray that you would help us to be your kids and your grandkids are the looks that we would just open our hearts and in move in closer to you, especially in this hour were we so desperately need comfort and we need light from you that we could help fight the darkness out there thinking that we have this inheritance is birthright for your kids and so help us to Jesus name I pray, hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website.

James bank.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray