Fulfill God’s Purposes
Kees Compier of Independence, MO, USA
…all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. …And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. -2 Samuel 5:3, 10
The story of David becoming king over Israel involves divine calling and human response. The people recognized how David had led them, and they testified of his giftedness. God recognized the gifts David had as a shepherd and ruler and called him into leadership.
At one time, I had the privilege of leading “Discovering Our Gifts” workshops in several congregations. One exercise asked people to list their gifts. Those could be practical gifts, such as carpentry or crafts. The gifts also could be more spiritual in nature, such as preaching, offering prayers, or leading meditation. Most participants had no problem listing their gifts and were eager later to share with the group. But some could list only a few gifts or not even one. They were reluctant to share.
When that happened, I would ask the other participants to help by sharing what gifts they had observed in this person. It was always an amazing experience when gift after gift was mentioned. The persons who had struggled recognizing their own gifts were touched by this experience. Some were in tears when they heard this confirmation of their giftedness. It confirmed for all of us that all of God’s people are gifted.
Sometimes we can discover a gift through trying something new. Personally, I never saw myself being a translator. My grades for the three foreign languages I had to take in school in the Netherlands were not great. But after the church employed me as a minister, I saw the enormous need for translated priesthood courses. I decided to try, and to my surprise I had a gift in this area and was able over the years to translate many books and tracts.
All of us are gifted by God, and I believe there always are new gifts for us to discover.
Prayer Phrase
“Awake, my soul!” (Psalm 57:8)
Spiritual Practice
The Prayer of the Heart
Early Christian disciples desired to take seriously the scripture mandate to pray “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The prayer of the heart invites us to pray “continuously” by repeating and returning to a prayer phrase planted for intentional reflection and deepening. Choose a word or phrase (from scripture, hymnody, or personal reflection) that has meaning for you. The Jesus Prayer is one form of the prayer of the heart: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:35-43). Invite this simple phrase to repeat in your heart throughout the day, awakening your soul to God’s presence.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
