Waiting on Wednesdays
Week 1 – March 4th 2026
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV)
Did you know that the Holy Spirit is longing to be manifested in and through your life? Manifest is a word that perhaps has somewhat fallen out of the common vernacular, probably as our spiritual vocabulary has receded as a culture. But here in 1 Corinthians 12:7, the Apostle Paul says that we’ve each been given this manifestation of the Holy Spirit. It’s a different word in the original Greek than the word he normally uses for spiritual gifts (which is charismatos, where we get our English word charisma). Why Paul uses a different word here, no one can be certain. But the vision of the Holy Spirit being manifested through our lives is beautiful, and if we’re honest, probably a bit discomforting. Really? In my life? Have you seen my life lately?
It’s a humbling thing to realize that the Bible teaches that you have a unique gifting and that God wants to use you to manifest His Holy Spirit in His church. It ought to produce some feeling of awe, wonder, and gratitude. And it’s when we experience these things that our actions can truly flow out of a desire to serve others, and to live for the common good of our sisters and brothers in Christ. As we wait together this Wednesday, I offer a few prayer points as you pray for your church today:
· Pray that God would give you clarity around your spiritual gifting and how you can use it in service to your church.
· Ask God if there is anything in your life right now that is inhibiting the Holy Spirit’s work and manifestation in and through your life.
· Pray for a personal vision and practice of ministry that feeds your soul and fills a need in the church.
· Reflect on your interactions with friends and acquaintances at church in recent days. Who needs your prayers today? Who needs your support for something they’re facing? Pray for them, and then follow up with a text, phone call, or in some other tangible way.
