The 9 Gifts Of The Holy Spirit. Everything You Need To Know

Introduction

Have you ever stopped to think about what the gifts of the Holy Spirit are?

As Christians, we’re called to walk in a close relationship with the Holy Spirit.

He empowers us to edify the church yet, we may find it difficult to do.

Why is that?

One simple reason can be that we struggle to understand the power of the Holy Spirit

What Are The 9 Gifts Of The Holy Spirit?

In the Bible, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are spiritual gifts that help believers serve God & humanity. 

These are gifts that God imparts into the lives of Christians for building up the church. 

Spiritual gifts are “any ability empowered by the Holy Spirit used in any ministry of the church”.

These gifts relate to natural abilities such as teaching, giving love, serving, etc. 

They are also spiritual capabilities such as healing, prophecy, discernment of spirits, etc.

We’re going to take a deep dive into spiritual gifts but if you’re on a time crunch, here is what we will cover:

1. The Person & Work Of The Holy Spirit
2. Who Is The Holy Spirit?
3. The Work Of The Holy Spirit
4. Gifts Of The Holy Spirit That Empower Our Christian Life
5. The Gifts Of Five-Fold Ministry
6. Spiritual Gifts In Our Natural Abilities
7. Supernatural Gifts Of The Holy Spirit
8. Understanding The Purpose Of Spiritual Gifts
9. How To Know What Your Gifts Are
10. Conclusion

Let’s jump right in!

The Person & Work Of The Holy Spirit

If we talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it’s only right to talk about the gift-giver Himself, the Holy Spirit.

Understanding the person and work of the Holy Spirit is critical to what we are going to speak about. 

You can’t put His gifts to use without knowing Him through a relationship.

So let’s take some time to get to know him before we go any further starting with His personhood.

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

One thing we need to make clear from the beginning is that the Holy Spirit is an actual person. 

He is not an impersonal force or influence but has all the characteristics that make up a person. The Holy Spirit is God. As God the father & the Son have always existed, the Holy Spirit has always existed and been at work with them.

Here are indications of the Holy Spirit always existing from the bible:

• He was there during creation – Genesis 1:2 – The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

• The Holy Spirit moved the prophets with God’s word – 2 Peter 1:21 – For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The scriptures show us that the Holy Spirit has always existed.

He has always participated in God’s work throughout history.

It’s important for Christians to know the Holy Spirit and be in a relationship with him for us to grow spiritually.

John 3:5

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

This verse shows us that not knowing the Holy Spirit is not something new. It has been an issue since the early church. 

Acts 19:2:

And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

As Jesus said we must be born of the Spirit, we need to make an effort to know him.

Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the Holy Spirit and what the bible says:

As a person, the Holy Spirit contains these characteristics:

• He has life – Romans 8:2 – For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

• He has emotions – Ephesians 4:30- And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption

• He is a thinking being and has a will – 1 Corinthians 2:10 -But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 12:11 – All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

• He Teaches, guides, and comforts – 1 Corinthians 2:13 – And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Romans 8:14 – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

John 16:7 – Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you

These characteristics make up personhood and He carries much more than that. See Is The Holy Spirit A Person? For more information.

The Work Of The Holy Spirit

Since we have taken a look at the personhood of the Holy Spirit, let’s now look at the work he’s involved in.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit tie believers to the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Understanding the Holy Spirit’s ministry allows Christians to use his gifts effectively.

His work can be defined as manifesting the presence of God in the world and the church. 

His ministry is to do God’s work in the world. He carries on the work he empowered Jesus to do through his church.

The Holy Spirit’s work is to complete and sustain the plans of God and to carry on the work that Jesus had begun in the world.

Here are 4 ways the Holy Spirit works:

1. He Empowers – Acts 1:18: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
2. He Purifies – 1 Corinthians 6:11: And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
3. He Reveals – John 16:13: When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
4. He Brings Unity – 2 Corinthians 13:14: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (see also Acts 2:44-47)

I want to make it a point that these works are not for granted. The spirit of God responds to us by giving us evidence of His presence. The evidence of His presence can either be strong or weak depending on our obedience to him and if we are in sin.

Gifts Of The Holy Spirit That Empower Our Christian Life

There have been many arguments about the gifts of the Holy Spirit over the years. There are so many different opinions about them and these opinions do much more harm than good.

I say this for one simple reason. The bible needs to be our end-all-be-all. Not man’s opinions.

With that said, It is best to explain the gifts of the Spirit through the authoritative word of God.

I’m sure one of the questions that led you to this article was “How many gifts are there?” Well, there are many gifts, even some that we don’t usually recognize as gifts. Let’s see what the bible has to say:

The Gifts Of Five-Fold Ministry

Ephesians 4:11

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

So here the Bible gives us a list of 5 spiritual gifts that Christ gives to the church. 

• Apostles

• Prophets

• Evangelists

• Pastors

• Teachers

These are the gifts of 5 fold ministry.

God develops these gifts in a person to build them into their ministry also known as their “calling”. 

These ministries make up the foundation of the church. A sign of a healthy church will have some if not all these ministries in effect. In case you are not familiar with the 5 fold ministry, let me explain.

All gifts of the 5 fold ministry have a specific function and it is to serve the church.

A person gifted in one of these ministries can serve in another ministry but only one will be their calling.

For example, a Pastor is not both a Pastor and an Evangelist. 

A Pastor can evangelize, but pastoring is the main ministry God has him responsible for.

That is his spiritual gift and calling.

The 5 fold ministry are the pillars that hold the church together with Jesus as the center.

Spiritual Gifts In Our Natural Abilities

So are there only 5 spiritual gifts? Actually, there’s more.

Romans 12:6-8

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Romans mentions other spiritual gifts that easily get overlooked.

• Serving

• Encouraging

• Giving

• Leadership

• Kindness

All these gifts reflect the very character of Jesus as he was on earth. If we take a look at each one, it is exactly what Jesus did and commanded us to do.

You see, not every gift that comes from the Holy Spirit is outside our natural abilities. He actually empowers some of our natural abilities for the glory of God.

Let’s take a look at some verses based on the other gifts we mentioned above.

Servanthood

Matthew 20:28

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Encouraging

Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Giving

Proverbs 11:25

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Leadership

Mark 10:43

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,

Kindness

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

A good verse that summarizes this is 1 Peter 4:11.

1 Peter 4:11

Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Supernatural Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

I’m sure this is the section of the article that you’re most interested in. Let’s break down the gifts of the spirit that are above our natural abilities.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10

To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

So here is the list of supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit:

1. Word of wisdom
2. Word of knowledge
3. Faith
4. Gifts of healing
5. Prophecy
6. Miracles
7. Discerning Spirits
8. Tongues
9. Interpretation Of Tongues

Now to anyone reading this for the first time, this may be hard to understand but don’t worry. I’m going to cover this in detail to help you understand better.

Let’s start with the first in order and flow from there.

Word Of Wisdom

A word of wisdom is a beautiful gift from God that helps bring clarity to a confused person or situation. This is a gift from the Spirit as it edifies other people and empowers them to walk in the fullness of God. 

Being able to give a word of wisdom can encourage, uplift and guide.

Psalm 37:30

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.

Proverbs 24:6

For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Word Of Knowledge

As a word of wisdom edifies and guides, a word of knowledge instructs, teaches, and sheds light on hidden darkness.

This gift is not the same as a word of wisdom although they go hand in hand.

Wisdom guides from insight and experience to deepen understanding.

knowledge is a collection of facts and information. Wisdom gives a person the power to use the tool of knowledge.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 18:15

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.

Being able to impart knowledge allows you to speak into a person’s life the things that are relevant to them for that very moment. 

We need to pray for this more.

Faith

Is there much to say about faith? Many might ask “how is faith a gift?”

It is simple. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)

Having faith is something many of us struggle with. At times we are on the highest mountain and other times we are low to the ground. The truth is, faith is not easy to maintain.

Jesus said we can move mountains with faith.

David’s faith in the power of God is what gave him the confidence to take down Goliath.

Faith is a gift. when the church uses it, it gives believers the power to bring the unseen into reality.

Faith tears down spiritual walls.

Gifts Of Healing

When you hear “gifts of healing” I’m sure what comes to mind first is physical healing. This is not the only thing in our lives that needs healing. 

We need more than physical healing. 

Many need mental, emotional, trauma healing and most of all…spiritual healing.

This gift allows you to minister God’s healing power into broken lives that need restoration.

Jeremiah 33:6

Behold, I will bring health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Prophecy

Unfortunately, many have abused the gift of prophecy. There have been people over the years who have told untrue prophecies that have led many away. This is why we must have discernment (coming up).

The truth is, every prophetic word that is spoken in this day must align itself with scripture. If it does not, reject it.

2 Peter 1:21

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The gift of prophecy used today points all things to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Revelation 19:10

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Miracles

The gift of miracles allows Christians to serve in the commandments of Jesus in Matthew 10:8.

Matthew 10:8

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

Take the apostle Paul for example:

Acts 19:11-12

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

God is still doing these things to this day. Faith allows us to tap into this world of miracles through the power of God.

Discerning Spirits

Earlier we spoke about prophecy and the importance of recognizing a true prophecy. Discernment is the gift of the holy spirit that the church needs to pray for most.

Jesus warned us that many false prophets would come into the world. 

Matthew 24:11

And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

The gift of discernment allows us to recognize and test the spirits to know what’s of God and what’s from satan. 

If there is any gift on this list to pray for, it’s this one.

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Tongues

Speaking in tongues is the ability to speak to God through a prayer language given by the Holy Spirit.

This prayer language is personal to you and is for your edification. With that said, it is important to understand maturity when speaking in tongues. It is a gift of the spirit that Paul advises us to use with wisdom (1 Corinthians 14).

Acts 2:4

And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

Interpretation Of Tongues

This is the ability to understand the spiritual tongues spoken by a person and interpret it into a message that edifies the church.

This gift is important to pray for.

 Many people can speak in tongues but few can interpret the message for building up the church.

1 Corinthians 14:4

A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

Understanding The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

Many believe that they can choose their spiritual gifts and they start to pray for what they feel they want. Unfortunately, that’s not how it actually works. It is the Holy Spirit who decides what gifts you receive. 

He is the one who knows what we will thrive in.

1 Corinthians 12:11

It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

With that said, what is the purpose of spiritual gifts? Well, I will start with what is not the purpose.

God does not give us His gifts for our selfish gain. He gives all these gifts for the benefit of those around us.

We are to serve and to use our gifts and talents to edify others.

1 Corinthians 14:12

Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

As you pray for the gifts of the spirit, ask God for a desire to edify his church.

How To Know What Your Gifts Are 

I’m sure that one of the biggest questions you have is “What are the gifts God has given me?”

Believe it or not, it’s not as hard to discover. Some things I recommend doing to discover your gifts:

• Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you

• Speak with your Pastors about what they see in you

• Ask yourself, where does God use you most?

• Where is your burden?

After, bring it to God in prayer and discuss it with your Pastor for confirmation and guidance.

If you are interested in getting a deeper understanding of God’s purpose for your life, I recommend reading Child of The Most High.

The book goes into detail about God’s plans and purpose for His children.

Conclusion

Well, we sure covered a lot today. I hope that you are walking away with a clear understanding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Put these gifts into your prayer life and ask God to lead you to the gifts He wants to use you in.