We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:6

We’re about to wrap up at our house what we call “birthday season.” Most of the family’s birthdays fall near the holidays–even the dog’s! These months are filled with celebrations, cakes and special foods, friends, and, yes, gifts!

The teenagers enjoy making birthday lists which mostly include cash, snacks, and upgrades to their current devices. My husband always insists he doesn't need anything, but his number one birthday request is always an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen…no substitutions. :)  I enjoy employing a certain level of creativity when given lists such as these! I have fun looking for things I know they’ll love and put to good use. These are usually the things they don't know they want until they have it, and the gifts that are still in play months after the birthday has passed. Their reactions to these kinds of gifts are always my favorite!

Our series on Living Supernaturally comes to an end this week…or is it just the beginning? We’ve talked about this being the year of the Lord’s favor, what it means to live in partnership with the Spirit, and what supernatural guidance and opposition look like. This week we ask for gifts.

Some gifts we might outright ask for. I pray every week that the Spirit would bring the right 500 words to mind for my next Connect Devotional. Every week He is faithful, and every week I’m thankful for that gift! 

Some things we don’t know we want/need until we have them. I’m positive I’ve never expressly asked for the gifts of giving or encouragement or mercy, but they’ve surfaced in my life whenever someone nearby needed them most. 

God honors our requests and may not give every single gift we’ve asked for, but there could be a hidden gift we didn’t know how much we needed/wanted until we have it.

Just as I look for gifts for the kids that are specific to them, each of us has unique gifts from the Spirit. God, grant us the boldness of a teenager asking for cold hard cash when we ask the Spirit for gifts! May we have eyes always open to recognize a gift when given, and hearts attuned to put it to use where needed. Amen.