doves-holy-spirit-main_article_image.jpg

PASS THE PARCEL

10 mins 

Play a game of pass the parcel using the parcel described above and as people unwrap each prize get them to explain what they think that gift might mean before they are allowed to eat their prize. At the end explain that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to those who believe in Jesus.

READ AND DISCUSS

15 mins 

Read 1 Corinthians 11:1-11 and then discuss these questions:

• Why do you think the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people?

• Who are the gifts given to?

• How do we receive these gifts?

• What are the gifts of the Spirit to be used for?

Look again at each of the nine gifts mentioned. As a group, try and unpack what they might mean and what they might be used for. See if they agree with the following definitions:

• Wisdom: knowing the right thing to say or to do because God tells you.

• Words of knowledge: knowing a specific piece of information about someone or something because the Spirit has told you.

• Faith: a confidence, given by God, to believe in him and his promises.

• Healing: seeing God heal people when you pray for them.

• Miraculous powers: seeing God do impossible things when you pray.

• Prophecy: speaking God’s truth and encouragement into a situation; sometimes for the future, but more often for the present.

• Discernment: knowing whether something is true or false, good or evil, because God tells you.

• Tongues: speaking, praying or singing in a prayer language that helps you grow in relationship with God.

• Interpretation: knowing the meaning of someone’s tongue because God tells you. Ask if any of them have ever experienced these gifts, either in others or in themselves.

READ AND DISCUSS

10 mins 

Read Acts 2:17-18 and 1 Corinthians 14:1-4 and discuss these questions:

• What do these verses say about the gift of prophecy?

• What does it mean to eagerly desire the gift of prophecy? How would you go about doing this?

• What is the gift of prophecy for?

LISTENING

20 mins 

Split your group into threes. If you have enough leaders or young people who are a bit more experienced in praying like this then split them up around the groups. Explain that you are going to take it in turns to listen to God for each other, with two people listening and one receiving. Explain that each group is going to ask God to speak and then they are going to listen. Remind your young people that it is unlikely that they will hear an audible voice. More likely God will put verses, words, pictures or scenes in their minds. Some people might feel certain emotions that may be applicable to the person they are praying for. Explain that God uses our imaginations and senses to communicate to us. It is important that when people feel like they have a word, picture or verse they should take that back to God and ask him what he might mean by it. Remind your group that anything they share must be strengthening, encouraging or comforting.

Still in their groups, get them to pray that God would speak to them to encourage the person they are praying for and then encourage them to wait for two or three minutes. If this seems too vague, invite them to ask God to spark their imaginations by giving them a picture of an animal that God wants to encourage the person they are praying for with. When they have pictured that animal invite them to ask God what characteristics that animal has that God might want to speak over the person. For example, you might have a picture of a giraffe and God might be saying it is because the person stands tall and confident and has a vision that is bigger than everybody else’s. Ask the young people to write down what they have heard as they hear it. Invite them to share what they have written down with the person being prayed for. Invite the person being prayed for to share whether any of what was heard makes sense. If it does, pray those things over that person and then move onto listening for the next person.

Once everybody has been prayed for gather your group and see who found it useful and encouraging. Explain that this listening is the beginning of prophecy. It is about listening to God and then testing what you hear by sharing it with others. Remind those who have been encouraged to try and live out what makes sense. Finish by thanking God for speaking. 

KEY POINT

This is just one list of spiritual gifts in the New Testament. The Spirit gives these gifts in different ways to different people. They are not prizes or badges of honour but gifts that help us know God better and serve each other so that the church is encouraged. These gifts, although different, all come from the same Spirit; they are not ranked or given greater or lesser importance.