Desire Greater Gifts
- Henley Samuel
- Jun 6
- 5 min read
June 06, 2025
Today, we explore the transformative power of spiritual desire. What do you truly want from God? This simple question holds the key to unlocking extraordinary blessings in your life. When we approach our faith with clear, focused desires, we position ourselves to receive God's abundant provisions.
The Divine Question
Throughout scripture, we see a pattern where God asks people what they want. Jesus asked the blind man in Mark,
"What do you want me to do for you?" - Mark 10:51
He posed the same question to the man who had been bedridden for 38 years. These weren't casual inquiries, they were invitations to articulate deep desires.
"When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.'" - 2 Kings 2:9
This divine question requires us to know our hearts. If someone were to wake you from sleep and ask what you want, would you have a ready answer? The Bible promises that "the desire of the righteous will be granted," but without clear desires, we limit what God can do in our lives.
Focus Determines Fulfillment
When Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit, Elijah responded that he had asked for a difficult thing. Yet he provided a path to fulfillment: "If you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so."
Despite the challenge, Elisha remained focused. He followed Elijah closely, keeping his eyes fixed on his mentor. When the chariot of fire appeared and Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind, Elisha witnessed it, and received the double portion he desired.
Your focus determines your future. What may seem impossible becomes attainable through unwavering determination.
This principle applies to our spiritual lives today. Sometimes we view our desires as too difficult or impossible. But with proper focus and determination, what seems unattainable becomes reality through Christ.
Eagerly Desire Spiritual Gifts
Scripture explicitly encourages us to desire spiritual gifts:
"Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people]." - 1 Corinthians 14:1
This isn't a suggestion, it's a divine instruction. We are called to make spiritual gifts our goal, to pursue them with eagerness and determination. The Amplified Bible expands this: "Make it your goal yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts to be used by believers for the benefit of the church."
Many believers have been taught that spiritual gifts are reserved for special people or specific ministries. This limiting belief contradicts scripture. We are all children of God, created in His image and likeness. The invitation to desire spiritual gifts extends to the entire church, not just to pastors or apostles.
No Limits to God's Provision
The Bible further instructs:
Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you. - 1 Corinthians 12:29-31
This verse follows a series of questions: "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?" The answer to each is "no", but then comes the instruction to "eagerly desire the greater gifts."
The spiritual gifts are available to all who desire them. They're not reserved for a select few but are provisions already set on the table for us. We shouldn't be like Lazarus, waiting for crumbs to fall. Instead, we're invited to feast at the King's table, where God has prepared a banquet "in the presence of our enemies."
Expanding Our Vision
Consider the vastness of God's creation. If you zoom out from your current location, you'll see your city, then your country, then Earth itself. Zoom further to see the moon, the planets, our solar system, and eventually the entire Milky Way galaxy.
This magnificent universe was created by God's spoken word. How awesome, how wonderful, how majestic is the God we serve! And this Creator calls us His sons and daughters. Our Father is the King of the universe, the Almighty God.
With such a Father, why would we limit our desires? Our small thinking can restrict what God wants to do in our lives. Let's generously desire the higher gifts, knowing that our unlimited God delights in giving good gifts to His children.
Conclusion
The power of desire shapes our spiritual journey. When we clearly articulate what we want from God and pursue it with focus and determination, we position ourselves to receive His blessings. The spiritual gifts aren't reserved for a select few, they're available to all who earnestly desire them.
Don't let limited thinking restrict what God can do in your life. Dream big, desire earnestly, and watch as God exceeds your expectations.
Reflect on This
What spiritual gifts are you earnestly desiring today, and what steps are you taking to cultivate them?
How might your current desires be limiting what God wants to do in and through your life?
Prayer
Father, I thank You for creating me in Your image and calling me Your child. I declare that I am positioning myself to receive the spiritual gifts You have prepared for me. I will no longer limit what You can do in my life through small thinking or hesitant desires. I eagerly desire the greater gifts, knowing that You delight in fulfilling the desires of my heart. I receive Your anointing to prophesy, to heal, to speak in tongues, and to interpret, all for the benefit of Your church and the advancement of Your kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
God invites us to clearly articulate our desires, as demonstrated when Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"
Focus and determination are essential for receiving what we desire from God, as illustrated in Elisha's pursuit of a double portion.
Scripture explicitly instructs believers to "eagerly desire spiritual gifts," making this pursuit a biblical mandate.
Spiritual gifts are available to all believers, not just a select few with special callings.
Our limited desires can restrict what our unlimited God wants to do in and through our lives.
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To dive deeper into this powerful message, watch the full sermon on our YouTube video below.
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